Read the Times of Tunbridge Wells 8th August 2018

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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INSIDE

Blow for parents as KCC fails to find a school contractor

NOT PART OF PLAN

Former Mayor resigns from council committee Page 3

By Jonathan Banks newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

FEARS that Hawkenbury’s new primary school could be delayed until 2020 appear to have been realised as the planned opening date has been postponed for the second time.

In a blow for parents who were hoping to enrol their children at the Hawkenbury school in the new year, Kent County Council [KCC] have now pushed back the opening date for the majority of pupils to February 2020. It will eventually take 210 pupils.

Temporary accommodation to be found for pupils The authority has blamed the hold-up on a ‘combination of site specific factors’ and delays in procuring a main contractor to manage the design and construction of the building project.

As an interim measure, an additional ten places will be provided for reception pupils at St Peter’s Church of England Primary School on Bayhall Road in September 2019.

“The additional pupils will be accommodated for the temporary period in safe and suitable accommodation within the existing school ground,” the spokesman said.

Kent County Council ‘regrets’ the likely postponement but insists contractors will seek a December 2019 completion ‘if at all possible’, he added.

Originally the new school was

Continued on Page 2

IT’S CHILD’S PLAY

Summer shows for budding performers at Trinity Page 46

JAZZED UP: The hot weather and balmy evenings are attracting record crowds to The Pantiles for music nights. Pages 10/11

Traffic delays loom as vital road links in town are closed

By Adam Hignett newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

MOTORISTS in Tunbridge Wells, already used to spending a significant part of their journeys stuck in traffic, are being warned to brace themselves for significant disruption in the coming weeks as two main thoroughfares are closed off.

One is being shut because of scaffolding outside shops while the other is closed for vital drainage works following the flash floods.

Half of Vale Road was closed to traffic heading in the direction of London Road on Monday [August 6] to make way for scaffolding works on the shops opposite the old post office.

Vale Road runs adjacent to the station and connects with the High Street, Mount Pleasant Road, London Road and Grove Hill Road. The planned closure is for up to four weeks.

However, some retailers are questioning the way in which the roadworks have been implemented.

Large lorries Nicholas Westover, who works at Sankeys Fishmongers where the road closure starts, said: “Cars and lorries are coming down here and having to make a U-turn outside the station. One large lorry took ten minutes to turn round.

“There should be a diversion sign encouraging people down the High

Street and there should also be temporary traffic lights so that traffic can go two ways.”

Mr Westover said the closure was ‘quite dangerous’.

“People come down towards the station thinking the whole road is closed, as the sign suggests, then they start to turn into the station car park to make their U-turn when suddenly they see cars coming up the road towards them.”

Compounding the situation will be the closure of Nevill Street, from August 13 for up to 15 days, as Kent County Council [KCC] and Southern Water embark on a massive drain clearing programme in

Continued on Page 2

EGG-CELLENT IDEA

How to spice up an omelette into Thai street treat Page 50

SHAKE OFF RUST

New faces as Rusthall try to make a fresh start Page 58

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Local News

CLASS APART: St Peter’s will take ten more pupils

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Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Work will help with flood protection NIGHT TIME A26 CLOSURE AN OVERNIGHT road closure will be enforced on a 1.5-mile section between Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge for the rest of the month.

Kent Highways, a division of the county council, is completing resurfacing from Speldhurst Road, along the A26 St John’s Road, to St John’s Close.

Teams will work from 9pm to 6am on 20 week nights until the end of August, with weekends excluded.

The primary diversion route will be through High Brooms and, for large goods vehicles, via the A21 bypass.

Continued from Page 1 supposed to open in January 2019 and its provision was a key condition for the council granting planning permission for the 235 homes on the Hawkenbury Farm development.

Developer Berkeley Homes agreed to pay £1.5million towards the school’s development in a Section 106 payment. The site of the school itself is due to be transferred to KCC’s control ‘in the next few weeks’.

It would have seen the relocation of all pupils currently attending St Peter’s, which has limited capacity and is spread over three separate sites, to the new facilities.

But already the original proposal has been scaled back. As the Times reported in April, each year will now accommodate just 30 pupils, instead of the original 40, giving a total capacity of 210.

At the time, KCC argued there was not enough demand to justify a larger 280-place school.

Dean Kenward, Chairman of Hawkenbury Village Association, dismissed even the latest opening date as ‘optimistic’, pointing out that KCC has yet to make a planning application for the site.

He also raised fears that any substantial delay could result in the old school closing before the new one is ready.

“Some people have children who will be school age in 2019 and moved here because of the school. Now they don’t know which school they will go to,” he said.

“KCC is hoping to have the school completed by February 2020, but we believe this is optimistic and the school is likely to open after the Easter break in 2020.

“The unfortunate impact of this is that St Peter’s will have to accommodate a further ten reception pupils in their current location.

“The already overcrowded school building will have to cope with even more pupils and it is likely that some form of temporary classroom may be needed.”

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER WILLIAM MATA will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES GHak@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779650 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews

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THE WAY FORWARD Nicholas Westover wants a diversion sign on Vale Road

Continued from Page 1 the wake of recent flash flooding in the town.

Nevill Street connects London Road with Warwick Park and Frant Road. Most people heading from the town centre cross over it in order to get to The Pantiles.

The overlapping works are likely to result in congestion on Tunbridge Wells’ already overstretched road network and will be problematic for commuters heading to the station or work in the town.

Flash floods It is hoped the Nevill Street drain cleaning will be welcomed in the long term by business owners and residents of The Pantiles who have seen their properties devastated by rains with increasing frequency over the past few years.

The proposal to improve drainage in Tunbridge Wells was announced by KCC on July 18 and work began on less busy streets a week later.

KCC has acknowledged some traffic disruption ‘is likely’ but said it hopes to minimise conges-

tion by carrying out the work in the summer holidays.

One significant development being undertaken during the road closure will be to direct some highway surface water pipes directly into the River Grom, the stream which flows beneath The Pantiles. The water would normally flow into a combined sewer to aid drainage.

GREG CLARK SAYS DISRUPTION WILL BE WORTH IT KCC cabinet member for highways Mike “It will also allow a survey of “These important works follow Whiting said: “I’ve the River Grom in greater detail from the meetings between the seen the devastation than has been done before to authorities I convened with that flooding has check the condition of the culvert residents and businesses caused in Tunbridge following last year’s flash flood. By it runs through. Keeping the Wells and we are drains cleared is vital too, and separating rainwater so it doesn’t determined to do our more engineering works will go into a sewer the works will best to prevent it from need to follow to further improve the flood resilience of our reoccurring. minimise the impact of these town. There will be a few weeks of “We can never comintense downpours that are now disruption but I hope people will pletely eliminate the regular events.” agree that it is necessary. risk, but we can – and

‘Music to the ears’ as deaf boy starts talking A SIX-year-old boy from Tonbridge is finally learning to talk after being diagnosed as profoundly deaf when he was a baby.

Max Maidment, who attends The Slade Primary School, was one of the youngest children in the UK to have a cochlear implant fitted when he was one year old.

Thanks to the dedicated support of the Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust children’s speech and language therapy team, Max is now well on the way to leading a normal life.

His mother Sam said: “Max failed the newborn hearing test and that’s not uncommon, but when he was tested again two weeks later we were told he was profoundly deaf.

“We were shocked and devastated. It’s not genetic, but just one of those things.”

Max was fitted with hearing aids but when these showed no signs of working, the family were referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for the cochlear implants. Less than 6,000 children in the UK have had such an implant fitted.

will – do things to prevent it as much as possible,” he added.

Mike Tomlinson, who handles Southern Water’s surface water management, said: “We are committed to actively helping and supporting other organisations and the local flood resilience forums to address the issue in Tunbridge Wells and are playing our part by working with the council to produce a detailed flooding report.”

SOUNDS GREAT Max Maidment works with therapist Gaynor Evans

Sam said: “It’s not been easy and it’s taken a long time for his speech to catch up to where it should be.

“He also rejected them [when new equipment was fitted] just before he started school so he spent the start of reception year using signs.

Laugh “We had to return to Great Ormond Street and start all over again with the implants.

“To hear him laugh, chatter and be his noisy, energetic self now is music to our ears.”

The Trust’s speech and language therapy team have been working with Max since he was one year old to help him with his communication skills – and he sees them once a week at school.

Therapist Gaynor Evans said: “Max has made incredible progress, particularly during the past year, and his speech is understandable to the majority of people.

“He is now talking in simple sentences and our aim is to further develop both his

understanding and use of spoken language.”

She added: “Cochlear implants have been available to deaf children for about 30 years now.

Before this, profoundly deaf children were given hearing aids, which often didn’t give them sufficient access to spoken language.

“This technology has opened up the communication options for children like Max, which is fantastic news.”

HOW THE IMPLANT WORKS A microphone behind the ear picks up sound and turns it into the electrical signals, which are sent along a wire to a device on the skin.

Another piece of equipment inside the skull picks up the signals and sends them to a part of the inner ear called the cochlea.

From there they travel to the brain and are heard as sound – if the auditory nerve which sends sound to the brain is working.

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Wednesday August 8 | 2018

NEWS IN BRIEF

Campaign to stop centre gains further momentum MORE than 500 people have now signed a petition to stop Paddock Wood Town Council building their £2.3million Community Centre in Memorial Field.

Campaigners met at the site last week to rally against plans, which they said would lead to a loss of green space and increase noise pollution and the number of cars.

The town council voted in June to back RIBA Stage 2 plans for the project, which would contain multi-use halls for sport, council offices and community activities.

Paddock Wood councillors will now pursue a RIBA Stage 3 approval – which would see advanced architectural plans considered. The centre is scheduled to open in August 2020.

To see the petition, visit tinyurl.com

Mystery in Cranbrook THE village of Cranbrook is going to star in a three-part television series called The Queens of Mystery between September and November.

Acorn Media, the company behind classics such as Midsomer Murders, has contacted local shops and home owners to discuss proposals to film in the village.

Location manager James Davey said the project was a story about a police detective and her three aunts who often meddle and try to help: “It’s in a very similar vein to Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders but with a modern twist.”

Not guilty plea entered GORDON LOCKE will stand trial after pleading not guilty to murdering Gordon Farnes in Sherwood Road, Tunbridge Wells, on July 17.

The 28-year-old defendant, of no fixed abode, appeared in Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday August 1, and will stand trial at the same court from January 7, 2019.

Locke has been remanded in custody until that date.

Second best for the test TUNBRIDGE WELLS is the second best place to pass a driving test in Kent after Sevenoaks, DVLA figures have revealed.

In the year to March, 51 per cent of tests taken resulted in a pass, behind Sevenoaks on 53 per cent. The lowest pass rate was Herne Bay, at 42 per cent.

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Apartment block to replace car park would have just one space

By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A BUSINESS car park in Tunbridge Wells town centre could be demolished to make way for 18 apartments, if plans are approved.

Ironically just one car parking space would be provided if the four-storey privately owned facility in Garden Street is replaced by the flats.

The car park currently provides 106 spaces and is still used by businesses in the area.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s planning committee will vote tonight [Wednesday] on whether to grant full permission to build the apartments next to Calverley House, the former home of stockbroker AJ Bell.

Integrate Councillors have been advised to grant ­permission on condition that the developer, Tunbridge CR Ltd, pays £6,326 towards the Amelia Scott Cultural Hub as part of a Section 106 ­agreement where developers contribute money to the community.

This follows a previous application for plan-

ning permission which had SECOND TIME LUCKY been refused.

Planners recommend The new proposed building redevelopment would be four storeys on one side and three on the other. It would have seven one-bedroom flats, four two-bedroom flats and seven two-bedroom ‘maisonettes’. Three of these properties would be ‘affordable’.

The one car parking space would be for use as part of a car club, a vehicle for shared use between residents. There would also be 21 spaces for bicycles.

Liberal Democrat Cllr David Neve, who has recently resigned Fourteen objections to the plan have been from the planning committee, said the lack of parkreceived. These include concerns that the new ing was a ‘concern’.

“If they don’t put any spaces in, then where are apartments would overlook flats on Calverley Street and that the ‘poor design’ would be out of people going to park?” he said.

“They certainly will not be able to get a parking character with the area.

The applicant’s statement in support reads: permit, as they are already oversubscribed.

“The current car park is still used and is used “The design seeks to maintain a respectful conevery day, so the people that use it will have to temporary approach to integrate with the character of the area.” find somewhere else to go.”

Councillor in shock resignation over ‘ludicrous’ planning rules

By Adam Hignett A WELL-KNOWN councillor has resigned from the planning committee with ‘immediate effect’ due to the ‘ludicrous’ rules and lack of ‘common sense’.

David Neve made the remarks in a resignation letter handed to planning Chairman, Cllr Barry Noakes, on Friday [August 3], three years after joining the committee.

On another occasion, the Liberal Democrat, who was the only non-Conservative member of the committee, found that he had to briefly leave the council chamber due to a bout of sneezing and

Common sense The former mayor said he was unable to properly represent his ward, as the rules are so ‘restrictive’ that they do not allow personal views or serious consideration of residents’ concerns.

“At one meeting I would have liked to have voted against granting planning permission but there were no material grounds for refusal, except common sense, so I abstained,” he states.

LONE VOICE Cllr David Neve

coughing brought on by hay fever.

However, whilst he took part in the remainder of the debate after an absence that lasted ‘about a minute’, he found he was no longer allowed to cast a vote.

“I was barred because I had left the meeting – ludicrous,” he said.

Of particular concern to Cllr Neve is a meeting this evening [August 8] at which an application to demolish a multi-storey car park in Garden Street to make way for 18 apartments will be debated (see above).

The recommendation is to grant permission for the development, which will take place just yards from his St James’ ward boundary, despite it being turned down before.

Cllr Neve said: “I see little change except for providing section 106 money [money paid by developers for council projects], treescape work and three affordable units.

“I cannot see how this improves the outlook for residents opposite.”

Out of the ten reasons why the committee should green-light the project put forward by planning officers, Cllr Neve believes he would only support two.

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Local News

Waitrose is ready to come out of its shell GENERATIONS of Tunbridge Wellians have been waiting for the day they can finally stop driving off to Crowborough or Tonbridge in order to get their Waitrose groceries.

The wait is almost over, after Shell announced their ‘little Waitrose’ store, which is being built as part of their St John’s Road petrol station redevelopment, will finally open on August 17.

It will be marked by a ribbon-cutting, attended by the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Len Horwood, and Shell Retail and Alliance Strategy Manager Ed Hall.

To celebrate the opening, the first 1,000 customers who make a purchase in the new store will receive a free Waitrose branded hessian bag.

Branded Work began on the project in March, with the demolition of the former petrol station on the site. At the time a sign claimed it would be reopened ‘with a Waitrose branch’ on June 15.

Shell initially denied this would be the case, but then clarified that Waitrose-branded food would be stocked in its shop, albeit without the grocer’s branding visible on the building.

“Waitrose has reached a supply agreement with Shell for its St John’s Road forecourt store in Tunbridge Wells,” said a Waitrose spokesperson at the time.

“The retailer will provide around 600 products in a dedicated section of the existing Shell site, which will comprise around two thirds from its own label ranges with the remainder consisting of some of its most popular brands.”

Those hoping for a more solid presence in Tunbridge Wells will be left disappointed.

Years of speculation about whether the middle-class institution would finally find a home in the most middle-class of towns have continuously been proven baseless.

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Wednesday August 8 | 2018

How housing, employment and retail will change Tunbridge Wells forever

By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TUNBRIDGE WELLS Borough Council [TWBC] has revealed a vision to create a joined-up ‘mixed community’ in Tunbridge Wells as part of their Local Plan.

Alongside a government-set requirement to build 692 homes every year up to 2033, the authority is looking to provide hundreds of shops and offices.

By creating employment and leisure opportunities, Town Hall leaders want Tunbridge Wells to move away from its oft-cited commuter town image.

TWBC is consulting with Kent County Council about providing more school places and Southeastern about greater train capacity.

Their ambition is taking shape in the Draft Preferred Local Plan for 2013-2033, which is set to be revealed in early 2019. If it passes all relevant stages of approval, it would need to be approved by the Secretary of State from 2020.

Cllr Alan McDermott, Town Hall’s de-facto

Deputy Leader, said: “We are ultimately looking for mixed and balanced communities.

“It would be bad planning to have an area with one group of people-type.

“People need nurses and gardeners, for example, and we need to have them here rather than coming in from outside. Really you need cheaper homes to achieve that.”

TWBC has been assigned by the government to

‘A lot of the sites allocated at the moment are brownfield.

Priority is brownfield first’ build 13,840 homes from 2013-33. But of these, 6,000 ‘in the pipeline’ have already been completed or granted permission.

This includes the 1,000-home plan in Paddock Wood which has been approved by the council.

Five options are being considered as their strategy for how the target for their housing quota is met. These are: ■ Focused development on areas which have

already seen construction, such as Southborough, Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood.

■ Semi-dispersed growth on specific rural areas.

■ Dispersed growth on rural settlements.

■ Creating a ‘growth corridor’ related to an improved A21.

■ A new ‘garden village’ style settlement.

The council has not yet announced which of these will be pursued or which areas in the borough could be built upon. More details will be revealed in January.

Cllr McDermott admitted that finding sites to build on in Tunbridge Wells has proved a ‘massive challenge’.

“We have so many constraints, like the Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and areas liable to flooding.

“Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty you will never get back, whereas a Green Belt you can move. Everything has got to be considered.

“If you rule out Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty you are only left with 15 per cent of our land, which is not practical to build houses on.

“A lot of the sites that are allocated at the

LOOKING FORWARD: New developments in Tunbridge Wells include (l-r) Knights Wood, Belvedere on the old cinema site and along Eridge Road

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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ON THE WAY UP The 1,000-home plan at Mascalls in Paddock Wood (above) has been approved

moment are brownfield sites,” he added. “Any brownfield sites could be included. Priority is brownfield first.”

The council has considered providing 30 per cent ‘affordable’ housing for every development, as part of national guidelines.

But with house prices so high across the borough, the council has found offering rentable property a more practical means to ensuring homes are available for all.

As important to the authority, though, is meeting the retail and economic need, and the following has been identified: n 32,000 square metres of ‘comparison’ retail – which relates to more expensive, sometimes luxury items and white goods. n 7,500-9,500 square metres of ‘convenience’ retail – offering typical supermarket items. n 11 to 15 hectares of office and work space.

The council ha s not said how many offices or shops this could mean, but is conscious to move with the times as shopping trends change.

“Shoppers are now looking for an experience,” said Cllr McDermott. “You don’t just go there for the shops.

“There will undoubtedly be changes to Royal Victoria Place under [new owners] British Land.

“But importantly, for Tunbridge Wells to fulfil its economic potential, more space needs to be allocated for employment space.”

LOCAL PLAN TIMELINE: HOW THE COUNCIL WILL MOVE FORWARD June 2017: Determine the issues and options with the Local Plan and develop draft strategy options.

March to April 2019: Consultation to draft a preferred Local Plan.

October 2019: Consultation to determine final Local Plan.

December 2019: Submission of the final Local Plan.

Spring 2020: The formal examination of the Local Plan will begin.

Local News

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Drink driver jailed after causing serious injury A DRINK driver who caused serious injuries to two road users in Tunbridge Wells has been sentenced to almost two years in jail.

Tomasz Konkel, of Blatchford Close, East Malling, admitted to drinking more than half a bottle of vodka before his car collided with two other vehicles last year.

The 23-year-old was driving his Audi A3 on the A228 Pembury northern bypass towards Maidstone on 7 October 2017, when at around 1am he tried to overtake a car.

He struck the side of the first car, forcing it to leave the road and collide with trees.

He then veered into the opposite carriageway and struck the second victim.

Croquet championship THE 2019 World Golf Croquet Championships are coming to Kent and Sussex, with the Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club selected as a venue.

The event will be held from July 27 to August 4 with approximately 80 players from up to 30 countries competing.

Golf Croquet is a rapidly growing sport which appeals to all age groups and modern lifestyles.

In this version of the sport, a hoop is won by the first ball to go through each hoop.

Unlike association croquet, there are no additional turns for hitting other balls.

League of Friends AGM THE 60th Annual General Meeting of the Tonbridge Cottage Hospital League of Friends will be held on Friday September 14 at 6.30pm at Meeting Room 1, Christ Church in Tonbridge.

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Fire brigade keep revellers cool at Tonbridge Calling

By Mark Hood REVELLERS came out in force for the free music festival Tonbridge Calling on Saturday [August 4] as the sun shone down on the town’s Racecourse sportsground.

The family event in the heart of town was made possible by donations and sponsorship from residents and businesses and was staged with the cooperation of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council.

Around 1,800 people came along to hear a diverse selection of music performed by Foot Down, Wyatt Riot, Petty Thieves, Kung Fu Slipper and Salsadelic, local bands who all appeared free of charge. Proceeds from the event will go to charity.

Other attractions included the Kinetic Circus area where the public could try their hand at circus skills, the ever popular fairtrade clothes, jewellery and crafts stall from Bazaar, Wacky Faces face painting, local caricaturist Paul Gurney,

yoga classes with Leila Madar, spoken word poetry from local poets Folio and Flitt and friends.

Sharna Rose ran a very popular hula hooping workshop and festival favourites Anaconda Belly Dance delighted the crowds with their stunning routines as well as passing on some of their skills to young and old in a workshop in the Field Tent.

‘You make our community stronger’ In the glorious sunshine Kent Fire and Rescue Service helped to cool the crowd down with their fire hoses, and wellbeing therapists Sarah Howard and Silke Thistlewood provided soothing reflexology and massage mini treatments.

Caterers from Tonbridge Old Fire Station, Sulston’s Kitchen, Kay’s Kitchen, Thai Street Food, Little Brittany Crepes and Lord & Lady Muck served

up a wide variety of food and drink, while locals donated cakes for the Tea Tent staffed

by Fran Long and her team.

The feedback was very positive. “It was a brilliant event, thank you, you make our community so much stronger,” said Annie Denny, while Kerry Oldfield commented: “What an absolutely awesome day – it exceeded all expectations.”

A team of 40 volunteers provided a dedicated service throughout the day, setting up the stages and tents, stewarding and litter-picking.

The festival was expanded this year to include an afterparty at Fuggles Beer Café, where Hobo and the Hippies and Salsadelic continued the festival vibe.

Tonbridge Calling is organised by a core of six: Faydra Mitchell, Simon Partington, Sophie Quinnell, Ted Rogers, Fred Long and myself.

We aim to bring the Tonbridge community together in a celebration of positivity powered by the people.

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

HOT TO TROT Kent Fire and Rescue were on hand as dancers strutted their stuff and bands like Wyatt Riot played

PHOTOS: Simon Partington

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Sunny weather and all that jazz brings record crowd to Pantiles

By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THIS summer’s music nights have been among the best attended in the 27-year history of Jazz on The Pantiles events.

Around 1,500 to 2,000 people have packed the promenade to watch the live performances on the Bandstand, which have been held every Thursday from 7pm since May 3.

Julian Leefe-Griffiths, Managing Director of The Tunbridge Wells Hotel and the event organiser, said of this summer’s run: “It has been our best received so far.

“We have been lucky with the weather, every night it has been warm, and the attendance has been up on average.

“As ever, there has been a nice atmosphere and great vibe.”

The jazz night attendance does not include the hundreds of extra customers who come to restaurants on The Pantiles for the occasion – which provides a huge economic boost to the area.

Mr Leefe-Griffiths took charge of the events six years ago after a previous incarnation of Jazz on The Pantiles was forced to stop after 21 years.

Proms It has now become a staple of the summer for music fans, with the final Thursday [this year on September 27] providing a Last Night of the Proms-style occasion.

Alongside fellow organiser Lionel Shell (a respected drummer in the band Unit Seven), Mr Leefe-Griffiths has kept refining the line-up of bands and musicians, trying to bring back popular acts.

The Jive Aces and Project Five have both proved a big hit, while Spice Fusion and Quantum Collective are exciting names on the line-up this month.

“We have some good bands coming up and there have not been any acts we have been displeased with,” added Mr Leefe-Griffiths.

The organiser has also been behind the Soul Train music nights on The Pantiles, which offer a mixture of 1970s groove and funk music.

And last month saw The Pantiles Vintage Fair, one of the regular events held through the year.

Jazz on The Pantiles is backed by several local firms – lead sponsor Thomson Snell & Passmore, as well as NFU Mutual, Tunbridge Wells Personal Training [TWPT], Brooks Macdonald and Dandara.

WARMING UP Diners took to their tables early on Thursday, before the jazz crowds filled The Pantiles

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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Photos: Craig Matthews

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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BUSINESS

Local Business News

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How Town Hall looks to balance its books amid government cuts FINANCE chiefs at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are working out ways to balance their books with a £703,000 shortfall initially predicted for 2019/20.

The authority has already seen its government grant cut to zero for this year, and has been told it would need to pay £606,000 of taxpayers’ cash the other way next year.

This scenario might now be avoided. But when the borough’s growing population is factored in, the authority, who are reluctant to dip into reserves, have needed to come up with other ways of breaking even.

Lee Colyer, the council’s Director of Finance, detailed their proposed budget strategy for 2019/20 for the first time to the Cabinet in a meeting last week.

Members unanimously reaffirmed their support for the strategy, which included: n Applying to enter a new pilot Business Rate Retention Scheme, alongside other Kent authorities, to receive an increased level of the income. n Making use of the government’s New Homes Bonus – which offers local authorities some funding for constructing properties. The council currently receives £1million in the New Home Bonus.

Sounds good: Business group makes donation to Local & Live 2018

By William Mata THE fundraising campaign to ensure the Local & Live Music Festival is staged this year has been boosted by a business interest company’s grant.

Royal Tunbridge Wells Together has pledged an undisclosed sum towards the £40,000 needed to stage the popular event, which has been held in the town since 2005.

Local & Live is free to attend and offers a chance for music fans to discover unsigned bands.

Around 20,000 are expected to attend over the Bank Holiday Weekend from August 24 to 27.

The main stage is inside Calverley Grounds, while fringe events will take place at The Forum, The Grey Lady and The Spa Hotel.

‘It’s a great festival that attracts lots of visitors’ Karen Pengelly Existing sponsorships, advertising banners and other grants are expected to raise around £30,000, while £10,000 is set to be brought in from a crowdfunding campaign.

Karen Pengelly, Manager of Royal Tunbridge Wells Together, said: “We are very happy to support Local & Live, it’s a great festival that attracts lots of visitors to the town centre over a key weekend.

“The fact that it runs for a few days and helps to boost the number of customers in local cafes, pubs and restaurants is good for the whole town, not simply music fans.

“Royal Tunbridge Wells Together issues grants every year to groups and event organisers who boost our local economy.

“We hope to continue to do this and build the sum we can allocate to grants in the future.”

Local & Live Organiser Paul Dunton said: “I want it to be free to enter and we are not going to put a fence around Calverley Grounds. The beauty is that it is free and organic local music.

“It brings so much to the local economy. People have come in to watch from all over the world.”

Local businesses wanting to get involved in sponsoring Local & Live, or advertise on the giant screen in Calverley Grounds, should contact Paul Dunton at: paul@pauldunton.co.uk

n Increasing council tax from 48p to 49p on

average per day. This is a 3% rise.

All these proposals are currently in their early stages and are liable to change. The final budget is likely to be voted on by the authority in spring next year.

Mr Colyer said: “Demand for council services continues to increase with the growth in population, which now stands at 117,400. The council is also facing inflationary pressures on its costs.

“We are forecasting a deficit for 2019/20 of £703,000. However, the largest component of that deficit is the negative revenue support grant.

“This would require this council to pay £606,000 of local taxpayers’ funds back to central government to be spent on providing services elsewhere.

“We have been clear that this is unacceptable. I am pleased to say the government has listened, and last week they issued proposals to remove negative revenue support grants.

“The cost of doing so will be met by central government’s share of business rates. This is tremendous news for taxpayers.”

The deadline for applying for the pilot for the business rate retention scheme is September 25.

Council Leader David Jukes said: “It is great news about the business rate retention. It has been tough, but along with Lee, William Benson [council Chief Executive] and others we have managed to get there. By 2020 the government has promised we will be getting 75%, and by 2022 it will be 100% business rate retention.”

DISCRETIONARY RATE RELIEF Cabinet members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council voted unanimously in favour of plans to award relief to businesses affected by the government’s 2017 change to rates.

The authority will allocate £130,000 on a percentage basis to businesses who were hit by the changes.

Central government has provided the funding to help ease the process.

This follows a backlash against Chancellor Philip Hammond’s change to business rates, which was designed to reflect shifts in the value of property.

Family firm celebrate top prizes LAMBERHURST communications firm Active Digital is celebrating picking up two accolades at the National Family Business Awards.

Members picked up the Technology and Innovation award, as well as being named Best in Class.

The ceremony, in a function room inside Wembley Stadium, was hosted by 2016 Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown. It brought together family firms from across the UK.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Next round of fund is open for businesses SMALL and medium sized firms in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge will be able to apply for 0% loans from £50,000 to £500,000 in a reopened scheme.

The Kent & Medway Business Fund ‘round three’ is opening from September 1 to October 1. The scheme aims to deliver investment across the county.

To register your interest, follow the links at: www.kent.gov.uk/business

Networking breakfasts THREE business breakfast networking events are to be held in or near Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge this month and in September.

Tonbridge Business Breakfast, an event organised by Federation of Small Businesses [FSB], will be held from 8am on Thursday, September 20 at Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club.

Then there is Business Over Breakfast, now held every two Tuesdays from 6.30am to 8.30am at Kings Hill Golf Club. The next two are on August 21 and September 4.

And the Tunbridge Wells Chamber Breakfast Club is to meet inside Woods Restaurant in The Pantiles on Friday, September 14, from 7.30am to 9.30am.

For details of pricing and booking for all three events, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ ybwcqo55

Law firm job moves THREE staff have moved from law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore [TSP] to Warners Solicitors.

TSP, which has an office in Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, last week confirmed lawyer Martin Terrell was among the trio to move to Warners, which has an office in Tonbridge.

Trainee Legal Assistant Nikki Tarrant and legal secretary Tara Millen were the other two to move.

Amazing Richard Groves, Active Digital Managing Director, said: “To get shortlisted for The National Family Business Awards 2018 is fantastic – but to win both the regional and the national award is an amazing achievement.

“Being a family business for over two decades, this award means a huge amount to us and we are thoroughly delighted.

“None of this would be possible without the dedication of our hardworking employees and loyal customers, so I’d like to say a big thank you to them.

“Our congratulations go to all the winners and finalists.

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Record FUM result

WINNING FEELING Active Digital’s Finance Manager, Andrew Thomas, with Business Director Jo Wimble-Groves

INVESTMENT group Brooks Macdonald ended their financial year with a record discretionary of £12.4billion ‘Funds Under Management’ [FUM].

The firm, which has an office on Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, published a report at their end of year in June.

Caroline Connellan, Chief Executive of Brooks Macdonald, said: “I am pleased to report that a solid final quarter completes another year of impressive FUM growth for Brooks Macdonald.”

Law of gravity tested as staff make charity parachute jump

By Duncan Audsley

TOUCHDOWN: [L-R] Cripps staff members Victoria Rowing, Kathryn Gurr, Natasha Holme and Marisa Lambkin

THE sky was not the limit for staff from law firm Cripps who embraced their daredevil side in a parachute jump.

Victoria Rowing, Marisa Lambkin, Natasha Holme and Kathryn Gurr took part in a tandem skydive at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent, to raise more than £2,000 for Rethink Mental Health.

Cripps, which has an office at Mount Ephraim, is one of the leading law firms in Tunbridge Wells and has been recognised for its corporate, real estate and private client work.

But rarely will the firm’s four legal

ladies have faced a test of this nature.

Kathryn Gurr, who co-organised the trip, said: “None of us had done a skydive before, so the roller-coaster of emotions we felt through the whole experience was intense.

“It ranged from nauseating nerves, to adrenaline-fuelled excitement, and the intense relief that you made it back to the ground.”

Rethink Mental Illness supports thousands of people every year through crises and helps sufferers to live independently.

The choice was a popular one for Cripps to support.

Ms Gurr continued: “We are so incredibly proud to have raised more than £2,000 for such a worthy cause.”

To support their campaign, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ cripps-skydive

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Local News

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Celebrating 40 years bang on target for hunting, shooting and fishing...

One of Tunbridge Wells’ longest-running retail businesses passes an impressive trading milestone this month. Eileen Leahy speaks to the founder of Chris Potter Country Sports about this highly-rated gun and country pursuits shop, and the secrets behind its success

I

multichoke shotguns and High Scorers shooting glasses.

Quite the destination, then, for anyone keen on game or clay pigeon shooting, but also a great find if you’re in the market for quality specialist and exterior clothing when walking the dogs or going birdwatching. In short, Chris Potter aims to appeal to all those who love nothing more than spending time in the great outdoors.

It was Chris’s personal love of game and clay pigeon shooting that led him to launch his own retail business, and over the years he has steadily built up the store’s reputation as being a must-visit – and not only for those local to the area.

“If you look at our gun register, you’ll see people on it from places like Norfolk, the Isle of Wight and Isle of Man,” explains Chris.

Gallery “We also have an export side with buyers from Scandinavia, America “I never knew there was such a long and Italy, but local business is gallery here,” says Chris, who uses it also very important to us, so I’d to house an amazing gun collection. say it’s a 50/50 mix. And of “I thought I was buying three course I employ ten or 11 local furniture shops, and when I saw it I staff, too.” thought ‘I don’t care what the price is, During our conversation it beI have to have this’. It’s all steel lined comes clear that although the now, and at night when we lock up a shop has Chris’s name big shutter comes down, so it’s a above the door, this totally secure area.” successful enterAs well as selling one of the prise is very much a largest collections of new and team effort. Varisecond-hand shotguns, rifles ous members of and airguns in the country, staff drift in and Chris Potter is the out while we chat purveyor of plenty of and Chris has high-end pastoral nothing but the pursuits clothing and highest of praise for them essential accessories – both in and out of earby brands that shot. “The staff are family. include Aigle, Maybe it’s because I’m too Barbour, Dubarry nice or soft with them as and Le Chameau.

TOP GUN they all tend to stay a while,” The shop is also the World champion Chris Potter he chuckles.

British agent for Briley PICTURES: Rose Bainbridge

N THE current retail climate, when swathes of shops are shutting down on high streets across the country due to the doublepronged problem of fierce online competition and ever increasing business rates, it’s something of a rarity for an independent store with a niche market to be thriving. Not just locally, but nationally and globally, too.

Which is why Chris Potter, who runs his eponymously-named shop in Tunbridge Wells, and his loyal, long-serving staff are quite rightly celebrating this month after 40 years of trading.

Chris opened his shop, which is now one of the UK’s leading retailers of sporting guns and accessories, in August 1978 in Camden Road. He traded there for 20 years before moving to the business’s current premises in nearby Grover Street – a shop which he says has ‘the perfect layout’.

AIMING HIGH: Chris with the staff who have served him so well, and new owner Charlie Harris (fourth from left) The admirable length of service the Chris Potter team boast – 34, 17 and 15 years for three of them, for example – illustrates they are just as passionate about traditional pastoral pursuits as he is.

“Everybody in this shop is a shooter, so we can really talk to clients and spend time with them.

You’re not just walking in and buying off the shelf

here. We’re giving customers knowledge. We won’t just try and sell guns; we make sure it fits and is correct for the type of shooting you want to do.”

Although Chris sold the business in 2002 to fellow hunter, fisherman and retail expert Charlie Harris, he is still very much the face of the store – and that’s just how Charlie likes it.

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TRIGGER HAPPY Part of the shop’s fine selection of guns

“I knew Chris from shooting,” says Charlie. “He told me he wanted to take his staff to a game fair, and he knew my background was in retail, so he asked if I would look after the shop for the day.

“I then started coming in two to three days a week and really enjoyed it.

“Knowing that none of Chris’s own family were interested in taking over, I could see the potential of the shop, and started talking to Chris about having some equity in the business. Then we came to a deal where I bought it outright.”

‘A lot of our ladies actually shoot better’ This convivial setup also gives Chris time for his other role – managing one of the British Shooting teams, which sees him travelling extensively.

This year alone, he has been to Bologna, Cairo and America so far.

So has the combination of offering a quality bespoke service and vital ‘in the field ‘experience also contributed to the business’s longevity?

“Well, it is a niche market,” Chris responds.

“When I first started, all the other local gun shops concentrated on the game shooter, whereas I concentrated on the competition clay pigeon shooter.

Fortunately for my business, the clay shooters tend to change their guns quite often, unlike the game shooter who might change theirs once every ten years.

“Clay pigeon shooters are consumers, they fire more cartridges and are always looking for something else – it’s never them that’s wrong, it’s always the gun!

“In the space of one month they will shoot more

than game shooters will in a year, so that has definitely helped.”

Chris adds that if I personally wanted to don my Blenheim tweeds and go clay pigeon shooting, the Chris Potter team would ensure I was fitted with a lady gun.

“Sometimes women will pick up their husband or boyfriend’s gun to shoot with and it will hurt and then they never want to do it again. I think sometimes the men do that deliberately!

“But a lot of our ladies actually shoot better. Dionne, who has worked with us for 34 years, is seven times World Champion.

“We’ve got another member of staff who’s European Champion and I’m a World Champion, so there’s a wealth of experience gained over the IN THE SIGHTS Chris casts an expert eye over one of his prized products

Local News

NEWS

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generating a destination for people.

“If you go into a normal gun shop they will have 60 models, but we have 450 guns on display and people do travel quite a long way to see this.”

Most, he says, are sourced from Italy, Germany and, more recently, Turkey.

And in a world where social media is such a key marketing tool, Chris says that it’s good old fashioned word of mouth TOP OF THE RANGE which continues to drive The store stocks leading brands his business.

“Recommendations from people are certainly our biggest selling feature. years. But then you’re always learning, too.”

In addition to the impressive gun gallery, in the Obviously we are now on social media, but you main part of the Tardis-like shop there is also a cannot sell a gun on the internet. You can put Pairs collection room. The plush space – which pictures up, but you will have to come to the shop neatly displays rows of gleaming wood and silver with a licence. It’s a face-to-face experience and handled Perazzi, Piotti and Beretta models as we always give good customer service – we’re well as vintage British designs – is the only one of very fair and honest. If you buy a gun from us and don’t get on with it we’ll change it and find out its kind in the country.

The entry level price in there for gun is approxi- why it doesn’t work. We’re nice people.

“We keep saying we cannot keep selling guns at mately £3,950, going up to £72,000. this rate, but we do. I mean they don’t wear Then there’s the Executive gunroom, out or go wrong, and if you clean one it located in a smart building over the road will last you a lifetime. where clients can store their weapons or “One of the old guns I shoot game with browse the exquisitely crafted offerings was built in 1873 and it’s still going.” from the likes of With pretty hefty price tags, you’d be forPurdey, Bosis given for thinking the Chris and Famars.

Potter establishment is a “For the first ten place strictly for the super years in business we wealthy or elite. But that’s were very frugal,” not the case, claims Chris.

Chris reveals. “But we kept “You can start by buying a building up on stock and gun for around £750, and were eventually someone who comes in to do that has probably saved up for six months, so it’s important we treat them very well as we want them to be our customer.

“We show each one the same amount of respect and time, irrespective of their budget.”

And now, four decades on, can Chris tell me what has been his most memorable highlight of being in business?

He pauses a while before responding…

“Every day has been a highlight, especially meeting people with the interest of shooting. They’re just terrific. I suppose I just enjoy making people happy and helping them.”

SHOOTING STAR: Staff member Dionne Rogers is a seven-times World Champion

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National News

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

NEWS IN BRIEF

Jet-ski smuggling gang from Kent face prison A GANG behind a scheme to bring migrants over the Channel on jet skis have been convicted.

Six men from Kent and their Albanian ‘travel agents’ were found guilty of people-smuggling at the Old Bailey.

At least 18 people were transported from near Calais to Dymchurch in inflatable boats.

They ran out of fuel and the gang planned to use three-person jet-skis before they were stopped by the National Crime Agency.

Drone for rural homeless A CHARITY is using a drone in a pioneering move to search for homeless people sleeping rough in the countryside.

The P3 charity is testing the technology in Lincolnshire, where it says it can take its team of outreach workers hours to find a homeless person in the sprawling rural setting.

The drone was bought for £600 by Chief Executive Mark Simms out of his own money.

Exam boost after recovery A TEENAGER who was given a 1 per cent chance of making a full recovery after a skiing accident has achieved seven As in his exams.

Ross Nesbitt was training with the Glasgow ski racing team in Austria in December 2016 when he hit his head on a fence post. He had to learn how to walk, talk and eat again.

The 16-year-old returned to Williamwood High School in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, in May last year and is now celebrating seven As and a B in his National 5 exams.

Johnson rejects demand from Tory Chairman to say sorry BORIS JOHNSON is resisting calls to apologise for comments he made about Muslim women wearing burkas.

The Chairman of the Conservative Party, Brandon Lewis, told Mr Johnson (pictured left) to apologise.

The former Foreign Secretary’s remarks were described as ‘offensive’

by Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt and ‘bigotry’ by former Tory Chair Baroness Warsi.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph on Monday, he described the burka as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘weird’ and said women wearing them looked like letter boxes or bank robbers.

While agreeing with Mr Johnson that the burka should not be banned, Mr Burt told BBC Radio 4’s

SENIOR FIGURE Chairman Brandon Lewis

Today programme: “I would never have made such a comment, I think there is a degree of offence in that, absolutely right.”

On Twitter, Mr Lewis said: “I agree with Alistair Burt. I have asked Boris Johnson to apologise.”

But a source close to Mr Johnson said last night: “It is ridiculous that these views are being attacked. We must not fall into the trap of shutting down the debate on difficult issues.

“We have to call it out. If we fail to speak up for liberal values then we are simply yielding ground to reactionaries and extremists.”

Leadership bid Lady Warsi accused Mr Johnson of adopting the ‘dog-whistle’ tactics of former Donald Trump aide Steve Bannon in the hope of attracting support from right-wing Tories for a leadership bid.

Repeating her call for an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, Lady Warsi told Channel 4 News: “Muslim women should not be a useful political battleground for Old Etonians.

“It is crass and it must stop, and it must be condemned by the leadership right from the Prime Minister down.”

Mr Johnson’s father, Stanley, came to his defence, telling ITV1’s Good Morning Britain: “I think we are just picking holes here.

“I think people are whipping up a little mountain out of a molehill on this one, I really do.”

National Business News

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Government moves to block impact of Trump’s sanctions THE Government will ‘certainly’ stand up to US President Donald Trump over his administration’s sanctions on Iran, the Minister of State for the Middle East has said.

Alistair Burt insisted the Iran nuclear deal was an important part of ‘not only the region’s security but the world’s security’.

But President Trump issued a warning for countries trading with Iran, tweeting: “Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!”

Mr Burt’s comments came as the UK and EU announced they will take immediate action to block the impact of US sanctions, which came into force on Monday after President Trump backed out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May.

UK is falling behind for life expectancy THE UK has fallen to the ‘bottom of the league’ for improving life expectancy.

It had the second lowest rate of improvement behind the United States between 2011 and 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics [ONS].

The slowing in life expectancy for males at birth showed the increase falling from 17.3 weeks per year from 2005 to 2010 to 4.2 weeks per year from 2010 to 2015.

The ONS said the ‘large drop’ is in part due to a significant increase in male life expectancy between 2001 and 2011.

The analysis of 20 countries shows many have seen mortality rates decline at a slower rate since 2011.

JOB DONE A robust labour market is helping house sales

BUSINESS

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Broker picks Paris for Brexit access back-up LONDON broker TP ICAP has confirmed plans to base its EU headquarters in Paris in the hope of safeguarding its continental business after Brexit.

A spokeswoman for the company said ‘very few’ staff would be moved as a result, with corporate headquarters remaining in the UK capital.

The London broker spent more than a year speaking to regulators in Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris,.

But the firm settled on the French capital in light of the city’s large banking and asset management industry.

Record high for house prices as pressure on finances drops off HOUSE prices grew faster than expected in July, hitting a record high as pressure on household finances begins to ease, according to Halifax.

The annual pace of house price growth rose 3.3 per cent, smashing economists’ forecasts for a 2.6 per cent increase and helping average prices hit a new record high of £230,280.

Rate hikes “Pressures on household finances are also easing as growth in average earnings continues to rise at a faster rate than consumer prices,” said Russell Galley, Managing Director at Halifax.

Halifax also pointed to a ‘robust’ labour market, notably the recent increases in people in full-time employment.

The Bank of England’s recent decision to raise

interest rates from 0.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent is not expected to have a significant effect on either mortgage affordability or transaction volumes, Halifax said.

But Howard Archer, Chief Economic Adviser at the EY ITEM Club, struck a note of caution, saying: “We remain dubious that the housing market is seeing a sustainable shifting-up of a gear.

“Housing market activity is still relatively lacklustre and we expect it to remain so as the extended squeeze on consumer purchasing power only gradually eases, consumer confidence is relatively fragile and appreciable caution persists over engaging in major transactions.

“Potential house-buyers may also be concerned that they are likely to face further interest rate hikes over the medium term following August’s hike,” he added.

Profits up at New Look NEW LOOK has reported an increase in profits as it pushes ahead with radical plans to cut costs and appeal to a broader range of shoppers.

Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation stabilised, rising 1.5 per cent to £27.6million.

Underlying operating profit increased from £12.1million to £14.4million, an increase of 19 per cent.

Windfall for Fever-Tree THE founders of Fever-Tree are celebrating a £103.5million payday after cashing in on the mixer-maker’s recent success by selling a stake in the group.

Deputy Chairman Charles Rolls and Chief Executive Tim Warrillow offloaded a 2.6 per cent holding. They sold 3million shares in the tonic water company at £34.50 each, giving Mr Rolls £69million and Mr Warrillow £34.5million.

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Letters

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Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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 Don’t overcook it this summer: Spare a thought and stop a fire SCORCHED EARTH Hot, abandoned barbecue trays

This is the scene which greeted a member of Dunorlan’s Friends at 9pm on Thursday July 26. Five hot [barbecue] trays, some with still-hot food, standing on parched grass and posing a real danger to everyone, especially children and dogs.

Given the heatwave over the past weeks, this was simply a thoughtless and dangerous

The heatwave is not good for plants UKIP member Colin Bullen [July 25] said that ‘plant life benefits from both increased warmth and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere’.

I can only think the plant life he is referring to is the blue green algae in Barden Lake, now benefitting from the heatwave and causing a worry for dog walkers. He is certainly not referring to the plants growing in farmers’ fields.

We have already read that the heatwave has reduced crop yields throughout Europe. The extreme weather brings weeks without rain followed by fierce downpours that batter the plants but don’t sink into the concrete-like hard soil.

Water is essential for all life, and more precious than oil, gas, diamonds or gold. Fracking would involve using large quantities of water.

I wonder who Mr Bullen means when he refers to ‘the high priests of the secular religion of climate change’? Perhaps he is referring to the National Infrastructure Commission, who this month called on ministers to seize a ‘golden opportunity’ to move towards greener energy without increasing consumer bills.

Throughout the world people are moving towards renewable energies. Renewables accounted for 30 per cent of UK energy mix last year – an increase from 12 per cent five years ago. Fossil fuels are in decline, and are a thing of the past.

Fran Long Tonbridge & Malling Green Party Election Agent

Clean energy is up against real power In response to Sam Goodenough [July 18], fracking is a huge backward step. Let’s invest in the future. Saying that opposing fracking is ‘only’ a Green Party policy could not be further from the truth. Consider the facts. Opinion polls show nine out of ten people oppose it.

Fracking and acidising are extremely dangerous, lengthy and costly processes. Energy companies exploiting fossil fuels consider gas and oil as assets worthless if stranded. They are responsible for the undeniable pace at which climate change is progressing and influence governments all

situation. Had the grass caught fire, it could have devastated the park and many small creatures who call it home.

Despite the rain recently, the ground is still parched and will stay that way for some time, so please have a modicum of thought before doing something so dangerous.

If you see anything untoward in the park you can contact the Park Team on 01892 554031 (or out of hours and weekends on 07920 534369) or email: parks@tunbridgewells.gov.uk Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Parks Department recommend that you check out their website (www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk) for useful help and advice on safety during very dry weather – and also contact them first should you be considering having a barbecue.

Joan Hamilton-Smith Friends of Dunorlan Park over the globe as they hold the real power: No energy, no modern life or business.

Here in the UK, we are very near phasing out coal power plants and we see wind producing more clean energy than the wildest expectations in record time (as per official sources). The Dutch and Australians have great technology for harnessing wave power, which we do not exploit yet but could within a very short time frame.

Divestment from polluting companies is happening fast and the green energy sector is now worth over $2trillion globally. Relying on clean energy is already a reality in more and more places, we just need the will to achieve it.

Investing in the future is key, and the answer is that renewables create more jobs, don’t poison and bring long-term solutions. I can provide a plethora of serious economic references to support this claim. Self-sufficiency without fracking is not only possible, but lies within quick reach, without the lethal legacies.

Myriam Ruelle Tunbridge Wells

Shoppers say Brexit is ‘an awful mess’ Sevenoaks & Swanley Together in Europe [SSTIE] campaigned for a People’s Vote in Tonbridge High Street on Saturday July 21 along with pro-EU activists from Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

A total of 245 shoppers expressed their opinion on the SSTIE Brexitometer board: 85 per cent wanted a People’s Vote; of the 22 per cent who think that things will be better after Brexit, about one third still want there to be a People’s Vote on the final deal. So some Leavers also want that final say, and in a constituency that voted 56 per cent to Leave, only 20 per cent think it will be better for them and their families.

The comment that we heard most this time was that the whole thing is an awful mess with nobody – from the government to the people we were talking to in the street – having any real idea of what was going on.

People want it sorted out, with many on both sides feeling betrayed, and it seems that respect

for politicians of all colours is at rock bottom.

Given the failure of government and Parliament to provide a lead to the electorate, the only way forward must be to have a People’s Vote.

Dr Alan Bullion Via email

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

All this negativity has been unhelpful James Robertson’s letter [July 25] cannot be allowed to go unanswered. His assertion that ‘any referendum is legally advisory’ clearly suits his position as a Remainer. Does he really believe that if the referendum had been successful for the Remain camp, David Cameron and Co would have taken the view that it was only advisory?

Whether Mr Robertson likes it or not , the decision must be fulfilled by statute. It’s called democracy! If his approach were to be allied to our electoral system, every general election result would have been called into question because of broken manifesto promises.

Mr Robertson adds that ‘Leavers are only seeing what they wish to see’. By extrapolation, he is saying that the Remainers are not. Really? It is ironic that the current agitators – Messrs Major and Blair – both intentionally denied the electorate the opportunity to vote on whether we join the ‘wider’ EU. If Mr Robertson wants inconvenient facts, I suggest he looks at the plethora of doommongers’ prophesies and forecasts post election that our financial system would collapse, business would go into meltdown, and that the end is nigh.

Whether I like the result or not is academic.

Negativity is unhelpful and we should all hope for an outcome that will make the UK a better and more prosperous place in which to live and work. Not tear it apart through spite.

Peter Lane Crowborough

TO the sports shop in town for new trainers.

Sitting next to Calverley, waiting to be served, was a mum with a son aged around 12. She: “Remember, we are only going to spend up to £100, that’s all you’ve got.” Him: “But that won’t get me anything.” Ten minutes later he sits looking at five pairs under £100 and hates all of them. He’s adamant he wants better.

Mum’s adamant he can’t spend any more money. Twenty long minutes they sit there in silence, both simmering. Calverley could not leave. Eventually, the lad grumps and picks out a pair for £99. Good on you, mum. Result.

EVERY cloud has a silver lining, if that’s what you care to call it. Take this hot weather.

Calverley happened to overhear two builders having a chat. One of them had been to a builders’ yard where staff were ‘too hot’ to work outside. They’d stayed in an office and invited the customer to load up his own wagon with bags of cement, sand, etc. “So I did,” he confided to his friend, “but with twice the amount I’d paid for. The wagon was so overloaded it could hardly move.” Bet he didn’t pass the savings on to his customers.

Still no clearer on rural bus services I was at the well-attended ‘Big Conversation’ meeting at the Stag theatre in Sevenoaks on July 4 – one of a number of similar meetings held across the county – but I thought that the meeting generated more heat than light.

Much was made of the Arriva Click service in Sittingbourne as an answer to the issue of rural bus services, but this was actually totally irrelevant. Arriva Click connects housing estates in Sittingbourne with the town centre and various industrial estates around the town, so it is nothing at all to do with provision of rural services. Incidentally, an Arriva Click operation is now being rolled out in Liverpool, and that is definitely not a rural service!

The vehicles are legally non-PSV; i.e. they are licensed as taxis rather than as Public Service Vehicles (buses in general parlance). The whole thing is a glorified shared taxi service, and so this was totally irrelevant to the matters under discussion under the ‘Big Conversation’.

It was a little strange that Kent County Council expected us all to cast a vote at the end of the meeting on the basis of that sort of misinformation.

It really does need to do better than that when it comes to dealing with bus services.

John Humphrey 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

DON’T want to bore readers with talk of the now long gone football World Cup, but (and you knew that was coming) you can’t help smile at the antics of the BBC. When the corporation sends people aboard for big sporting events, they are inevitably criticised in the media for the size of their staff, which is normally double that of ITV. Not this time round. Those smart Beeb bosses came up with a new wheeze – a change of policy. They will, they have announced, no longer reveal the number of people on production teams sent on foreign trips. Sounds a bit like those rail operators who avoid bad headlines by simply adding extra minutes to timetables so services cannot officially arrive late.

MILLENNIALS look at their mobiles up to 150 times each and every day, according to some new research. Calverley is far from surprised, and believes that most of those who do click on 150 times a day work in his office. And for some of them that’s probably a low figure…

Chin Chin, readers

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

Why children shouldn’t play it safe with words and stories

With the school summer holidays in full swing, many parents will encourage their children to keep a holiday diary. Here, Tunbridge Wells-based dyslexia and linguist specialist Liz Hawker explains why it’s important to encourage creativity as opposed to conformity DRUMROLL, please. Recent research has found that the most frequently used word of this year, as used by children in a creative story writing competition, is… ‘plastic’. Does anyone else feel deflated by this finding?

I have a quiet hunch that those at Oxford

University Press, who undertook the aforementioned research, are also lost for words.

The word ‘plastic’ also appeared 3,359 times and was the most popular word used by five to 13 year olds who entered BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words competition.

Rather depressingly, it was closely followed by gaming references, with an abundance of ‘cheats’ and ‘glitches’, among the ‘consoles’ and ‘portals’ references.

Now, no one would deny that environmental issues demand a presence in the curriculum – but how many imaginative stories were pushed out of children’s subconscious to fight against evil Mr Plastic? Did the ‘Plastic-ateers’ really seize their authors’ imaginations, or were they the result of whole-class submissions driven by a recent batch of topic work?

Writing does not come easily to children today.

While word recall, spelling and punctuation are particularly tough for pupils with dyslexia, creativity can be a strong point.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Flaubert, to name but two, are among famous dyslexic authors whose words will never be forgotten.

Even without dyslexia, many children play safe with language they know, avoiding the unchartered territories of words that are different.

Through imaginative teaching tasks and visiting authors, let’s instead take pupils on

Education

NEWS

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language journeys that are languorous and winding, in lands where creative clouds dance and new possibilities open their doors wide.

So, back to Oxford University Press’s survey: On a cheerier note, researchers found glimmers of wordplay that were clever and humorous.

Names for amazing beasts were coined, like the ‘lamacorn’, ‘unipug’ and ‘worrycorn’. And I would have loved to have read the story that began: ‘Once upon a paragraph, there lived a perfectly circular Full Stop…’

In the BBC’s 500 Words competition, great play was made of perspective: Some of the more original stories were emotive accounts from the viewpoint of a non-human protagonist or non-animate character, such as this example: “Yet another unwelcome plastic alien invader in the beautiful big blue sea that one less whale now calls home.” (The Big Blue, written by a boy aged ten).

Originality The competition also bodes well for boys’ literacy, with 5 per cent more entries from them since the competition officially launched in 2012.

And it was also quite evident that pupils have an awareness of current affairs, sometimes handled with understated perception, such as this opening line: “The monster was called Brexit and everyone blamed him for everything.”

(Misunderstanding, written by a girl aged nine).

So, let’s take our pupils beyond plastic warriors and ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, and instead let’s harness their wordplay and humour to help them create stories that soar in their originality and insight.

Reading and writing without boundaries gives today’s pupils the single biggest advantage when it comes to GCSEs, not just in English but in all subjects examined via written language.

We might want to cut our plastic pollution, but let’s not reduce our word banks while we’re at it.

Liz Hawker is a dyslexia and linguistics specialist at Kent College, Pembury

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NEWS

Weekly Comment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide

Martin Betts Labour Party local campaign co-ordinator

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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

Climate change and our use of plastic RECENTLY, the Met Office warned that remarkable temperatures across the UK are due to last until at least late August, and that Britain is on course for its hottest summer since the early 1600s. This is part of a trend.

Extreme weather is on the rise, with the UK hotter and wetter than it has been for decades. Figures from the Met Office show that 2017 was the fifth hottest year on record, and nine of the ten hottest years over the past century have taken place since 2002.

The last decade has seen average temperature increasing 0.8% and rainfall up 20% compared to the 30-year period ending in 1990. The Met Office have said ‘Our climate is changing, globally and here in the UK’.

As we have enjoyed, or endured, the heatwave, a House of Commons report called for action to deal with the UK’s rising temperatures.

Mary Creagh, Labour chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said that climate change ‘will have profound impacts on everyone’.

Her committee warned that heat-related deaths were likely to triple by the middle of the century unless the government acts urgently. Ms Creagh went on to say: ‘We need to take steps now to help our children cope… in a world that is warmer by 1.5C’.

Although there are many factors that contribute to climate change, recent research has pointed out the significance of plastic food packaging which emit greenhouse gases when the packaging breaks down.

Greenhouse gases directly influence climate change of the type we have been experiencing whilst affecting sea levels, global temperatures and triggering storms which increase risks of flooding, drought, and erosion.

Greenhouse Worryingly the production of plastics is set to double over the next 20 years. The University of Hawaii has said that the harmful gases they produce are expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulated in the environment.

Eight million metric tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year, and it is estimated that by 2050 the amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than all the fish. Plastic ends up polluting the land, and is found inside animals and humans. There is no doubt that it is harmful.

So what can we do about this?

On a personal level we can begin to change the way we live. We can reduce our use of plastic bags still further and avoid buying products

PLASTIC POLLUTION: Simple actions like avoiding excessive packaging reduce the polluting impact of plastic – particularly food products – packed in excessive single use plastic.

We can stop buying plastic bottles of water. Across the world we buy an estimated million plastic bottles of water per minute. Most of this plastic is not recycled. They take 400 years to decompose.

We can bottle our own water, and buy coffee in

our own mugs! These are small steps, but they are a beginning and increase awareness of the dangers of plastic.

We can also put pressure on private companies and our elected representatives to reduce its use and the massive harm plastic is causing us now and for future generations.

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

yourh me INSPIRATION FOR MOVING

Live The Good Life In a self-sufficient home

AND IMPROVING

AVAILABLE EVER Y WEDNESDAY – A MUST-READ

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROPERTY, IN TERIORS, TOP TRENDS AN D GARDENING

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Page 32

TO THE TOWN’S MANOR CLOSE BORN

25

COUNTRY HOME WITH COACH HOUSE

29

Everything in the garden is flowering blooming early!

Page 39

FINE FARMHOUSE FOR EQUINE FANS

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BREAK OUT YOUR INTERIOR BOHO

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yourh me

To Suit Your Budget

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Your at-a-glance guide to

RICHMOND PLACE TUNBRIDGE WELLS GUIDE PRICE

£1,550,000-£1,560,000

UNDER £450,000

n Dining room

UNDER £500,000

n WC

GARDEN STREET TUNBRIDGE WELLS

n Kitchen & rear lobby with door to garden

ASHLEY PARK, RUSTHALL

n 3 bedrooms

£450,000

n Bathroom & separate WC

n Halls adjoining, box bay-fronted semi-detached house requiring some internal updating

n Scope for extending/loft conversion, subject to the usual consents

GUIDE PRICE

£400,000 n Grade II listed, semi-detached home dating back to 1840 n Designed by Decimus Burton n Town centre location n Sitting room with fireplace

n Ground floor bathroom n 2 double bedrooms n Boarded loft with light n Walled garden with patio CONTACT Wood & Pilcher Tunbridge Wells 01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

n Lounge with fireplace and double doors to garden n Dining room with fireplace n Kitchen & utility room with door to garden

n Garden with greenhouse & shed

CONTACT KMJ Property Rusthall 01892 515188 www.kmjproperty.co.uk

To Suit Your Budget

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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great properties by price range…

UNDER £600,000 DORIC AVENUE, SOUTHBOROUGH

GUIDE PRICE

£575,000 ■ Newly built detached house ■ Sitting room with doors to garden ■ Kitchen with door to garden ■ Cloakroom ■ Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and Juliet balcony ■ 2 further bedrooms ■ Shower room ■ Garden ■ Off-road parking ■ 10-year Buildzone warranty CONTACT Wood & Pilcher Southborough 01892 511311 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

UNDER £800,000 PARK VIEW, TRINITY CLOSE TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£750,000 ■ Superior top floor apartment ■ Far-reaching views towards Dunorlan Park ■ Sitting room with balcony ■ Dining area part open to sitting room ■ Kitchen ■ Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and balcony ■ Bedroom 2 ■ Shower room ■ Undercroft garage plus allocated parking space CONTACT Wood & Pilcher Tunbridge Wells 01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

UNDER £2MILLION RICHMOND PLACE TUNBRIDGE WELLS

GUIDE PRICE

£1,550,000-£1,560,000 ■ Detached family home near Warwick Park ■ Sitting room with gas fire and stone fireplace ■ Dining room with door to garden ■ Study ■ Kitchen/breakfast room with feature island and doors to garden ■ Utility room & WC ■ Landing with double-height ‘cathedral’ ceiling

UNDER £900,000 ■ Master suite with doubleheight vaulted ceiling ■ 4 further double bedrooms (1 en-suite) ■ Family bathroom ■ Loft ■ Wrap-around gardens with shed ■ Integral double garage CONTACT Wood & Pilcher Tunbridge Wells 01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

MANOR CLOSE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£875,000 ■ Property in need of some updating ■ Living room with French doors to loggia ■ Dining room with doors to garden ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Cloakroom ■ 4 bedrooms (3 with vanity wash basins) ■ Bathroom & separate WC ■ Garden with greenhouse ■ Double garage ■ Scope for enlargement, subject to necessary permissions CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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The Glen

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AT A GLANCE THE GLEN, SCHOOL HILL OLD HEATHFIELD n Renovated country residence dating from the 1800s with later additions and detached coach house divided into separate units Main House: n Reception hall with balustrade staircase n Drawing room with oak panelling, marble fireplace and Tudor Rose fireback n Dining room n Sitting room n Library n Kitchen/breakfast room with bespoke cabinetry, Aga and Lacanche range cooker n Boot room, utility room & cellarage n Gym with shower room n Principal bedroom with dressing area and en-suite Art Deco bathroom n Guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom n 6 further bedrooms

Superb rural retreat plus two useful apartments all nestled in eight acres

n Luxury family bathroom n Electronic gate and sweeping driveway n Detached garage & further outbuilding n Park-like grounds, including sandstone terrace, loggia, 3 paddocks and woodland n In all about 8.6 acres The Coach House: n Sitting room n Kitchen/breakfast room n 2 bedrooms n Bathroom Groom’s Cottage: n Sitting room/kitchen n Bedroom n Bathroom n Attached garage/storerooms

GUIDE PRICE

ÂŁ1,950,000

Available for sale through Jackson-Stops Tunbridge Wells 01892 521700 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Dale Farm House

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AT A GLANCE

DALE FARM HOUSE, CHURCH ROAD, WEALD, NR SEVENOAKS Main House n Renovated Grade II-listed character property n Village location with far-reaching views n Drawing room with inglenook fireplace and wood-burning stove n Dining room with door to terrace n Family room with door to garden n Vaulted kitchen/breakfast room with bespoke cupboards, an island and a dresser unit n Utility room with access to terrace n Cloakroom n Master bedroom suite with dressing room and en-suite shower

A charming feel of the farm with stables, paddock and an annexe

n 4 further bedrooms n Family bathroom with shower cubicle Annexe n Living room with kitchen area n Bedroom n Bathroom Outside n Gardens n Paddock n 2 stable blocks with 5 loose boxes and tack/feed room n Driveway with electric gates n Additional 4.4 acres available by separate negotiation

GUIDE PRICE

ÂŁ1,595,000 Available for sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789 700 www.savills.co.uk

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yourh me

Ashley Farm

Glorious chance for equine fans to live The Good Life

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

AT A GLANCE ASHLEY FARM TOWN ROW, ROTHERFIELD n Well-maintained country residence on one level with attached annexe n Stunning rural views n Quiet no-through road n Sitting room with doors to terrace n Dining room (separated from kitchen by fireplace) with doors to terrace n Kitchen/breakfast room with doors to conservatory n Utility room with door to garden n Conservatory with doors to terrace n Cloakroom n Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and door to conservatory n 3 further double bedrooms n Study/bedroom 5 n Family bath and shower room Attached Annexe n Private front door n Sitting room/bedroom n Kitchen n Bathroom Outside n Landscaped gardens with terrace, pergola, fish pond, chicken coup, duck enclosure, dovecotes, vegetable plot and bridge over stream n Orchard, paddocks and fields n Circular carriage driveway with two entrances off owner’s private road n Detached double garage with storage above n Outbuildings including stable n In total around 4.5 acres

A haven for self-sufficiency, complete with orchard, vegetable plot, chicken coup and duck enclosure – and horse facilities, too

GUIDE PRICE

£1,299,000 Available for sale through Jackson-Stops Tunbridge Wells 01892 521700 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

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Property

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Gardening

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Are your late-summer borders already out in force Eight plants which may be blooming early I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but my late-summer blooms – which traditionally show their colours towards the end of July and August – have already been out for several weeks, brightening the otherwise rather dry and sorry scene in my garden.

Thanks to the prolonged heatwave we’ve been having, many UK gardens are now bursting with colourful reds, yellows and oranges, as heleniums, rudbeckias and crocosmias come into flower.

Meanwhile, hydrangeas, asters, Phlox paniculata and dahlias are all adding to the mix – so if you’ve also kept your annuals blossoming by feeding, watering and deadheading, the garden should be a riot of colour for the rest of the summer.

Among the great late-flowering perennials, here are some of the best late-summer blooms brightening up gardens right now...

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Thanks to the lingering heatwaves, many gardeners are enjoying an early show of late-summer blooms, as Hannah Stephenson tells us...

PHLOX PANICULATA

These gorgeous puffs of white, pink and mauve look fabulous in the late summer border in a moist but not waterlogged soil, and prefer either sunny or partially shaded beds.

Bees and butterflies love them and they are most impressive in drifts in the middle of borders, to provide pools of summer colour. Plant ground cover, such as small asters, in front of them to hide their bare stems.

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MICHAELMAS DAISIES (ASTER)

Asters, the daisy-like stalwarts which come in a range of blues through to white, may not be everyone’s choice because they do self-seed and can be invasive, but I love a good clump of any of the white varieties, which provide a valuable cooling note to the late-summer border.

Among the most popular is A. x frikartii ‘Monch’, which bears lavender-blue flowers from July to October and grows up to 90cm (3ft) tall. White options include Aster novae-angliae ‘Herbstschnee’ and Aster ageratoides ‘Starshine’.

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HYDRANGEA RUNAWAY BRIDE ‘SNOW WHITE’

Winner of this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year, this white beauty flowers not only from its terminal buds as with traditional hydrangeas, but also from virtually all the lateral stem buds.

Flowering from late spring/early summer well into autumn, Hydrangea hybrid Runaway Bride(R) ‘Snow White’ produces a profusion of lacecap white flowers flushed with pale pink – often six along each branch – on graceful, trailing stems.

Neat, compact and hardy, it looks lovely in patio containers or mixed borders. Height and spread 120cm (47in).

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1

CROCOSMIA ‘LUCIFER’

This showstopper of a crocosmia is taller than many of its relatives, growing to around 120cm (4ft) and producing fiery red-orange flowers against its backdrop of sword-like leaves. It looks great in the late summer border with heleniums and red hot pokers and will tolerate most types of soil, but will need watering and mulching if the soil is very free draining.

Lift and divide the corms every three to four years – and don’t let them take over because they can be quite invasive.

2

require staking. Deadhead regularly to keep new flowers coming. They look wonderful with ornamental grasses or bold foliage plants.

These late-summer flowering giant ornamental trumpet lilies look – and smell – amazing.

Majestic, standing tall at the back of the border, above the other perennials, some grow to around 2.5m (8ft) in just a couple of seasons, providing stunning colour and scent.

Each bulb of the tree lily ‘Yellow Rocket’, for example, produces up to 30 saucer-shaped blooms with a white edging and soft yellow centre, while the thick stems don’t need staking. Grow through shrubs in borders, or against walls or fences.

6

HELENIUM ‘MOERHEIM BEAUTY’

This gorgeous, daisy-like perennial produces deep coppery blooms with a prominent central disc which seems to rise above the outer petals when the sun shines from July through to October.

They’re a magnet for bees, but do need watering reasonably regularly in hot, dry conditions as otherwise they will flounder.

Heleniums do best in rich, fertile soil and are a good choice for clay soil. The beauty about this variety is that, unlike other heleniums, it doesn’t

5

5

TREE LILY

8

AGAPANTHUS (AFRICAN LILY)

Traditionally blue or purple, these beautiful perennials with showy flowers and strappy leaves also come in white and pink. They thrive in well-drained soil in a sunny spot in the garden, and also do well in containers.

Flowering until early autumn, they will benefit from a dry mulch of sand or straw over the winter.

Bring potted agapanthus close to the house in the colder months, or ideally put them in a frost-free greenhouse, as some are hardier than others. In borders, they are ideally matched with other blues and purples including salvia and lavender, or in a striking clash with orange crocosmias and red hot pokers.

RUDBECKIA ‘GOLDSTURM’

These vibrant yellow sizzlers, with a dark-eyed central cone, look amazing in a border, their large, daisy-like flowers attracting bees and butterflies and partnering well with deep orange-hued rudbeckias and other late-summer blooms.

These perennials grow to around 60cm in height and form clumps, with erect stems bearing the flowers which can last until autumn. They do best in full sun or partial shade in moist but welldrained fertile soil.

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yourh me

Interiors

Stylish boho buys for colourful, carefree decor

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Who doesn’t love those relaxed, free-spirit vibes?

Sam Wylie-Harris reveals the pieces to shop now. Inspired by holiday vibes and artisans, here’s how to embrace your inner boho at home, with jewel colours, rich trimmings and quirky pieces. This is a relaxed style that will add a dash of panache…

A creative way to make the most of a new hobby, this garland kit has enough merino wool yarn to make six pom-poms, and with a colour code of teal, pale blue, mink blush, natural cream, pink blush and lavender, it can tie in with all your creative decorating schemes

ARTHOUSE EASTERN PALACE MEDALLION WALL ART, currently reduced to £27.99 from £34.99, Very

POM-POMS GARLAND KIT – PASTELS, £9.99, woolcouturecompany.com

Every boho traveller loves a special memento, and this patterned wall hanging lends itself perfectly to the look – without you actually having to travel far and wide to barter for it in a bustling market

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Interiors

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GEO FLORAL RUG, GREY, from £95-£250, Next A lovely addition to any plush pad, this throw rug has enough detailing to make it interesting without grabbing all the attention. The subtle grey hues and pretty floral pattern will look splendid against a wooden floor, or jute

A BY AMARA BAHIA POM POM BASKETS WITH LID Set of 2 – Multicolour, £140, Amara Decorative woven baskets, embellished with colourful pom-poms, are genius for storing all your bits and bobs – shoes, accessories or magazines could all be stylishly stowed. They are also right on the boho trend with their natural weave and vibrant colours A BY AMARA GALLERY Tassel Throw, £90; Gallery Tassel Cushion, £40, and Regale Pom Pom Cushion, £45, Amara Textiles in glorious colours are always key to creating an eclectic space. Think generous, oversized tassels and vibrant hues clashing with sunset shades – this terrific trio sets the tone and can be draped and styled with any sofa, armchair or bedding

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

thekn w.guide IN PRINT AND ONLINE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE | LIFE & STYLE |

FOOD & DRINK | MOTORING

45 Do put your daughters on the stage!

And sons, too…

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PLENTY OF FRUIT FOR THOUGHT

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Eye up new cameras With the latest tech Page 56

ALL PUMPED UP FOR LASER FUN

54

WOODY BELIEVE IT!

57

How to make an omelette…

by cracking a Thai recipe Page 50

AUDI GOES ANGULAR

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arts

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IN GREAT VOICE Children singing out in Madagascar Jr

Arts & Culture

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Lights, camera…

Les Misérables

and youth in action!

There’s no holiday boredom for the children in Trinity Theatre’s summer shows, as Youth & Learning Officer Jess Horsley explains to the Times

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RINITY THEATRE has been running musical summer shows for children and young people since 2013. The projects have grown from one production to five different projects for all ages and interests, and are a fantastic way for them to build confidence, make new friends and gain acting experience.

The summer shows started in 2010 with Robin Hood for 8-15 year olds and split into a junior and senior show in 2014.

The addition of a technical summer school meant that those who wanted to get involved behind the scenes could learn to build sets, make props and learn about lighting and sound.

Pinocchio saw 40 children taking part,

and by 2016 both Peter Pan and Bugsy Malone sold out, with 91 children involved, including behind the scenes.

In 2017, due to high demand, the junior summer show was split into two casts for Matilda, to allow more children to take part. The technical summer school also evolved.

Fantastic For a lot of children the junior summer show is their first experience in performing. The show is a brilliant opportunity to rehearse dancing, acting and singing with choreographers, directors and musical directors, building up to performances on a professional, working stage.

Trinity’s Youth & Learning Manager, Jason Lower, agrees: “It has been fantastic to see children who have never performed before progress throughout the week of rehearsals, learn new skills and have their moment on stage. It’s something they will never forget.”

There is a community feel during the rehearsals and performance days, and strong friendships are made.

Trinity Youth Theatre is passionate about encouraging young people to achieve their full creative potential.

This year the show production teams almost entirely consist of people under 21, including costume and set designers, a technical team, stage managers, directors and rehearsal assistants.

And the technical summer school is now the backstage youth theatre. Members have been designing and making sets, learning how to rig lights, cue sound and stage manage the shows.

Earlier this month, the junior summer show was Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr, and for the first time, there has been an infants summer show, featuring the songs and dances of The Little Mermaid. This gentler version gave even the tiniest fans of musicals their first glimpse into performing. Still to come is the senior Les Misérables (School Edition) and a film workshop with local filmmaker Samuel Marlow.

A total of 142 children and young people will have been at Trinity Youth Theatre this summer, so if you have any budding actors or directors make sure they go along…

Les Misérables (School Edition) is on Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 2pm & 7pm. To book, call 01892 678678 or visit www.trinitytheatre.net Trinity summer shows are supported by the Assembly Hall Theatre and thanks also go to Baldwins Travel and Temper Temper Chocolate

Arts & Culture

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

A masterclass on how to be a successful artist…

Dani Humberstone is a full-time artist based at the WING Gallery in Wadhurst. She tells Eileen Leahy about her work, her famous clients and her role within the Society of Women Artists ahead of their annual exhibition in London next month RIPE FOR VIEWING Dani’s artwork

How often do you exhibit your work?

As much as possible! I have a few excellent galleries who support me, including West End House in Smarden, who I show with at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea and Hampstead.

I’m also present at the Mall Galleries with the Society of Women Artists, and every now and again I have a piece of my work included at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

Do you have any famous collectors of your work?

I have a few famous clients, local chef Rosemary Shrager being one, along with Adam Hargreaves (who took over from his father Roger as writer and artist of the Mr Men and Little Miss books).

Former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens is also a fan, in addition to a couple of other famous people but they are a bit shy about being namechecked.

Can you tell us a little bit about your involvement with the Society of Women Artists [SWA]?

I have been a full member of the SWA since 2014, first as a council member and then in the role of Vice-President since 2016. The society is 157 years old this year, and was originally set up so that women artists could exhibit their work in a time when showing alongside men would have been unthinkable. Don’t forget that John Ruskin’s famous comment that ‘women couldn’t paint’ would have still been ringing in their ears…

So Dani, what do you enjoy most about painting?

The challenge of creating a work on a flat canvas or surface, or the ‘craft’ of making a painting if you like. It is hard work – it’s hugely concentrated and demands 100 per cent of your attention.

Do you specialise in one particular subject matter?

These days I tend to specialise in still life – predominantly fruits. Like most artists, I have tried pretty much everything, and I still enjoy sketching and life drawing. For several years I earned a living

as an abstract painter, but now I find that fruit is a useful subject symbolically which is used a lot in language and imagery, with phrases such as ‘the big apple’ or ‘pear shaped’. It is always revelant…

How does the society benefit female artists?

It has moved with the times and continues to be a ‘modern tradition’ – contemporary in its thinking but still working to promote and support some of the country’s finest women artists. It also runs a young people’s initiative aimed at helping young and/or newly emerging artists get on the next step of the ladder.

Do you work in any other artistic mediums?

I mainly work in oils as you just can’t beat the depth of colour, richness of tone and subtlety. But I still enjoy watercolours, pastels for drawing or working quickly, and I still use acrylics in abstract work, which I only really do as commissions now.

What do you enjoy most about your involvement?

It is a lot of work, but I really enjoy seeing the variety of art submitted to the society every year for its annual exhibition in September. The council – or organising committee – are also a fantastic group of people, but above all it’s fun! I think

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it’s also probably good for me to come out from behind the easel every now and again and think about something other than where I’ll find the perfect pomegranate, apple, pear or fig...

The Society of Women’s Artists’ annual exhibition is at the Mall Galleries in London from September 25-30. See www.society-women-artists.org.uk To find out more about Dani and her work, visit www.danihumberstoneart.com

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Going Out

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

going ut Seven days of activities at a glance WEDNESDAY

Grosvenor & Hilbert Park will be hosting a Den Making event today, with the 90-minute sessions running from 10am until 4pm. Children aged five years old and upwards are encouraged to go along with an adult to enjoy lots of fun in the great outdoors building a den of their dreams. Places cost £3 per child and adults go free. To book, email: steff.dagorne@tunbridgewells.gov.uk You have just today and tomorrow to catch the Moonlight Drive-In Cinema screening of that long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2 at the The Hop Farm. The family with special elasticated powers face their biggest challenge yet – who will spring into action to save the day? Tickets cost £25 per

THEY’LL NEVER TYRE OF THE FUN AND GAMES At Bewl Water’s summer children’s camps

By Eileen Leahy

vehicle. For timings and other details, see www.moonlightcinema.com Famous historian Dr David Starkey takes centre stage at Hever Festival Theatre this evening from 8pm, with his discussion entitled Henry VIII: The First Brexiteer? Expect plenty of lively debate and fascinating historical parallels between the Tudor monarch with today’s hot political potato of Brexit. Tickets cost £17 and can be booked at www.heverfestivaltheatre.co.uk

THURSDAY

Bewl Water’s popular children’s camps are on once again for the summer holidays. So if you find it a challenge to keep your little ones

occupied, then this club really steps it up a gear courtesy of its exciting outdoor activities aimed to keep youngsters fit and entertained and to help them make new friends. Full-day activities run from 8.30am until 5pm and cost from £37 per child. Half-day activities run from 8.30am until 1pm and cost £19.50 per child. For further information, see www.bewlwater.co.uk This morning, local wildlife expert Dr Ian Beavis will lead another free family bug hunt – this time around Grosvenor and Hilbert Park. The hunts take place on a weekly basis in a different location each time, and also run in the afternoon from 2pm. The morning and afternoon 75-minute sessions are suitable for all ages, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. For more details, see www.tunbridgewellsmuseum.org Following the Hall of Dreams puppet workshop last week, there will be a special performance today at the Assembly Hall, where the keen young puppeteers will be showcasing the production skills they have acquired. There is no charge for the performance as it will be a work in progress, but seats will need to be booked in advance at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

FRIDAY

Grosvenor and Hilbert Park will be hosting another fun event today – a Spray Paint Art session for International Youth Day. Running from 11am to 3pm, it allows those aged eight and over to have a go at creating their own artwork on the park’s legal graffiti wall.

Materials are provided, and please wear old clothes. Booking is essential, by emailing: THAT’S HANDY! steff.dagorne@ Enjoy puppet fun at tunbridgewells. the Assembly Hall gov.uk

THREE LITTLE MAIDS… entertain in The Mikado at Hever Festival Theatre Trinity Theatre is currently exhibiting A Celebration of Sport: The Starting 11. Drawn to an opportunity for diverse colours and movement, artist Harriet Ward began by painting animals, yet – as a lover of sport – she couldn’t believe the lack of sport art available, which she then rectified. Her series of sports portraits, which include Andy Murray, are inspired by the great athletes of our time. The exhibition is on until Sunday in The Gallery and entrance is free.

Staying at Trinity, there will be a performance of the Senior Summer Project on today and tomorrow at both 2pm and 7pm. The group will be performing Les Misérables (Schools Edition).

To book tickets, visit www.trinitytheatre.net See our special feature on this production on page 44.

Going Out

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

SATURDAY Join Dr Ian Beavis from 11.15am until 1pm for a Moth Trapping Session at Grosvenor & Hilbert Park. During this event, he will teach you how to identify the moths caught overnight in the park and you can learn more fascinating facts about these nocturnal creatures. No booking required and ideal for all ages.

As part of Hever Festival Theatre’s summer programme, there will be a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado this evening at 8pm. Tickets to see this amusing piece about a tangled web of lovers cost £24 per person. To book, go to www.heverfestivaltheatre.co.uk

SUNDAY There will be a chance to see some of the world’s most impressive sports cars today in the glorious surroundings of Dunorlan Park. Gates to the Supercar Session open at 11am and there will be over 250 models, including bikes, on display. For more information, head to www.carshow.life

PICK OF THE WEEK: Brian Bissell’s Unique Variety Evening Assembly Hall Theatre 7.30pm Saturday August 11

MASTER SHOWMAN Brian Bissell Don’t miss your chance to see local impresario Brian Bissell’s Unique Variety Evening of music, dance and comedy, with renowned Ralph Shaw – King of the Ukulele and Master of Disco – among the special guests.

There will also be a preview of upcoming new musical ‘Intended Journey’, starring Nicholas Slessor-Pavely of West End show The Dreamers. It’s an epic tale of hope through adversity, enveloped in a musical score that will take you on an emotional journey.

The variety show supports the Mayor’s Charity: Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource (www.twmhr.org.uk).

Ticket offer: Two for £18, or single ticket just £10, both plus booking fee. Call 01892 530613 or visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

The Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery is now exhibiting Staffages: 2018 – a collection of photographic works which highlights the connections between museum object, site and viewer. The work, by the artist Steffi Klenz, is the result of her having spent time at the venue looking at its artefacts and architecture. The exhibition runs until Sunday September 8.

During the summer months, Penshurst Place hosts a fun day of activities every Sunday, which includes falconry displays courtesy of The Hawking Centre, and Aardvark Productions entertaining children and adults alike with a new panto in the garden. This year, Mr Toad learns the importance of banning plastic and how important it is to look after the environment. There will also be lots of crafting to keep you busy. For more details, see www.penshurstplace.com

MONDAY If you’re a gardener and would like some horticultural inspiration, then why not head to Rudyard Kipling’s former home, Bateman’s, where the formal rose garden the author designed in 1907 has recently been restored. It is now planted with three varieties of Polyantha rose; ‘Frensham’, ‘Betty Prior’ and ‘Valentine Heart’. The small blooms flower in shades of pink and red nearly all summer long. For visiting details, see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans This summer, children will be able to go on an Egyptian adventure at Royal Victoria Place thanks to a free interactive and educational experience called Kids in Pyramids, which is on until Monday August 27. Children can learn about life in ancient Egypt by dressing up, discovering the pyramids and digging for artefacts in the sand.

The Egyptian Adventure Tour starts at the Great Pyramid of Giza, located on level 1 opposite M&S. Each tour will take 30 minutes, and on completion every child will receive a free personalised certificate to take home. There is a maximum number of 25 children per tour session.

Full event details and times are available at www.royalvictoriaplace.com

TUESDAY

There will be a Circus Skills event happening at Grosvenor & Hilbert Park today from 10.30am until 3.30pm aimed at children aged five and upwards, who must be accompanied by a parent.

Go along and have a go at plate spinning, tightrope walking and unicycling. You can drop into this free event on the lower football pitch.

Are you interested in singing with a vibrant, friendly and enthusiastic group of singers?

Paddock Wood Choral Society is looking for new members, particularly male singers (tenors and basses), to join them for their forthcoming season, which starts in September. They rehearse every Tuesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at St Andrew’s Church. To find out more, contact the Secretary, Adrienne Bishop, on 01892 833232, or email: secretary@paddockwood-choral.org.uk

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Going Out

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites www.pdag.co.uk & www.thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Alice Rose, Simon Crabb, Sorrel Nation Friday Royal Tunbridge Wells Hospital Radio Fundraiser: Ryan Weeks, Chasing Shadows, Harry Whitty Saturday Into The Blue Sunday Elo Quitmann, Skippy Gonzalez, Megan Jordan, Kyla Stroud

THE BANDSTAND

live music With Paul Dunton

T

here is so much live music on offer this week! Tonight [Wednesday], you can catch popular local acts Sorrel Nation, Simon Crabb and Alice Rose all performing at The Grey Lady, and this Thursday night The fantastic Coalminers headline The Jazz on The Pantiles. On the same night, The Harry Whitty Duo will be at The White Hart in Wadhurst.

My top picks for Friday night include Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Scorpio and Kung Fu Slipper at The Forum. And there is a wonderful showcase at The Grey Lady to raise money for Tunbridge Wells Hospital

The Pantiles Music from 8pm-10pm Donations welcomed Thursday The Coalminers Saturday Soul Train

THE WHITE HART Wadhurst High street Open all day, free entry

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

Radio, with Ryan Weeks, Chasing Shadows and renowned guitarist Sean de Burca all performing.

On Saturday night you can catch Goldy Bee & Stuart Evans at The Beau Nash Tavern, and Into The Blue at The Grey Lady. The Soul Train returns to The Pantiles Bandstand, and for fans of Muse, renowned tribute act ‘Musek’ will be at The Forum. For a full weekend of live music, The Hop Farm host The Ultimate Tribute to Rock Festival.

On Monday evening, the excellent Jake Sheers will be at The Forum, and the superb Stuka Cats will be at The Punch & Judy, Tonbridge, on Tuesday.

The Coalminers

Music from 7pm-9pm Thursday Live Jazz with The Harry Whitty Duo

Elo Quitmann

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at www.twforum.co.uk Friday Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Scorpio, Kung Fu Slipper Saturday MUSEK – A tribute to MUSE Sunday Unfest Sunday Sessions (1pm start) Monday Jake Shears

THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Goldy Bee & Stuart Evans

THE HOP FARM Paddock Wood Full details and tickets at www.thehopfarm.co.uk/events Saturday & Sunday: The Ultimate Tribute to Rock Festival

THE DUKE OF YORK The Pantiles. Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Monday Open Mic Night

THE PUNCH & JUDY 11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday The Stuka Cats

BANK HOLIDAYS ARE MADE FOR BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH… 25TH-26TH AUGUST 12.00PM-2.00PM Our popular Bottomless Brunch is returning to One Warwick Park Hotel for Bank Holiday weekend.

Enjoy one of our irresistible brunch dishes with unlimited Prosecco, Bucks Fizz or Bloody Mary, all for just £30 per person.

Booking required.

BOOK NOW ON 01892 520587 QUOTE: TIMESBRUNCH 1 WARWICK PARK, TUNBRIDGE WELLS. KENT, TN2 5TA WWW.ONEWARWICKPARK.CO.UK INFO@ONEWARWICKPARK.CO.UK

WEDDINGS AT

BOOK YOUR WEDDING AND RECEIVE £250 TOWARDS YOUR HONEYMOON, IN ASSOCIATION WITH FLIGHT CENTRE* QUOTE ‘TIMES250’ ON BOOKING

Ceremonies | Receptions | Attractively Priced Seasonal Packages | Duplex Bridal Suites Dedicated Wedding Host | Unique Characteristics | Nestled in the Charismatic Pantiles www.onewarwickpark.co.uk

01892 520587

www.onewarwickpark.co.uk

1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5TA

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food

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STAY CONNECTED 7 DAYS A WEEK…

Food & Drink

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

How to make Miguel Barclay’s £1 Thai omelette

Street food, at home, on a shoestring…

“This immediately transforms a regular omelette into a fancy Thai-style street food delicacy.” Get cracking (Makes one portion)

INGREDIENTS 3 eggs, beaten Pinch of curry powder Sesame oil 1/4 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1/2 spring onion, cut into strips A few beansprouts Drizzle of soy sauce Salt and pepper

METHOD

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Season the beaten eggs with salt, pepper and the curry powder.

Heat a splash of sesame oil in a frying pan, pour in the beaten eggs and fry for a few minutes until 80% cooked, then add the carrot, spring onion and beansprouts to the middle, drizzle over a little sesame oil and soy sauce, then fold the omelette over the filling and continue to cook for another minute.

3

Remove from the heat and serve with another drizzle of soy sauce to finish.

Miguel Barclay’s Super Easy One Pound Meals, with photography by Dan Jones, is published by Headline Home, priced £16.99. Available now.

Food & Drink

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Just how well do you know your wine?

We all love to wax lyrical about the joys of a great wine, especially one that tastes so delicious you immediately want another glass, but…

Do you know whether your favourite bottle of vino takes its name from a grape variety or a region?

Or how the wine may evolve over time?

Or even which wine glass you should be serving it in?

Right or wrong, we think whatever you’re drinking should be a wonderful experience with flavours you long to experience again and again.

So, to help you up your wine game, read on and see if you pass our tipple test...

1

What’s the difference between New World and Old World when it comes to wine?

New World refers to non-European producers: USA, Australia, New Zealand , South Africa, Chile and Argentina, while Old World is France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Greece.

2

An extra dry Prosecco is a dry style of sparkling wine, right?

Wrong. In the Prosecco production area in northeast Italy, extra dry is actually sweeter than brut, so if you like a dry style, look out for brut on the label.

3 4

What does vintage actually mean?

The year the grapes were harvested.

What’s the point of aerating wine?

Whether it’s a screwcap or cork, white or red, when the wine has contact with air it hugely

increases the flavours and aromas, which may explain why the second glass usually tastes better than the first. So reach for a decanter if you have one, invest in an aerator, or pour the wine into a large glass and wait a few minutes for it to evolve.

5

How many grapes are permitted in a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

The most important and largest wine appellation (region) in the Southern Rhone, historically it used to be 13 grape varieties in the blend – each contributing to its structure, fragrance, freshness and ageing potential – but they’ve upped the ante and 18 varieties are now allowed.

6

Which variety is in Champagne Blanc de Blancs?

This gorgeous fizz is made entirely from the chardonnay grape variety.

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Advertorial

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

All the mobility equipment

you may need – at a showroom on your doorstep And at Kent Mobility in Tonbridge, equipment big and small is provided with the benefit of expert care and advice, as the company’s Service Director, Sharon King, tells Sarah Bond

A

T A TIME when a firm that is contracted to provide wheelchairs for NHS patients in Kent has just been criticised for an alarming backlog of delays in an official report, it is good to know that we have Kent Mobility on our doorstep in Tonbridge.

Here, you don’t have to wait for what you need if you are able to buy it yourself. The easily-accessible retail shop has a wealth of equipment in stock that you can see before you buy, and provides a very useful alternative to the NHS for those with a disposable income.

And often you can make life so much easier at very little cost.

Personalised The company only offers the very best products, from large items like armchairs and wheelchairs to the little things that can make such a difference, such as bath grab rails and walking sticks.

The other bonus of using Kent Mobility’s services is the expert care

and good, sound, impartial advice provided to customers by trained staff, such as the Tonbridge showroom’s Claire Martlew and Kate Cottrell-Smith, who have been with the company for a number of years.

The former carers have worked in the community and have a lot of experience helping people, making them fully versed in all elements of care.

The shop offers a fully personalised, one-to-one service, taking away the worry about how to ensure you have the right kind of equipment, how to put together the parts (where relevant) and ongoing maintenance.

The recently refitted showroom, which is fully wheelchair and disabled accessible, is on the Cannon Lane industrial estate in Tonbridge, near Brewers in Sanderson Way. There are four designated free parking places and you can bring friends or family to test the items.

It is far more safe and sure than buying something online, and many Kent Mobility customers come from far and wide, returning time and time again, being very glad of the help and reassurance.

VIEW BEFORE YOU BUY In the new-look showroom

Advertorial

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

BEDSIDE COMFORTS Simple aids can make all the difference

others for people with Parkinson’s disease or dementia.

“We also employ an Occupational Therapist on a full-time basis to visit people at home and assess items that may be needed, such as wheelchairs and seating. This takes a lot of worry out of things and helps people to stay in their properties for longer with the right equipment. You can get another ten years in the house you love.

“The catalogue of our products can be viewed on our website.

“With the equipment available, people with disabilities can do so much more, and we assist lots of children and young adults, not just the elderly.

“We are pleased to assist disabled athletes, too, such as Steve Brown, Captain of Team GB’s Paralympics rugby squad in the 2012 London Olympics, who lives in Kent.

“But we don’t just cater for local customers, people travel all the way from the north of England and the Isle of Wight, and we have families that we have looked after for a long time.

“We have some customers who are now grown-up who have been with us since they were three or four years old. Like any family, once people find us they tend to stay with us.

“We are good at what we do, and that’s why people keep coming back.”

“We pride ourselves in problem- certain to know someone who can.

“We also have lots of other little solving,” says Service Director Sharon King. “There are lots of practical ways gems, including colour-coded items, we can help, and we are happy to give which we find advice. Our expertise is what sets us work better than apart from other companies.

“We’ve got lots of things in our armoury that help people with various issues, from the big things all the way down to a spare key box that you can leave in a discreet spot outside for others who may need access, a helping hand ‘reacher’ to assist in picking things up, or special cushions for armchairs.

“Walking sticks, crutches and frames can all help in preventing falls at home.

“And if someone says ‘I want a mobility scooter’, we perform an assessment to make sure they are safe to drive it, and make sure it is suitable for them personally, which you can’t do if you buy online, and we can tweak equipment to suit SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Sharon King with John Payne, customers.

Owner and Managing Director of Kent Mobility “If we can’t do it, we are

Contact details Kent Mobility 6 Sanderson Way Tonbridge TN9 1QG Tel: 01732 770998 Email: sales@kentmobility.co.uk www.kentmobility.co.uk

SUITABLE SCOOTERS Be confident before you drive

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travel

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Travel

Playing it really cool in the

Sunshine State Heading to Florida, Damon Smith encourages his inner child to enjoy the sugar rush of Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World in Orlando…

T

HE door to my blissfully air-conditioned room in Animal Kingdom Lodge closes behind me and, without warning, I begin to cry. At first, it’s a single, fat, salty tear of joy snaking down my cheek.

Then, as I stare outside at the sun-rippled savannah – a moving tableau of gazelles, zebras, wildebeest and giraffes – more than 30 years of pent-up excitement spills out of me in glorious, gushing sobs. At 44, I have finally answered the siren song of Walt Disney World in Florida.

The tsunami of euphoria takes me by surprise, and I laugh at myself.

Waves of primal, boyish wonder continue as I play big in the newly opened Toy Story Land at nearby Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This 11-acre playground is the largest expansion in the theme park’s 29-year history and has been designed with unfettered imaginations to reduce visitors to the size of action figures in a child’s backyard.

Towers of colourful wooden blocks are scattered throughout a landscape of playset trees and toy shrubs, along with dominoes, board-game pieces, crayons, playing cards and Scrabble letter tiles. And there’s a 10ft tall rubber ball.

Platoons of green plastic soldiers proudly patrol to the percussive rhythm of their drums, while cowboy Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films meet and greet.

The centrepiece is Slinky Dog Dash, an 18-passenger roller-coaster which slaloms at surprising speed around precarious stacks of Jenga tiles, one topped by Rex the dinosaur nervously stringing up a garland of twinkling fairy lights.

It’s Disney’s first ride, slingshotting us over camelback humps and around a whoop-inducing final turn before a farewell serenade of You’ve Got A

‘More than 30 years of pent-up excitement spills out of me in glorious, gushing sobs’ Wheezy the penguin

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

IN WITH A BANG… Green soldiers drum up some fun at the entrance to Toy Story Land while Woody looks on

Friend In Me from Wheezy the penguin, who swings as he sings atop a wireless radio-controlled car box.

The designers’ obsessive attention to detail is jaw-dropping – a fading $19.95 price sticker from Al’s Toy Barn on Rex’s cardboard box, alphabet blocks spelling out F-U-N, the seemingly random 231986 1011971 bar code on a Dash & Dodge Mega Coaster Kit box as we exit the ride (the dates that Toy Story creator Pixar Animation Studios was founded and Walt Disney World opened).

Nearby, the Alien Swirling Saucers attraction sees us ushered through an entrance flanked by robot guards and into rocket ships piloted by cute

green extra-terrestrials with three googly eyes. spring-action guns to compete in a raucous eight The 22 craft spin and whirl with increasing minutes of digital carnival mayhem. velocity, altering orbits on circular tracks beMy jaw hurts from grinning almost as much as neath an omnipotent Claw to an energetic my wrist aches from repeatedly firing virtual soundtrack of Toy Story jingles. hardboiled eggs at beleaguered barnyard critRide queues can be long, so take ters. (No animals were harmed in the making of advantage of the Fastpass+ system this article, etc). to pre-book timed one-hour slots up All the bursts of physical activity soon to 60 days in advance of your arrival arouse my slumbering appetite, so we in Florida, if you’re staying at a saunter to the Woody’s Lunch Box Disney Resort hotel. walk-up window restaurant, The Play Disney Parks which is flanked by a vintage mobile app, which is free Thermos flask. to download, sweetens the My mouth waters with joy bitter pill of inevitable at a menu laden with calorific waits in blazing sunshine. comfort food: A toasted sandLocation-based games wich of gooey, molten Chedactivate with the swipe of dar and provolone cheese; a a sweaty finger, or you can flaky chocolate-hazelnut pop listen to music and answer tart slathered with icing and Disney trivia. Wi-Fi coverage is caramelised bacon; and an ice impressive, so you shouldn’t incur cream soda float. roaming charges.

Fruit and vegetables are strangers to The interactive 4D dark ride the menu, except for a banana split yoToy Story Mania! – which opened gurt parfait and a Grown Up’s Lemonin 2008 and draws sizeable ade, which hits the sweet spot with crowds – has been expanded cherry vodka and a generous dash of and now boasts a candy-striped black cherry puree. marquee entrance.

It’s a reminder that Toy Story Weaving through a Land has been lovingly crafted waiting area festooned to encourage visitors big and with View-Master discs, small to leave their real-world crayon drawings and stresses at the front gates, cast childhood ephemera, off their inhibitions and gorge IT’S A BUZZ! we tug furiously on the to giddy excess on pure, unToy Story character pull string of our adulterated pleasure.

Buzz Lightyear

Travel

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

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4

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy go off to work with a melodic ‘heigh-ho’ on a family-friendly roller-coaster inspired by the animation Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

The ride swings side-to-side as it careers through jewel-encrusted mines and slows for animatronic sequences.

5

Test Track Accelerating to a top speed of 64.9mph, Test Track is the fastest thrill ride at Walt Disney World and revs up long queues at Epcot.

Touchscreens invite us to design a concept vehicle, and the ride tests each prototype before we emerge from the factory into blinding sunlight for one high-octane circuit around a 50-degree banked curve.

ALIEN INVASION? No, luckily it’s Epcot’s Spaceship Earth ride near the Test Track

THE MOTHER OF DRAGONS! A scene from the Flight Of Passage 4D simulator in Pandora – The World Of Avatar

5 places to play big outside of Toy Story Land And there’s yet more fun to be had in this giant children and adults’ Florida playground…

1

Pandora – The World Of Avatar Unveiled in May 2017 at Animal Kingdom, this 14-acre wilderness inspired by James Cameron’s blockbuster films incorporates two unmissable experiences: The soothing Na’vi River Journey boat ride through a bioluminescent jungle, and the exhilarating Flight Of Passage 4D augmented reality simulator, where we swoop over Pandora astride a fastbreathing dragon-like Mountain Banshee.

2

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Starring Aerosmith A short walk from Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios, this turbocharged ride features cars resembling a stretched limousine.

The initial acceleration of zero to 60mph in just under three seconds is a 4.5 G-force sucker punch before loop-the-loop inversions as Steve Tyler belts out the band’s hits.

3

Expedition Everest – Legend Of The Forbidden Mountain Also in Animal Kingdom, the Expedition Everest steel roller-coaster rises majestically to just under 200ft.

Our runaway train of 36 riders gradually ascends, then hurtles down hairpin turns before a brief encounter with a rampaging Yeti propels the cars backwards through pulsequickening darkness. Thrilling!

SCARE STORY Expedition Everest – Legend Of The Forbidden Mountain

HOW TO GET THERE Virgin Holidays (www.virginholidays.com; 0344 557 3859) offers seven nights in Walt Disney World, Florida, including flights from London Gatwick with room-only accommodation at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge from £4,485 for a family of two adults and two children. The price includes park tickets and car hire.

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Powered by

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9, £739 ATARI VCS, PRICE TBC

tech

Formerly branded as the ‘Ataribox’, the VCS is set to ‘reinvent the way you game. Again’. The retro-style entertainment platform is based on PC technology, for which the iconic gaming brand took inspiration from 40 years of videogame history. With echoes of the memorable silhouette of the original Atari 2600, this fusion of old and new boasts a blend of modern lines and classic details in its old-school joystick and contemporary controller. www.ataribox.com

OCULUS GO, PRICE TBC With Oculus Go, you can effortlessly enter virtual reality with no PC or wires attached. The all-in-one VR headset is designed to fit you – using breathable fabrics, adjustable straps and cuttingedge lenses – immersing you in over 1,000 VR games, social apps, 360° experiences and more. Step inside the films, games, sports and TV shows you love with your very own personal, portable cinema, and experience 3D as it was intended. www.oculus.com/go

Check out the revolutionary camera that adapts like the human eye. With its categorydefining dual aperture lens, Samsung’s Galaxy S9 automatically switches between various lighting conditions with ease, making your photos look great, whether it’s bright or dark, day or night. Capture stunning pictures in bright daylight and super low light, as the F1.5 aperture mode finds light, even in the dark, to deliver vibrant photos. www.samsung.com

Must-have gadgets

State of the art technology Theknow brings you the latest tech and clever time-saving gadgets and widgets to make your life easier and more enjoyable. Eileen Leahy picks her top tech essentials

CHANNEL MASTER STREAM+, PRICE TBC Here’s a media player that integrates streaming services and games with live broadcast TV, and includes an on-screen channel guide with DVR capability to pause, rewind and record live television. The powerful Android TV platform includes Google Play store, Live Channels DVR and built-in Chromecast.

Supporting Ultra HD TVs and High Dynamic Range for stunning visuals, Stream+ is the streaming box for antenna owners that’s not to be missed. www. channelmaster.com

POWERED BY

GOOGLE CLIPS, PRICE TBC MAGIC LEAP ONE, PRICE TBC Take a leap of faith with this innovative head-mounted VRD. Engineered to be lightweight and comfortable for hours of exploration, Magic Leap’s Digital Lightfield technology is combined with environment mapping, precision tracking and soundfield audio, producing amazing experiences that feel natural. High-powered processing and graphics are streamlined in a lightweight pack that stays right by your side, while effortless navigation allows for a smooth, intuitive, fluid and sensory experience. www.magicleap.com

This wireless camera is smart enough to recognise great expressions, lighting and framing to capture beautiful, spontaneous images in an instant. Using sophisticated AI technology, the handsfree accessory takes candid photos while you’re out and about, before you wirelessly connect to your phone to check out what you’ve shot later. It requires no intervention and means you can go about your day, allowing the lens to do the work for you.

Motoring

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Motoring News

A look at what’s happening in and around the world of motoring

Cutting MOTs wouldn’t affect accident rates, claims report

Promising a bigger, better, bolder SUV

AUDI has revealed the secondgeneration of its Q3 SUV, offering a more spacious, more efficient and even higher tech machine.

Inspired by the firm’s latest corporate design, it boasts a bold, angular look fronted by an eyecatching grille, and is 97mm longer and 18mm wider than its predecessor.

The result, Audi claims, is a car that offers more head, leg and elbow room for all occupants.

Inside, the cabin is dominated by screens on the Sport and S Line models. Audi’s MMI infotainment system is projected on to a 10.1-inch display in the centre console, while the firm’s Virtual Cockpit technology replaces analogue gauge clusters with an entirely digital 10.25-inch screen.

As for engine choices, four will be available at launch – three petrol and a diesel. The former options consist of a 1.5-litre, 148bhp motor with a six-speed automatic gearbox, while two 2.0-litre motors follow with 187bhp and 227bhp respectively, and the offer of seven-speed automatic transmission.

The diesel engine is a 2.0-litre, 148bhp unit paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. An automatic option will be offered later, as will a 187bhp variant of the engine.

LED headlights are included as standard across the range, although brighter Matrix LED units will be an option on higher-spec models.

Pricing and full UK specifications should be confirmed later this year.

SCRAPPING the annual MOT test would not increase accident rates and allow more investment in safety campaigns and driverless vehicle technology, new research suggests.

According to a report from neoliberal think tank the Adam Smith Institute, mechanical failures cause just two per cent of accidents in the UK and US, while around 65 per cent of accidents are due to driver error.

The report recommends focusing efforts on reducing accidents caused by motorists, which the think tank argues are independent of the MOT test. It attributes the fall in accident fatalities over the past decade to new cars with better safety features.

The study also points to a report from the US federal government that suggests dropping mandatory annual safety testing – which 34 states

have done – has no effect on traffic fatality rates.

The institute claims that scrapping annual MOT tests could save Britons £250m a year on test fees and repairs.

Its proposals include getting rid of the test for all vehicles except imports older than three years. It also suggests reducing the frequency of MOT tests to every three to five years, and increasing the age at which a car has its first test to five years.

However, the RAC’s Nicholas Lyes hit out at the report: “Scrapping the MOT would be a huge backward step and a recipe for disaster,” he said.

“More than a third of all cars and vans taken in for an MOT each year initially fail… And while road accidents caused by mechanical failures might be low, how much of this is as a result of the MOT test existing?”

TRYING TO ENGINEER CHANGE Are MOT tests a waste of time?

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Limited-run Carbon Edition Seat estate is heading for UK ARE you a big fan of carbon fibre on fast estates? Well, Seat’s latest machine might just be for you.

The Seat Leon ST Cupra Carbon Edition, as you may have guessed from the name, gains some extra carbon bits for a more aggressive look, while also gaining some racier mechanical additions.

It’s only available in one colour – Monsoon Grey – and can be identified by its genuine carbon fibre front and rear diffusers as well as its carbon side blades.

You will find none of that fake wrap stuff here.

There are also a full set of Brembo brakes housed in 19-inch alloy wheels on all four corners, while inside the car there are Cupra bucket seats as standard.

The Cupra logo also appears on the quad exhaust pipes.

As for performance, that’s unchanged from the standard Leon ST Cupra – meaning its 2.0-litre turbocharged fourcylinder engine delivers 296bhp and 380Nm to all four wheels via a six-speed DSG gearbox.

The result is 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

There’s no word on exactly how many examples of the Carbon Edition will be heading to the UK, but the Spanish manufacturer has confirmed the number will be fewer than 50.

However, it is now available to order from dealers across the country, with prices starting at £35,575.

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

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Rusthall left to rue errors after Fuller strikes Canterbury City 5 Rusthall 2

By Jamie O’Poole FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL kicked off their second campaign in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division with a defeat by Canterbury City at Faversham’s Salters Lane.

Having survived relegation because of a restructuring of the non-league pyramid, the Rustics know they will have to cut out the number of mistakes they make this season.

Despite several players being away on holiday, the opening exchanges were fairly even and Rusthall caused problems for the Canterbury defence through the pacy Regan Corke.

The 18-year-old has been recruited by the club from from the local junior league and did not look overwhelmed at all by the step-up.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between, but after 25 minutes Canterbury’s Rob Lawrence converted their first real opportunity, finishing well across the diving Callum Christie.

The home side added a second after some poor defending from a corner resulted in centre-half Liam Quinn having a free header which he powered home.

Rusthall gave themselves a lifeline at the end of the first half when the experienced Joe Fuller finished well after the ball fell centrally to him in the box, and they went in 2-1 down at the break.

PHOTO: Dean Jacquin

Step-up FINISHING TOUCH Joe Fuller scores for Rusthall before half-time The new management pairing of Andrew Mc­Kechnie and Mike Cramp would have been confident of getting back into the game. But they were left fuming when Rusthall conceded a penalty three minutes into the second half.

The Canterbury keeper collected a Rusthall corner and quickly kicked the ball upfield. Dave Pilcher was on to it in a flash, and despite the

they added two more goals from Jordan Casey and Josh Froggatt.

In the final minute, Rusthall found the net again when Ed Sharman finished from close range after good work from Callum Ridley.

Rusthall face Wick in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round at Tunbridge Wells’ Culverden Stadium on Sunday [August 12, kick-off 3pm].

attention of two Rustic defenders, he caused enough problems to win a penalty which he neatly despatched.

The Rustics made changes, handing debuts to George Ede, Jordan Boating-Anderson and Callum Strachan, who has come up through the Rusthall junior ranks.

But Canterbury were in the ascendency and

Folkes finds just reward for Angels Tonbridge Angels 1 Nottingham Forest U-23s 1

By Wink Tomkinson

Pass and move Both teams took advantage of a pristine surface to pass and move to great effect. Joe Turner saw an early effort deflected for a corner and Jonny Henly save with his feet from Vellios.

Nottingham Forest took the lead after 26 minutes when a cross evaded Jack Parter and Sonny Miles and found its way to Sodeinde, who shot into the far corner.

Tonbridge had the ball in the net on the half-hour when a free kick from Tom Beere was headed home but it was ruled out for offside.

Alex Read fired over the bar, Tom Parkinson’s effort was blocked and Turner was denied by a fine low stop by Jordan Wright.

The Angels started the second half on the front foot, and a far-post header by Arthur Lee was pushed to safety at the foot of his post by Wright.

The deserved equaliser came after 51 minutes when Turner crossed to the far post and James Folkes headed across goal into the far corner.

A rasping drive from 25 yards by Tommy Whitnell was tipped over as the hosts ended the game strongly but they could not find the winner.

The Angels travel to Merstham in their first Bostik League Premier game on Saturday [August 11] before the first home game against Lewes on Tuesday [August 14].

FAST LEARNER New signing Adem Ramadan (in blue) shows his pace

IT’S LIKE WATCHING BRAZIL Gary Brazil, who grew up in Tunbridge Wells, is the Academy manager at Nottingham Forest, and has acted as caretaker boss of the senior side on three occasions during managerial upheaval at the City Ground. The 55-year-old was in charge when Forest famously beat Arsenal 4-2 in the FA Cup third round in January. In a distinguished 18-year playing career he scored 160 goals in 658 games for Sheffield United, Preston North End, Newcastle United, Fulham and Barnet before cutting his managerial teeth at Notts County.

PHOTOS: David Couldridge

STAY IN TOUCH: The Angels celebrate James Folkes’ headed goal before half-time

FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS signed off their pre-season with a creditable draw against Nottingham Forest Under-23s after staging a rousing second-half performance.

The youth team was brought to Longmead by the Forest Academy coach Gary Brazil, who retains a local connection having been born and brought up in Pembury.

The visitors included Greek international Apostolos Vellios, formerly of Everton, and Victor Sodeinde, a striker signed from Maidstone United earlier this year.

SHAKE ON IT: Nottingham Forest’s Gary Brazil (right) with Angels manager Steve McKimm

Sport

Wednesday August 8 | 2018

Robinson makes Wells pay for wayward start Beckenham 253-7 beat Tunbridge Wells 222 by 31 runs

By Alan Cutts CRICKET: TUNBRIDGE WELLS came unstuck in their efforts to keep pace with the leaders in the Kent League Premier Division as last year’s champions found some much-needed form.

Beckenham have endured a difficult campaign after their success last year, and their victory at the Nevill lifted them out of the relegation zone.

Home skipper Chris Williams won the toss and

inserted the visitors, and their openers tucked into wayward offerings from the Wells attack.

However, Ari Karvelas (2 for 38) was his usual incisive and inexpensive self at the Railway End, snapping up 2 for 11 from his first five overs while 37 runs were pillaged at the other end.

England Under-19 batsman Ollie Robinson was in sublime form, and he was joined by Kent’s hard-hitting Alex Blake (38), who showed his prudent side in a stand of 87 for the third wicket.

It took a good catch on the boundary by Mike Waller to dismiss Blake after he had unleashed two of his trademark sixes.

Johan Malcolm (37) then put on a rapid stand of 66 with Robinson, who moved on to his third century of the season, and 200 came up with ten overs still to go.

Commanding Robinson was finally caught behind off Chris Williams after making a commanding 115 from 117 balls with 12 fours and a six.

Finally the home bowlers enjoyed some success, with the left-arm spin of Michael Churchill (2 for 47) pegging back the runaway scoring.

Only 52 runs accrued in the last 10 overs while four wickets fell. Beckenham had fallen short of expectations when they closed on 253 for 7.

After Chris Williams fell early on, Waller (37)

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batted well to set up the reply with the in-form Christian Davis (23).

The run-chase began in earnest when Graeme Francis (28) and Marcus O’Riordan posted a rapid partnership of 55 for the fourth wicket.

Three wickets fell in quick succession, however, and the hosts were reduced to 169 for 6 with 85 still required from the last 10 overs.

O’Riordan moved serenely to his fifty but he was finally dismissed for an excellent 71, made from 107 balls with four fours and a six.

Dave Smith (35) provided some late thrills but Wells were all out for 222 with 15 balls remaining, falling 31 runs short of their target, Will MacVicar returning 4 for 51.

Their exceptional run of four wins in a row came to an end but they remain in second place in the table, 18 points behind Blackheath.

Tunbridge Wells now visit Sandwich Town on Saturday [August 11].

Birthday boy Yeats-Brown propels Cowdrey step closer to promotion Walmer 87 lost to Cowdrey 90-4 by 6 wkts

By Stuart Clarke

PARTY TIME Ralph Yeats-Brown took five wickets on his 21st birthday

CRICKET: COWDREY made short work of Walmer after the long trip to the coast and confirmed their supremacy at the top of Kent League Division Four as second-placed Catford Wanderers slipped to defeat.

It was to prove a special day for spinner Ralph Yeats-Brown, who picked up five wickets on his 21st birthday.

The home side won the toss and elected to bat first, and they initially stood firm against some accurate seam bowling from Chris Fenwick and Nick Farr.

Fenwick (2 for 32) claimed both openers, however, which brought to the crease Walmer’s skipper Tom Burnap, who is the leading runscorer in the division.

It was the introduction of Yeats-Brown that proved the difference with his slow left-arm spin deceiving the Walmer middle order.

He clean bowled Burnap, and a smart stumping

by Barney Scott and a successful LBW appeal saw the home side slip from 40 for 1 to 49 for 5.

Long hop Walmer’s last hope lay with overseas player Daniel Giles but after a good start he struck a long hop from Yeats-Brown to Thom Brown on the boundary and he took the catch.

That scalp secured an impressive five-wicket haul for the birthday boy, who finishing with 5 for 25 from nine overs.

It was left to seamer Brown to come on and polish off the tail, and he did so in rapid fashion

Yeates defends men’s title while Fleming doubles up

By Carmel Kinley TENNIS: THE Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club Championships Finals Day saw 24 matches played on the grass courts in perfect conditions.

As is the custom the ladies’ singles final started proceedings. The first set was a close battle between Ali Fleming and Liz Grove, with both ladies providing a very high standard.

Interesting A combination of solid ground and net play made for an interesting contest. Fleming took control of the first set, winning it 6-4, then went on to take the second set 6-0.

Mary Elder teamed up with Fleming to achieve a comprehensive win in the ladies’ open doubles, overwhelming Grove and Eleoner Deaves 6-0 6-0.

The men’s open singles event had 54

competitors. Last year’s defending champion, former club coach James Yeates, took on a relative newcomer in Peter Henshall and the styles could not have been more different.

Yeates wrapped up the first set 6-3 but Henshall fought back iwhen Yeates’ forehand conceded unforced errors and he won it 6-2.

The level of play continued at a high standard in the deciding set but it was Yeates’ experience and more consistent play that won him the set 6-2 and he took the title.

There is a range of ages catered for in the tournament from nine-year-olds to the over-70s.

In total there were nine junior events ranging from Nine-and-Under to 18-and-Under.

All matches where played in hot conditions but the level of tennis was extremely high, and there were some close and thought-out matches which could have gone either way.

The winners in the junior section were: 9U mixed, Fergus Malone; 12U boys, Freddie Rosin;

to grab 3 for 4 in 19 balls as Walmer were bundled out for a paltry 87.

Cowdrey were aggressive in their reply, which resulted in the loss of a few wickets.

The pick of the Walmer bowling attack was 57-year-old Ally Milroy, who bowled the prolific Ashley Borrella and also removed top-scorer Xavier Yeats Brown (22) to take 2 for 26.

However, Cowdrey cruised to a six-wicket victory on 90 for 4 with 35 overs to spare, opening up a 53-point gap to third-placed Walmer so that promotion is almost assured.

Winning two of the last four fixtures should be enough to secure the title after Catford Wanderers’ defeat against Rainham.

Cowdrey will now look to avenge their defeat to local rivals Tonbridge as they entertain them at Swanmead on Saturday [August 11] – at the start of their first ever cricket week in celebration of the club’s 70th year.

NET GAINS Former coach James Yeates (right) beats Peter Henshall in the men’s singles final

12U girls, Beatrix Blasi; 14U boys, Rosin; 14U girls, Blasi; 16U boys, Louis Filtness; 16U girls, Isabelle Coker; 18U boys, Luke Gare.

The day ended with the mixed doubles final, in which Nick Young and Elder played well to beat Jason Baker and Shan White 6-4 6-4.

The men’s veterans doubles event was won by Jason Baker and Andy Dawson, who defeated Espen Erichsen and Duncan Coker 6-7 6-4 6-3.

The ladies’ veterans doubles was won by Ruth Marshall and Julie Speechly, beating Sarah Lindley and Judy Walker 6-2 7-5.