Times of Tunbridge Wells 3rd May 2017

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

All the news that matters

YOUR

FREE

Local, National and International

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

PAPER

Brexit backlash could cost the Tories votes at council elections

INSIDE

Wells celebrate back-to-back promotion

PETITION MISLEADING Campaign against civic plan is ‘extending truth’ Page 3

By Jonathan Banks

Continued on page 2

Wedding is postponed after guest collapses and dies at the venue A WOMAN guest at a wedding being held at The Barn in Tunbridge Wells on Sunday collapsed and died shortly before the civil ceremony was due to take place.

The ambulance service said the woman, who has not been named but is thought to have been elderly, passed away after suffering a ‘fatal cardiac arrest’.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the woman, who was lying on the ground outside The Barn in Lonsdale Gardens, which was cordoned off.

The wedding itself was immediately postponed ‘as a mark of respect’.

FACE BLINDNESS

Woman has trouble recognising her own family Page 6

Nerve and character saw Tunbridge Wells beat Chingford at the weekend in a nail-biting play-off that next season puts them in rugby’s National League Three South – the highest level they have reached in the club’s history. Full details P 70

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

CONSERVATIVES defending their divisions at tomorrow’s county council elections (May 4) have spoken of a growing Brexit backlash on the doorstep.

Anger is primarily directed at Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark and his vote to trigger Article 50 despite backing the Remain campaign before June 23 last year and representing a constituency that voted in the referendum to stay in Europe.

One incumbent councillor, who asked not to be named, said he was ‘taking nothing for

Town remains the safest place in county despite rise in crime

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk NEW figures show that crime across Tunbridge Wells increased last year – although it is still the safest borough in Kent.

The police have been quick to reassure residents that they are ‘less likely to be a victim of crime than anywhere else in Kent’.

A strategic assessment report, commissioned by the multi-authority Community Safety Partnership, notes ‘a slight upward trend’ in overall crime in the last three years.

The data shows crime rose 4.7 per cent

between October 2015 and September 2016 with the figures reflecting a mixed picture when it comes to the types of individual cases recorded.

High profile The largest increase was in sexual offences, which leapt 32 per cent, an increase attributed to more people reporting historical offences. A total of 165 cases of this nature were reported during the period.

It was this, alongside a rise in domestic abuse cases, that has largely contributed to the overall increase in violent crime while other acts of violence have fallen.

Kent Police Inspector Christian Mayers, from the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Unit, said: “Nationally, the press coverage of high profile cases involving violent and sexual offences has empowered victims to come forward and report these crimes to the police and have confidence that their reports will be handled sensitively and appropriately.”

He also said it was ‘important to note’ that other offences have decreased in number, such as burglary dwellings which is down from 240 to 155 and robberies which have halved from 53 to 26.

Continued on pages 4 and 5

NOTEWORTHY MUSIC The London Handel Players head to Tonbridge Page 65

SOWING THE SEEDS

Youngsters learn how to grow veg and eat healthily Page 19

2

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Local issues take a back seat to Brexit

WAITING LIST Bob Bowes said he was ‘grateful’ to patients

Continued from page 1 granted’ at this year’s Kent County Council elections.

He told the Times: “It could be closer than people think, especially in my division, which covers some areas that traditionally vote Liberal Democrat and Labour.

“Feedback on the doorstep is that Brexit remains a big issue, even when the focus should be on local issues.

There is a lot of negative sentiment towards Greg Clark and this could end up meaning less votes for Conservative candidates.”

The Liberal Democrats themselves are not shying away from explicitly linking the county elections to people’s views on Theresa May’s ‘hard Brexit’.

Senior figures in the local party say their membership has received a significant boost since the referendum and they are framing themselves as the only real alternative to Conservative dominance in the borough.

Challenge Gillian Douglass, Chair of the Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats, said: “In Tunbridge Wells, it is a two-horse race between us and the Conservatives. Voting Labour only helps the Conservatives win.

“In Tunbridge Wells, Liberal Democrat membership continues to increase in opposition to Greg Clark and Theresa May’s hard Brexit.”

Local membership now stands at over 300 people.

Ben Chapelard, a Liberal Democrat councillor for St James’, said he has noticed ‘palpable anger’ on the doorstep when out canvassing.

He said: “Brexit, and triggering Article 50 specifically, seems to have highlighted to people – something they knew implicitly – that Greg Clark is a career politician.

“There is palpable anger that he is looking after number one and has ignored his Remain voting constituency.

Lifelong Tory voters are now telling us they will vote Liberal Democrat.”

Meanwhile, local Labour sources have admitted that negative coverage of the national party and its leadership are presenting them with ‘challenges’, but they believe their focus on ‘Tory austerity’ is resonating on the doorstep.

They also believe they can make decent headway in Tunbridge Wells North, where there has been considerable opposition in Southborough to the Conservative-run town council’s decision to demolish Royal Victoria Hall.

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 ENQUIRIES sales@onemedia.co.uk | 01892 779650 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

16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times of Tunbridge Wells we strive to deliver fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we don’t meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections.

If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

PRINTED BY NEWBURY NEWS LTD Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2DW

SUSPENSION ‘UNFAIR’ ON PATIENTS The Royal College of Surgeons were highly critical of the move to ban operations, which it said is the longest such suspension on record.

Its President, Clair Marx, said the move was ‘unfair’, adding: “Patients, some of whom may be in severe discomfort or pain, should not be made to wait longer for treatment because the CCG has run out of money and surgical patients are perceived as easily postponed.

“While patients wait for treatment their conditions could deteriorate, sometimes making treatment more complex and costly in the long term.”

She also claimed that making surgeons and their teams stand down was ‘inefficient and a waste of scarce resource’.

Ban on operations has ‘limited impact’ despite 1,500 patients missing surgery

By Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE suspension of non-urgent operations at Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone hospitals resulted in 1,500 people being forced to wait longer for treatment.

But the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has said its 102-day suspension of procedures ‘had limited impact on patients’.

The NHS body announced last year that it would delay some surgery from December 20 to the end of the financial year in April.

The move, which is thought to be unprecedented in the history of the health service, was taken in order to save the CCG £3.2million.

The group found at the end of last year that it was experiencing a higher demand for ‘elec-

tive’ or planned care than it had accounted f0r. The ban did ensure that it did not breach its annual budget of £616million.

The treatments were not specified but they included operations to relieve pain, immobility and disability, such as hip and knee surgery.

Bob Bowes, Chairman of West Kent CCG, told the Times: “The decision to stop non-urgent surgery for a short time had limited impact on patients. We estimate that 1,500 people were affected by the decision.

“To give that some context, more than 50,000 operations are carried out each year.”

That works out as 15 prospective patients a day being denied treatment they were seeking.

Mr Bowes added: “Those that needed an urgent operation were scheduled as normal and nobody who had a date already had their operation cancelled as a result of this decision.

Fox cub nursed back to health after being trapped in a sewer

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A FRIGHTENED, freezing fox cub that almost lost its life trapped in a sewer has been taken into care by a Pembury-based animal charity.

The Fox Project is looking after the cub, named Dinah, who was discovered in a drain in Lewisham, south-east London on April 24 when a member of the public heard her cries and alerted the fire service.

The cub, thought to be between four and five weeks old, was ‘frozen with fear and was very

RESCUED: Dinah the fox cub

“The programme delayed treatment only for those patients who the specialist decided could wait a little longer once they had been seen in outpatients.

“We are very grateful to those that have had to wait a little while longer for their operation and thank them for their understanding.”

It remains unclear whether there will now be a backlog of those waiting to have their procedures performed. The Royal College of Surgeons warned that some patients’ conditions may have worsened during the moratorium.

The CCG saved £2.1million by not sending patients for surgery at the two NHS hospitals, and £1.1million from those wanting to go private.

It serves 463,000 people in the region which is covered by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), which was placed in Special Financial Measures last July. cold’ so the crew gave her some oxygen, then wrapped her in towels and blankets to warm her up.

She was later handed over to the RSPCA, who then took her to The Fox Project on Kings Toll Road.

Trevor Williams from the charity said: “Dinah didn’t look good when she first came in, she was very cold and underweight. But she’s now doing okay.

“She’s regained a bit of energy and has begun to eat with some enthusiasm.

“Luckily, she doesn’t seem to have any underlying problems so our plan is to introduce her to a new ‘family’ group of cubs around a similar age over the coming days.”

Rescued foxes are, where possible, released back into the wild once they have recovered.

WILL WE BE PENALISED FOR BEING THE SAFEST PLACE IN KENT? APPARENTLY it was first popularised in the United States by Mark Twain, who attributed the following to the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli: “There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

He was obviously sending out a ‘reader beware’ warning when it comes to interpreting official figures and data.

Think Brexit and you’ll remember some of the interesting numbers being bandied around.

This week we publish new figures that show crime in the borough has jumped nearly five per cent with a ‘sharp rise’ in incidents classed as sexual offences. They are up 32 per cent, from 125 to 165 over a 12-month period.

All of which could make for dramatic headlines

if you don’t scroll down further into what’s called a ‘strategic assessment report’, where you’ll discover that many of the sexual offences are historic with victims now more likely to come forward because of the media coverage of assaults going back decades.

For example, in Frittenden there were seven sexual offences reported – five of them historic.

The truth is that despite the five per cent jump in reported crime, the borough of Tunbridge Wells remains the safest place to live in the county. As the police said, if you live in our part of the world you are ‘less likely to be a victim of crime than anywhere else in Kent’.

That’s great news, although it also raises a few disturbing questions. Kent Police, along with every other force, is under pressure to

cut costs and meet tight budgets. Hundreds of frontline jobs have been axed, leaving fewer officers ‘on the beat’.

Those that take the big decisions must be tempted to focus their limited resources on areas where they might be most effective and most needed, ie. places with soaring crime rates. Which puts Tunbridge Wells at the bottom of the list when it comes to allocating officers based on crime figures.

Let’s just hope the powers that be can resist the temptation to relocate officers, because we want Tunbridge Wells to remain the safest place to live in Kent.

Editorial Director, Richard Moore

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

A big thank you for Commons volunteers THE Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons will be acknowledging the work of the many volunteers who help preserve the popular open spaces by hosting a ‘Big Thank You Event’.

The Forum, have donated their venue to host the event which will be catered by Sankey’s Restaurants. The new Mayor, Julia Soyke, will also be in attendance and presenting the volunteers with certificates.

Organiser Lynne Lane said: “Over the years lots of people have given their time as volunteers help to maintain the commons for the enjoyment of all.”

All volunteers are welcome to attend with a plus one, on June 17, noon to 2pm at The Forum.

No rate rise for hub SOUTHBOROUGH residents were told at their annual Town Meeting last week that there will be no rise in their council tax precept when the Hub project, which is replacing the Royal Victoria Hall, is completed.

The pledge was made by Conservative town councillor Peter Oakford who said even on the ‘worst case scenario’ – with revenue from the replacement theatre coming in at half that made by Royal Victoria Hall – rent from the doctors surgery and other units will cover its costs.

A21 scheme progress A MILESTONE for the A21 dualling project was reached on Sunday (April 30) after the Longfield roundabout entrance to Tonbridge Road was reopened, more than eight months after it was shut.

Its closure has added to the delays along the A21 and there were initially concerns about its impact on ambulances trying to reach the hospital, which is served by the road.

JobCentre awareness THE Department for Work and Pensions has sent JobCentre staff into AXA Insurance at Century Place in Tunbridge Wells to conduct six redundancy awareness presentations since it was announced 150 jobs would be cut in November. The cuts come as AXA moves its motor claims to Birmingham.

NEWS

3

Who’s this? Brighton’s Mod squad descend on Chapel Way

Tunbridge Wells resembled the set of classic film Quadrophenia on Sunday afternoon when some members of Brighton’s famous Mod scene arrived at the Chapel Place gin bar. Passers-by stopped to gaze at the colourful scooters on display, and talk to the riders who had come to meet their friend and fellow Mod enthusiast, bar owner Andrew Over. Mr Over (pictured far right) said it was a ‘fantastic day’ and hopes to make their visit a regular event during the summer.

Civic complex petition branded misleading

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

suggested by this petition’, before acknowledging ‘concerns’ over the financials of the project. But he argued the £70million figure quoted on the petition site for the project ‘differs from the numbers’ the council had discussed with the Friends.

He suggested the petition’s organisers were exaggerating the extent of parking to be lost as they were not factoring in the proposed replacement car park under the new civic complex.

THE group behind a petition urging the council to scrap its plans for a new civic complex and theatre has been accused of ‘extending the truth’.

The charge comes from the Chair of the influential Friends of Calverley Grounds, Nicholas Pope.

He made the remark on the Facebook page of Save Our Park shortly after the organisation re-launched Exaggerating its petition on change.org. The petition was last Nicholas Pope said his organisation was ‘optinight close to hitting its target of 1,500 names.

Mr Pope said: “The petition is rather extending mistic’ that the existing Town Hall and Assembly Hall Theatre ‘would not remain empty the truth on some of the statements which for long’. He then criticised the way the may lead some to sign the petition petition compares the apparent future without reading the consultation of an unoccupied building with the documents available on the counproblems that afflicted the old cinema cil’s website.” site for 15 years.

He stated that Friends of CalverIn a later post he admitted ley Grounds had not yet ‘taken that many in his organisation a position’ on the proposals were ‘clearly against’ the prowhich could result in the posals, while the rest offered replacement of the Great only qualified support.

Hall Car Park with a new Save Our Park accused Mr theatre and the developPope of positioning himself as ment of Mount Pleasant Car SAVE OUR PARK ‘the arbiter of facts’, adding Park for the civic complex.

Founders Simon Weatherseed ‘this is misplaced’.

He said Calverley Grounds (left) and Chris Gedge They said: “In all of the was not being built on, ‘as

published plans some part of Calverley Grounds will be built on. We are using the council’s own images to show how much and are pointing to the council’s consultation document”.

They claimed they had previously discussed the issue of parking and the wording on the flyers with Mr Pope, who ‘seemed happy’ with what they said.

Save Our Park said there were ‘multiple sources’ that can substantiate the £70million figure, adding: “We had a reasonable discussion about most of our points above in person. You seemed satisfied with what we are doing and said that it was others that were using alternative facts. This is disappointing.”

The petition was based on the council’s website but was moved after failing to gain traction.

4

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Violent crime in the borough leaps 13 per cent as robberies, burglaries and drug offences fall and High Brooms are noted to be the top four wards for violence against the person.

Domestic abuse is seen as the main contributing factor in cases of ‘violence against the person’.

Borough-wide figures revealed a six per cent rise in this sub-category over the 12 month period to 1,403 cases, but it remains the lowest in Kent and is highly concentrated. The report states: “A small number of known residential addresses, NTE (night time economy) venues and roads typically account for a high proportion of all offences.”

‘We want people to enjoy Tunbridge Wells and know it is a safe place to live, work and visit’

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk CRIME in Tunbridge Wells has risen with the number of incidents recorded up by almost five per cent in a year – but it still remains the safest borough in Kent.

The figures, which cover the 12 month period between October 2015 and September 2016 form part of the latest strategic assessment of the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Partnership.

Members include the borough and county

councils, Kent Police and the National Probation Service, among others.

Its findings are used to dictate the partnership’s priorities over the coming year.

Although the borough remains the safest part of Kent overall, incidents of violent crime rose by 13 per cent.

Violent crime is categorised as including; ‘violence against the person’, robbery, and sexual offences.

In total, 1,696 incidents in this category were recorded over the period – equivalent to 14.6 recorded violent crimes per 1,000 population.

Culverden, Park, Sherwood and Southborough

The documents also noted a ‘sharp rise’ in sexual offences. In total, 165 incidents classed as a sexual offence were recorded during this period, up from 125 – marking a 32 per cent increase.

Sexual offences accounted for just under 2.2 per cent of total crimes recorded and much of the increase has been attributed to the reporting of historical cases.

Documents note most of the increase was concentrated in the latter half of the time period, with ward data for April to November 2016 showing ‘a sharp rise in incidents’ in Park ward and ‘significant rises’ in Hawkhurst, Cranbrook and St James.

The report goes on to state: “Despite some high profile sexual offence cases that made local news headlines in 2016 it is clear there has been a

Matthew Scott

The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Mr Scott, who was first elected in 2016, said: “I welcome the fact that more victims of crimes which historically were under-reported, like domestic abuse and hate crime, are seemingly now more confident in seeking help from the police. It means more vulnerable people can be safeguarded and I will continue to commission services which give victims the very best support suited to their individual needs.

“My Safer in Kent Plan makes fighting crime and antisocial behaviour a priority and I will continue to hold the Chief Constable to account on behalf of the public.

Crime data can be a useful reference point but it is only part of the picture. More important is that Kent Police strives to put victims and witnesses first.”

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP? Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Kent County Council, Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, National Probation Service, Kent Surrey and Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company and the NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group.

What are the recommended priorities for 2017/18?  Domestic abuse  Road Safety  Alcohol and substance misuse  Vulnerable victims recent increase in the reporting of historic sexual offences. An analysis of sexual offence data for this assessment revealed that of the seven reported sexual offences in Frittenden this year – an unusually high number – five were historic.”

Several categories and sub-categories of crime have seen sharp falls in the number of offences recorded.

The largest fall was a halving in the number of robberies, with 26 incidents recorded, giving Tunbridge Wells the second lowest rate of robberies in the county, behind Tonbridge and Malling.

In addition, there has been a ‘good reduction’ in burglaries of dwellings and burglaries of other premises, which fell by 35 and 13 per cent to a recorded 155 and 311 offences respectively.

Drug related offences dropped by just under 11 per cent to 189 cases, and shoplifting fell by 17 per cent to 436 incidents.

Anti-social behaviour, which is the largest single category, has remained steady, with 2,253 incidents recorded – an increase of under one per cent.

Overall, crime rose by 4.7 per cent in the 12-month period October 2015 – September 2016, with 5,285 crimes reported, a rise of 245 – the smallest increase in Kent.

Per capita, Tunbridge Wells remains the safest place, with 45 crimes per 1,000-residents, less than Tonbridge (50), Sevenoaks (51) and far below the Kent average of 70.

The document notes: “The overall crime picture for the past three years has shown rates of crime and anti-social behaviour to be fairly steady, though with a slight upward trend. This trend follows the Kent district average.”

Kent Police Inspector Christian Mayers, from the

Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Unit, said: “The Borough of Tunbridge Wells has the lowest level of reported crime across the county and therefore its residents are less likely to be a victim of crime than anywhere else in Kent. Whilst there have been rises in certain offence types, those rises are reflected across Kent and also nationally.

“Nationally, the press coverage of high profile cases involving violent and sexual offences has empowered victims to come forward and report these crimes to the police and have confidence that their reports will be handled sensitively and appropriately.

“Although violent crime has risen over the last year, the reported increase in domestic abuse offences is lower than the rest of the county. The increase in the reporting of sexual offences equates to 40 crimes over the year and one third of the increase is down to historical reporting.

“It is also important to note that other offence types reported have also decreased in number, including burglary dwellings which is down from 240 reported crimes to 155, robberies which have halved from 53 to 26 and burglaries other than dwellings which have reduced from 358 to 311.

Drug and theft offences have also fallen.

“Tunbridge Wells is a vibrant and well-visited part of the county which means we attract visitors from outside the district and sometimes these can add to reported crimes, such as those that take place during our night time economy.

“But we want people to enjoy Tunbridge Wells and know that it is a safe place to live, work and visit.”

Referendum led to more hate crime

Police data for the four weeks prior to and following the EU referendum showed an increase in hate crime across Kent (109 reports during the period before the vote, 172 following the vote).

Tunbridge Wells showed an increase in racebased hate crime from four to nine during this period. Religious based hate crime remained steady at two offences prior to and following the June 23 vote.

London’s gangs

The Home Office defines a gang as having one or more characteristics that enable its members to be identified as a group by others. This is a purposefully flexible definition and it is recognised that there needs to be a multi-agency approach to tackle the issue.

CRIME BREAKDOWN TYPE OF CRIMES (%)

NUMBER OF OFFENCES RECORED

POSITION IN COUNTY (LOWER RANK INDICATES FEWER CRIMES) COMPARISON OF 12 BOROUGHS

Anti-social behaviour

29.9

2253*

1

Violence against the person

22.9

1723

Total N/A (Domestic abuse 3)

11

826

1

TYPE OF CRIME

Criminal damage Other theft

10.6

801

N/A

Shoplifting

5.8

436

2

Burglaries other than dwellings

4.1

311

4

Public Order offences

2.7

201

N/A

Drug Offences

2.5

189

9

Theft from motor vehicle

2.3

177

1

Sexual Offences

2.2

165

3

Burglary of dwelling

2.1

155

1

Theft of motor vehicle

1.2

93

1

Other crimes

1.1

N/A**

N/A

Vehicle interference

0.6

N/A**

N/A

Theft of pedal cycle

0.5

37

1

Robbery

0.3

26

2

Possession of weapons

0.2

N/A**

N/A

All crime

100

5,285

1

*The overall ‘Level of Crime’ is officially recorded as 5,285 offences – excluding the inclusion of anti-social behaviour. **Individual figures unavailable.

One of the main issues for Kent is the use of ‘county lines’ by London street gangs to extend their drug dealing into locations outside their home areas.

The report identifies three London street gangs linked to the borough and a further seven local drug networks have suspected links to these or other London gangs.

Mary Trevillion

CEO at Family Matters A Kent-based charity that helps victims of sexual abuse, said that the national media coverage of high-profile individuals being convicted for past offences has led to more people coming forward.

More faith in the police to act, better interaction between agencies and the introduction of specialist advisors who remain with the victim throughout the entire process have also helped encourage reporting and reduce the number of people withdrawing from the criminal process.

“There is no one single thing that has led to a rise in the number of cases being reported,” according to Mary Trevillion of Family Matters.

However, Mrs Trevillion said despite the increase the figures still ‘understate’ the scale of the problem as many people are still not coming forward. They also fail to show worrying trends in the type of offence.

“At Family Matters we have seen a 249 per cent increase in stranger rape over the last couple of years, which is worrying.

Traditionally it has involved people who know each other.”

NEWS

5

6

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Face blindness can mean not recognising your own family

By Murray Jones

murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TALENT development specialist Henry Rose Lee will never forget the day that she approached a perfect stranger and planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek, while her husband was standing right next to them.

It was all a case of mistaken identity, however.

Ms Lee suffers from prosopagnosia, more commonly known as ‘face blindness’ – a cognitive disorder in which the ability to recognise familiar faces is lost or significantly diminished. As such, she thought she was kissing her husband, who happily saw the funny side.

Much like autism, for example, the degree of the condition is very much on a spectrum.

“For people who have it most acutely, it would almost be like ‘50 First Dates’,” explained Ms Lee, referencing a romantic comedy film in which the protagonist wakes up each morning with no memory of the people she has previously met.

“The other end of that, is it may just take someone a little while to recognise some-

one. I’m somewhere in the middle of those two.

“If I wasn’t expecting to see someone and saw them in the street then I would walk straight past them and that includes friends and family.

“I have to really focus hard to recognise people.

I focus on voices mainly. The face-blind tend to listen well,” she revealed adding that she takes note of other features, such as height, skin colour, facial hair and the way people carry themselves.

“But if, for example, there are two bald men with glasses next to each other I can’t tell them apart.

“It can be very embarrassing,” she admitted. “I went to a fancy dress party and I couldn’t recognise my family because they all had changed their hair and their whole look. It was all distorted.”

Although, Ms Lee, who only discovered she was face blind seven years ago, entirely focuses on the positive side to her condition. “Its common knowledge that if you have one sense that lets you down, others make up the slack.

“I have a compensating Henry Rose Lee strength in interpreting

the way people feel. If they are upset or lying for example”.

Her ability to pick up on different signals have actually helped her in her career as a talent development specialist. “If I sit in on interviews I’m able to advise recruiters if I think they are trustworthy or whether they should avoid doing business with them.

‘If there are two bald men with glasses next to each other I can’t tell them apart’ “It must be that I’m seeing something different, how they are carrying themselves.

“I want to encourage people to look beyond face value. I always have because I’m face blind. There is more to people than what you first see.”

Henry Rose Lee will be speaking at TEDx Royal Tunbridge Wells on June 10 at The Assembly Hall.

TEDx Tunbridge Wells is an independently organised version of the world famous TED talks – where people share their inspirational stories and ideas.

The first event in 2015 attracted an audience of 100. This year, organisers hope to draw a 1,000 capacity crowd to the Assembly Hall.

A raft of speakers have already been announced including Dame Kelly Holmes on reinventing herself, travel writer Joaquim Bretcha with his take on Tunbridge Wells and Jane Walker MBE on finding purpose through service to others.

A diverse range of inputs are always encouraged at TEDx and this year is no different with musician Paul Cheese and interior designer Phoebe Oldrey bringing an artistic perspective to the speaking event.

For tickets to see the speakers on June 10, visit www.tedxroyaltunbridgewells.com. Prices vary

Notable face blind people  Duncan Bannatyne  Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess

of Salisbury  Stephen Fry  Jane Goodall  Brad Pitt  Steve Wozniak

FELLOW SUFFERERS: Brad Pitt and Stephen Fry are among celebrities who also have to deal with face blindness

Housing association defends its plans to demolish garages for new homes

By Adam Hignett TOWN & COUNTRY housing group have defended their decision to redevelop sites currently occupied by garages in order to build homes. commuters on their views about the service.

It comes after residents of Southfields Way, High Brooms, complained about the housing association’s proposal to demolish the 25 existing garages and replace them with two small dwellings, with parking.

The housing association also has similar proposals to demolish 40 garages on Powder Mill Lane and replace them with five houses.

Both applications, which were submitted in March, have been subject to numerous objections

from neighbours citing a variety of concerns.

Stan Smith of Southfields Way said the plans appear to be part of a broader trend in which the housing association redevelops garage sites through its subsidiary, the private firm Monson Homes Ltd.

Schemes He said it was ‘general knowledge’ that the group has other sites in its portfolio on its list, including a recent application in Paddock Wood, and potentially Valley Road, Rusthall, Eastlands Rd, Ramslye and Willow Tree Rd, Showfields.

Mr Smith also questioned the link between Town

& County and its Monson Homes. He said: “I cannot understand how original public properties passed into the custody of a charity-registered Housing Association are now in the hands of a private limited company intent on the demolishment of that property to the detriment of the residents and then to build new dwellings for sale.”

However, a spokesman for the housing association has defended its development plans and the use of a subsidiary that is structured as a limited company.

She said: “Monson Homes Limited is a private company limited by shares. The only shareholder is its Parent Company, Town & Country Housing Group. The principal activities of Monson Homes

Limited are acting as agent for the design, construction, development and regeneration of housing on behalf of its Parent Company “In 2016, we undertook a review of garage sites across Kent and Sussex. A survey of garage usage indicated that only 10 per cent of the garages were actually used to store a car.

“These schemes will provide new homes, at a time when there is a shortage of housing. In the case of Southfields Way, we will replace old, outdated garage blocks many of which are too narrow for modern cars. While we appreciate that for some this may cause an inconvenience, in the long run it will regenerate outdated areas and provide new homes for local people.”

8

BUSINESS

Local Business News

Businesses prepared for a Brexit fallout…

MORE than half of businesses based in the South East believe they will be worse off in the two years following Britain’s departure from the EU, a survey has found.

Commissioned by Tunbridge Wells-based law firm Cripps, the data comes from a survey of 150 senior decision makers in businesses throughout the region.

It was, however, compiled prior to Theresa May’s call for a snap election, which will take place on June 8.

In total, 54 per cent of respondents believe they will be worse off in two years’ time. But at the moment they remain upbeat, with 71 per cent saying the decision to leave the EU is yet to impact business investment, and almost 78 per cent revealed that their hiring intentions are so far unaffected.

A third of respondents believed ‘continued free trade with European markets’ should be the most important issue when developing a strategy to leave the EU.

Opportunity ‘Securing trade agreements with countries outside the EU’ and ‘Taking control of our own regulations’ were each the priority for 12 per cent of respondents.

Looking to the three main places outside of Europe businesses believe Britain should focus on trading with once the country leaves the EU, 30 per cent want the focus to be on securing trade deals with the US. This was followed by 29 per cent favouring BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and 28 per cent wanting to rebuild bridges with the Commonwealth.

Speaking on the findings, Cripps Managing Partner Gavin Tyler said: “The EU referendum polarised opinion and it would seem businesses in the South East also have contrasting views on the opportunities that Brexit presents. For some it equals opportunity and optimism, whilst for others it continues to mean uncertainty and caution.

“As may be expected with the current uncertainty and murmurings from Brussels, 54 per cent of respondents believe they will be worse off in the two years following the UK’s departure from the EU. However, encouragingly, nearly 40 per cent are optimistic that ten years post-Brexit their business will be in a better position than it is now.”

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Fashion retailer hosts jobs fair as its overseas orders continue to boom

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk ONE of Kent’s fastest growing companies threw open its doors to prospective employees last week as it continues to ramp up its exports.

Would-be recruits arriving at Childrensalon’s new headquarters on Thursday (April 27) could not help but be struck by the sheer scale of the operation.

The occasion was also marked by a visit from Mayor David Neve, who upon touring the facility admitted to being ‘absolutely staggered’ by the dynamism of the company.

Known to many simply as a top-end fashion boutique in the High Street which caters to the children of discerning parents, the privately owned company boasted a £61million turnover in 2016, which itself was a 50 per cent increase on the previous year.

But although its presence in the High Street is modest, those working along Kingstanding Way, off the industrial estate, would have witnessed the company’s growing presence.

The new headquarters, which the company moved into in March, occupies two large units and brings the total number of units it owns in the area up to six, with a combined floor space of almost 127,000 square feet.

The 30 people who visited on the day would have doubled the workforce seven years ago, but now

WELL STOCKED The units hold around 600,000 items

‘The makeup of the workforce itself reflects the highly international nature of the company’ the firm employs nearly 300 individuals, which is expected to grow to 450 by the end of next year.

The makeup of the workforce itself reflects the highly international nature of the company, with the customer service team speaking 25 languages between them.

Milestone Much of Childrensalon’s growth is driven by exports to over 130 countries, leading CEO Michele Harriman-Smith to observe that her business is ‘better known abroad than it is in the town’.

Its wealthy customers can choose from more than 260 designer brands, including Gucci, Burberry and Young Versace, with the company dealing with an average of 1,000 orders per day.

The success of Childrensalon is down to the combined efforts of Mrs Harriman-Smith and her husband George Smith, the Chief Creative Officer.

As his title suggests, Mr Smith – who can claim fame from creating the iconic poster for the musical Mamma Mia – ensures the company stays creative through his large design studio, where he has custom-made most of the equipment.

It was also his idea to branch out online, leading his initially sceptical partner to learn computer programming and launch their website in 1999.

GOING PLACES Chief Creative Officer George Smith and CEO Michele Harriman-Smith

Mrs Harriman-Smith’s oversight of the business, which she has run since the age of 25, after taking it over from her mother, has led it to be recognised by trade publication RetailWeek as one of the top ten fastest growing fashion retailers in the UK. It is for this reason the firm needed its new headquarters, Mrs Harriman-Smith said, adding: “Our newly refurbished HQ represents an important milestone in the Childrensalon history. The new headquarters strongly express who we are and will enable us to grow for years to come.

“We were honoured to have had the attendance of the Mayor and Mayoress as well as all the applicants who came and made our first Jobs Fair a great success.”

Local Business News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

New bus taxi service could change the way we travel

By Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk AN INNOVATIVE bus service called Arriva Click which has the attributes of a taxi is set to transform public transport following trials in the east of the county.

Arriva UK Bus has become the first national operator to launch a fleet of small luxury carriers which respond only to customer demand.

The company has come under attack in recent months over cutbacks to its established routes, which have seen the axing of the No 6 route between Pembury and Tunbridge Wells.

The initiative could prove to be a massive boon for those who are now isolated in rural areas as budget cuts caused austerity take hold.

The ArrivaClick smartphone app allows travellers to summon a minibus to collect them at a specific time and take them wherever they wish to go.

Their journey is matched with other customers who are going to the same destination, and each minibus has capacity for 12 people.

They are guaranteed a seat in the Mercedes, and the new vehicles boast leather seats, tables, USB points, free Wi-Fi and electrical charging points.

So far the project has been tested at Kent Science Park in Medway, where more than a quarter of the 1,750 workers used it.

It was then widened to encompass the whole town of Sittingbourne, operating from 6am to 7.30pm. The company has pledged to pick up clients within ten minutes of the order coming in.

Journeys are costing £1 per mile as an introductory price, while passengers

who are accompanied by family or friends will see the additional travellers travel half price.

The venture was developed in partnership with a US transport solutions company called Via, which provides ‘dynamic shared ride’ services in New York, Chicago and Washington DC. Customers download the app on their mobiles and create an account to buy credit – it’s a cashless system. They are given a price and an estimated time of arrival at the destination.

They can then track the bus’s arrival at the meeting point on the app while they wait.

Oliver Monahan, Area Managing Director for Arriva in Kent and Surrey, said: “We see similar ways of travelling on the continent and we believe there is a demand for this type of service here in the UK, too. We hope that it will encourage people to try alternative ways to travel.”

The American firm Via has provided powerful backend technology which uses algorithms to regulate the routing and dispatch functions.

These allow passengers to be picked up and dropped off in an endless stream, without having to go out of their way to cater for other users.

BUSINESS

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

KM Media Group is bought out by Iliffe ONE of Kent’s largest media brands has seen its entire shareholding acquired by Iliffe Media Ltd after it struggled to cope with its pension liabilities.

KM Media Group, which publishes nine paid-for and four free newspapers including the Kent Messenger, and operates the KMFM radio station, will still be overseen

by Group Chairman Geraldine Allinson on an operational basis. However, it ends her family’s ownership, which stretches back to 1890, when her great-grandfather purchased the Kent Messenger.

Mrs Allinson said: “Although there is some personal sadness for me and my family that our pension liabilities have led us to this position, in Iliffe we have found a publisher which shares our belief in the importance of local media.”

Insurer’s jobs in doubt INSURANCE firm Swinton is set to close 84 of its 194 high street branches, leaving the future of its Tunbridge Wells branch in Grosvenor Road in doubt. Around 900 jobs are due to be shed by the end of the year as the company refocuses towards its online and phone services, which now account for 90 per cent of sales.

All-time high for Kent THE number of businesses located in Kent now exceeds 100,000 for the first time, according to ONS figures. It represents growth of 25 per cent over the last five years.

9

10

NEWS

Community News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

John raises £50k so struggling families can look forward to much-needed holiday breaks JOHN DE VIAL from Southborough has ran four and a half marathons within a week in support of the ­Family Holiday Association (FHA).

The charity provides breaks for UK families struggling with issues such as disability, severe and sudden illness, bereavement, mental health issues and domestic violence.

Gruelling John has collected almost £50,000 for the FHA in the four years he has been running on their behalf.

The 54-year-old completed the London Marathon on April 23 in 6 hours, 20 minutes and 55 seconds.

He then ran four sets of 10km commutes to Tonbridge and back.

And last Sunday he completed his gruelling endurance feat by taking

part in the 106km Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge.

John’s training regime for a full marathon involved running from his home in Southborough to Dame Kelly Holmes’ Cafe 1809 in Hildenborough, through Tonbridge Park, around Haysden Lake, over Bidborough Ridge, back into Southborough and on to The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells, over the Common, through to High Brooms and home again.

Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of John’s first race over the full 26-mile distance – the 1988 London Marathon, when he supported The Prince’s Trust.

• To make a donation to John’s cause, go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/ johndevial • For more about the FHA, visit www. familyholidayassociation.org.uk

FAMILY FORTUNE: John de Vial has raised almost £50,000 for his chosen charity in four years

Calverley Grounds fundraiser joins Tree of Hope team

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR: (L-r) Darren Hill of Chamberlain Court presents Johnathan Trumper and Elizabeth Hills of Good Neighbours with their cheque

Chamberlain Court shows that it cares A new Tunbridge Wells residential and dementia care home, Chamberlain Court, has given £500 each to two local charities to mark Friday’s Pay It Forward Day. Half of the money was donated to The Good Neighbours Project in Tunbridge Wells, a befriending service for the elderly.

The other half was given to Tree of Hope, the Tonbridge-based charity which supports seriously ill and disabled children.

Pay It Forward national awareness day encourages people to perform random acts of kindness.

Darren Hill, Customer Relationship Manager at Chamberlain Court, which is part of Hallmark Care Homes, said: “Both charities do

amazing work in the local and extended communities, and we hope to be able to support them in their future fundraising efforts.”

Befriending Manager for The Good Neighbours Project, Elizabeth Hills, added: “Good Neighbours is pleased to welcome Hallmark Care Homes to Tunbridge Wells, where there is a growing need for residential care home facilities.

“Chamberlain Court joins the existing high-quality offering in the town, providing further choice for its elderly residents.”

Chamberlain Court Care Home is scheduled to open in Mount Ephraim Road on June 27. Award-winning care provider Hallmark Care Homes has 16 homes across England and Wales.

THE charity Tree of Hope has appointed Kate Bourne as its Fundraising Manager.

Kate was one of the driving forces behind the successful campaign to raise £225,000 in less than a year for Tunbridge Wells’ Calverley Adventure Grounds project.

She and her team reached the ambitious target with 24 hours to spare last month.

Tonbridge-based Tree of Hope supports the families of more than 800 seriously ill and disabled children across the country who need specialist medical treatment, therapy and equipment.

Kate said: “It is a real honour to join Tree of Hope’s dedicated team. With the charity entering its 25th year at the end of 2017, and so many events planned already, I couldn’t be more excited to fundraise for such an inspirational charity.

“It empowers the families of children and young people with a disability or illness to get the treatment they need to transform their lives.”

One of Kate’s first fundraising ventures will be the Tree of Hope Golf Day and dinner at Nizels Golf and Country Club in Hildenborough on July 6.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Gill Gibb, said: “I would like to welcome Kate to our family at Tree of Hope. She has great experience in fundraising, especially in the local community, and the determination to succeed. This is going to be a busy year and Kate has hit the ground running.”

New one-day festival Gig for Life called off FAMILY-friendly music event Gig for Life, which was scheduled to be held at the Hop Farm in Paddock Wood on May 27, has been postponed.

The inaugural one-day festival, which was hoping to attract 10,000 visitors, was set up to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The event was due to feature well-known bands such as 10CC, Maverick Sabre and Toploader alongside local groups like the Standard Lamps.

Community News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

NEWS

11

Rock relics up for sale at Mayfield’s spring festival

LEADING LIGHTS: Debbie Willis of Porchlight (centre) with staff from the three companies involved in the construction in Sevenoaks, Buxton, Calfordseaden and Prime Place – plus mascot Buxton Bear

Just the ticket as parking scheme helps Porchlight

By Andrew Tong LOCAL homelessness charity Porchlight received a donation of £3,600 from the companies which are transforming the former Tubs Hill House in Sevenoaks into luxury apartments.

Porchlight, which operates in Tonbridge, is one of Kent’s leading charities supporting vulnerable and homeless people across the county.

The idea for the fundraising venture came from Gary Puckett, Site Manager for contractors Buxton, after he saw a homeless person at the town station.

He decided to raise money by charging everyone

who visited the building site for a parking space.

Over a period of ten months, £1,200 was raised, and the amount was matched equally by developers Prime Place and consultants Calfordseaden.

Mr Puckett said: “Everyone visiting the site was happy to help, and it shows how a small contribution from a lot of people quickly adds up and can make a real difference.”

Andrew Hinkins, Head of Development at Prime Place, added: “We thought Gary’s idea was brilliant. We’re always keen to support local communities where we build and we were happy to contribute to such a worthwhile cause.”

• For information, visit www.porchlight.org.uk

MAYFIELD’S Mayfair will be holding a silent auction featuring items of rock and literary memorabilia to raise money for the Children’s Air Ambulance.

The Mayfair will be held in the village High Street on Saturday May 13 from 1-4pm.

A guitar signed by Brian May of rock band Queen is among the items up for sale, along with a canvas of the Dark Side of the Moon artwork signed by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. These items have reserve prices of £750 and £500 respectively.

There will also be copies of Frederick Forsyth’s book The

Cobra and Ranulph Fiennes’ Cold signed by the authors.

The charity flies critically ill children across the UK to reach the specialist care they need. It can deliver children to safety four times faster than transport by road, and also offers an intensive care unit on board.

The Mayfair event will include Maypole dancing, Morris Men and Mummers and an encounter between Jack-in-the-Green and the Frost Queen, representing spring banishing winter.

• For details of the charity visit www.childrensair ambulance.org.uk

BY YOUR LEAVES Jack-in-the-Green and friends

Quiz to help the hard of hearing A BIG CHARITY QUIZ is being held in Hildenborough this month to raise money for the charity Hi Kent, to help the deaf and hard of hearing in the village and the local area.

The event will be held at 7.30pm on Saturday May 20 in Hildenborough Village Hall.

It costs £8 per person, which

includes a ploughman’s supper.

Hi Kent runs free hearing aid aftercare clinics in towns, villages and communities throughout Kent.

The trained volunteers change batteries and clean and retube hearing aids free of charge while you wait. They can also visit clients in their homes.

Hi Kent also offers lipreading classes free of charge. They are provided in partnership with Kent Adult Education and run by qualified tutors.

If you would like to enter a team of six for the quiz, please call Debra Jones of Hi Kent on 01622 691151 or email d.jones@ hikent.org.uk for a booking form.

12

NEWS

Countywide

Objections mean historic rail extension runs out of steam PLANS to extend the historic Kent and East Sussex railway from Bodiam to Robertsbridge appear to have hit the buffers after farmers along the proposed route said they will not sell their land.

Currently, the line runs from Tenderden to Bodiam, but supporters of the railway wish to see it extended by three and a half miles along its original route, where it will terminate at a new platform on Robertsbridge Station, where passengers can also join the mainline Hastings to London route operated

by Southeastern.

However, two farming families with long historic ties to the land, the Michells and the Hoads, have criticised the detrimental impact the extension will have on the environment and wildlife in the area.

They also say the line will cut through wheat fields which will then be impractical to farm with modern machinery.

The project is backed by the Rother Valley Railway company, which was founded by Rob Yonge to push forward the £4million scheme.

He argues the extension will help alleviate traffic heading to Bodiam along the narrow lanes and provide a ‘huge’ boost to the local economy.

He suggested a compulsory purchase order may be sought and if given the go-ahead, Mr Yonge envisions around ten trains a day will run along the new track.

But Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark has also voiced his opposition to the scheme as it would require a level crossing to traverse the A21.

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

MP helps Crowborough cadets dine on success

HIGH FLYERS The squadron meet their new President, MP Nus Ghani (centre)

CROWBOROUGH’s Air Cadets, the 1414 Squadron, welcomed their new President, Nus Ghani, last week for their annual Dining in Night, a ceremony which saw the Wealden MP officially ratified for the role.

In addition, the event – which celebrates the squadron’s achievements during the year – included the promotion of the squadron’s Officer Commanding, Mark Hobbs, to Warrant Officer, and recognition of the £1,845.04 the cadets raised for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The cadets have all passed classifications, first

aid and radio communications qualifications, and two cadets now have their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Staff numbers have also increased to enable the squadron to offer expertise in disciplines such as modelling, fieldcraft and weapons training.

Speaking at the event, Nus Ghani said: “The Crowborough Cadets represent the very best of voluntary organisations. They give the young people of Crowborough vital skills for the future, and a range of opportunities they would not get elsewhere. It is a privilege to be their President.”

Anglo-Dutch team to excavate centuriesold Kent shipwreck ARCHAEOLOGISTS will research and partially excavate the Dutch East Indiaman ship the Rooswijk this summer in one of the largest excavations of its kind.

From July to October 2017, an international team based in Ramsgate will map the wreck of the Rooswijk, which was heading to the Indies with valuable cargo on board when it sank on the Goodwin Sands in January 1740.

The wreck is threatened by natural conditions such as currents and shifting sands, and an exploratory study of it last year has made the need for excavation even more urgent.

The project is being run by The Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency in partnership with Historic England, and archaeologists believe it will help them better understand this period of seafaring history. It is designed to allow young professionals in the field of maritime archeology, and students and sports divers from the Netherlands and the UK, to actively participate in the research, supervised by experienced archaeologists and conservators.

The knowledge collected will be of great value for future management of the underwater cultural heritage.

Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch said: “The shipwrecks that dot the British coast are unique pieces of maritime heritage and windows into Europe’s seafaring history.

“This exciting joint excavation project will safeguard important material for future generations, develop underwater research and support the new Ramsgate Heritage Action Zone initiative.”

14

NEWS

Local News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Charlie’s parents ready to face Court of Appeal A COUPLE who lost their fight in the High Court to keep their baby son on life support have instructed new solicitors as the deadline approaches for an appeal.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates wanted to be allowed to take their son Charlie to America for experimental treatment.

Mr Justice Francis ruled that Charlie, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be moved to a palliative care regime.

The parents indicated they would challenge the decision in the Court of Appeal.

William seeks £1.3m THE Duke of Cambridge has demanded ¤1.5million (£1.27million) in compensation from two French media outlets who published topless photographs of his wife.

He issued a statement that described the publication as ‘particularly shocking’ given his late mother’s battles with the paparazzi.

Six people from Closer magazine and a regional newspaper are on trial in connection with an alleged breach of privacy in Paris.

Rough sleepers on rise THE number of people found sleeping rough in London has increased by 7 per cent over the past year, according to the charity Crisis.

A total of 2,751 people were sleeping rough in the first three months of the year.

Across England the number has risen by 16 per cent in the last year – and has more than doubled in the last five.

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Juncker in firing line as May revels in reputation as ‘bloody difficult’ THERESA MAY has boasted about being a ‘bloody difficult woman’ amid reports of a clash with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker over Brexit.

The Prime Minister has insisted that ‘a lot’ of the leaked account of a difficult Downing Street dinner between the two sides was ‘Brussels gossip’.

But she acknowledged the negotiations would be tough after a detailed account in the German press of their meeting suggested Mr Juncker left fearing the negotiations would end in failure.

In an interview with the BBC, Mrs May turned to the description of her coined by former cabinet colleague Ken Clarke.

She said: “During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker.”

Tittle-tattle Mr Juncker claimed that some in the UK ‘underestimate’ the difficulties of Brexit, with Brussels indicating that the sequence of the talks and the complexity of the issues around citizens’ rights are among the stumbling blocks.

It was reported that he walked out of the talks last week saying he was ‘10 times more sceptical than before’.

Senior EU sources told the BBC that the UK failed to understand how the bloc works, prompting fresh fears that Britain would fail to secure a trade deal after Brexit.

Home secretary Amber Rudd told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that the leaks were ‘tittle-tattle’.

She added: “I’m not surprised that there is briefing coming out from different sides of a negotiation.

“But what we will always do is make sure that we conduct our negotiations more discreetly, shall we say, so that really we can have a freer negotiating hand.

“I think it’s a mistake to allow those sort of details, if they are true, to come out from a dinner.”

LET’S DANCE Theresa May with Jean-Claude Juncker

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

NEWS

15

Abbott: ‘I do know my figures’ after police budget error LABOUR’S Diane Abbott said she ‘misspoke’ when she gave a string of incorrect figures during a radio interview about her new policing policy.

The Shadow Home Secretary stumbled over the cost of plans to put 10,000 extra police on the street in awkward exchanges with LBC’s Nick Ferrari.

In one attempt to come up with the bill for the flagship policy, officers would be left earning just £30 a year – while Abbott’s second effort left them with £8,000.

Ms Abbott’s assessment of how many new officers would be recruited in the first 12 months of the four-year plan ranged from 25,000 to 250,000.

The shadow cabinet minister told BBC Two’s Daily Politics programme: “I do know my figures.

“I did seven interviews that morning and that was the seventh and I mis-spoke, but I do know my figures.”

Ms Abbott claimed she had repeated the figures correctly during the course of six previous broadcast interviews earlier in the morning.

SHOCK JOCK: Diane Abbott leaves Millbank after her clarification today

“If I didn’t know my figures, I wouldn’t have been able to repeat them correctly in six other interviews,” she said.

“I’m concerned that you don’t want to talk about policing, which is something the public is concerned in, particularly the rise in violent crime, and you do want to go over and over an interview.”

‘The public will understand that you are not willing to talk about the real issues’ “But that’s your fault, Diane Abbott,” presenter Jo Coburn replied.

Ms Abbott responded: “The public will understand that you are not willing to talk about the real issues and the real issues are that we have lost 20,000 police officers since 2010 and we are seeing a rise in violent crime.”

The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the policy would cost £300 million, and insisted he is ‘not embarrassed in the slightest’ by Ms Abbott’s gaffe.

“She corrected the figure and that’s the figure and it will be paid for by not going ahead with the cuts in capital gains tax,” he told Sky News.

FIRST EDITION George Osborne arrives at the Standard offices

Osborne accuses Tories of ‘slogans’ not details GEORGE OSBORNE has taken a swipe at Theresa May’s handling of Brexit on his first day as editor of the Evening Standard.

The former Chancellor used his editorial column to call upon the Prime Minister to spell out her plans in greater detail.

The London newspaper stated: “There’s nothing wrong with repeating election campaign slogans; the problem comes when the election campaign amounts to no more than a slogan.”

Warning that an Election victory will not provide the mandate the Prime Minister wants for withdrawal negotiations unless she spells out her intentions, the Standard said:

“If you ask for a blank cheque, don’t be surprised if later it bounces.”

As he took the helm at the paper, it emerged that he has been handed a two-year ban on lobbying former ministerial colleagues on behalf of his new employers, and told he must not discuss the issue of press regulation with the Government.

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments also said his contract at the Standard must be amended to make clear he cannot draw on information obtained as a minister for his journalistic work.

The watchdog said he broke its rules by signing the contract before receiving its advice, warning: “It was not appropriate for you to do so.”

16

BUSINESS

National Business News

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Britain’s manufacturing industry reports rise OUTPUT in Britain’s manufacturing industry jumped to a three-year high in April as new orders charged ahead on strong domestic and overseas demand.

The closely watched Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a reading of 57.3 last month, up from a four-month low of 54.2 in March and above economists’ expectations of 54.

A reading above 50 indicates growth.

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Rent controls could turn the tide in seaside towns STAYING AFLOAT Ramsgate Harbour

300 steel jobs created STEEL giant Liberty House is to create 300 jobs and make multimillion-pound investments to secure the future of five plants.

The announcement was made as Liberty formally completed a £100 million deal to acquire the Speciality Steels division of Tata Steel UK. They plan to invest up to £20 million in new plant and equipment in the next year to boost competitiveness and secure international market leadership.

Spending pledge broken BETWEEN 2010-15, the coalition Government increased taxes by £10 billion a year, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has revealed.

The report, entitled ‘Two Parliaments of Pain’, argues that measures announced by the Conservative Government since 2015 will impose an additional £15 billion tax burden.

Ocado shares rise after delivery deal rumours with Marks and Spencer ONLINE grocery service Ocado has seen its shares surge eight per cent amid speculation the online grocer could be in line for a lucrative home delivery deal with Marks and Spencer.

The two retailers are reportedly set to launch talks in the coming weeks, helping push Marks and Spencer into online grocery shopping and delivery for the first time.

But M&S is said to be exploring a number of options that could see it strike up a separate partnership or ditch those plans altogether, according to sources cited by The Telegraph, which first reported the story.

Potential SEASIDE towns such as Margate and Ramsgate could be at the forefront of a renaissance if rent controls were introduced, a Treasury-backed organisation has urged.

The Housing and Finance Institute said dysfunctional housing markets are at the heart of a ‘spiral of decline’ in many coastal communities.

It argues that tenants and taxpayers are often overpaying for housing which is not worth the rent being charged.

The institute proposes there should be new time-limited and localised rent controls in the poorest coastal communities.

It suggests that a locally assessed fair value rent could be set, reflecting a property’s location and quality.

The institute is also calling for greater support from central government for councils which have communities with pockets of local failed house-building markets.

It also said a ‘one-stop shop’ should be created

to make it easier for councils to take action against rogue landlords and drive up housing standards.

Natalie Elphicke, chief executive of the Housing and Finance Institute, said: “Dysfunctional housing markets are proving fundamental to the spiral of decline in many of Britain’s coastal communities - and something radical must be done to turn the tide.

“The proposals in this paper can help to break up the concentration of housing poverty and attract new high-quality building and investment. Housing can be pivotal to securing jobs, growth and reversing entrenched deprivation.”

The Housing and Finance Institute was unveiled in the March 2015 Budget. It supports councils and businesses delivering homes.

Figures from the Insolvency Service have shown that, across England and Wales, many seaside towns are particularly likely to have relatively high rates of people going financially insolvent.

Ocado already has a deal in place to deliver orders for Morrisons. But changes to the contract last summer meant that Ocado is no longer exclusively tied to Morrisons, and is only barred from working with supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Aldi and Lidl.

M&S is not included in that list, leaving the door open for a potential deal.

Both Ocado and M&S declined to comment.

But the news still pushed Ocado shares as much as 8% higher, while M&S shares were down.

World News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

SPORT IN BRIEF

CLASH OF THE TITANS Merkel visited Russia for the first time in two years yesterday

Klitschko vows to return following Joshua loss WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO promised ‘I’ll be back’ as he returned to Germany following his 11th-round stoppage by Anthony Joshua.

The Ukrainian has a rematch clause in his contract and on Tuesday he hinted that he will be looking to renew his rivalry with Joshua in London after Saturday’s defeat.

“Leaving LND with a feeling everyone’s win Sat night the sport, the fans and even I on respect.

Cheers & I’ll be back!” he said on his Twitter feed.

Historical abuse arrest AN 81-year-old man has been charged by police in Cambridgeshire investigating alleged historical sexual abuse in football.

Eric Cooper, of The Shade, Soham, has been charged with two counts of indecency with a child between 1968 and 1970.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said the charges relate to one boy.

Cooper is due to appear at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Kvitova back after attack PETRA KVITOVA has returned to the court four and a half months after the attack that threatened her career.

The two-time Wimbledon champion suffered serious injuries to her dominant left hand when she confronted an intruder who broke into her home last December.

She was previously expected to be out of tennis for up to six months but will now enter herself for the French Open later this month.

Putin urged to protect gay rights during Ukraine talks GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is not satisfied with the progress of talks about the situation in eastern Ukraine, after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday [Tuesday May 2].

In her first trip to Russia in two years, the pair also discussed the civil war in Syria, and Mrs Merkel asked Mr Putin to help protect the right of gays in Chechnya following reports that they are persecuted there.

Activists say police in the republic of Chechnya have arrested and tortured dozens of gay people in a crackdown.

Differing She told reporters after the talks in Sochi: “I asked President Putin to use his influence to protect these minority rights.”

On the issue of Ukraine Mrs Merkel said there are still fundamental differences of opin-

ion, emphasising that Germany believes in the democratic legitimacy of the Ukrainian government.

“We are of differing opinions about the cause of the conflict,” she said, but added that the ‘Normandy Format’ meetings of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France is still the best forum for the talks.

She added that all sides want to prevent a further escalation of the conflict and that the Normandy talks had helped.

NEWS

17

Czech PM resigns his government to damage rival THE PRIME MINISTER of the Czech Republic has resigned his government over unexplained business dealings by his political rival and coalition partner Andrej Babis, who is also the finance minister.

Premier Bohuslav Sobotka said there are suspicions that Mr Babis, the country’s second richest businessman, had avoided paying taxes in the past. Doubts have also surfaced about how he gained his wealth .

Mr Babis heads a centrist movement that is favourite to win October’s ballot, paving the way for him to become prime minister. He has denied any wrongdoing.Whereas Mr Sobotka’s Social Democrats are a distant second, and the Christian Democrats are the third member of the coalition created in 2014.

The premier said it would be an option to fire Mr Babis but that would mean his rival would be given extra time to campaign ahead of the vote.

Mr Babis, the most popular government politician, called the move ‘incomprehensible’, and said the premier had damaged everything the government has done.

BIG MOVE Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka speaks yestersday

18

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday May 3 | 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

I couldn’t even find the petition to stop this council ego project Regarding your front page ‘Opposition mounts over new civic complex plans’ on April 12, I searched the council website to try and find a way of signing the petition ‘Save Our Park’ launched by Simon Weatherseed and Chris Gedge, but was unable to find a copy of the petition that I could read and no way of seeing how I could sign it.

Thank you all for being so active in trying to keep Tunbridge Wells councillors aware of how so many of us feel about the waste of public money – many of us are not in the position to fund such ego projects through inflated council rates, and especially when, at the moment, we do not know how the politics of Brexit will hit us all.

When I came to Tunbridge Wells in 1964 I thought how lovely it was. But over the years I have been very upset at some of the ugly buildings which have sprung up and look so alien to the earlier buildings.

I do not think Bath council would allow such a mismatch of the proposed new theatre and civic buildings to be entertained on the edge of Calverley Grounds, destroying the outline of the Great Hall to the rear which, from the park, is lovely to look at.

I cannot begin to imagine what these proposed new, awfully designed buildings would add to the town. I am totally unable to

comprehend how anyone in their right mind would consider these proposals a good thing.

Visitors come mainly to see the beautiful old buildings and the history of Tunbridge Wells.

Equally, how on earth did developers Dandara get permission to create yet another monstrosity in place of the existing buildings at the end of The Pantiles?

I guess money speaks louder than beauty to the council. How sad!

Carole Freeman Via email Save Our Park relaunched their petition at www.change.org (and search for ‘Calverley Grounds’)

Sport helps the disabled to escape

Hospital rate rise is simply unfair

I read with great interest Peter Wagner’s firsthand account of Wealden Sailability (April 19), and the entertainment the sailing club provides for disabled people who want to take part in sport.

If you could hear Peter Wagner trying to talk, the flow and prose used in his article will surprise you.

He struggles to articulate at all and you have to concentrate very hard to understand him.

This piece demonstrates just how ‘normal’ cerebral palsy sufferers are inside their prisons.

This man can’t feed himself, or in fact do anything without help, so his sense of freedom and sheer joy on the water, as witnessed by us all, is even more magical.

I wish people could appreciate what it must be like to be Peter, or someone very like him, who we only see from the outside of their misfortune.

Peter has two degrees but struggles to find gainful employment. He is supported by his mum, dad and family 24/7 – and you only ever see him smiling!

Mike Mackenzie Via email

The decision to make Tunbridge Wells Hospital pay an extra £1million in tax can only be best described as highway robbery.

The 62 per cent rise comes at a time when the NHS hospital is already under huge pressures due to rising costs and trying to deliver the most basic of services.

The whole subject becomes worse when you find that big businesses are in line for tax breaks – the likes of Amazon are on the list.

However, we shouldn’t be surprised by it, we have known for a long time now that MPs for the Conservatives and Lib Dems have links to either big businesses or private healthcare firms who benefit from cuts.

As a result of all this, the public yet again stand to become the victims of greed and political incompetence which will come at the cost of a struggling NHS, which will eventually buckle.

Naz Mian UKIP Tunbridge Wells Chairman

CCTV comes down to bottom line The simple test for the continued active manning of CCTV cameras, or for their

continued use in any form – live or passive – must be in their effectiveness: How many crimes or incidents are prevented or contained by their active use? How many convictions result from the evidence collected?

It’s a simple enough cost/benefit analysis which the council should well understand; it claims to run the town as though it were a business.

Peter Casson Tunbridge Wells

Welcome to the palace of wisdom It was wonderful to read about Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex visiting the Crossways Community and showing her support.

At a time when mental health is only just beginning to shed its image as a taboo topic it seems that the royal family are at the forefront of bringing it into mainstream discussion.

However, I have also noticed welcome recognition of the issue from numerous, albeit less high-profile people in positions of power and authority in the past year or so, such as PCC Matthew Scott pledging more police resources to help, and Kent County Council also looking into additional funding.

There is still a long way to go on the subject of mental health, and in many circles it is still a stigmatised subject, but I think as a society we are heading in the right direction, and that should be welcomed by everyone, whether they suffer from a condition or not.

After all, those who are healthy today may find they need support in later life.

Anne McCaskey Via email

Resisting death by a thousand cuts I was pleased to read in your paper (April 26) about the new Solace café which has opened up in Tonbridge, offering support and guidance to those with mental health issues.

It’s quite heartening to know that in our world of cut, cut, cut, someone somewhere among the powers that be is actually thinking about some of the most vulnerable sections of society and making sure they are being looked out for – in Tonbridge at least.

This initiative, which is being jointly run by the town’s police and local health authorities, is a wonderful idea as it gives those who could otherwise be in an A&E department or, worse still, a police cell, the chance to seek advice on certain conditions or potentially harmful situations, and most importantly speak to someone face to face.

It may only be open a couple of times a week at the moment, but this café is a huge step for those battling mental health issues who often feel there is nowhere to offer support.

Alice Ferguson Via email

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

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

ONLY in Royal Tunbridge Wells could this picture have been taken. Even the local ‘comrades’ enjoy the very best of things in life, including top bracket luxury homes such as this one, just off London Road.

Calverley understands the summer BBQs in the delightful gardens of this Labour-supporting household are quite something. Sadly, he has never been invited. Can’t think why.

TO The Spa Hotel the other day for that most splendid of St George’s Day lunches (it’s always held later) organised by The Exiles.

Suddenly, someone shouts out: “There’s an awful smell of burning in here – oh, it’s Brian Whiting.” Days earlier, one of his pub/ restaurants, The Mark Cross Inn, had been hit by a kitchen fire and is not expected to open again for a couple of months. Fortunately, Master Brian has a good sense of humour.

FEW things really shock Himself, but here’s something that did. Chat overheard between two ladies in Hoopers restaurant. First lady: “Angela has a new man in her life.” Second lady: “How did she manage that?” First: “Usual way, pulled to the side of a road in her car, let one of the tyres down and played the damsel in distress.” Second: “What happened?” First: “Ugly men who stopped were told the AA was on its way, good lookers were encouraged to help, etc, etc.”

You couldn’t make it up.

CALVERLEY has always been a big fan of London black cabs when popping up to town.

Now, though, his allegiance is being tested.

Last week he found himself tired and emotional in some unknown City watering hole and needed to get the train home from Charing Cross. Solution? He pressed the Uber app on his mobile, typed in the destination (eventually) and the driver automatically tracked him down to the pub. Magic.

Chin, chin readers

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

Education

NEWS

19

Students weave their way on to the big screen

Sowing the seeds for a healthy lifestyle St George’s nursery has recently embarked on a new project which aims to educate pre-schoolers not only about healthy eating, but where our food comes from…

THE idea for young children to start sowing and growing their own vegetables is the brainchild of healthy drinks firm Innocent Smoothies.

The company has donated thousands of packets of seeds to nurseries and pre-schools all over the country in a bid to help educate children about the benefits of healthy eating and the provenance of certain foods.

Allotments

VEGGIE-MITES Young pupils plant seeds in their allotment

The aim is for children to realise that vegetables such as carrots and peas don’t come from the freezer, and that in order to make chips you’ll need to start with a bag of potatoes.

St George’s Community Children’s Project in Tunbridge Wells is one of the educational establishments who have embraced the idea, and got their little ones busy out in the great outdoors in order to sow and grow.

“So far, we have planted carrots,

cress and beans in the on-site allotments, and are learning to tend to them until they’re ready to harvest,” explains St George’s Fundraising and Development Manager Ellie Stewart.

“Each age group has their own allotment where they’ve been growing vegetables, which they’ll help to turn into tasty meals. By growing and cooking vegetables themselves, children are much more likely to enjoy eating them and develop healthy habits for the rest of their lives.”

It was Finance Manager Geraldine Walsh who spotted the campaign online and duly organised the seed donations for the children aged three months to 12 years who attend the Ofsted Outstanding nursery.

“I think it’s a brilliant campaign that’s encouraging healthy eating for children across the UK,” she says.

“We’ve been donating the seeds for two years in a row now, and our children have really benefitted.”

STARS IN THEIR EYES Skippers Hill pupils meet the pop group Steps PUPILS from Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School in Five Ashes recently made an appearance on ITV’s This Morning, showcasing their talents at maypole dancing.

The troupe of girls from the school’s Maypole Dancing Group, aged 8 to 13, performed live as part of the programme’s St George’s Day activities, and also enjoyed a look behind the scenes at the TV studios in London’s South Bank. The girls were thrilled to be invited into the studio to meet pop group Steps and to dance along to their new single.

Headmaster Mark Hammond said: “Maypole dancing has long been a tradition at Skippers, and in Mayfield and Five Ashes. It was a pleasure to see each individual perform so well under the pressure of live TV, especially as they hadn’t yet started rehearsals for this year’s May fair! We’re very proud they represented the local community so well, and were able to meet some pop stars to boot!”

20

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Greg Clark

MP for Tunbridge Wells

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

Only Theresa May can provide strong government…

IN SIX WEEKS we will have two elections: Tomorrow we will elect a new County Council for Kent, and on June 8 a new Parliament and Government for the United Kingdom.

The national debate will no doubt dominate the coverage of the next few weeks. That’s unsurprising. This is our most important General Election in decades. The years ahead require us to negotiate a new relationship with our European neighbours. In my view that requires a Government of stability and strength, exercising the judgement of a cool head in the national interest.

There is a clear choice of two possible Prime Ministers: Theresa May, leading a majority Government, or Jeremy Corbyn leading a coalition of Labour and other parties. In my view, only Theresa May can provide that strong government that we need at this time.

But people are also choosing a representative for our local community. As your MP I have always worked hard with the whole community to get things done. By working with residents, businesses and local councils we got the funding and go ahead for the dualling of the A21 – it is now tantalisingly close to completion and will transform the journey of the thousands who use it each day. The same approach built the

Pembury Hospital. Likewise with the North Farm road improvements, which have had a bigger impact than many dared hope. However, with your help, there’s much more to do.

Take transport, for example. Discussions are already underway to secure the next stretch of A21 dualling, upgrade the A228 and sort out the Pembury Road – reducing congestion, improving safety and boosting the prospects of local businesses. I am also pressing for a new rail franchise that gives better performance and value

‘I will always work hard for our community and everyone who lives here’ for money – last month commuters took part in my survey on priorities for the franchise and the Rail Action Group I formed last year is feeding into the process too. One thing is certain – I will not countenance any reduction in the frequency of services from important stations like Paddock Wood, Marden and Staplehurst.

We may have one of the best hospitals in the country but we need to see big improvements in services such as mental health. Readers will

ROAD TO IMPROVEMENT: Greg Clark at the A21 know that I have been battling for a much better and more comprehensive service, especially for young people for whom delays in getting treatment can affect their lives for years to come.

Many businesses and residents, especially in our rural areas, rely on broadband and mobile coverage. Considering we are only 35 miles from central London, the standard is nowhere near

good enough and I will fight for the improvements that we need.

One of the strengths of our democracy is the strong bond between constituent and Member of Parliament. It is the part of my role that I have valued above all else. I have always tried to be visible, approachable and effective in assisting any constituent who needs my help.

Of course the wider backdrop to this election will also be discussed. The country voted to leave the EU and I believe now is the time to come together to get the best possible outcome. As readers know, I voted Remain in last year’s referendum but I promised that I would accept the result if the country voted to Leave, and I’ve kept my word. Since you last elected me, I have been proud to serve in Theresa May’s Cabinet as Secretary of State for Business and I have been working constructively to negotiate the best possible relationship with business and our European neighbours.

It has been an immense privilege to serve Tunbridge Wells, Southborough and Paddock Wood and the beautiful villages that surround our towns. If I have the honour of being re-elected, I will always work hard for our community and everyone who lives here.

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

The Times is proud to work with:

WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

bracketts

est. 1828

Impressive resident

Twitts Ghyll was once home to a Nobel Peace Prize-winning Foreign Secretary

22

PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Your at-a-glance guide to THE OLD INSTITUTE LANGTON GREEN

£945,000

UNDER £250,000 GROVE AVENUE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS (LEASEHOLD WITH SHARE OF FREEHOLD)

£225,000-£235,000 A top floor apartment in the 'Village' area of Tunbridge Wells, adjacent to Grove Park and behind the High Street. The property has an entrance hall, sitting room, bedroom and generous bathroom. There is a

communal entrance with stairs to the top floor. The kitchen comes with a range of wall and base units, and the double bedroom has built-in wardrobes and a double glazed window to the rear. The bathroom includes a corner shower cubicle and corner bath, as well as sash windows and a heated hand towel rail.

CONTACT Wood & Pilcher 01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

UNDER £400,000 RUSTHALL, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£360,000

with mature shrubs and ground cover plants with an area of grass and a pathway leading to the front door. The rear garden is enclosed with areas of lawn and a patio for entertaining. The garden is planted with mature shrubs and to the back there is a garden shed and a further patio area.

A modern family home located in popular area. The accommodation comprises a lounge/diner, kitchen, conservatory, three bedrooms and upstairs bathroom. The property has CONTACT gas-fired heating, double glazing and an allocated parking space. At the front KMJ 01892 515188 of the house is a pretty garden planted www.kmjproperty.co.uk

To suit your budget

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

PROPERTY

23

great properties by price range…

UNDER £1million

UNDER £500,000

THE OLD INSTITUTE, LANGTON GREEN

SOUTH VIEW ROAD

GUIDE PRICE

£945,000 A distinctive period conversion overlooking the The Green. The property comprises an entrance hall, sitting/dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility area, cloakroom, cinema room, galleried landing, master bedroom suite, 2 double bedrooms with en suites (one currently fitted as a dressing room) and a courtyard garden. The property has been extensively upgraded by the current owners and is a mix of contemporary fixtures with period features. The house is set back from the road and approached via a gravel forecourt with parking for three cars.

CONTACT Savills 01892 507000 www.savills.com

£425,000-£450,000 Located a short walk from High Brooms station, this property has off-road parking, a living room with a bay window and log burning stove and a kitchen with a separate utility area.

Downstairs there is a bathroom with walk-in shower. On the first floor there are three bedrooms as well as a fitted shower room. The master bedroom is on the top floor with far reaching views.

The garden has side access, a lawn with raised planters, a patio area for al fresco dining and two sheds.

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

UNDER £600,000 BAKER’S COTTAGE, BIDBOROUGH OFFERS IN EXCESS OF

£500,000

A Grade II listed detached cottage with three double bedrooms, two reception rooms, a country style kitchen, and separate breakfast room. The property features an array of 16th-century period features, such as exposed ceiling beams, as well as a wood-burning stove, and is positioned with an elevated view across the high street. A stable door from the kitchen provides access to a walled garden, and the property is approached by a brick pathway leading to the front.

CONTACT Flying Fish Properties 01892 514189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk

UNDER £800,000 PENNINGTON PLACE, SOUTHBOROUGH GUIDE PRICE

£650,000 A detached house with four bedrooms, two reception rooms, a shower room and a landscaped garden. The stained glass front door opens into a spacious reception hall. The lounge has a leaded bay window and a brick chimney breast with a gas effect wood-burning stove.

There is also an open-plan kitchen/ breakfast room and a conservatory. The garden has an area of lawn, a flagstone terrace, a shed and a barked play area.

CONTACT Flying Fish Properties 01892 514 189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk

30

PROPERTY

Cats Castle

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

AT A GLANCE CATS CASTLE CHURCH ROAD, SOUTHBOROUGH n Grade II listed attached cottage n Period features n Latticed porch n Sitting room n Dining room n Bespoke kitchen/breakfast room including range cooker n Cloakroom n Master bedroom n Double en-suite bedroom n 2 further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Family room with 5th bedroom potential n Second floor study area n Integral garage with utility space n Off street parking

Picture perfect cottage overlooking common

‘You will certainly be the cat that got the cream if you can call this home your castle’

n Lying on the edge of woodland opposite common and cricket ground

£745,000 Available for sale through Flying Fish Properties Southborough 01892 514189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk

32

PROPERTY

Advertising

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

36

PROPERTY

Bethel Baptist Chapel

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

AT A GLANCE

BETHEL BAPTIST CHAPEL WESTERN ROAD SOUTHBOROUGH ■ Reception room ■ Kitchen/dining room ■ Utility room ■ Cellar ■ Ground floor bedroom with en-suite shower room ■ Mezzanine ■ First floor master bedroom with en-suite shower room

Former Baptist Chapel retains much of its original character ‘Within the original hall/reception room there is a fixed staircase (now covered) to a full immersion font’

■ Paved garden ■ Potential for off-street parking

GUIDE PRICE

£550,000 Available for sale through Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk

44

PROPERTY

Copthorne

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

AT A GLANCE

COPTHORNE ST BOTOLPHS ROAD SEVENOAKS ■ Reception hall ■ Drawing room ■ Dining room ■ Kitchen ■ Breakfast room ■ Boot room ■ Utility room ■ Six bedrooms ■ Two bathrooms ■ Two garages ■ Boiler room and storeroom ■ Gardens ■ Summerhouse ■ Potting shed ■ Greenhouse

GUIDE PRICE

£2,000,000 Available for sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk

Appealing property offers potential close to Vine Cricket Ground, town and station ‘It has been in the same occupancy for about 54 years and provides scope to update if required’

46

PROPERTY

Twitts Ghyll

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

‘The former home of statesman and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Sir Austen Chamberlain’

AT A GLANCE TWITTS GHYLL MAYFIELD, EAST SUSSEX n Drawing room n Dining room n Family room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Cloakroom/utility room n Cellar storage n Master bedroom suite, including dressing room/study n 5 further bedrooms, including one en suite, one study/bedroom partly open plan to further bedroom and another bedroom that could be used as study n Shower room n Detached, converted, two-storey, three-room oast n Formal gardens n Paddock with vegetable garden n Orchard n Swimming pool n Detached double garage n Garden store/workshop n About 2.55 acres n 1.39 acre paddock with brick outbuilding available by negotiation

GUIDE PRICE

Charming Grade II listed family home with stunning views and an oast house

£1,845,000 Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.com

Market View

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

John Elliott

Property expert

PROPERTY

51

John Elliott has been a property and new homes expert for 35 years and is Managing Director of Millwood Designer Homes, a multi-award-winning new homes builder based in Tonbridge. He has previously won both Tunbridge Wells and Kent Businessman of the Year Awards

Kent’s strong property market has winning appeal

K

ENT is Millwood’s heartland and it is an area where the property market is performing well. It is undeniable that the shortage of supply of homes is one major factor helping to keep the market buoyant.

The lack of good second-hand housing stock results in particularly strong demand for new homes, as buyers become increasingly aware of the many benefits of buying a new build property.

We are incredibly active at the moment in Kent with several developments that will bring a variety of high quality new homes to the market.

Properties across our ‘Kent Collection’ are selling well following their recent launch. The three developments – Windsor Meadows in Marden, Brambledown in Maidstone and The Old Orchard in Sutton Valence – offer a mix of different property types to suit a range of buyers.

Kent’s county town of Maidstone is undergoing development and its fortunes are on the up. The local council and its various development partners are working together to bring forward plans for extensive new retail-led development

that is kick-starting the regeneration of the town.

Investment in the region’s roads and infrastructure is also vital in the creation of new homes and communities. One example is the new A21 Pembury bypass, where the £70million project to create a ATTRACTION The Old Bridge at Aylesford dates from around 1250

dual carriageway will soon be complete.

This will have huge benefits for the Tonbridge area, relieving congestion and improving what is the main route between the M25 all the way down to the coast at Hastings, where we are selling at the popular Woodlands View development.

‘Kent has many pull factors that help draw new buyers to the area. As well as attractive towns and villages, green countryside, good transport links and excellent schools, it offers better value overall compared to other home counties’

As a location to live, Kent has many pull factors that help draw new buyers to the area. As well as the many attractive towns and villages, green countryside, good transport links and excellent schools, it offers better value overall compared to other home counties locations.

The average price paid for a property in Kent was £303,025 over the past 12 months. By contrast, the average price paid in Surrey was £525,290, according to figures from Zoopla.

The advantage of better value property is luring many purchasers who are moving out of London in search of more space, as well as commuters working in the capital.

All of this adds up to a positive outlook for the property market in Kent, where values have risen a robust 4.5 per cent over the past year, which is higher than in other surrounding counties.

The outlook remains upbeat – we do not expect any rise in interest rates in the near future, so buyers will continue to benefit from favourable market conditions.

You can follow John Elliott’s blog at www.millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk

54

FEATURES

Food & Drink

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

How a viticulture expert gambled on planting French grapes to produce great English wines English wine is no longer ridiculed by the critics – it is now widely respected and reputed. Contributing to that is Richard Balfour-Lynn and his Hush Heath estate, who have been producing premium offerings since 2001. Eileen Leahy talks to the entrepreneur about his grape expectations…

I

F THERE’S a dream job out there for a wine buff, then Richard Balfour-Lynn (above) most probably has it. The viticulturist is not only at the helm of one of the country’s most successful vineyards, he’s fortunate enough to regularly travel the world sampling interesting grape varieties, sourcing state-of-theart technology for his winery, and discovering impressive brewing techniques to ensure his selection of award-winning wines and ciders are the best they can possibly be.

Add into the equation Hush Heath’s beautifully lush, picture-perfect location right in the heart of the Garden of England – think rolling green hills, apple orchards and oast houses as far as the eye can see – not to mention a stunning 16th-century timbered manor house to call home, and it’s fair to say that Richard has pretty much got it all.

But like any route to a successful business, it takes an awful lot of effort, steely focus and good old-fashioned hard work, and over the past 16 years Richard and his talented Staplehurst-based team have certainly grafted.

“We started with no experience,” admits Richard. “We have all learnt along the way.”

The idea for creating a vineyard came from his wife Leslie, who suggested it when the couple ended up buying 400 acres of land surrounding the family seat of Hush Heath Manor in 2001.

“My wife said to me: ‘You’ve always been interested in wine, so why don’t you plant a small vineyard?’ And that’s how it started…”

The couple initially began with five acres of vines and took the

A VINE ROMANCE In the heart of the Garden of England

deliberate decision to only plant the classic trio of champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.

“We were one of the first vineyards in England to do this, as opposed to planting the more common Germanic grapes,” Richard explains.

They also took the bold decision to only make one wine – a pink fizz called Balfour Brut Rosé.

“We just wanted to produce a really high quality pink sparkling wine that we hoped would compare with Laurent-Perrier and BillecartSalmon Rosé. That was our strategy.”

Thankfully the business flourished, and in 2010 the team opened a winery and added a selection of other sparkling and still wines to their portfolio.

“Our winery is very much state of the art. All the equipment has been made for us in France and Italy and it enabled us to start producing a whole range, including ciders and apple juice, from the fruit grown on the estate,” confirms Richard.

“It’s only in the last couple of years that English wine has become popular and talked about – or recognised as being something worth trying.

“We’re still very much in our infancy, and it will take many years to develop further, but there now seems to be interest in English wines not just here but from abroad, too. We’re now exporting to the US, Hong Kong, Japan and Canada, so we’re seeing English wine being talked about and trialled in many other parts of the world.”

Hush Heath have also been selected as the official wine partners for the Times Business Awards taking place at Salomon’s on May 18 – something Richard says he is very pleased to be part of: “I’m a great believer in encouraging business, in particular young and growing ones, and anything we can do to recognise that we consider to be very important.”

‘What influences us most is making it a place where people come and smile and enjoy’

So what are the key elements to his business, which aims to give the fine champagnes and premier crus of the industry a run for their money?

“The first important element is growing really high quality grapes. The viticulture team are all predominantly from one family and have been here since the beginning, and they’ve become real experts. We had no experience of clones, or what rootstocks of the vine were ripe, so every ten rows we had different ones to see how they did and gradually we refined our technique. We also saw what the microclimate does at Hush Heath, so it’s a combination of what works here and the soil type.”

After the winery was built, and more varieties were added to their repertoire, it was time to concentrate on another important element of the business: Tastings and improving visitor footfall.

“Wine tourism has become an important element

of the UK wine industry,” Richard states. “When we opened to the public two years ago we had 1,500 people visit us. Last year it was over 15,000.”

There is talk of planting more vines and there are also plans to extend the winery in order to increase production and improve the tasting facilities.

“We want to make it fun for people to come here and have a proper experience. It’s aimed at people who are really interested in wine, who want to walk through a most beautiful estate and have the pleasure of seeing the vineyards, apple orchards and ancient oak woodlands. We want them to enjoy the tranquillity and learn about viticulture practice, and how we grow apples and grapes and make them into wine, cider and juice.”

Hush Heath now produces 15 different wines, but Richard says his favourite is still the estate’s original. “I think it would have to be the Balfour Rosé, which I think is an exceptional wine.

“It was the first English sparkling rosé served on British Airways first class worldwide and on the Orient Express to Venice, and it was the only English sparkling wine served at the London Olympics, so it has a very good reputation and we’re very proud of it.”

Such success has certainly helped their mission to transform the image of English wine from one of ridicule to reverence.

Tastings are available to the public seven days a week, and Richard is keen to stress that they are very relaxed and informal.

For true Hush Heath fans, a wine club has recently been set up, which Richard says is ‘a way of engaging more with people who are enthusiastic about English wine’.

“They can really get involved by participating in the harvest and in blending trials. Our whole thing is to be inclusive, to make people feel part

Food & Drink

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

FEATURES

55

HUSH HEATH IN NUMBERS

145,000 15,000

Bottles sold every year

Average number of annual visitors

14 400 37 Members in the Hush Heath team, who have been there from the beginning

3 of something.”

The estate has also recently acquired two pubs so the wine tasting experience can be made attractive to those travelling from further afield.

“We’re getting more and more guests coming from abroad, and what’s important to them is where they can stay at night and where they can eat good food. We thought, well we won’t do it at Hush Heath as we want to keep a more relaxed and quieter ambience there, so we bought two local pubs.”

They are The Goudhurst Inn and the Tickled Trout in West Farleigh, which were ‘completely overhauled’ to accommodate stylish rooms and great food in order to ensure anyone travelling

from afar would have the best experience of Hush Heath and all it has to offer.

“Our whole ethos here is to be generous,” adds Richard. “If you’re going to build a premium brand you have to be generous, not only with your time and your tastings but in all aspects, and I think what influences us

most is making it a place where people come and smile and enjoy.”

They’ve certainly achieved that, judging by the five-star ratings the tastings get on TripAdvisor.

“People seem to absolutely adore coming to Hush Heath, and it’s not just a place where the wines are great but it’s also about the people.

“You can walk into the vineyards and meet the team tending to the grapes and their knowledge and passion is something they are so keen to share.

“And I think that’s what distinguishes Hush Heath.”

Acres of perfectly manicured vineyards, apple orchards and ancient oak woodlands

Acres of land planted with the classic trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes

New vineyards to be planted this year and next at Hush Heath

Hush Heath Estate Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0HT 01622 832794 • www.hushheath.com

56

FEATURES

Travel

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Take a bite out of the Big Apple A BIRD IN THE HAND Ella’s crispy bird sandwich

By Ella Walker

M

OST people come for the sights, but I’ve come for the food – and New York does not disappoint. It’s the city to be in if you crave Chinese take-out with chopsticks at 3am, if you want to sink your incisors into giant, sloppy burgers, and gnaw on mahogany-coloured pretzels and obscene, orange corn dogs from roadside carts.

Manhattan crams its 22.7 square miles with bagel joints and juice bars, coffee shops and donut stalls, gourmet food halls, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean cuisine – the choice is overwhelming.

And this year, these emerging food trends will be shaking up the mix even more…

ART DECO The Clement Restaurant’s windows

‘Think beautifully seared sea bass and zingy roast apple salad with goat’s cheese’

AMERICAN SOUTH Southern American food is in full-on revival mode. Promising ‘honest Southern food’, Root & Bone (www.rootnbone.com) in the East Village is all rustic wood, exposed piping and wire buckets of fried chicken served alongside golden waffles and molten mac and cheese. It’s so moreish and earthy, I’m still chewing on the lemony chicken bones when a gooey Mississippi mud pie arrives.

At Harlem’s Red Rooster (www.redroosterharlem. com) the food is more technicolor – think crimson sauces and bold portion sizes. We sit on plastic red chairs (everything is red) on the street, people-watching between trying to stuff humongous crispy bird sandwiches in our mouths. They’re massive – filled with half a chicken at least – and dripping with a signature, terracottacoloured sauce that’s tomatoey without being too sweet.

Over in Lower Manhattan, Harold’s Meat + Three (www. haroldsmeatandthree.com) serves decent fried chicken, SLEEP AND EAT but their Southern side dishes eclipse it. I wolf down three New York’s hotels are upping their nuggety ‘biscuits’ (like savoury food game – at a rate that might just scones stuffed with sweetcorn, make room service defunct. The Clement bacon and spring onions, slathered in Restaurant (newyork.peninsula.com) sits Mississippi butter) before getting started on grilled Midtown, within the grandly elegant Peninsula, Mud Pie asparagus spears and creamy grits.

New York hotel. Dinner here is good – think beautifully seared sea bass and zingy roast apple FAMILY STYLE salad with goat’s cheese. And breakfast is This is portions made for divvying out amongst something else! Order the thick, fluffy wedges of your party – and it’s only a matter of time before French toast crusted in corn flakes, served with it becomes a ‘thing’ in British restaurants. individual bottles of maple syrup, or medallions On the edge of Madison Square Park is the of beef tenderloin (steak for breakfast?), cosily understated Black Barn (www. accompanied by caramel-coloured hash browns. blackbarnrestaurant.com). The mentality here is Just up the road on Park Avenue is Loews Regency one of farm-to-table, with little faffing in between Bar & Grill (www.loewshotels.com/regency-hotel), – and the portions are absolutely colossal. where the service is less intuitive but the decor We feast on platters of barbecued beef ribs, has more swagger – all polished wood and each one as wide and thick as a hardback book, glinting mirrors. Come dinner time, carve through foraged mushrooms on chunks of toast and a pink strips of salmon and perfectly cooked bubbling rum and butterscotch bread pudding. rib-eye steak. Bold, straightforward flavours.

It’s hearty, homely fare that makes you feel well fed and well loved, much like at ATRIO, at STARRY MODERN INFLUENCES downtown hotel Conrad New York (www.

For dinner that’s not so American, head to Tribeca conradnewyork.com), where American chef and Batard (www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/ Gerron Douglas serves hunks of halibut on a restaurants/batard). Part of the group famed for mattress of lentils alongside vats of spaghetti London’s Nobu, Batard dishes up ‘new French Bolognese because, he says, nothing ‘makes you cuisine’ in a pared back dining room that hums feel at home like spaghetti’. He has a point. softly with lunchtime business meetings, and

MEATY IN MANHATTAN Harold’s Meat + Three restaurant

what looks like an old boys’ club of former film directors. A baton of crumbed, crispy lamb neck on a rich swirl of white beans, leeks and lemony lovage is astounding, but it’s the meaty portobello mushrooms cooked with shallots and drizzled in salsa verde that makes my taste buds somersault.

Nearby in the artsy, indie Nolita neighbourhood, The Musket Room (www.musketroom.com) serves up modern New Zealand cuisine while you sit on electric blue leather seats ensconced by rough brick walls. An assortment of quail, blackberry, bread sauce and onion is delicious.

TRAVEL FACTS  Ella Walker was a guest of The Peninsula New York (newyork.peninsula.com). Rates from $695 (about £573) for a Superior Room per night. Breakfast from $14 (about £11)  Stay at Loews Regency (www.loewshotels. com/regency-hotel) from $343 (about £276) per night, including tax. Breakfast from $18 (about £14).  Ella used OpenTable to book meals at Red Rooster, Root & Bone, Batard and The Musket Rooms. The platform has launched a Global Dining Passport, which enables diners to search, discover and make reservations across the globe. Visit www.opentable.co.uk

FULL OF FLAVOUR New York is crammed with eateries

58

FEATURES

Motoring

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

FIRST DRIVE

Simon Davis takes to the wheel of BMW’s new 322bhp coupé to find out what’s new

BMW 440i Coupé WHAT’S NEW? The formula for the BMW 4 Series is a simple one, really. Take one regular 3 Series, remove the rear doors for a sportier, coupé body style, and slap a 4 Series badge on the back. The 440i Coupé we have here – with the exception of the barnstorming M4 – is the flagship model in the 4 Series line-up.

To the untrained eye, the changes to this latest version are rather subtle.

The exterior has been gently redesigned with some fancy LED lights appearing at the front and rear of the car. Inside, BMW has worked to improve the cabin’s ‘perceived quality’, adding three new upholstery colours to the options list, as well as three new choices for interior trim strips.

LOOKS AND IMAGE While it might be a familiar shape, there’s no denying the face-lifted BMW 440i is still an incredibly smart-looking car. It cuts the right balance between muscular athleticism and reserved refinement, giving it a near-perfect Q-car appearance – particularly on the smaller wheels and winter tyres that were fitted to our test car.

Open the door and lower yourself into the snug seats and you’ll find a cabin that oozes quality in that classic BMW fashion. Everything feels purposeful and

A VERY SMART CAR Athletic but refined

solidly put together, while the controls all fall easily to hand.

Hard, scratchy plastics are tough to find, with only a small amount adorning the lower reaches of the doors.

However, while the BMW’s interior might look the part, the seats fitted to our test car were on the firm side, which left us feeling rather stiff after an afternoon blatting around the German countryside.

Up front, the driver and passenger will find head and shoulder room more than abundant. While this might be a sports coupé, you’ll feel a long way from claustrophobic. Aside from the rather unforgiving seats, complaints should be kept to a minimum in this department.

Yes, the 440i does have a set of rear seats – although you’ll find them close to useless when it comes to ferrying around anyone other than children.

Stick to the 3 Series if you want properly usable back seats.

Boot space is abundant, with the 440i offering up a respectable 425 litres of storage capacity – more than enough to swallow a couple of suitcases.

cheap car to buy. However, that said, it is only available in the M Sport trim, which does include a fair amount of goodies as standard, such as 18-inch alloys, M Sport suspension, satellite navigation, more aggressive body styling, leather upholstery and LED headlamps and tail lamps.

A particular highlight is the 440i’s infotainment system, which is arguably one of the best currently on sale. The dash-mounted display is incredibly fluid and very easy to read. The head-up display that is included as part of the BMW Professional Plus package is also a nice touch, showing information such as speed and sat-nav prompts directly in the driver’s line of sight, and reducing time spent with your eyes off the road.

VALUE FOR MONEY

WHO WOULD BUY ONE?

Prices for the 440i start at a considerable £43,430 – meaning it isn’t exactly a

The BMW 440i is targeted at successful, middle-aged buyers who want the

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY

FACTS AT A GLANCE: MODEL: BMW 440i Coupé ENGINE: 3.0-litre sixcylinder petrol POWER: 322bhp TORQUE: 450Nm MAX SPEED: 155mph 0-60MPH: 5.0 seconds MPG: 38.2 EMISSIONS: 172g/km BASE PRICE: £43,430

sportiness that its 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine provides, without the highperformance set-up of the M4.

To many, the 440i will offer the perfect balance between everyday drivability and high-speed fun.

‘Open the door and lower yourself into the snug seats and you’ll find a cabin that oozes quality in that classic BMW fashion’

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Advertising

FEATURES

59

60

FEATURES

Life & Style

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

HIGH BROOM CARE HOME High Broom Care Home have recently been awarded an outstanding rating in care, following their CQC report. The unannounced inspection, that took place in March 2017, lasted two days and was assessed by two inspectors who spent a day with the residents, observing and speaking with them about the service as a whole. Visiting relatives were also invited to give their feedback to the inspectors too. High Broom Care Home have described the comments as “very touching, and reassuring to know that our residents feel safe and well cared for as well as knowing the relatives can rest in the knowledge that their loved ones are being well looked after.”

The outstanding care rating, as well as the overall rating of good, follows Qualitas Healthcare taking over the home in September 2015. Since the change of ownership, there has been continuing refurbishment which has included an increase in rooms in the main house as well training from the Alzheimer’s Society in specialist Dementia care.

High Broom Care Home, High Broom Road, Crowborough East Sussex TN6 3SL | 01892 654027 www.crowboroughcarehome.com

LOVE YOUR LABEL Hospice in the Weald’s Camden Road shop plays host to an evening of designer wear and high end high street fashion on May 18th. The popular event is returning for its third time teaming up with personal stylist, Lynne Meek, who has worked very closely with the retail team at Hospice in the Weald to create an event which showcases the amazing bargains and treasures the charity shop has to offer. All of the items on the shop floor are handpicked meticulously by Lynne and Kieran, customer development manager.

“We trawl through rails upon rails of clothes that have been sorted by our volunteers and corporate partnership teams. Lynne does a great job of letting us know what the latest trends are and helps to pick the clothing to ensure that we have the very best out on the shop floor” – Kieran Draper, Customer Development Manager.

SWEETWOODS PARK GOLF CLUB WELCOMES THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB. The annual Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) spring meet took place at Sweetwoods Park Golf Club in Cowden, Kent on Sunday 23rd April 2017.

Welcoming over 20 stunning Rolls Royce cars Sweetwoods Park Golf Club is a perfect venue to showcase these very special cars, thanks to the sweeping driveway leading down to the valley where the clubhouse is based and the roomy car park where the cars can safely be parked and viewed.

The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) caters for anyone with an interest in the motor car products of Rolls-Royce, including Bentley cars built from 1933 onwards. Offering membership to owners and non-owners alike, the RREC enables like-minded enthusiasts to meet and share experiences, advice and the enjoyment of some of the finest vehicles in the world.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS CHORAL SOCIETY Continuing with its recent trend of bringing highly acclaimed orchestras to Tunbridge Wells, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society (RTWCS) is thrilled to be performing with Southbank Sinfonia - an orchestra of outstanding young professionals described by The Times as ‘a dashing ensemble who play with exhilarating fizz and stamina’. The orchestra, founded in 2002 to provide graduate musicians with a much-needed springboard into the profession, will be part of a performance of Bach’s Choral masterpiece, Mass in B minor, on Sunday 7th May, at the Assembly Hall Theatre.

Soloists completing the list of performers include local-born baritone James Cleverton, and tenor Ben Thapa, who has previously performed with the RTWCS, but is best known as a member of the opera pop group G4.

Tickets for Bach B minor Mass are available through the Assembly Hall theatre. Tickets cost from £10-£22 (booking fees apply). Sunday 7th May, 3pm. www.rtwcs.org.uk

Michael Blaney, Clubhouse Manager at Sweetwoods Park says “It’s a great honour to host the RREC’s annual new members lunch. The event certainly brightens up the car park at Sweetwoods Park and causes great interest amongst others visitors. We look forward to welcoming them back next year!”

For any event enquiries please get in touch with Clubhouse Manager, Mike Blaney by calling 01342 850 729 Ext 6 or emailing michael.blaney@sweetwoodspark.com.

Alternatively visit www.sweetwoodspark.com for further information.

The night isn’t simply about clothing, it’s about feeling good about how you look in all aspects. We are kindly joined by some popular make-up brands who are at the event offering mini makeovers to customers free of charge. You can get tickets from the Tunbridge Wells Hospice in the Weald shops from the 22nd April or register for your free ticket online. The night is a great experience, drinks in hand, garments on arms and money well spent. All of which helps raise the £7 million Hospice in the Weald needs each and every year to provide the vital services to patients, families and carers.

Event date: 18th May 2017, 18:00-20:00

Puzzles

Wednesday May 03 | 2017

14

15

16

17

H D

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

9 4

5

21 23

9

23

5 14

8 21

22

10

26

19 17

D

14

12

19

14

14 16

25

10

14 1

16

26

1 26

8

19

15 19

19

14

22

22

22

19

23

10

21

26

26

14

10

25

25

19

14

14

14 13

14

15

10

14

26

21

14

23

25

1

22

21

21

23

26

21

25

26

14

4

14

25

11

25

14

H

3

21

1

17 26

D

19

14 24

8

10

2 21

4

H

4

21

1 14

10

9 1

26 20

14

26

7

10

8 5

21

6

2

5

8 17

4

H

7

D

19

1

Codeword:

6

4

2 7 3

2 3

7

8 7

9

7 1 4

5 8 9 7 2 9 8

4 7

7 19

9 2

H

6 7 2

5 7

7

2

18

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.

F A T E F U L

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

5 6

8 1

5 3 7

A B C D E F G H I J K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z 23

7

5

5 1 6 4

7

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

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.

I N P U T

A B L E S P L C P R I P U R A T A C A Z E D E N O S O U V R E F N J R K S OM E N R R R ON G S T W A E E N A N C Y

Jigsaw Sudoku:

Sudoku:

2 7 6 9 8 5 3 1 4

1 5 8 2 3 4 9 6 7

9 4 3 6 1 7 2 5 8

L I C E D E H O E X A C T D N E S I G N S E A B R I C L R Q A N T A A I W E N C I L D E E A I R E D

8 9 1 4 7 2 6 3 5

7 6 4 5 9 3 8 2 1

3 2 5 1 6 8 7 4 9

5 8 7 3 4 6 1 9 2

6 1 2 8 5 9 4 7 3

4 3 9 7 2 1 5 8 6

6 4 8 2 5 9 3 1 7

2 7 1 4 6 8 9 3 5

4 6 9 3 7 5 1 8 2

8 3 5 6 1 2 4 7 9

9 5 7 8 3 1 6 2 4

1 8 6 9 2 4 7 5 3

5 1 4 7 9 3 2 6 8

3 9 2 1 8 7 5 4 6

7 2 3 5 4 6 8 9 1

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

4

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★I

3

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

1

SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★III

CODEWORD

61

FEATURES

62

FEATURES

Advertising

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Recruitment

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

NEWS

WITH THE

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

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

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

63

64

FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

Why learning French is child’s play Tunbridge Wells language teacher Mandie Davis runs Les Puces, a fledging French school business which started off locally and now runs classes for pre-schoolers and primary pupils all over the South East. Here she explains to Eileen Leahy why her linguistic approach has that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’…

PHOTO: www.takenbychris.co.uk

A NEW CHAPTER Mandie is looking to launch franchises

LANGUAGE and communication are really important to me – and that extends to reaching out to other communities and cultures as well as being able to express yourself in a day-to-day situation.

I grew up in Tunbridge Wells, but when I married an Army officer we had to regularly move around the place and spent some years in Germany and France.

In Germany, I set up a not-for-profit organisation to get British and German people to meet and form friendships, and then in France I volunteered

in my children’s school, helping the teacher with the English lessons, and ran a very successful after-school club. On returning to Tunbridge Wells, I decided to continue in the same vein – but it turned out to be on a bigger scale!

I came up with the idea of starting Les Puces in August 2014 after watching our children learn other languages. My eldest daughter, India, is trilingual, and the youngest, Willow, is bilingual.

Using this personal experience, and my knowledge of how languages are taught in schools, I developed a system of modules.

Each one consists of a book or story which the children take home and read in English. This accelerates learning when they hear it read in class in French as they already know what is being said. Each book has a song to go with it and we create worksheets and a craft projects based on the same theme.

So, for example, if children are learning about colours with the Cheeky Crow, they read about it, sing about it and make a Cheeky Crow to take home. They are immersed in the topic, and all parts of the class are reinforcing the same vocabulary for that half term, and then we move on to another topic for the next half term.

We launched our first classes in January 2015, and many of those saw empty halls or just had one child attending! I had to allow time for our

business to become known and to discover the most popular solution for class timings and locations. We now have more starting all the time.

I chose the name ‘Les Puces’ because I wanted something French that demonstrated love and highlighted the difference in our cultures. The literal translation of Les Puces is ‘fleas’, but to call someone ‘ma petite puce’ – ‘my little flea’ – is a very common term of endearment in France.

I’ve come to realise that it’s also a name that sparks conversation and educates. If you don’t speak French you may not remember our name, but you’ll probably remember that it’s called The Fleas and you can look up the translation later!

‘The children don’t care what language it’s in as long as they are having fun!’

Name aside, though, the main priority when learning at our classes is that it’s enjoyable. We teach some very young children and sometimes parents worry that their child hasn’t grasped English yet. But I think we are always learning our own language and that it’s best to not worry about that. It’s just about enjoying the classes – the children certainly don’t care what language it’s in as long as they are having fun!

The classes last one hour and are usually made up of colouring, crafting, singing, dancing and listening to stories – all with mum, dad or a special someone. Everyone attending has to join in as this makes the class a really enjoyable time for little ones.

As they grow, the children take great pleasure in being able to recite basic words, grasp sentences, or even introduce themselves in French. The ear changes around the age of eight, after which we can’t really hear the nuances of other accents; this often leads to a very English accent when we speak another language. At Les Puces we show very few written words in class and really capitalise on that important time when the children are susceptible to the nuances of the sounds they are hearing.

The classes give great support to children of primary age, too, especially once they start learning in school. They have started by reading the English side of our books, and now they are ready to flip the books over and to begin discovering the written French. The phrases from the songs they have learned along the way will pop into their heads and, like building a jigsaw, it will all start to fall into place.

We offer group lessons after school and on Saturday mornings as well as private classes in a client’s home. Our most popular are those held in

Arts & Culture

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

schools as an after-school club, and we go into nurseries and pre-schools and sing and read stories to the children there.

A new Les Puces book is published each half term. It takes a lot of work and I am generally working on the next four books at the same time – it’s like a conveyor belt of stories and ideas!

Each one’s theme will come from looking at the government curriculum, and then the story has to evolve from that using principal vocabulary that the children need to learn.

We have several illustrators and I try to write differently for each one. When the story is written and discussed with the illustrator, they work on the drawings while I get the translation done and checked. Our second translator is in France, so she makes sure we are up to date and learning the same way as French children are.

The next Les Puces book we’re publishing involves some of the pupils from the new Skinners’ Kent Primary School. It’s the next in our Petit Paul series from illustrator France de la Cour in Tonbridge, and is entitled ‘Petit Paul wants to go to School’.

In earlier books, Paul has become a pirate and firefighter. Next he is off to school – in Tunbridge

Wells, of course!

We are currently working on franchising the business, and in the next few weeks will be looking for our first pilot franchisee. It’s becoming too big for me to continue on my own.

Franchisees will run their own Les Puces businesses in their areas, and it will allow me to focus more on the creative side, supplying them with top quality modules and continuing to expand the business to train and support them.

Mandie Davis explains a few key attributes that learning another language can help with: Confidence Understanding of other cultures  Brain exercise  Make travel more fun  You’ll be more employable  Opportunity to study or live overseas  Meet people and be open to varied friendships  Stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s  Become more creative with your own language  

To find out more about Les Puces and what it can offer children, visit www.lespuces.co.uk

FEATURES

65

Making sweet music Tonbridge Music Club is hosting the London Handel Players on Saturday. Here club member Dilys Benson explains why it’s going to be a noteworthy event…

THE final concert of Tonbridge Music Club’s 2016-17 series takes place this Saturday, and we are very delighted and proud to be welcoming the London Handel Players’ ensemble.

Described by The New York Times as possessing ‘consummate skill and musicianship’, they will be performing a varied programme entitled Pearls of the Baroque – A Celebration of Telemann and His Illustrious Contemporaries. It promises to be a real musical feast from these leading periodinstrument specialists, and a grand finale to the Tonbridge Music Club season.

There’s nothing like the thrill of a live concert, and we as a group have been bringing great classical music and acclaimed international musicians to Tonbridge for over 50 years.

We started in 1962 with the intention of bring top quality music to the town. Each season we host a variety of concerts, and this runs from October to May. We are fortunate enough to welcome many world class artists, and this season they have included musical talent such as pianist Alexander Ullman, British vocal ensemble VOCES8, and the world renowned Chilingirian String Quartet.

As well as our high profile concerts we are able to showcase the talents of many young musicians, giving them the opportunity of performing at the start of

their careers. Throughout each season we also give occasional pre-concert talks and masterclasses.

We hope that next season, when we will be celebrating our 55th anniversary, people will come along and hear for themselves what we do and support our work.

■ The London Handel Players perform on Saturday (May 6) at 7.30pm at the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Tonbridge. For more information on Tonbridge Music Club, visit www.tmc.org.uk

PRESTIGIOUS GUESTS The London Handel Players

66

FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

Over at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge this evening, at 7.30pm, is a multi-award-winning show called A Regular Little Houdini – a family drama set in Edwardian Newport, South Wales. A docker’s son becomes obsessed with the magic of Harry Houdini and his parents are far from impressed. The plays tells of their struggle to accept his eccentricity – and how he actually ends up meeting the real Houdini, which results in arresting consquences. Tickets cost £14 for adults and £12 for children and are available from www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk

WAVES OF TURNER Enjoy a talk on Art History – Sea Fever on Saturday

>> WEDNESDAY Today and tomorrow is your last chance to see the Bricks Britannia exhibition at Tenterden Town station. Charting the history of Britain’s trains, it shows over 30 different models made from LEGO®.

The centrepiece is an eight-metre long model of the Flying Scotsman. Tickets include entry to workshops to help you create your own LEGO® masterpiece.

Prices start from £10. See www.kesr.org.uk

MAJOR MISSION Scarlett Johansson stars in Ghost in the Shell from Friday

BLUEBELLS GALORE At Hole Park Gardens

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

>> THURSDAY The first Jazz on The Pantiles kicks off this evening at 7pm on the famous promenade’s bandstand.

The group with the honour of performing at the inaugural concert of 2017 is Lipstick & Beatniks.

These are the final few days to catch the Pashley Manor Tulip Festival. Running until Saturday (May 6), it showcases the enormously colourful varieties of the beautiful blooms planted in the manor’s grounds. There will be the opportunity to buy certain species and to enjoy tea and cake in the café. Tickets cost £10 for adults, and £5 for children over 6. Visit www.pashleymanorgardens.com >> FRIDAY If you fancy venturing further afield this weekend, and want to catch the current crop of flowers in all their seasonal splendour, then make sure you pay a visit to beautiful Hole Park Gardens in Rolvenden. It’s open daily from 11am until 6pm, and keen horticulturalists will love the bluebells, camellias, magnolias, wisteria and rhododendrons which will be ablaze with colour. Check out Hole Park’s website for ticket details and to view its Bluebell Barometer, which indicates when they are in flower – www.holepark .com Sci-fi flick Ghost in the Shell is currently showing at the Moonlight Drive-in Cinema at the Hop Farm.

It’s the story of ‘Major’, a human saved from a car crash who is cyber-enhanced in order to become a ‘perfect soldier’, out to catch the world’s most

dangerous criminals. Tickets cost £25 per vehicle and screenings are at 9pm every evening until May 11. See www.moonlightcinema.com >> SATURDAY If you’ve been inspired by the London Marathon and fancy getting yourself fighting fit to take part in next year’s, then start your exercise routine by taking part in the weekly park runs that happen every Saturday morning in a variety of venues, including Dunorlan Park, Castle Street, Tonbridge, and Bedgebury Pinetum. They are free to participate in and a great way to motivate yourself – even if it’s just to get a bit fitter. For more information, go to www.parkrun.org.uk Tony Wade and Ian Marks, the electric bike specialists at Cycling Made Easy, invite you to their Open Day, which is on from 9am to 5pm. Go along to learn all about e-bikes, how to boost your pedal power or take a test ride. Electric bikes can be used by all those aged 15 and over and offer everyone the chance to get the most out of cycling. For more information, visit www.cyclingmadeeasy.co.uk There is another Acorn Training Day at Burrswood Hospital in Groombridge, and today’s subject is Health and Wholeness: Authentic Living.

For further details, visit www.burrswood.org.uk From 1.30pm until 3.30pm, The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) will be hosting an afternoon seminar on Art History – Sea Fever. The lecture, given by Jill Denman at the Toc H Hall, Little Mount Sion, will examine the impact the ocean has had on some of our most famous

ELECTRIFYING Cycling Made Easy Open Day on Saturday

PHOTO: Stuart Kink

WHATS ON

artists, including JMW Turner and Gerhard Richter.

Tickets cost £12 when booked in advance or £15 on the door. www.wea.org.uk >> SUNDAY As part of the ongoing Crowborough Community Festival (see below), organisers will holding an Open Air Food Fair at the town’s community centre today. As well as lots of delicious sweet and savoury treats on offer, famous former resident Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ will be making an appearance. There will also be cooking demonstrations, live music and a raffle.

Another treat for foodie fans is The Pantiles Food Market, on all weekend between 10am and 4pm.

PICK OF THE WEEK Crowborough Community Festival Events every day until May 27

During the month of May, there will be activities to promote the first Crowborough Community Festival. This event celebrates the ‘landscape and cultural heritage’ of the town and the surrounding area, with activities such as family walks, food fairs and a focus on areas of local interest. Today’s event (May 3) is entitled Ashdown Forest: Through the Lens, in which local photographer Dave Brooker will give an illustrated talk and presentation about his work in and around Ashdown Forest. For more information, or to get involved, take a look at the official website: www.crowboroughcommunityfestival.org

What’s On

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

FEATURES

67

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 HARROWING Ronan Keating and Jenny Seagrove in Another Mother’s Son on Tuesday At 2.30pm at Trinity Theatre, a performance of Shakespeare For Juniors will take place. Three actors relay three of the Bard’s most famous works – The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – in an enjoyable and easy to understand manner for children. Audience participation is encouraged during this fun and educational introduction to some of Shakespeare’s greatest works. Tickets cost £7 per person. For more information visit www.trinitytheatre.net >> MONDAY At 1.30pm, there will be a talk by Peter Blackwell for the Royal British Legion entitled ‘Lieutenancy in Kent’ at Crabb Hall at Christ Church in the High Street. Free to attend. All welcome.

There will be another Open Mic Night at both The Royal Oak and Duke of York pubs this evening from 8pm. All musicians and singers are welcome to come along and step up on stage to perform. >> TUESDAY Trinity Theatre will be screening the film Another Mother’s Son today at 11am, 2pm and 8pm. Based on the true story of Louisa Gould, a mother who risked everything to take in an escaped Russian POW in Nazi-occupied Jersey during the war, it stars Jenny Seagrove, John Hannah and former Boyzone star Ronan Keating. Tickets cost £10.50.

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk and www.thegreylady.co.uk

Dan Clews

WEDNESDAY Matt Falloon, Dan Sumner, Dan Clews (headliner) FRIDAY The Jazz Club SATURDAY Studio 54 SUNDAY Lui Dodds, Ashley Evans, Ryan Weeks TUESDAY Adam Chadbout, Stuart Worsell, Josh Renton, Lee Williams (headliner)

MERCURE HOTEL Tonbridge Road, Pembury Booking on 0844 815 9074

SUNDAY Fred Clark THE BULL INN Frant Road, open all day, free entry music from 8pm onwards

SATURDAY Sean Fennessey and Jemima Joy

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road, information on times and tickets at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm till late

THE BANDSTAND Pantiles, open all day, donations welcome music from 7pm

WEDNESDAY Jools Holland SUNDAY Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society: Bach Mass in D Minor (3pm start)

SATURDAY Matt Bridle

THURSDAY Jazz On The Pantiles with Lipstick & Beatniks

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

THURSDAY Attack The Skyline, Benzokayn, Prevailer and Depay FRIDAY Wake Up Leo, Alibi, Silent Crowd, Troubled Heritage SATURDAY Jack’s Hotel, Dove House, Thomas Ashby THE BEDFORD 2 High Street, open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm onwards

SATURDAY Sophie Mullan

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

SATURDAY The Harveys MONDAY Open Mic Night MASONIC CENTRE St John’s Road, information on times and tickets at www.twjazzclub.co.uk

FRIDAY TW Jazz Club: The Old Green River Band THE DUKE OF YORK The Pantiles, open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm onwards

MONDAY Open Mic Night

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

MONDAY TWUNT: Ukulele Jam Session RUSTHALL CLUB 5 St Paul’s Street, Rusthall, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm onwards

SATURDAY Dirty Shoes (AC/DC and Guns n’ Roses covers) THE PUNCH & JUDY 11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge, open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm

TUESDAY Steve Eggs Band

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

CONTACT US:

SPORT IN BRIEF

Sunday League party to celebrate 50 years THE West Kent Sunday Football League is holding an ‘open house’ at Tonbridge Angels’ Longmead Stadium on Friday (May 5) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

All players past and present are invited to attend. The event coincides with the Senior Cup final between Tonbridge Origin and Dormansland Rockets (kick-off 7pm).

Come and run at Bewl THE Bewl Water Race Series on May 13 comprises three distances, half marathon, full marathon or 37.5-mile ultra marathon.

The course follows the round-the-reservoir route and quiet country lanes.

For more information and details of how to enter, visit www.hermesrunning.com.

Lamb springs to victory JONATHAN LAMB (below right with Alex Jardine) of Canterbury and Montevideo won the Kent Cup at Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club with an unblemished record.

Robert Alexander (Medway) was second and Philip Mann (Medway) came third.

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

Local News

NEWS

69

Young guns have the experience

By Andrew Tong CRICKET: TUNBRIDGE WELLS go into the new Kent Premier League season with their feet firmly on the ground after suffering a tricky end to the previous campaign.

Last year, having lost five games in a row during a dispiriting August, they won the final match to secure their survival in the top flight.

Yet the club also reached finals day in the National Club Twenty20 tournament and can boast one of the most youthful teams in the county.

They have already been boosted this season by an emphatic victory in the ECB National Knockout Cup and the recruitment of two new players – one of whom compiled a very impressive century in that victory over Brighton.

Chairman Mark Williams, whose son Alex captains the First XI, said: “We survived with that last game of the season. We lost five of the last six and frankly we capitulated a bit at the end.

“It’s going to be a very competitive season,” he added. “It’s a very high standard in the Premier League, every team seems to have some excellent players.

“If we can get to mid-table I

UP AND COMING Tunbridge Wells at Twenty20 finals day; (left) prolific signing Christian Davis think that would be an achievement, although I think Alex will say we can go higher than that.”

The Australian Nick Sale arrives to bolster the bowling attack as a wicket-taking left-arm spinner.

He has played grade cricket in Queensland and helped Sevenoaks Vine to win the title in 2014.

The other new recruit, at the top of the order, is Christian Davis, 24, who was playing for Sussex Seconds last year and also sends down decent medium pace.

He captained the Leeds-Bradford University team against the county at Hove, and played with his fellow opener Chris Williams for the UCCE side and also for Bonbeach, a club in Melbourne.

In the cup match against Brighton,

Christian scored 134 not out off 122 balls with 20 boundaries. He and Mike Waller (62 not out) led the successful chase of 228, winning with only one wicket down.

Last year he hit a record 258 not out for Sussex 2nd XI against Glamorgan, the highest ever score by a Seconds player at the county.

“It was an excellent innings,” says Mark of the cup knock. “He seems to be very well disciplined, he knows his game and you can see he has been a professional cricketer.

“He has a high level of concentration and focus, he’s orthodox and has a consistent shot routine.”

Much is expected of Tonbridge School’s Marcus O’Riordan, who played for Kent Seconds last season and found it rather a struggle.

“He used to be mainly a batsman but he went to play in Australia and found it more difficult out there, so he is actually more of an off-spin bowler now,” explains Mark. “He has the attributes to be a very good player.”

At 18, Marcus is an example of the youthful contingent that permeates the team – and infuses it with energy.

Many of those who are now in their early twenties are actually veterans of the league, having started out in the First XI as teenagers.

Mark says: “It’s a very young side, but they are not too young. The guys who are now 25 or so, they started early and already have seven or eight years of first-team cricket under their belt.

Their youthful ebullience is well suited to the T20 format. Wicketkeeper Rob Sehmi has decided to play closer to his family home in Cheshire.

But otherwise it’s the same team that reached finals day last year. “That was a fantastic experience for them,” says Mark, “and they seem to really like the knockout element.”

70

NEWS

Local News

CONTACT US:

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

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

LEADING LADY 7Oaks Tri Club winner Cath Linney with Tonbridge Lions President Bob Bartlett TRIATHLON:

MORE than 450 athletes took part in the Tonbridge Triathlon on May Bank Holiday. The event raised more than £15,000 for local charities like the Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance.

Top triathletes in the region competed over two distances, the Standard (800m swim, 50km cycle, 10km run) – two laps of the course – and a Sprint version (400m swim, 25km cycle, 5km run).

The event, now in its 26th year, is organised by Tonbridge Lions Club. The swimming takes place in the award-winning indoor pool at Tonbridge School, while the run is within the school’s sports ground, culminating on the running track.

In the middle, the cycle element covers a swathe of scenic Kent countryside. It goes up Starvecrow Hill to Shipbourne and on to Ivyhatch, along Stone Street to Seal, past Godden Green to Underriver, through Hildenborough back to Tonbridge.

The female Standard winner was Cath Linney from 7Oaks Tri Club, who finished in 2hr 47min 19sec, 18 minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

The male winner over the Standard distance male winner was Gunther Zechmann from London, who completed the course in 2hr 31min 50sec.

The winning male in the Sprint, Rob Parry, took 1hr 10min 47sec and the victorious woman, Lizzy Brama, went round the course in 1hr 23min 19sec.

Both athletes were from Crystal Palace Triathletes.

Paul Davidson, Chairman of the Tri-committee, said: “Tonbridge Lions Club would like to thank all the competitors, their friends and family who supported them and gave the event such a friendly atmosphere.

“Also a big thank you to all the volunteers – including friends of Lions, the ATC and Police Cadets who helped us run the event and raise over £15,000 for local charities and good causes.”

“In addition, we like to thank Tonbridge School and Warners Solicitors for their continued support as without them we would not be able to run the event. Also we would like to thank Sainsbury’s for their support.”

Results: Standard, male: 1st Gunther Zechmann 2.31:50; 2nd Chris Palmer 2.35:50. Standard, female: 1st Catherine Linney (7Oaks Tri Club) 2.47:19; 2nd Alice Dudmann (Swim for Tri Club) 3.05:07. Sprint, male: 1st Rob Parry (Crystal Palace Triathletes Club) 1.10:47; 2nd Nigel Chapman 1.13:35. Sprint, female: 1st Lizzy Bramma (Crystal Palace) 1.23:27; 2nd Kati Pusey (Crystal Palace) 1.27:53.

PHOTOS: Bruce Elliott

Linney leaves rivals in her wake to win Tonbridge Triathlon

Wells survive play-off thriller to secure place among elite Chingford 33 Tunbridge Wells 35 (after extra time; score at 80 min 21-21)

By Roger Clarke RUGBY: A WEEK before this game, Tunbridge Wells were not even in the play-off position. Now they can look forward to playing at their highest ever level, in National League Three South next season.

Wells’ achievement was all the greater because they had gone up at the first attempt, thereby achieving back-to-back promotions following their unbeaten season in the previous league. So it was two outstanding campaigns on the bounce.

But it took a performance of nerve and character to prevail in a titanic and almost unbearably close battle that was only decided in extra time.

Charlie Harding came in at fly-half to replace the Frank Reynolds, who was having trials for the England Counties Under-20s.

Playing against a strong breeze Wells soon conceded a penalty and

SOUND DEFENCE Fionn McLoughlin tries to break free

then lost second row Owain Withers to a twisted knee.

Hayden Pope, on kicking duty in place of Reynolds, put Wells on the board with a well-struck penalty which was awarded after an infringement when Withers was injured.

Wells found the Chingford line speed giving them little room but they still scored a fine try after good hands on the right gave skipper Lee Campion the chance to stand up his opposite number and score in the corner. Pope’s conversion grazed the post and went wide.

But Wells were giving away a string of penalties, predominantly for offside, during the rest of the half.

On the half-hour the visitors conceded another simple penalty converted by the Chingford full-back, who a minute later used the breeze to slot one over from inside his half.

That restored Chingford’s lead at 12-8, which remained the score until half-time. In his last game in charge,

DRIVING SEAT Jake Thompson scored a try in the first minute of extra time Matt Cook’s team talk was all about composure and patience.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were characterised by a complete failure of the home lineout to function to their advantage.

Wells enjoyed better territory with the breeze and Harding brought back memories of the Intermediate Cup final at Twickenham last year with a well-struck drop goal.

The game was now tense and tight with few openings for either side as the defences dominated.

Wells continued to incur the displeasure of the referee and two penalties after the hour-mark from the unerring boot of the No 15 put the home side 18-11 up.

The mood on the pitch had changed, though, with the ‘pick and drive’ being employed. It took the pack until the 72nd minute to get the break they were looking for as replacement Josh Crickmay launched

himself through a forest of legs to get the touchdown. Pope converted to level the scores at 18-18.

With full-time close at hand, Harding and Pope used the breeze to kick to the corners. Pope nudged Wells further in front at 21-18 on 77 minutes after a scrum infringement.

Yet a Wells handling error in midfield allowed Chingford to break away and they were awarded another penalty to level the scores at 21-21 in the final minute. Wells had conceded seven penalty kicks, all converted.

Extra time consisted of two ten-minute halves, and Wells got off to a flyer. Within a minute hooker Jake Thompson latched on to a passing movement 30 metres out to twist, turn and roll over the line. Pope slotted to make it 28-21.

Chingford lost a flanker to a yellow card for an offence on Thompson as he scored. Wells were dominating and a rolling maul saw No 8 Nick Doherty propelled over the line for Wells’ fourth try.

Pope converted to open up a 14-point lead as the teams turned around, though Crickmay had been binned for a knockdown in midfield.

But Chingford were not finished yet and they charged into Wells. Four minutes into the second half of extra time they drove over the line for a converted try to go within one converted try of Wells’ tally.

Then it was Fionn McLoughlin’s turn to receive a yellow card and as extra time was coming to an end Chingford forced themselves over the line in the corner.

But for once their full-back could not convert – though even if he had, Wells would still have been the victors on try count.

So Wells signed off at this level by edging a brilliant game and can now look forward to their first taste of National League rugby next season.

Local News

Wednesday May 3 | 2017

DER-17s ended a remarkable season by being cr

NEWS

71

Juddians Academy end wonder season on high with national U17 title

TOP OF THE CLASS TJs Under-17s celebrate at Sixways

TJs UNDER-17s ended a remarkable season by being crowned national champions after a comprehensive 38-17 victory over Lymm at Worcester Warriors’ Sixways in the RFU Under-17 National Cup final.

Ade Lipede scored two tries, while full-back Toby Seal’s tally was 18 points with six kicks from six and a try as well, earning him the man of the match award.

Other scores came from fly-half James Gardner and Guy Kennedy.

The academy side had already won both the Kent League and Cup and the South East Divisional Cup. This is the second National Cup in three seasons for TJs Academy – the Under-18s won two years ago.

GIRL POWER Tunbridge Wells (in blue) take on Ashford Ladies Jazz in the Under-15s final

Sevens heaven for Squirrels and the Millionaires

TJs cruise past Sidcup to win double

By Graham Withers RUGBY: FOR the first time the annual Whiting & Hammond Kent Sevens stretched over two days with around 240 players taking part.

The Men’s Open Final was won by Sevenoaks Squirrels, who defeated Anchorians 27-14.

In the social competition, the Millionaires – including several Tonbridge Juddians players – beat the Whiting & Hammond side made up of Tunbridge Wells veterans, Academy players and university students 31-21.

Both teams now progress to the regional knockout stage of England Rugby’s 24 Sevens.

Craig Whitehead of Anchorians was named Player of the Tournament.

The second day was billed as a ‘festival of female rugby’. The Kent Under-13s competition was won

by Westcombe Park, who defeated Folkestone and Tunbridge Wells.

The Under-15s final was won by Ashford Ladies Jazz, who edged out Tunbridge Wells 24-12, and the Under-18s went to Sussex guest side Uckfield after they beat Ashford Ladies 19-7.

Sidcup 3 Tonbridge Juddians 62

RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS won the Kent Cup in style to secure a double triumph in what has been a hugely successful season.

The champions of National League Three London & South East achieved the victory at Canterbury RFC by an unexpectedly convincing margin over Sidcup, newly promoted to National Three after winning London One South.

It was TJs who struck first after 10 minutes, against the run of play, Murray Galbraith-Lowe scything through for his first try.

Good work by the forwards set up positions close to the Sidcup line for Cole Campbell to claim two tries from close range. Liam Prescott converted both to give TJs a 3-19 lead at the break.

Cutting edge

PHOTOS: Bruce Elliott

MAGNIFICENT Social sevens victors the Millionaires (above) and the Open winners Sevenoaks Squirrels

The packs were well-matched and Sidcup were causing the TJ lineout all sorts of problems.

But it was TJs’ ability to defend in phases before turning the ball over and setting the backs free that was the big difference. Tonbridge had the cutting edge all over the park.

Galbraith-Lowe just made it over the line in the corner after being released by wing James Copsey, and Prescott converted from the touchline.

Scrum-half Will Ward was quick to react to a spillage and found centre Tom Nicoll, who scored from inside his own half.

Flanker Richie Bent picked up a loose ball at Sidcup’s line-out and captain Jon McMahon linked up for Galbraith-Lowe to mark his hat-trick.

Prescott jinked his way out of trouble to set Copsey off on a long run to touch down under the posts. He scored again from the fly-half position, where he had too much speed for Sidcup’s cover.

Hugo Watson on the left wing shrugged off a couple of tackles to burst through for a try. And finally, replacement right winger Ryan Redman showed a clean pair of heels to score TJ’s tenth try.

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

By Adam Hookway

ON THE MOVE Will Ward launches another TJs attack