The Times of Tunbridge Wells 6th July 2022

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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Budget supermarket is now offering a cash incentive to find it a new store

UR E ER YO E AP FR L P CA LO

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

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RETAILER Aldi is offering a finder’s fee to anybody who can help it find a location for a second store in Tunbridge Wells. Full story page 3.

Parking fees to rise and assets sold as Council tackles £2.6million deficit

By Victoria Roberts THE Council in Tunbridge Wells is planning to sell off a range of unused assets and hike its parking and waste charges as it faces a £2.6million annual shortfall in funding.

It is estimated that unless something is done now, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) will find itself without enough money to fund the services it provides to residents in just four years.

New Lib Dem Finance chief for the cross-party ‘Borough Partnership’ at TWBC, Cllr Andrew Hickey, said inflation, pandemic costs and the ‘trail winds of austerity’ had left a central government funding gap of £8billion for local authorities across the UK. Due to high costs in the region and historic decisions about priorities for spending, this funding gap in Tunbridge Wells now stands at £2.6million a year –

a figure that is only set to rise – Cllr Hickey said.

“The top and bottom of it is that we have been left with a pretty significant deficit by the previous administration and it runs up to in the order of £20million in aggregate over the next five years.”

‘Mount Pleasant Avenue Car Park and the Great Hall Car Park, both near to Calverley Grounds, are to go up for sale’ He continued: “We feel we need to act to safeguard the finances as a matter of urgency. We would have waited for the budget to be done – which is normally around February next year – but we kind

of feel that’s a bit too late.”

As part of a move to raise much-needed cash, several assets identified as being surplus to the Council’s requirements have been earmarked for sale.

The first proposed sell offs include the site of the former Gateway in Grosvenor Road. The centre has now moved inside the Amelia on Monson Road.

Mount Pleasant Avenue Car Park and the Great Hall Car Park are also to go up for sale, as is Council owned land in Warwick Park that is currently used by the town’s rifle club.

When sold, the sites are likely to be redeveloped for residential or commercial properties.

These asset sales are to take place right away and eventually help bring TWBC’s working capital back up to around

Continued on page 2

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

this week… Fees to rise and assets to be sold by Council Continued from front page

CATTERY TRAGEDY Owner found dead following Council inspection P6

PENNY PINCHING Survey results reveal even high earners risk pension shortfalls P9

£10million in 2025/26, said Cllr Hickey, while other assets are expected to be sold off following the initial sales.

“What we’re going to do is take three or four of those assets and market test them – understand the market demand and the value of them and hopefully move them off the Council’s asset register quite quickly in order to contribute to this review,” said Cllr Hickey.

He also wants to increase charges, such as parking fees, which could bring in just over £484,000 by the end of the financial year in March 2023, and over £848,000 by 2023/24.

The price hikes will include an increase for the first hour of parking in the Council’s car parks from £1.50 to £2, while annual season tickets will rise between £50-80 a year.

Waste

CARNIVAL FUN Birchwood Care Home residents enjoy a day at the fair P11

BE MY GUIDE Two local authors share turning points in their lives in their debut books P25

Residents parking permits are also set for an increase of £10 a year – a move that will see some people asked to pay £90 a year to park their car outside their home.

Visitors to Dunorlan Park will also be asked to pay for parking for the first time.

Other fees to rise include garden waste subscriptions, which the Council had to suspend last year due to staffing issues.

The paid for service is set to increase from £52 to £56 a year, while other costs such as crematorium fees are also set to rise.

The rise in fees will ensure the Council can replenish its cash reserves, which are running

dangerously low, Cllr Hickey warned.

“Quite prudently, the finance department has set the minimum level of our free cash – the cash flow to run the Council – at £4million,” he said.

“If we go below £4 million, we do not have enough working capital within a given year to run the Council. So any hiccups that we have during the year – and hiccups happen – you get in trouble.

“At the current rate of depletion of our reserves, we will hit that £4million in the 2025/26 (financial) year, which starts to become an unsustainable position for running a Council

SOME BUDGET SAVINGS REDIRECTED TO £100,000 COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND Not all financial savings and increased income will go toward deficit reduction and rebuilding reserves, stressed Cllr Hickey.

After outlining the increased charges aimed at increasing the local authority’s finance, he added: “We don’t want to take all of that money back to the Council.

“What we’re going to do is set up a Community Support Fund of around £100,000, which we will distribute to people who are less well off in our borough.”

The Borough will not administer the funds itself, said Cllr Chapelard, explaining: ‘We will work with the local charities who know exactly what local needs are far better than the local council.’

The move comes despite rising levels of infection from Covid-19 in the UK. Last week, rates in Tunbridge Wells rose to around 235 per 100,000 of the population according to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), which is continuing to monitor infection levels across the UK.

PATIENTS and visitors to Tunbridge Wells Hospital are no longer required to wear a mask after the Trust updated its Covid policy.

In what could be seen as the removal of the last visible signs of the pandemic, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) changed the rule at the end of last month.

Wave

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It means that visitors or patients arriving at the hospital no longer need to wear a face covering before they can enter, although certain clinical areas, such as the respiratory ward, will still require people to mask up.

A similar change is being made at the Trust’s sister hospital in Maidstone.

A spokesperson for MTW told the Times: “Masks are still required in some clinical areas of our hospitals. Visitors to respiratory or

WEATHER & TRAVEL

UNMASKED Mask rules have been relaxed at Tunbridge Wells Hospital immunosuppressed patients are encouraged to wear masks.

“In all other areas, visitors, patients and staff can continue to wear masks if they wish to do so.”

Those sort of levels of the virus are as high as during the first wave of the pandemic when Tunbridge Wells along with the rest of the county locked down in March 2020.

The latest wave is being driven by the newer variants BA.4 and BA.5, which now make up more than half of all new Covid-19 cases in England.

Across the UK, a total of 10,658 patients were in hospital as of July 4, the highest number since April but is still some way below the record high of the 34,336 patients recorded in January 2021.

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ON THE ROADS carriageway repairs. Until July 8 at 4:30pm A21 Bridge engineering works are NOT running this weekend.

A22 (Lewes Road/London Road, Forest Row) Traffic congestion due to resurfacing works. July 11 at 8pm-July 15 at 6am Bentham Hill (Southborough). Roadworks. July 11 at 9:30am-3:30pm Bunny Lane (Frant) Road closure due to

Cousley Wood Road (Balaclava Lane to Monks Lane) Road closure for carriageway works. July 8 at 7pm-August 13 at 6am Cousley Wood Road (Wadhurst) Carriageway repairs at Monks Lane, delays likely. 7pm on July 8-July 9 at 6am Speldhurst Road (Langton Green) Langton Road resurfacing work. July 7-9

Speldhurst Road (Prospect Road junction, Southborough) Broadband roadworks for Openreach. July 10 Whybourne Crest (Hawkenbury) Roadworks (traffic controls) for gasworks. Until July 10

RAILWAYS There are Sunday engineering works between Orpington and Tonbridge, with a rail replacement coach running.

Courtesy of the Met Office

DESIGN/PRODUCTION JASON STUBBS jason.stubbs@onemediauk.co.uk

The list of charities is still being finalised.

The type of help available through the fund would depend on the charities selected, said Cllr Hickey, but added that whatever the help, charities and agencies would be able to act straight away.

“We will decide on a small cohort [of charities], but not a large cohort, because we don’t want it to be diluted.”

The funds would start delivering funds in October.

“The Community Support Fund is really important for the Borough Partnership,” said Cllr Chapelard. “It’s all of us saying ‘we want to do something’ as a Cabinet, whilst addressing the finances in the reduction plan.”

Last visible signs of pandemic disappear as hospital patients and visitors unmask

By Richard Williams

CONTACTS

like this,” he warned.

“We do want to be prudent with this and take the advice of our auditors, who have been very clear that we should no longer be using the reserves to fund the Council.”

Plans for the sale of assets and increases in charges must be approved at the next Cabinet meeting on July 20, which is to be held in Sandhurst.

Meanwhile, Cllr Hickey said he would put together the 2023/4 budget to be presented in February, alongside a Medium Term Financial Strategy with a five-year picture of Council finances, which continues to address the deficit.

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF

Trial for teen after boy stabbed in park A 16-YEAR-OLD boy has appeared before a judge at Maidstone Crown Court accused of trying to murder a young footballer in a Tunbridge Wells park.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of attacking Tristan Azevedo, 18, as he played football in Grosvenor and Hilbert Park on June 1.

The boy has been charged with attempted murder as well as an alternative of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He is also accused of having an offensive weapon.

Judge Philip St John Stevens adjourned the case until July 25 when the 16-year-old, who was remanded in custody, is expected to enter his formal pleas. A trial, which will last between five to seven days, has been set for November 28.

Leader calls to axe KCC A COUNCIL leader has said Kent County Council (KCC) should be axed and replaced with two or three unitary authorities – single tier councils that are responsible for all services.

Maidstone District Council Leader David Burton (Cons) says the current two-tier system employed throughout Kent that sees KCC look after certain services such as education and roads, while district and borough councils look after planning and waste collections, was ‘confusing’ to residents.

He said: “My starting point is that having been a councillor for 12 years, I’ve reached the point where I think the system we have is daft.”

He continued: “There is a different way of governing and I’m hoping we can move in that direction.”

New homes for Wadhurst DEVELOPERS have filed a planning application for 18 new homes south of Wadhurst High Street.

Six affordable dwellings are set to be provided on the site, including one shared ownership and five affordable rented, or else an ‘off-site financial contribution’ is to be made to support provision of affordable housing elsewhere,.

Plans show the housing would have access to both the High Street and Styles Lane, prompting some residents to object that the development could become a rat run.

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Aldi offers finder’s fee as it shops for second store site

By Richard Williams GERMAN retailer Aldi is so determined to open a second site in Tunbridge Wells, it is offering a cash incentive to anybody that can find a location to buy or lease.

Aldi, which already has more than 960 stores across the UK, is looking for a freehold towncentre or edge-of-town site that is around 1.5 acres.

Location The site should be able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces. Ideally the location will be near a main road with good visibility and access.

In order to find the right spot, the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket is offering a finder’s fee to anybody who can recommend a suitable location.

The company says the cash incentive, which is available to anybody, including general members of the public, will be either 1.5 per cent of the freehold price of the site found, or 10 per cent of the first year’s rent for a leasehold location.

It comes after the budget retailer’s plans to open a branch on Eridge Road were dashed last year by rival Lidl.

The plot of land near to the Esso garage was set to be its second store in Tunbridge Wells after

the German discounter opened its first supermarket in the town in November 2019 on the former Toys R Us site in the Longfield Road industrial estate.

But as the Times reported in December last year, Aldi was forced to sell the land to Beechcroft Developments, a retirement living company, after Lidl opened their first Tunbridge Wells branch on a site it now shares with Homebase in Linden Park – about 100 yards away.

Beechcroft Developments has now applied to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for planning permission to build 40 retirement apartments.

However, George Brown, National Property Director at Aldi UK, said they were still in the

hunt for a new store location in Tunbridge Wells.

He said: “By opening more Aldi stores, we can provide affordable, high-quality food to even more people.

Mission “But despite our growth in recent years, some people still don’t have access to a local store, which is why it is our mission to continue on with our ambitious plans and change that.

“Our finder’s fee is available to anyone who can find Aldi an appropriate site, so we’d encourage people to share any suitable suggestions and get in touch.”

NO SALE How the Times reported Aldi’s previous attempt to open a store were stumped by rivals Lidl

Area’s postmen are third most at risk from dog bites in the UK

By Robert Forrester POSTAL workers in the Tunbridge Wells area were attacked 44 time by dogs last year.

And the TN postcode has come third in a list of the most dangerous locations for posties when it comes to attacks by dogs, according to Royal Mail.

Attacks The delivery service says some postal workers have been left with permanent and disabling injuries from dog attacks, with more than 1,600 incidents reported across the UK in the last year.

A total of 1,673 attacks were recorded in 2021, an average of 32 every week across the country, Royal Mail says.

Sheffield had the most incidents reported during the year to March 31, 2022, with 51 posties

suffering dog attacks, closely followed by Belfast, with 50, and Tunbridge Wells third with 44.

The BN (Brighton), NG (Nottingham), and SA (Swansea) postcode areas each saw 37 dog attacks on Royal Mail’s delivery staff, while the NE (Newcastle) and OX (Oxford) postcode areas saw 35 each.

As in previous years, the majority of dog attacks, 654 (39 per cent), took place at the front door. A further 498 (30 per cent) dog attacks took place in the garden, driveway or yard, while 134 (8 per cent) took place in the street or road.

There were also 387 injuries suffered through letterboxes – accounting for 23 per cent of attacks on postal workers.

Dave Joyce, National Health & Safety Officer, Communication Workers’ Union, said: “Dog attacks remain a major safety hazard and concern for postmen and women across the UK and the scale of the problem shouldn’t be underestimated.

“I have written to the Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Secretary of State George Eustice calling for a meeting to discuss what more the Government and police can do to toughen up the dog control laws – such is my concern.”

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Teenagers arrested after woman rescued from London Road blaze

By Richard Williams POLICE have arrested three teenage boys on suspicion of arson after a fire brought traffic congestion to Tunbridge Wells last week and left a woman requiring hospital treatment.

The blaze last Wednesday (June 29) started in a shed behind the Atman Clinic in London Road, Southborough.

The fire broke out in at around 3.30pm and soon spread, setting fire to a fence before blowing out the windows of an apartment upstairs to the clinic.

A woman was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after being rescued by firefighters.

Conflagration A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “Four fire engines were at the scene and crews rescued a woman.

“Kent Police and Southeast Coast Ambulance paramedics were also in attendance.”

Owner of the Atman Clinic, Geoff MontagueSmith, told the Times that he believed the fire was started deliberately in a bin store.

He said: “Our clinic is on the ground floor and above that are flats where the bins are kept in the bin store. We think that is where they started it.

“It began very small but spread very fast. I went back to the clinic and shut all the doors but there is still a lot of smoke damage.

“The heat blew the windows out at the flat upstairs and a girl in the flat couldn’t get out so

INFERNO Firefighters [left] arrive at the blaze [above] last Wednesday

temporary lights on the London Road.

“The blaze was literally roaring when they got here,” he said. “The damage to the clinic will be in the thousands but I’ve no idea how badly damaged the flats are.”

Commuters leaving Tunbridge Wells were forced to follow a diversion after police closed the road as the fire service battled to control the blaze causing traffic to back up along the A26.

A spokesman for Kent Police said they are treating the fire as ‘suspicious’ and have arrested three teenage boys.

He told the Times: “Officers were called to London Road at around 3.40pm on Wednesday, June 29, where fire crews were responding to a fire in a shed that had spread to neighbouring properties.

“One person was taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation and an investigation into the cause of the fire was commenced.

“Three teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson and taken into custody.”

…AND POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES AFTER ANOTHER SOUTHBOROUGH FIRE

had to be rescued by firefighters. There would have been fatalities if more people had been in the building.”

He added that the fire service was there within ten minutes but were hampered by

KENT Police is also investigating another suspected arson attack in Southborough and is now seeking witnesses.

The incident happened between 1.30am and 2.30am on Thursday, June 16, at an address in Springfield Road where Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to extinguish a blaze in a shed.

The fire damaged two motorbikes and an adjacent property.

Detective Constable Lily MacKay, of Tonbridge

CID, said: “We have been completing enquiries into this incident and are now appealing for witnesses, or anyone who may have seen somebody acting suspiciously in the area, to contact the appeal line.”

He continued: “Motorists with dashcam and local residents with private CCTV are also asked to check for footage that may assist the investigation.”

Anyone with information about either fire can contact Kent Police on 01622 604100.

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Cattery owner with learning difficulties is found dead after Council inspection

By Victoria Roberts

TRAGEDY Catnap Cattery in Liptraps Lane and (left) Wayne Littlechild

THE owner of a Tunbridge Wells cattery who had learning difficulties is thought to have taken his own life after receiving a summons to a licensing hearing following a visit by a Council official.

Wayne Littlechild, 45, of Catnap Cattery in Liptraps Lane, was found dead at the end of last month.

Mr Littlechild, who suffered from Crouzon Syndrome – a rare genetic disorder – had just received a letter asking him to attend a licensing hearing at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Sympathies

Charity It followed an inspection from a member of the Council’s licensing department the previous week, at which time Wayne had temporarily placed three cats in a unit meant for just two when the owner of another three cats hadn’t arrived to collect them.

‘My main criticism of them was that they were focused on the accommodation of the cats and no mention of their welfare’ “Wayne had a learning disability, Crouzon Syndrome,” explained stepmother Olga Johnson MBE, who is involved in the cattery as well as being founder of local charity, Nourish Community Foodbank.

She said Wayne and his father, Barry Littlechild,

totally focused on the accommodation of the cats.

“There was never any mention of the welfare of the cats – were they comfortable and happy?” explained Ms Johnson.

“We get lots of e-mails from our customers saying things like ‘she’s come back so calm’. We do a lot of cat-patting.”

She continued: “If there’s something wrong, we always put it right.

set up the business over 20 years ago.

“It was something for when Wayne left school,” she said, adding that as well as enjoying his work with cats, Wayne was also a keen film enthusiast, having set up a private cinema at home with his BBC producer father

and local film historian, who died in 2016.

But Ms Johnson said the cattery owner was unprepared for when the inspector visited.

“She crucified him,” said Ms Johnson. “There was no practical thought at all.

“My main criticism of them was that they were

“But they just sent out a letter saying that they had set up a hearing for us with a view to shutting us down.

“That set Wayne off. I said I would go as he didn’t want to.”

But Ms Johnson said her stepson was found dead shortly after receiving the Council letter and is thought to have taken his own life.

While Ms Johnson was under the impression the inspector had been from government agency Defra (Department for Farming and Rural Affairs), Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has clarified that it was one of their officials.

A spokesperson for the Council said: “We were very sad to hear of Mr Littlechild’s death and send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”

An inquest is expected to take place later this year.

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

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Commuters and disability campaigners voice concerns over ticket office closures

By Sarah Carter A COMMUTER group and a disability campaigner in Tunbridge Wells have voiced fears over news reports suggesting all 980 railway ticket offices in England could close, starting as early as September.

The move would see the likes of Tunbridge Wells and High Brooms station completely unmanned with tickets only available from machines or online.

The railway industry says the closures could save up to £500million annually.

The news follows reports in national newspapers that said a ‘confidential strategy to phase out paper tickets and close or repurpose 980 ticket offices in England, starting in September’.

Service According to the Sunday Times it had ‘emerged that all ticket offices are to close on the railways, forcing passengers to book online under plans to save up to £500 million a year’.

Rob Mansfield of Tonbridge Line Commuters, which campaigns for a better service on the line that runs through both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells to London, said the plans will not work.

He told the Times: “It has been widely rumoured that ticket offices would be shut as part of a plan to save costs.

“We wouldn’t be averse to reducing hours but it needs to follow an open discussion.

“Without serious consideration and significant investment, this plan will not work and is therefore unlikely to save £500million a year.”

Disability campaigners in Tunbridge Wells are also concerned with the move, saying ticket

NEWS IN BRIEF

Grammar school responds to report A LOCAL grammar school has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering educational excellence following a critical report by Ofsted released last week.

The report gave the Weald of Kent Grammar School an overall rating of ‘Requires Improvement’, although the quality of education and sixth-form provision were both rated as ‘Good’.

Elizabeth Bone, headteacher said: “While there are certainly positive aspects of the report to be proud of, we are disappointed with the overall outcome of the inspection and do not believe it is an accurate reflection of the school’s provision and opportunities for students.”

She continued: “With a legacy of highquality teaching and learning and doing the very best for our students and staff, we are confident that the school will deliver meaningful and tangible impact across all areas identified in the report.”

Burglar warning

CLOSING The ticket booth at Tunbridge Wells Station is set to shut

office staff perform a vital service.

Cllr Alan Bullion, who represents Labour at Southborough Town Council, and who has walked with a stick since last year, said: “Train ticket offices at local stations like High Brooms play a crucial role for passenger safety and information and should not be shut down.

“The staff are always polite, friendly, and helpful. They cannot be fully replaced by automated machines, which can break down

NEWS

and must be maintained.

“Also, for disabled people like me, the presence of staff to help passengers on and off trains and up and down steep steps is important.”

Tunbridge Wells MP, Greg Clark, said the government had ‘no firm plans’ to close ticket offices, but added: “Whilst it’s true that most people now buy their tickets online or from machines, ticket offices are important for people who have more complex journeys to discuss.”

KENT Police has reminded people to take steps during the summer to deter burglars after a man from Tonbridge was charged in connection with a series of break-ins that were carried out in one day.

Possessions including a bank card, passport and tools were stolen on Saturday 25 June 2022, after burglaries at two properties near Furnace Lane, Horsmonden and an address off School Hill, Lamberhurst.

Michael Cherry, 35, of Old Hadlow Road, has been remanded in custody but officers are reminding residents to keep homes safe.

See p18 for PCC Matthew Scott’s column on how he’s focused on stopping burglary.

LEGAL ASSISTANT – Private Client Department Tunbridge Wells Thomas Mansfield Solicitors Limited are a rapidly expanding firm of solicitors specialising in employment, family, private client law and dispute resolution.

Currently based in London, Kent and Surrey we have built an enviable reputation for the provision of legal services to individuals based on employing an experienced team of professionals delivering excellent client care.

Due to expansion, we are looking for a legal assistant to support our lawyers in the Private Client department.

The successful candidate will undertake a full range of duties under supervision mainly acting on your own caseload of client estate administration files. Also includes dealing with prospective clients and general admin duties.

Previous experience of private client work desirable either in a legal assistant, paralegal or secretarial role.

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Short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Please note - no agencies.

7

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Crowborough pub honoured in Shepherd Neame awards

By Robert Forrester A PUB chain has named a Crowborough inn as its pub of the year.

In the brewer’s annual award scheme covering an estate of 300 pubs, Shepherd Neame chose the Blue Anchor as its best pub in the region.

Back this year after missing two years due to the Covid pandemic, the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards honoured 11 pubs and publicans from across the Southeast and London.

The 11 winners included eight from the brewer’s home county of Kent, where Shepherd Neame has been based for over 300 years.

Celebrating Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “After a challenging time for all those within the hospitality industry, it is fantastic to be back celebrating the achievements of our outstanding licensees and team members.

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Employment specialist is ‘lawyer of the year’ SUCCESS Pam Loch (centre)

LANDLADY Amy Glenie “Despite the setbacks of the last two years, we have seen that more than ever the most important factor in the success of any pub is its people, and we are very proud of our talented team.

“These awards are aimed at recognising their hard work, dedication, and creativity, and celebrating excellence in our company.”

The award ceremony was held at the end of June in Canterbury at the Spitfire Ground, named for Shepherd Neame’s most famous beer.

AN EMPLOYMENT specialist in Tunbridge Wells has been named lawyer of the year in a new business award aimed at recognising the achievements of women.

Pam Loch of Loch Associates Group, based in Mount Ephraim Road, received the new Dynamic Award, which was set up after it emerged that only 26 per cent of winners in the Sussex, Surrey or Brighton & Hove Business Awards were women, according to organiser Platinum Media Group.

Example

AWARD WINNER The Blue Anchor in Crowborough

Ms Loch’s award recognised her legal services to business, with judges saying she was a woman who motivated others, breaking the glass ceiling and paving her own path, while encouraging others and setting an example for the next generation of female leaders.

At the awards ceremony at The Grand Brighton

last Wednesday, Ms Loch said: “I am delighted and surprised at winning the Lawyer of the Year Award at the Dynamic Awards.

“It means even more to be in the company of some incredible businesswomen and it was wonderful to be part of such an empowered and inspirational group of people.”

Her firm, which has offices in Kent, Sussex and London, also won the professional services firm of the year at the 2022 Brighton & Hove Business Awards.

“It is a great result for every one of our team members. It is a team effort that makes the difference and makes us winners,” added Ms Loch, who founded the firm in 2007.

Loch Associates offers employment law, dispute resolution, commercial business services, HR consultancy, learning solutions, health and safety, corporate employee wellbeing programmes and mediation services.

WE ARE HIRING! TO BE PART OF A DYNAMIC TEAM, THE CANDIDATE MUST UPHOLD THE COMPANY'S HIGH STANDARDS BY DEVELOPING AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PRODUCTS AND MAINTAIN AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION OF THEMSELVES AND OF OUR JEWELLERY AND SHOWROOM. COMPETITIVE SALARY DEPENDING ON ABILITY AND EXPERIENCE. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

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534018

SALES@GCOLLINSANDSONS.COM

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Southeast’s high earners are set to have a pension shortfall wealth managers warn people cannot afford to save for their retirement.”

However, it could be a particularly difficult balance for 35-44 year-olds, warned Brewin Dolphin.

The survey showed a financially-pinched age-group being pulled between saving for retirement, their children’s futures, specific purchases or projects and ‘rainy days’.

By Victoria Roberts NEARLY half of higher earners in the Southeast do not invest enough in their future while many are underestimating how much they need for their retirement, a wealth management company has warned.

Meanwhile, 35–44-year-olds are under particular financial pressure, thanks to competing savings priorities which see them having to choose between their own retirement, their children’s futures, and commitments to long- and short-term spending.

Cost of living

Population Brewin Dolphin’s ‘Relationship with Money’ report collated the results of 2,000 interviews with inhabitants in the Southeast earning over £50,000, in February 2022.

The income for this demographic puts them in the top 9 per cent of the UK adult population, and up to 32 per cent of the interviewees described themselves as ‘confident’ in their attitude to money. Only 6 per cent said they were ‘not confident’.

However, the report showed people seemed to draw a distinction between current money management and investment, with 48 per cent not investing, while 59 per cent did not believe or weren’t sure they would have enough in the pension pot to retire comfortably on.

The average amount those polled believed they would need for a comfortable retirement was £506,000, yet high inflation could mean a significantly higher pension pot was needed in 10-20 years’ time.

Meanwhile, respondents estimated they

‘If we are to look forward to a financially secure future, it is vital that we find ways to bolster our long-term finance’ wouldn’t be able to retire until 64, compared to their ideal retirement age of 58.

According to Brewin Dolphin’s calculations, to retire at 64 with a £251,000 pension pot with enough savings to last to age 90, a person would have to limit their retirement income to just £13,500 a year.

Even at the upper end of the scale, a £500,000 pension pot would produce income of £26,500 a year to age 90. This assumes their pension fund grows at 5% per annum after charges and the

income increases annually with inflation.

If they qualify for the full state pension, this would add around £9,600 a year in today’s terms, bringing the totals to just over £23,000 and £36,000, respectively – but still significantly lower than the over £50,000 annual income higher earners were accustomed to.

Brewin Dolphin’s Tunbridge Wells financial planner Lee Clark acknowledged this would be a difficult adjustment.

“Telling people to save for their retirement is a really tough message at the moment.

“The cost-of-living crisis is only just starting to bite, and many people don’t have any money left after buying food and paying their bills. We know many

Sounding a warning for the wider population, Brewin Dolphin CEO Robin Beer added: “The fact our research focused on higher earners – who one might expect to be better prepared than the general population – suggests that we are facing a wider societal problem in terms of saving for the future.

“With the cost of living continuing to rise, saving more today is a tough ask. Yet if we are to look forward to a financially secure future, it is vital that we find ways to bolster our long-term finances.”

LEE CLARK

ROBIN BEER

A new home visits optician is now open for business in Kent, and is already busy getting out and about supporting local people with all their eye health needs.

Specsavers Home Visits is based in Maidstone, and offers free comprehensive eye tests at home and in care homes to anyone who is eligible for an NHS eye test, and who cannot leave their house unaccompanied due to a physical or mental illness.

People living in North West and West Kent have been able to receive home visits from Specsavers before, but the new 13-strong-team, led by local partners, means that far more people than ever before now live in a postcode which means they could be eligible to get an eye test at home for the first time.

This includes people living in Ashford and the surrounding area, and in North East and East Kent, from Margate and Ramsgate to Folkestone and Hythe and everywhere in-between.

The friendly home visits teams travel with a wide selection of glasses in lots of different styles and at different price points so patients have plenty of choice, and people pay the same prices they would in store.

Kalpesh Mistry, ophthalmic director and partner in the new business, says: “We’re delighted to be open for business. We know that there are a lot of people in Kent who may well have been Specsavers customers in the past, but who sadly due to age or ill-health are no longer able to get into their local store for an eye test or to choose new glasses if they need them.

New home visits opticians service comes to Kent

“Our home eye tests are comprehensive and designed to make people feel comfortable and well cared for. Eye tests are really important for everyone, but they take on a new dimension for people who are house-bound.

‘Imagine not being able to see well enough to watch television, or read, or even look out of the window at your garden or street. Having good vision, or the right glasses, is also really important in preventing falls at home.

“And eye tests are not just about getting new glasses. Getting a regular eye test looks at the health of your eye, identifying conditions like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, and can also provide a good indicator as to aspects of your general health.”

To find out more about Specsavers Home Visits, and to check eligibility, visit specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests or call 01622 391167.

10

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Former Mosquito pilot swoops in to thrill retirees with his war memories

Centenary club’s call for members

By Victoria Roberts A FORMER World War II pilot last week held an afternoon meeting to enthral a retirement group with his memories of World War II. Former Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell, who was recently wished happy birthday in Parliament by PM Boris Johnson, retold tales of his bombing missions over Germany to over 70 members and guests from Tunbridge Wells u3a, an activity and interest group for those no longer in full-time employment.

A ONE-hundred-year-old bowls club is calling for new members as the membership has declined to just 18 players.

In 1922, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Bowls club had so many members that some moved to a different ground and formed a club under the name Tunbridge Wells Bowls Club, member Stephen Broome told the Times.

The remaining group of players made the decision to stay at St John’s Recreation Ground, changing their name to Culverden Bowls Club.

However, now, said Stephen, “The club is celebrating its centenary this year and we need more members to join our small friendly and welcoming club.

“Throughout the 20th century, the club had a healthy number of members but, like a lot of bowls clubs, there has been a gradual decline in membership this century, with only 18 still playing,” he told the Times.

Agile The 101-year-old war veteran had flown a wooden-framed Mosquito, a fast and agile bomber that was used to attack cities including Berlin.

He told the u3a audience how the cities in Germany he attacked were defended by enemy fighter planes as well as a ring of anti-aircraft guns which could fire up to 5-7 miles high with great accuracy, thanks to radar guidance and searchlights.

U3a chairman Eryll Fabian said: “He brought home the appalling statistics. The bomber pilots had only a 25 per cent chance of survival and over 55,000 died on duty and many more in training.”

In one ‘hair-raising’ example of the dangers, Flight Lt. Bell and his Canadian navigator were nearly hit but, ‘unknown to them, they had flown over a women’s anti-aircraft training group which was only allowed one live shot each night,’ said Mrs Fabian.

“As he said, survival was 50 per cent luck. The rest was up to you,” she added.

But he also had a timely analysis of war for his guests.

Matches FLYING ACE Colin Bell (R) with u3a members Yvonne Vickery and John Higgins “Colin also spoke about the justification for the bombing of Dresden and went on to emphasise the importance of being prepared for war in order to maintain peace,” said Mrs Fabian.

Following the war, Mr Bell qualified as a chartered surveyor and served for many years as a government district valuer, eventually setting

up his own firm.

A long-term resident of Tunbridge Wells, Mr Bell is a widower, with two children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He is still involved in charity fundraising, and ticket donations from his talk raised £300 for Hospice in the Weald.

“Some people are competitive, while others just enjoy being there. There are in-house competitions, friendly matches and league games.”

Members have also been busy delving into the club’s history, unearthing the first newspaper report to mention it, as well as minutes going back to 1923 and lots of photos.

Club practice sessions are on Mondays at 6pm, St John’s Rec. Ground. Friendlies are played on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. New members are welcome to turn up to events.

O

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Photography: Tessa Clements

Carnival celebration rings the bell for Birchwood residents

FAIR PLAY Shirley Hughes plays hoopla with Birchwood House deputy manager Claire Tye CARE home residents stepped right up for a day of carnival fun last week, as Birchwood House in Speldhurst was transformed into a fairground for its summer event.

Starting with queuing up with their ‘tickets’ to enter the garden, residents had all of Monday [June 27] to enjoy music and old-fashioned fairground games, including hook-a-duck, a coconut shy, hoopla and the traditional test of strength – the high striker.

Fairground All attractions were made accessible for the residents.

Fairground prizes included classic ‘goldfish in a bag’ without involving any live fish.

As the day wore on, fairgoers were able to restore their strength with traditional fairground foods including home-cooked burgers, hot dogs and ice creams, prepared by the care home’s in-house chef, Elia.

Naughtier treats were on offer as well – jars of sweets on the banquet table, and a popcorn, candy-floss and doughnut stand hired for the day.

Birchwood House residents choose the theme of each season’s social event, and staff decorate the place and dress up.

Deputy manager Claire Tye said: “Here at Birchwood House, we’re always planning our events to ensure the residents enjoy fun and exciting seasonal activities that allow them to stay active and socialise. We have some extremely competitive residents and staff here, so we all enjoyed putting our skills to the test during the fairground games! It was also a perfect excuse to get our dancing shoes on and dance the afternoon away.”

She added: “It’s lovely to see the residents having such fun and being able to socialise again after the pandemic - it was a thoroughly enjoyable day for the residents. The carnival event may be finished but the memories will last forever.”

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11

Sussex Police shines a career beacon for pupils TWO visiting Sussex Police officers have been a number of fictional crime scene situations. showing Beacon Academy pupils different paths Watching the proceedings was Beacon into police work.

Academy’s head of psychology and criminology, In a careers assembly aimed at all Year 9s at the Deborah Morrell, who said: “The scenarios Crowborough based school, DC Kayleigh ranged from a probable break-in at a warehouse Hollobone and Emily Baccus-Waterman presented to a crashed car where the occupants had fled a range of routes into the police for the pre-GCSE the scene. pupils, explaining that future officers could enter the force at several career-stages.

Situation Outlining the professional and financial advantage of the three-year vocational Police “The students were very animated in their Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA), DC groups, discussing what type of evidence might Hollobone said: “You will be employed as a police be available and coming up with some intriguing officer from day one, whilst studying a degree in explanations for each situation,” she added.

Professional Policing Practice, resulting in a The force is already planning a future visit to the degree but with no student debt. school, to outline non-officer roles, which would “Officers are paid a full wage and are allocated include victim and witness support, contact study days every week to support their learning.” handlers who handle 999 and 101 calls, radio For those entering the police with a degree operation and work in the intelligence bureau. already, DC Hollobone offered her own experience as a possible model, explaining: “As a degree holder already, Sussex Police are supporting me in a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice; a great personal and professional opportunity for development.”

In a separate workshop afterwards, COMMUNITY DC Kayleigh the school’s Year 12 Hollobone runs police workshop Criminology and at Beacon Academy Uniformed Services students ‘investigated’

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

PM ‘forgot’ about groping claims made against MP Demands for another Property Event at The Finance Hub

BORIS Johnson failed to remember he had been told that Chris Pincher was the subject of an official complaint about his conduct, Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman confirmed that Mr Johnson was briefed on the complaint by officials at the Foreign Office in 2019, a ‘number of months’ after it took place.

The spokesman said the complaint against Mr Pincher – who was Europe minister at the time – was upheld although it did not lead to formal disciplinary action.

No 10 had previously claimed Mr Johnson had not been aware of any ‘specific allegations’, after Mr Pincher’s dramatic resignation last week as deputy chief whip following claims he groped two men at a private members’ club.

“At the time last week that was the Prime Minister’s view. You will appreciate it takes some time to establish he was briefed, albeit we don’t think in formal briefing on this,” the spokesman said.

Lied

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“This dates back a number of years. On Friday, it was our belief that he was not informed about that specific incident.”

The admission came after the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, Lord McDonald of Salford, said the original No 10 account was ‘not true’ and the Prime Minister had been briefed ‘in person’.

The peer and ex-permanent secretary at the Foreign Office took the highly unusual step of submitting a formal complaint to the parliamentary standards commissioner, which Labour has said was a clear indication the Prime Minister had ‘lied’.

Following Mr Pincher’s dramatic resignation last week over allegations he drunkenly groped two men at a private members’ club, No 10 has been accused of shifting its account of what Mr Johnson knew of his past conduct when he made him deputy chief whip in February.

In his letter, Lord McDonald said that in the summer of 2019, shortly after Mr Pincher was made Europe minister, a complaint by a group of officials about his conduct was investigated and upheld, and the Prime Minister informed of the outcome.

Downing Street initially claimed that Mr Johnson had not been aware of any ‘specific allegations’ against Mr Pincher at the time of the February reshuffle.

But after reports over the weekend of repeated alleged instances of Mr Pincher making unwanted sexual advances to men, it said that while the Prime Minister had known of concerns, they had been either ‘resolved’ or there had been no formal complaint and that any allegations were unsubstantiated.

However, Lord McDonald said this was still not accurate.

“Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation.

There was a ‘formal complaint’,” he wrote.

“Allegations were ‘resolved’ only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr

Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as ‘unsubstantiated’ is therefore wrong.”

Senior Tory backbencher Sir Roger Gale, who is the MP for Thanet in Kent and a long-standing critic of Mr Johnson, said Lord McDonald’s letter shows the Prime Minister lied.

He said he will now support a change of the rules of the Conservative 1922 Committee to allow a fresh vote of confidence in the Prime Minister to go ahead within 12 months of the previous one.

“Mr Johnson has for three days now been sending ministers – in one case a Cabinet minister – out to defend the indefensible, effectively to lie on his behalf. That cannot be allowed to continue,” he told the BBC. “This Prime Minister has trashed the reputation of a proud and honourable party for honesty and decency and that is not acceptable.

“It is so blatant a lie it has to be acted upon as swiftly as possible by my party.”

Seriousness And Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was clear that Mr Johnson had gone ahead with Mr Pincher’s appointment, despite being aware of the seriousness of the complaints against him.

“Boris Johnson’s desperate attempts to cover up what he knew about sexual assault complaints against Chris Pincher before appointing him have been blown out the water,” she said in a statement.

“It is now clear that the Prime Minister knew about the seriousness of these complaints but decided to promote this man to a senior position in Government anyway. He refused to act and then lied about what he knew.

“Boris Johnson is dragging British democracy through the muck. His appalling judgment has made Westminster a less safe place to work.”

Arrests after biggest ever police migrant sting POLICE have made a series of arrests in what is believed to be the ‘biggest ever’ international operation targeting criminal gangs suspected of people-smuggling across the Channel.

Officers arrested six men and a woman in the Docklands and Catford areas of London on Tuesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Dozens of raids are also taking place in Germany, France and the Netherlands as part of a joint operation with Europol and Eurojust.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration, in Rushey Green, Catford, as was a 22-year-old man in St Davids Square, on the Isle of Dogs.

A 20-year-old woman and 18-year-old man were detained on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, after a quantity of what is suspected to be cocaine was found.

They remain in custody and are being questioned by NCA investigators.

Two other men were arrested for immigration offences and will now be dealt with by the immigration authorities.

The NCA said: “Officers have today joined what is believed to be the biggest ever international operation targeting criminal networks suspected of using small boats to smuggle thousands of people into the UK.”

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

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Sats results dip as teaching leaders criticise ‘completely unacceptable’ website failure

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HEADTEACHERS have said it is ‘not surprising’ that Key Stage 2 Sats results are lower this year given the disruption pupils faced to their education during the pandemic.

They added that the results show ‘how far we will need to go’ to meet a Government target for 90 per cent of primary pupils to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths by 2030, and that ‘substantial investment’ would be needed.

Standards “The Government’s plans contain no additional resources so it is hard to see how this can possibly be achieved,” they said.

On Tuesday, the 2022 Key Stage 2 Sats results, which assess Year 6 pupils’ attainment in literacy and maths, showed that 59 per cent achieved expected standards, down from 65 per cent in 2019.

Scores were lower in all areas apart from reading.

In total, 71 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in maths, down from 79 per cent in 2019, while 69 per cent met the expected standard in writing, down from 78 per cent.

And 72 per cent met the expected standard in grammar, down from 78 per cent in 2019, while 79 per cent met the expected standard in science, down from 83 per cent.

The score for reading rose by one percentage point to 74 per cent.

The Government has previously announced an aim for 90 per cent of pupils to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths on leaving primary school by 2030, as part of its levelling-up agenda.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the 2022 results show how difficult this will be to achieve without further Government investment.

Congratulating schools on their achievements, he added: “It is hardly surprising the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths is lower than it was before the pandemic.

“It illustrates the very difficult circumstances affecting schools and pupils over the past two years, and it is to their immense credit that, within this overall statistic, reading attainment has actually increased despite the disruption of Covid.”

Meanwhile, school leaders have branded a Government website failure on the day of primary Sats results as ‘immensely frustrating’.

Primary schools across the country attempting to access year six pupils’ results have reported the Primary Assessment Gateway website crashing.

James Bowen, the union NAHT’s policy director, said it is ‘completely unacceptable’ the site “should fail like this today”.

“Results day is stressful enough for school leaders – this really doesn’t help,” he said.

Worst June for UK car makers in over 25 years

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£225 plus VAT for a single Will THE UK automotive industry suffered its worst June for new car sales since 1996.

Registrations of new vehicles fell by 24.3 per cent last month compared with June 2021, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Global shortages of components such as semiconductors continue to hamper manufacturers’ ability to fulfil demand, with 141,000 new cars registered in June, the trade body said.

Drivers are having to wait more than 12 months to take delivery of some models.

Only 802,000 new cars were sold during the first half of the year.

That was an 11.9 per cent reduction compared with the same period in 2021, and represents the industry’s weakest January-June performance since 1992.

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Sainsbury’s boss warns UK cost of living pressure will ‘intensify’ THE boss of Sainsbury’s has warned that pressure on household budgets ‘will only intensify over the remainder of the year’ as he pledged to invest more money to improve value for shoppers.

Simon Roberts, chief executive of the supermarket group, said it is working to reduce costs across its operations amid continued inflation.

SIMON “We really understand ROBERTS how hard it is for millions of households right now and that’s why we are investing £500million and doing everything we can to keep our prices low, especially on the products customers buy most often,” he said.

“The pressure on household budgets will only intensify over the remainder of the year and I am very clear that doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues will remain at the very top of our agenda.”

It came as the retail giant revealed that like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, declined by 4 per cent over the 16 weeks to

June 25, compared with the same period last year.

Sainsbury’s hailed a ‘good’ performance in its grocery business, which saw sales dip 2.4 per cent against levels from 2021.

Jubilee The retailer said its “improved value position” has helped its performance against competitors, with the group investing heavily into improving prices, such as through its Sainsbury’s Quality, Aldi Price Match campaign.

Sales were also particularly strong around the Jubilee week, the company said, with sales of beers, wines and spirits at “the highest ever outside of Christmas and Easter, with Pimm’s, sparkling wine and champagne selling particularly well”.

The total sales decline was dragged lower by significant slumps in the group’s clothing and general merchandise divisions, which includes its Argos brand.

Argos sales fell by 10.5 per cent over the period, which it said was driven by a heavy slump over the first five weeks.

The group also revealed that fuel sales jumped 48.3 per cent over the period.

Mr Roberts added: “We’re working hard to reduce costs right across the business so that we can keep investing in these areas that customers care most about.

“The progress we are making on improving value, quality, innovation and service is reflected in our improved grocery volume market share.”

RMT leader says dispute is ‘the fight of our lifetime’ A UNION leader has described the national rail dispute as the ‘fight of our lifetime.’

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), said negotiations over pay, jobs and conditions were the “toughest” the union had ever been involved in.

RMT members have staged three strikes over the row which crippled services. No new strikes have been set and talks have been continuing between the union, Network Rail and the train operators.

MICK LYNCH

Practices The UK Government has previously said this will benefit nearly 30 million working people with a typical employee saving over £330 in the year from July.

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Nasima Ansary, a Senior Associate in the contentious probate team at Thomson Snell & Passmore answers common questions on this topic.

The executor has not taken any steps to administer the estate, what can I do?

If the executor has not taken action within a reasonable period of time (normally one year) then you can issue a citation (a notice sealed by the Probate Registry) to the executor to accept or refuse to take out a Grant of Probate. If the executor declines, or does not respond to the citation then you can ask the Probate Registry for permission to obtain a Grant yourself.

What if the executor has taken some action in respect of the winding up but not applied for a Grant of Probate?

If the executor has taken some action but not obtained a Grant of Probate, this is known as intermeddling. If the executor has intermeddled, then a citation can be issued to the executor to apply to obtain a Grant of Probate. If the executor does not respond to the citation, then you can ask the court for permission to obtain a Grant yourself.

The first step is to communicate your concerns to the executor and ask them to address these. There may be an explanation for the delay, or for the actions or inaction of the executor.

“And they are going to bring back the driver only operated disputes in every single train operating company. They have told me that face to face. They said it was their mandate from the Department for Transport.

“So, this is as serious as it gets. It is the fight of our lifetime and of our generation.”

The RMT general secretary criticised those who blame workers for the cost-of-living crisis in Britain, arguing that wage demands from trade unions were not the cause of inflation.

He said: “It is a myth put round by the establishment that workers’ wages are the cause of inflation. It is the profit making and protecting the wealth of the super-rich that is responsible for inflation. We have not got a wage price spiral – wages are lagging a long way behind prices and it is the job of the trade unions to ensure wages catch up.”

Income boost for millions as NI falls MANY people will start to see a boost in their pay packets this month as they grapple with surging living costs.

From today (Wednesday July 6), the threshold at which people pay National Insurance (NI) will increase.

The move follows a controversial 1.25 percentage point increase in NI in April, to help pay for health and social care, which came amid a string of other bill hikes, including a jump in the energy price gap.

NI starting thresholds will rise from £9,880 to £12,570 from July 6.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

I am not happy with the progress that the executor has been making and do not consider that he or she is acting in the best interests of the beneficiaries.

Practices Mr Lynch told the RMT’s annual meeting in Birmingham: “They are trying to cut thousands of jobs and they have no scruples in cutting back on safety regimes in order to do so.

“They are seeking to rip up working practices and conditions, agreements that protect our members and in doing so they will drive up unsocial hours, work fatigue and occupational ill-health.

“And they are seeking to make our members poor with below-inflation pay offers which do not take into account the cost-of-living crisis. Since that strike action, which was fantastic, they have not diluted their stance. At Network Rail they are ramping up their demands.

“We went to the train operators, and they put on the table that virtually every rail worker would be re-contracted on a new contract of employment and a new set of terms and conditions.

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Seven in 10 (70 per cent) workers who pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) will pay less, even after accounting for the health and social care levy, the Government said previously.

Of those who benefit from the threshold increase, 2.2 million people will be taken out of paying NICs altogether, it added.

Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at investment platform Bestinvest, said a £330 saving “won’t stretch far when you realise that only equates to £27.50 a month”.

She continued: “Yes, every penny counts in this cost-of-living crisis and for some, that £27.50 could be the difference between having dinner every night and sometimes going without.

“For others, however, that amount will barely make a dent in their budgets as they struggle to pay the household bills amid rampant inflation as soaring food, fuel and energy prices become the norm.”

I have discussed my concerns with the executor and cannot reach a resolution. I consider that the executor should be removed. How can I do this?

If a Grant of Probate has not been obtained by the executor, then you can apply to the Probate Registry to “pass over” the executor and to appoint another person as administrator pursuant to section 116 of the Senior Courts Act 1981.

The Probate Registry will take into account any “special circumstances” which make it necessary or expedient to appoint an administrator in replacement of the executor.

Special circumstances could extend to any circumstances which the Probate Registry thinks are relevant.

If an executor has obtained a Grant of Probate then an application can be made to the High Court pursuant to section 50 Administration of Justice Act 1985 for the removal of the executor and the appointment of a personal representative to act in his place. This can be a lay or professional personal representative. The court will take into account whether the administration of the estate is being carried out properly and whether it is in the best interests of the beneficiaries to replace one or more of the executors.

If you would like any further information on this topic then please get in touch info@ts-p.co.uk.

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timeslocalnews.co.uk FOREVEN EVENMORE MORENEWS NEWSVISIT: VISIT:timeslocalnews.co.uk FOR

Wednesday September 29 | 202117 Education NEWS

EDUCATION Times

‘Benenden is very good, the people are very nice. We’re very happy here, it’s amazing’

Prestigious independent girls’ school welcomes four Ukrainian refugees on full bursaries Four Ukrainian girls have joined Benenden School.

A spokesperson for the former alma mater of Princess Anne announced the news last week and said that three of the students have joined as day pupils and are living with local families while the fourth pupil is boarding.

Benenden Headmistress Samantha Price said she was pleased the school had been able to provide full bursaries for these students, who are all aged between 14 and 16.

She added: “Obviously these young women have been through an unimaginable amount of upheaval in recent months so we are pleased that we have been able to provide them with a sense of normality and the chance to continue their education in a safe and welcoming environment.

“The girls are an absolute delight. They have settled in to Benenden really well and are quickly making friends here. They have learnt lots in a short period of time with us but equally we are learning a great deal from them as well.”

Special Mariia, aged 16 and from Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, is the most recent Ukrainian student to join Benenden, following a protracted visa process. She is boarding full-time in the Sixth Form and said: “Benenden is beautiful and peaceful. People are relaxed and nice.”

She said that it was ‘completely’ different to her old

Liza, 14, said: “Benenden is very good, the people are very nice. I’m very happy here, it’s amazing.”

Liza has twice featured on BBC South East Today since arriving in Kent due to her musical talent with the bandura, a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument which she brought with her when her family left the country.

Liza’s first experience of Benenden was performing her bandura to the whole school. She said of that first concert: “It’s very special for me, very important and I’m very proud and happy I can play here.” She said her passions were theatre and music and that she had hoped to pursue a career in this field.

SWINGBALL Ukrainian students enjoying a game

“The girls are an absolute delight.

They have settled in at Benenden really well and are quickly making friends here” school in Ukraine, while 16-year-old Dasha, who has also joined the Sixth Form from Chernihiv in the north, added: “It’s like a big castle and a very modern school.”

Alisa and Liza have joined the Lower School after arriving in Kent from Kyiv.

Asked to describe Benenden, Alisa, 15, said: “A safe place after this stress. Everyone is happy and always smiling.”

BENENDEN HEAD RECEIVES TOP TEACHING ACCOLADE Samantha Price, Headmistress of Benenden School, has been named as one of the UK’s best headteachers at the prestigious Tes School Awards.

Mrs Price’s nomination as Headteacher of the Year followed a particularly transformational year at Benenden, in which the school introduced day boarders for the first time, opened a dedicated boarding house for its youngest pupils, and has completed the most ambitious development in its history, a new School Hall and Music School.

In addition, Mrs Price has played a prominent

role in the sector as 2021-22 President of the Girls’ Schools Association, during which she has been the figurehead for UK girls’ schools and a leading voice of support for the country’s young people.

Mrs Price said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been a Headteacher of the Year finalist. This accolade is a testament to the incredible efforts of everyone in the wonderful Benenden community. With such dedicated staff members and a truly inspiring student body, it is a joy to lead Benenden School.”

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Wednesday April 7 | Weekly 2021 18 NEWS Comment

Wednesday July 6 | 2022 Local News NEWS 17

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk timeslocalnews.co.uk

Matthew Scott

Matthew Scott was first elected the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. He sets policing priorities, commissions services to support victims, sets the council tax precept, manages the force’s budget, and holds the Chief Constable to account. He serves as the national PCC lead for Mental Health, and is chair of the board for the BlueLight Commercial organisation.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent

Burglary is an invasive and harmful crime which is why it’s my top priority I REMEMBER vividly our family home being burgled when I was a child. We came home to find that our door chain had been put on from the inside – meaning we couldn’t get in. We immediately knew something was wrong.

The sense of loss from burglary is great, especially when it comes to personal items. Not long after, I found a jewellery box behind the sideboard in our hallway.

Treasured items – simply discarded.

Unfortunately, my find did not yield any further evidence.

Generation Burglary is an invasive and harmful crime, and it can have deeply personal consequences.

You have always told me that it’s one of the most important issues that the police should deal with, which is why I have made it a top priority.

Over the course of a generation, as housing has become more secure and technology such as video doorbells and CCTV are more widespread,

burglary has become less common. However, I am working with Kent Police to reduce burglary further.

Funded with your council tax, a Crime Squad has been established to deal with acquisitive crimes, including burglary, robbery and theft.

This team alone has secured 2500 charges since it was established three years ago. It’s helped keep burglary falling and increase the percentage of cases charged.

Kent Police is also working with the Probation Service on an ambitious scheme to tag burglars

and robbers as they come out of prison.

This scheme uses GPS to keep track of them for 12 months, which helps reduce re-offending.

They’ll use daily data about burglary, robbery and theft and map the movements of tagged offenders to see if suspects can be identified.

And Kent Police will deal with these crimes no matter where they take place.

Tunbridge Wells has both urban and rural communities. Crime does not respect boundaries and so the police response should be consistent no matter where you live.

This is one of the guiding principles of my policing plan. The number of rural officers was increased some time ago to work with residents, businesses and others to prevent rural crime and antisocial behaviour.

Kent Police is doing well to recruit extra Officers as part of the Government’s programme to hire 20,000 more Police. Of our share this year - 185 - I hope you will feel the benefit in due course, no matter where you live.

If there is anything that my team and I can do to assist, please do let me know.

Advertise with us...

Times of Tunbridge Wells Largest circulated newspaper in the area Out every Wednesday Total weekly reach – 57,000 +

01892 779 580 or email advertising@onemediauk.co.uk

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Letters

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

NEWS

19

And another thing…

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

Census results show that we need homes for the young not retirees Last week’s front page about Tunbridge Wells’ population not changing in the last decade did not surprise me.

Years of over-priced residential developments by profit driven developers, keen to maximise their returns on luxury homes and retirements flats, instead of affordable starter homes to help renters get a foot on the housing ladder and stop lining the pockets of greedy landlords.

With a migratory population who travel north to London for the high wages, and a town centre staffed by those who can afford the exorbitant fuel costs to travel into the town for work, where are the plans for young families to setup home in our town?

Now we see plans to build yet more retirement homes on the Aldi site submitted [see page 3], in addition to the on-going cinema site plan, and current build on the

bus depot on St John’s Road, whilst The Dairy still advertises vacant flats, years after completion.

I’m not surprised those retiring aren’t keen to live out their years in boxes on a busy main road, and I don’t blame them for staying in their spacious homes, thereby stagnating the property ladder.

Do developers really think there’s the demand for more retirement flats in Tunbridge Wells? Perhaps it’s profit over delivering on demand?

Here’s hoping the new council can knock the Local Plan into shape and encourage developers to build the right homes to attract people to live, work and play in our town, else we’ll be a dormant sleepy town before we know it.

Tom Chown Tunbridge Wells

As for misplaced sympathy – should it not be with Rwanda, whether he longs to export these ‘thousands’ of queue-jumping economic migrants?

There the unemployment rate is 16.9 per cent (the UK’s is 3.7 per cent).

It’s probably just as well they are fictitious – although we are going to be paying £120million for this particular piece of political theatre.

Cllr Dariel Francis (Labour) Southborough Town Council Nothing smart about energy meters Further to my letter last week about my modest energy costs, I forgot to add the coda: three days after the cost reduction the smart meter company acting on Shell’s behalf called urging me to have one installed – ‘it will save you money’.

Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. This is a con, an expensive con, nothing will save me money, except my own actions.

Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

Calverley is wrong on migrants Your correspondent (Calverley, June 22) waxed so frothy about illegal immigrants and Rwanda that it made me curious about the real numbers of ‘primarily economic migrants fleeing France, a safe country, in order to jump the queue of those genuinely seeking asylum’.

So I consulted the Home Office website: which tells us that in the 15 months from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, precisely 75 individuals were served with inadmissibility decisions owing to their previous presence in, or connection to, a safe country. [Source – gov.uk

immigration-statistics-year-endingmarch-2022].

Perhaps he [Calverley] refers to the 28,526 people detected arriving on small boats in 2021.

They mainly originated from Iran (8K), Iraq (5K), Eritrea (3K) and Syria (2K).

Of the top ten nationalities applying for asylum, half have a grant rate above 80 per cent (Iran 88 per cent, Eritrea 97 per cent, Syria 98 per cent, Afghanistan 91 per cent, and Sudan 95 per cent).

In other words, a very high proportion of those claiming asylum in the UK turn out to be not ‘primarily economic migrants’, but to have just as much right to be here as Ukrainians.

SCAMMERS. Each year close to five million people in the UK lose tens of millions of pounds to fraudsters. Last week a teenage member of Calverley’s family was among the victims. Between exam revision he’d spent time buying and selling items online. He is an intelligent, educated young man but was shocked when he lost his £500 pot of money to scammers. It’s a lesson he will not forget.

But it’s a lesson in how to protect your money and savings that he should have been taught in school. Forget all the politically correct handouts and the never ending wokery.

Youngsters need to be better prepared for the real world.

TALKING of school lessons. Calverley was taken aback to learn that parents have no legal right to see exactly what their kids are being taught. They can ask for copies of lesson plans but schools are not legally obliged to hand them over. The issue has been highlighted after the parents of one pupil at a state secondary complained more than once, about lessons on race, sex and gender.

DISAPPOINTING

If you have an individual problem which you think I can help with or you would like to have a chat about a more general issue, please do get in touch.

I am holding regular advice surgeries – by zoom or telephone. To make an appointment, please call:

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

PEPPY SAYS...

that Emma Raducanu got knocked out of Wimbledon so early.

But it’s all part of a tennis learning curve. She also needs to learn a few more life lessons. To appear on Centre Court wearing necklace, earrings and bracelet worth £36,000 at time when millions are suffering from the cost of living crisis is surely insensitive. The bling was all from Tiffany which happens to pay her £2million to show off their products. (She’s won more mega endorsements, it is said, than she has matches.) The misjudgment is not all Emma’s fault. She’s young and should sack her agent and PR people.

STILL with tennis. Is anyone else cringing at

CARTOON BY PEPPY: (Follow her on Twitter @Peppyscott)

Tories at sea on finances In last week’s Times (June 29), and repeated in various other places, are claims from the previous Conservative administration that the new Borough Partnership is incorrect in its financial statements.

Once again, here are the facts: the previous Conservative administration are quite right that the Council’s budget ran a small surplus of £35,000 last financial year.

What they fail to mention is that this was only achieved by securing an 11th-hour one-off central government pandemic grant, without which they would have been all at sea.

Of course, emergency grants do not address the long-term problems in the Council’s finances, but merely kick the can down the road to this year, meaning that the new Borough Partnership administration has inherited nearly a £1million deficit this year, and a deficit of over £2.5m next year.

This becomes an eye-watering £20million problem over the next 5 years unless we address it.

Some inheritance from the so-called party of fiscal prudence!

Cllr Ben Chapelard (Lib Dem) Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

BBC TV’s court side interviews with the winners. Calverley certainly is. Paraphrased examples, with Calverley’s answers, include: “So what’s it feel like winning the biggest match of your career?” - “Awful, really awful.”

“How do you feel having your whole family cheering you on?” – “Wish they’d stayed home.”

“What’s the secret of your success?” – “Pure luck, nothing to do with hard graft over ten years.”

The interviewers must be straight out of Reporter Training College. More likely they never went!

FINAL THOUGHT. If Civil Servants join all the other workers on strike does it mean they’ll walk back into their offices? That’ll be the day when they get back behind their desks.

Chin, chin dear reader…

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

“Hilarious” BROADWAY BABY

“Very funny” THE GUARDIAN

FRIDAY 15TH JULY 2022 ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Life&Times

ARTS • BOOKS • GOING OUT • FOOD • EVENTS • ANTIQUES • TRAVEL • PROPERTY • LIVE MUSIC and MORE...

Arts - P22

Going Out - P27

Antiques - P36

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE Chef Chetna Makan returns P30

22

Arts

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

arts

Girls just want to have fun…

Pick up your passport, grab your shades - and a cocktail or two - in order to join the cast of Housewives on Holiday which touches down at the Assembly Hall for one night only on July 13.

Eileen Leahy reveals what the hilarious trio of jet set holiday makers have in store for the audience

A

fter nearly three years of not being able to globetrot freely due to the pandemic, the appeal of an exotic holiday will not be lost on most of us.

But how about if you could go on a virtual trip - with some of the funniest females without leaving your home town? Well, the good news is you actually can thanks to the hilarious comedy sketch show Housewives on Holiday which touches down next Wednesday, (July 13) at the Assembly Hall.

Starring Maureen Nolan, Josephine Partridge and Sarah Dearlove, the show is the eagerly awaited follow up to Hormonal Housewives which was a ‘no-holds-barred romp through the joys of being a fabulous 21st century woman.’

Once again it’s been written by Julie Coombe - who also wrote Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - and is directed by John Maclsaac.

And having kicked off its tour at the end of June in Lincoln, Housewives on Holiday is receiving rave reviews already.

‘Go on a virtual trip with some of the funniest females without leaving your home town’

KIDS £7 31st July · 1.30pm

BEAT BOX OFFICE: 01892 678 678

BIG events in the HEART of Kent Have you heard? We're 40!

We are perhaps best known for theatrical productions, live music, cinema and stand-up comedy (you've GOT to get your hands on a club night ticket), but we offer the community so much more!

In our 40th year, we are almost ready to open up our clocktower; our Heritage project is near completion, and we invite you to be part of this enormous milestone in the history of our wonderful venue. We are asking for your help in the telling of our story, read on to learn about our heritage and find out how to get involved in our 40th!

trinitytheatre.net

24th Aug · 1pm & 4pm

TRINITY THEATRE

TICKETS £10+

SO. What have we got planned?

OUR 40th Anniversary Weekend! 26th - 29th AUGUST We are marking the occasion throughout the year, but we are going all out this August Bank Holiday weekend; it's fit to burst with celebration! FREE community events? We've got quite a few!

FRIDAY 24th July 1.30pm · 3.30pm

TICKETS £7+

7.30pm · £12 We've played host to some amazing talent, but we’ve also nurtured quite a bit of it ourselves!

We are showcasing the brilliant people that make this venue special with entire evening dedicated to their talents!

SATURDAY SUNDAY SUMMER FETE FREE entry 11am ~ 4pm

6.30pm ~ 10pm · £15

THE GREAT TRINITY MUCK IN

The Great Trinity Muck In asks for YOUR time and hopefully, in return, we can offer you some new skills.

Worst comes to worst – there’ll be FREE CAKE! Let’s celebrate Trinity’s past whilst protecting its future.

Our mission is to support the younger and older population in life-enhancing and life-changing activities – all with a sense of fun, and we are good at it. We really are.

Visit TRINITYTHEATRE.NET for full listings, event info and sign-up!!

BOX OFFICE: 01892 678678 · trinitytheatre.net

COMEDY · THEATRE · FAMILY EVENTS · CINEMA · CAFÉ · GALLERY · MUSIC

Arts

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

“The funniest thing I’ve seen at the theatre,” says one happy audience member while another adds “It’s a laugh a minute.”

Hilarious The show’s month-long nationwide tour takes in Tunbridge Wells half way through its run and a spokesperson for the show tells the Times what the audience can expect to enjoy about it: “Holidays, like women, come in all shapes and sizes. From wild partying to wild swimming. From Club 18-30 to Club 80-130. Join the ladies as they romp through a tapas selection of Holiday Heaven, Holiday Hell but most of all Holiday Hilarity!”

Loose Women star and Nolans sibling Maureen adds: “This is pure feel-good fun! It’s about three friends who go on holiday. We’re not trying to change the world, it’s about the good times.”

She continues: “I love doing these shows

‘I love doing these shows because the women are so supportive and just such a laugh’

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You could be on the beach or in a Paris restaurant. It’s brilliant.

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because the women are so supportive and just such a laugh. Anyone can identify with going on holiday with a gang of women.”

So is the audience usually all female at the shows? “Well we usually get a few brave men in the audience too!” smiles Maureen.

Housewives on Holiday includes everything from skits on swimsuit shopping, to having to hold in your tummy in your too-tiny two piece, as well as ribbing posh yummy mummies who go glamping. In short pretty much everything holiday related is up for ridicule and the audience are very much encouraged to join in!

The show’s first half is always set in the town the trio are performing that night so next Wednesday Tunbridge Wells will become the ‘Costa del Wells’ before the ladies embark on a virtual trip to the Costa del Sol for more holiday high jinks in the second half!

23

TRIP TO PARADISE :(L-R) Josephine Partridge, Maureen Nolan and Sarah Dearlove

Fabulous In addition to talk of dodgy tans and holiday romances, the girls embark on a high energy aerobics class with extremely funny consequences and promise to get the audience up and dancing to their high octane sonic summer soundtrack.

For tickets visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

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20/06/2022 11:09

24

Books

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

TRAGIC TWISTS

ONE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

The Maidens

by Alex Michaelides

Confessions with Blue Horses

by Sophie Hardach

Published by W&N, priced £8.99

published by Head of Zeus, priced £8.99

The eponymous Maidens are a group of bright and beautiful students at Cambridge University, selected and taught by the unusual and enigmatic, Edward Fosca who is brought into the spotlight as one-by-one the Maidens are targeted by a frenzied killer.

Recently widowed Mariana, whose niece and ward attends the Maidens’ college, is drawn into the investigation as she flexes her skills as a a group therapist to try and identify who is behind the attacks… without allowing her grief or her growing obsession with Fosca to blind her to the truth. Although mildly formulaic – prompting me to question in the first few chapters whether I had actually read the book before! – this is a really satisfying thriller: spookily atmospheric with the references to Greek tragedy and a book which genuinely keeps you guessing to the final pages.

The photo of the Blue Horses painting in a box of her late mother’s possessions spurs Ella into action. Whilst her childhood fairy story wasn’t quite realised – about three children who lived in a bathtub and were taken & turned into blue horses by a sorcerer – Ella and brothers Tobi & Heiko were snatched from their East German art historian parents when caught trying to defect in the summer of 1987. Ella and Tobi were returned to their grandmother but Heiko was adopted and never seen again.

Now adults, Ella and Tobi befriend Aaron, a young student working in the Stasi archives, and set out to expose the secrets and the truth behind their family history.

Set across two timelines, this novel offers a sympathetic and non-judgemental insight into this period in German history, touching upon the controversial themes with a real sense of equilibrium as different perspectives are considered to understand the motives of all the characters.

8/10

Hannah Kirsop grew up in Kent and now lives in Horsmonden with her family. She loves to read and share recommendations and runs Bainden Book Club for a group of local women to discuss interesting fiction and non-fiction in a range of genres.

You can find www.baindenbookshelf.com online or on Instagram: @baindenbookshelf

9/10

SOULSTICE

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Plus more artists TBA

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Books

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Tonbridge mum recounts experiences in new book told the Times.

A MUM from Tonbridge who founded “Ever wondered how you can give a resource for new mothers in 2018 your first time pregnant friends a after battling postnatal heads up about motherhood depression and anxiety, has without jeopardising your recounted her experiences in a friendship? This is the gift for new book. you!”

Silke Thistlewood who runs With plenty of truth, tools to Raise Up Mums uses stories and prepare yourself and some quotes from mothers in the Silke humour along the way, it’s written trenches, expert voices and Thistlewood by a mum determined to smooth the worksheets to tinker with, this guide path into motherhood for those not yet actually prepares first time mums for a member. some of the realities of life with a newborn.

Support Having pleaded for information from professionals and friends alike in vain, Silke found motherhood hit her like a tonne of bricks. If just one person had told her that it was ok to find it so impossibly hard, she would have coped an awful lot better.

“Women deserve more support, honesty and community when it comes to becoming a mother, which this books aims to provide,” she

The book retails at £12.99 and is available in hard copy and as an e-book via Amazon and raiseupmums.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells author walks readers through his daughter’s cancer battle

Marco Previero TUNBRIDGE WELLS resident Marco Previero’s daughter, Millie, was seven years old when she was first diagnosed with brain cancer.

To rebuild her physical and mental strength, both significantly depleted following seven months of intensive treatment, Marco and Millie made a habit of going on regular walks in the countryside.

Through these walks, they were able to start talking about Millie’s cancer, and the limitations that this disease and its cure was going to impose on her life.

depend on the position of the tumour, its related treatment and cure, how the body copes with therapy, and the level of support available in the recovery phase.

Marco Previero provides an objective exploration and reflection of Millie’s treatment, the life-long limitations it has imposed, and what they found helpful in addressing and managing these during treatment and recovery.

Marco used to be based in Tunbridge Wells, before he and his family had to move for Millie’s schooling requirements – and the walks that take place in the book take place in Kent.

Walking on the Edge retails at £9.99 and is published by Matador.

Aspects Nine years after Millie was first diagnosed, Marco Previero reflects back on that time as well as looking at the lasting effects of childhood brain cancer, which are often overlooked and underfunded.

Walking on the Edge covers several aspects of childhood brain cancer and its related treatment in a relatable, easy-to-understand way. It covers topics such as the many practical challenges that parents, and survivors of childhood brain tumours, face in the long-term, how that can

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Going out

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

27

Radio 4 comedian hopes to Skewer audiences with his new Hever show

I

f you fall into one or more of the categories of a Radio 4 fan, a comedy fan and a music fan, congratulations, you are in a very special Venn diagram, and the ‘audio tapestry’ of current events, satire and sound which is ‘The Skewer’ encircles and includes you.

Drawn to the Hever Festival by the converging demographics, writer Jon Holmes set about planning ‘a DJ set version’ of his cult Radio 4 current affairs comedy, which combines snippets of news and views with music and memories, in a maddening flow of surreality.

“We must be mad,” he told the Times. “But it works because the crowd can chill out to the music, laugh at the funny bits, or have a drink and dance to both. It’s basically a satirical DJ set version of the show.

Reassuringly, he promises there will be some landmarks in sight.

“It’s a sort of look back at the last 12 months so it’ll include Partygate and Covid alongside current world events such as Ukraine. There’s new stuff too, as we mix up-to-date events into the music alongside a live greatest-hits package.”

Even the process of writing the radio show, which is much more up-to-the-minute, is not as clairvoyant as the surreal programme

HOST JON HOLMES makes it sound.

He explained: “In reality, we’re led by the news agenda, and once I (and our team of contributors) get into the mindset it’s a matter of figuring out how we can mix the news into movies, tv, popular culture and music to create a sort of audio tapestry... or a satirical river of sound.

“We don’t ‘write’ it in the conventional sense; it’s very ideas-led and then just as much work goes into the sound design as into the comedy. Also (we do it) drunk, yes.

“Radio 4 fans, comedy fans, music fans…

Hever attracts all three, and we’re slap bang in the middle. I also figured (being from Canterbury), it’d feel like a local gig. It’s miles away – how wrong I was.”

The Skewer: DJ Set is at Two Sisters’ Theatre, Hever Festival on Friday, July 29 at 8pm.

TW Fringe kicked off on Monday (July 4) with local artists, performers and groups on a two-week takeover of venues across town, putting on events from across the arts. Tomorrow (July 7) sees the Fringe Fashion Show taking over Hotel du Vin from 8pm to fundraise for children and families charities Fegans and Taylor Made Dreams. Expect bargains from Childrensalon and Renaissance clothing.

‘Him & Me’, the hit collaboration between BBC Strictly Come Dancing’s best-loved dancers Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice, storms The Assembly Hall at 7:30pm on July 11. The Ballroom King and the two-time Guinness World Record holder are joined by world-class performers for dance, song, and light-hearted fun.

From the writers and producers of ‘Hormonal Housewives’ and ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, Maureen Nolan, Julie Coombe and Josephine Partridge are ‘Housewives on Holiday’ at 7:30pm this July 13 at The Assembly Hall.

Get back to the 1980s… or is it the 1950s? with ‘Back to the Future’ onscreen at Trinity Theatre next Tuesday (July 12) at 7pm.

BritishAmerican quartet Atlanticus takes to Trinity Theatre tonight (July 13) for an evening of powerful, hard-swinging music. US saxophonist Peter Fraize and UK organist Terry Seabrook explore their common interest in the rich transatlantic heritage of jazz, live onstage with trumpeter Jack Kendon and drummer Milo Fell. The band delivers high-energy performance and a lot of original music.

Live music, entertainment, and fitness – expect this and more on July 14 at The Forum, 7:30pm. Join BBC Radio Kent’s Stephen Brown as he presents live with guests David Shepherd, Flo Gallop, Kevyn Ricard & Guests and The Lucky 13’s.

Also in the TW Fringe, Kate McGann and Lauren Doughlin are ‘Glamazon Prime’ personified this Thursday (July 8) at 7:30pm (Old Auction House). Big performers, colossal comedy!

This Saturday (July 9), Rusthall Rocks for Ukraine, a benefit concert with Wott the Hoople and Justine Clark. Lower Green, Rusthall, 7-10:30pm. Last entry 9pm.

COMING TO HEVER The Radio 4 show Skewer

Let your green fingers do the stalking with Chelsea Flower Show medal winner Sian Johnson this Thursday (July 7) at Knole Park (Sevenoaks), 10:30am at the conservation studio.

No floristry experience is needed, but the event is not suitable for younger children.

It’s a CBeebies takeover of the Spa Valley Railway this weekend (July 9-10), with Bing and Flop celebrating the noisy, joyful, messy reality of pre-school life at Groombridge station.

Departures from Tunbridge Wells West at 10.30am, 12 noon, 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm, returning one hour later.

Each train will spend 30 minutes at Groombridge.

Popular weekender and car show Volks Weald returns this weekend (July 9-10) at Penshurst Place.

The VWs are the stars of the show, but other attractions over the weekend include ‘Show n Shine’, ‘We Are The MODified’ and Pennard Vet Group’s dog show. Day tickets still available.

Festival Theatre at HEVER CASTLE The

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june - september ‘Why go to London in the summer when you can go to the Festival Theatre at beautiful Hever Castle?’

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Wednesday July 6 | 2022

gigguide

Gig guide

29

SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTER

July 6 to July 20

Fringe returns for packed fortnight of events and fun There’s a lot of live music happening over the next couple of weeks! Kicking things off is Pub in the Park this weekend and then we have TW Fringe running until July 17.

Most events within this period are listed below but if you are looking for something specific on a certain day then please refer to each website for the full programme of live music events visit: twfringe.co.uk PUB IN THE PARK , DUNORLAN PARK All event information and tickets at www.pubintheparkuk.com/tunbridgewells Friday 08/07 Faithless (DJ set) + Sophie Ellis Bextor + Two Weeks In Nashville Saturday 09/07 Afternoon session: The Feeling + Noasis + The Charlie Rivers Band Evening session: Supergrass + Professor Green + Suncharmer Sunday 10/07 Melanie C + Aswad + DJ Luck & MC Neat + The Paul Dunton Orchestra THE GREY LADY, THE PANTILES Doors 7.15pm, all event information and ticket entry available from www. thegreylady.co.uk Friday 15/07 The Grey Lady Sessions: Paul Dunton Orchestra + Flash Hearth, Raven & Sequoia Coyote Sunday 17/07 Soul Kitchen THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk Wednesday 06/07 Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival (Comedy) Thursday 07/07 Jesus Jones Friday 08/07 Bad Manners

Saturday 09/07 SWiTCH - House, Tech & Techno summer party: GW HARRISON + Tim Cullen + Guy Mac + Faz Sherazi Monday 11/07 The Stable Sessions: Fate the Juggler + Rambling Club + Satellite Parliament + Shoplifter Wednesday 13/07 The Stable Sessions: Revolver + Rugosa Hips + Sammy Vincent + Shoot The Messenger Thursday 14/07 BBC Radio Kent’s Stephen Brown presents: David Shepherd + Flo Gallop + Kevyn Ricard & Guests + The Lucky 13’s Friday 15/07 A Head Full Of Coldplay Saturday 16/07 Boogie Nights Monday 18/07 The Stable Sessions: King Reverend + Move Over Dali + Stormy T & Bluesman Lane + U TURN Tuesday 19/07 India Blue + Chris Chalaye + Matt Dolphin + Sofia Lovell THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE All event information and tickets available from www. assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Saturday 16/07 Bowie Experience TRINITY THEATRE All event information and tickets available at www.trinitytheatre.net Wednesday 13/07 Atlanticus Jazz -

NOASIS

Monday 11/07 Tom Cole (7pm) Wednesday 13/07 Tim Barton (7pm) Thursday 14/07 Robin Mack (7pm) THE PLANT BASE All event details and tickets at www. twfringe.co.uk Saturday 16/07 Bjika (1pm) Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival

Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival JAZZ ON THE PANTILES The Pantiles Bandstand 7.30pm – 10pm reservation required (entrance £5pp).

Participating restaurants : The Tunbridge Wells Hotel, The Kirthon, La Casa Vecchia Thursday 07/07 Thursday 14/07 THE ROYAL OAK PUB Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Saturday 09/07 The Harveys THE GREEN DUCK EMPORIUM All event information and tickets at www.twfringe.co.uk Saturday 09/07 Tom Cole (4pm) Sunday 10/07 The Tilston Sisters (1pm) SUNCHARMER

TN1 BAR & KITCHEN Open all day, free entry, booking advised www.tn1barkitchen.co.uk (Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival) Wednesday 06/07 Carlo Villa 7.30pm Tuesday 12/07 Strings & Roses 7pm Thursday 14/07 The Air Guitar Band (7pm) CASSIDY’S BAR Open all day, free entry (Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival) Wednesday 06/07 Common Buzzards (7pm) Friday 08/07 Another Day (8pm) Saturday 09/07 Running Brook (8pm) Sunday 10/07 István Etiam Sunday 11/07 Entrophy (7pm) Thursday 14/07 Southern Bound (7pm) Friday 15/08 Mama’s Funkin’ Skunks (8pm) THE BEDFORD PUB, 2 HIGHSTREET Open all day, free entry (Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival) Thursday 07/07 The Polygons (7pm) Friday 08/07 Mint Sherbets (6pm) Entrophy (7pm) Sunday 10/07 Running Brook (7pm) Wednesday 13/07 Running Brook (7pm) Thursday 14/07 Robin Mack (7pm) Friday 15/07 TEDDYYBEARR (7pm) Saturday 16/07 Ryan Fox (7pm) Saturday 16/07 Disco Drug Store (8.30pm) THE COMPASSES Open all day, free entry (Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival) Friday 08/07 The Polygons (7pm) Saturday 09/07 Motor Raider (7.30pm) Sunday 10/07 Disco Drug Store (5pm) Friday 15/07 Studio 33 (4pm) Friday 15/07 Motor Raider (7.30pm) Sunday 17/07 Tom Cole (3pm) Sunday 17/07 Robin Mack (6pm) TUNBRIDGE WELLS CHRISTIAN CENTRE, (TWCF) All event information and tickets available at www.twfringe.co.uk Friday 08/07 Larkhall (Piano and creative coding) SAINT JOHN’S YARD Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Monday 11/07 TWUNT Ukulele Jam session THE GEORGE & DRAGON, SPELDHURST Open all day, free entry, music from 3.15pm till 5.45pm Saturday 09/07 Jonny Gray Saturday 16/07 Andy Twyman CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE All event information and tickets available at www.chiddingstonecastle. org.uk/whats-on/

TWO WEEKS IN NASHVILLE Sunday 10/07 Kentish Opera - Live at the Orangery Sunday 17/07 New Orleans Funk with The Coalminers – Live at the Orangery RIDGE PHILHARMONIC: DVORAK’S STABAT A THE BLACK HORSE PUB Events listed are all part of Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival All details and tickets are available at www.twfringe.co.uk Thursday 07/07 Biddle Friday 08/07 Cockney Sing Along Saturday 09/07 Sofia Lovell Sunday 10/07 Ryan Weeks Saturday 16/07 Motor Raider SANKEYS RESTAURANT, THE PANTILES Open all day, free entry, music from 6.45pm – 9.15pm Thursday 07/07 David Mumford Thursday 14/07 The Management Acoustic Duo EVEN FLOW CAFÉ Open all day free entry all event information at www.evenflowuk.com Saturday 16/07 Disciples of Lily (3pm) Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival Sunday 10/07 The Tilston Sisters (12pm) TUNBRIDGE WELLS FRINGE FESTIVAL Sunday 17/07 Bjika (2pm) Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival THE ROYAL WELLS HOTEL, MT EPHRAIM All event information and tickets at www. twfringe.co.uk Friday 08/07 TMC Band BRITTENS MUSIC STORE All event information and tickets at www. twfringe.co.uk Saturday 16/07 (7pm) Jong-Gyung Park Piano Recital

Food & Drink

food & drink

30

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Chetna Makan on how baking is much easier than we all think

The Great British Bake Off star talks to Imy Brighty-Potts about her big baking comeback – and why keeping things simple is the key to success...

D

espite placing fourth on the Great British Bake Off in 2014, Chetna Makan says she had never made bread before entering the tent.

Of course, she knows her way around a loaf now, and after writing a few cookbooks focusing on Indian cuisine, she’s going back to her baking roots. Her new book, Easy Baking, is for people who are put off by complicated recipes – exactly how she used to feel about the prospect of homemade bread.

The book is all about simple baking that young kids and older people alike can make quite easily, she says. “I want people to not worry about the technicalities of the bake, and just enjoy the end product and the experience. I have tried to keep it very simple and approachable, to get the fear out of baking.”

As someone who has experienced the steely glare of Paul Hollywood in the tent, she knows the baking fear is real – but this push towards more

Chetna Makan

accessible baking is a breath of fresh air, at a time when it feels like all we see are complicated cakes on social media.

And with a return to pre-pandemic levels of socialising, we are all too busy for anything too complicated.

Makan wants to make sure people have the recipes they need – for example, if guests are unexpectedly coming round, and you want to whip something up.

‘Some bakes I wouldn’t attempt because they’re just too time-consuming’ The 43-year-old says: “If I have a last minute dinner party where I don’t have time to cool things down, I’ll be making a warm cake, like a banana traybake with toffee chocolate sauce.

It doesn’t need fresh cream, and it doesn’t need to cool down.”

Makan wants to make sure amateur bakers don’t make mistakes that might put them off the whole process – but

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Food & Drink

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

even pros can fall victim to a silly errors.

Embarrassed, she says: “I made a chocolate pudding for my friends for dinner, and I didn’t add sugar. I’m not even kidding, they actually ate it. When I sat down to eat it I realised. It didn’t taste foul because it wasn’t off – it’s just that it had no sugar!”

So it is important to follow the rules to some extent, she says.

Likewise, you’re tempted to eyeball the amount of yeast in a bread recipe instead of measuring it, it won’t work, she says. “Too much yeast can ruin the bread – it could just get too yeasty, and it could ruin the texture.”

But it doesn’t need to be about making a showstopper on your first try. “Baking can be very complicated. There are some bakes which I wouldn’t attempt myself, because they’re just too time-consuming, or too complicated.”

When Makan was a beginner herself, she started very simple. “I realised actually it’s not that complicated. You just need these four ingredients [flour, yeast, salt and water], properly measured, you just knead it, prove it and then you get bread.

Proving “I think the key is to go for straightforward, simple recipes, not stuffed breads or sourdough with many kinds of proving involved. Just go for simple breads, like focaccia, for example.”

And kids can get involved too.

“My daughter absolutely loves baking. She doesn’t need me anymore,” says the mum-oftwo. “She’s 14 and she’ll say, ‘I want to make brownies today’ – so she just makes them. She likes baking cakes and cookies, and if I have to make a cake and I’m running out of time, she can just pick up the recipe and start making it.

It’s great, because she will also wash up after.

“The banana cake really is the family favourite.

I can put it down and they will just demolish it.

And chocolate pistachio cookies, they love those too. My daughter loves making those, because they are so easy.”.

31

Pineapple and elderflower cake recipe “I have a soft spot for pineapple cake. It was the most popular cake at the bakeries in Jabalpur: a light, eggless sponge, with fresh cream and pineapple on top,” says Chetna Makan.

“As with many ingredients, the cream in the UK tastes different to the cream you get in India.

So, I have made my own version.”

Ingredients: (Serves 8-10) For the cake: 100g unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the tin 220g canned pineapple pieces, roughly chopped 200g caster sugar 100g ground almonds 100g self-raising flour

½tsp bicarbonate of soda 3 large eggs 130g natural yoghurt 2tbsp elderflower cordial For the cream: 300ml double cream 30g caster sugar 1tbsp elderflower cordial Elderflowers to decorate

Chetna’s Easy Baking by Chetna Makan is published by Hamlyn, priced £20. Photography

by Nassima Rothacker.

Available now.

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Butter two x 20 centimetre round cake tins and line the bases with non-stick baking paper. Scatter half the pineapple over one tin.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric whisk, or in a food mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, put all the cake ingredients except the

remaining pineapple and whisk for a minute until smooth and pale. Stir in the remaining pineapple pieces. Divide the batter equally between the prepared tins and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out

clean. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Whip the cream, sugar and elderflower cordial together in a bowl with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks.

4. Put the cake without pineapple on top of a serving plate and spread all the cream on top.

Place the second cake, pineapple-side up, on top. If you manage to find some elderflowers, place on top of the cake and serve.

5. This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

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Drink

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

33

Say salud to sherry this summer With thoughts of holidays looming, this week James Viner praises Spanish sherry SHERRY is a fortified wine which hails from the region around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucía, southwest Spain - a region of drought and baking heat. It’s a drink for all seasons and runs the full gamut from bone dry to super sweet. Awaken your senses this summer with four stunning dry gastronomic bottles that are tailor-made for drinking on sweltering days.

Produced using the celebrated ‘solera’ system, a scheme of fractional blending that is used to concurrently age and blend, whilst maintaining consistency and excellence, savoury dry sherry is one of the planet’s ultimate food wines.

Remember the old Andalusian adage: fino and manzanilla if it swims, amontillado if it flies, and oloroso if it walks.

Purchase the freshest, most youthful bottlings of low-acid, quintessentially non-fruity, summery, bone-dry fino and manzanilla, serve fridge cold in a generous copita (not thimbles!) and consume as soon as possible. If it’s a real scorcher, follow the insiders and relax with a Rebujito, the classic Andalusian aperitif and darling of Spanish outdoor festivals (ferias). I make mine with one part fino/manzanilla to one part lemonade/soda water, with lots of ice, mint leaves and a slice of lemon. Or you could simply try these classics…

1) A very delicate, bone-dry sherry from a historic firm in humid Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy for 2022, at the mouth of the Río Guadalquivir Hidalgo-La Gitana Manzanilla NV Sherry (£8, Tesco & Sainsbury’s, 50cl; 15%) Agreeably inexpensive, sprightly, saline, tangy, elegant, sea-breezy, appley, floral manzanilla

(the Spanish word for ‘chamomile’) with a super nutty, yeasty, briny, iodine and almond skin thump on the lingering finale. Switch it happily for white wine at the table; opened bottles last no more than one or two days. Hello salted almonds, smoked salmon, mackerel, sushi, sashimi, raw oysters, pasta alle vongole, olives and tapas.

An exquisite revivifying aperitif. Serve well chilled at around 6-8°C. Textbook bone-dry stuff (the residual sugar is just 0.03g/l!). No wonder manzanilla is the most consumed sherry style in Spain.

1

2

2) Magnificent single-vineyard fino that spent 10 years under flor Valdespino Fino Inocente NV Sherry (£15.50, Lea & Sandeman, 75cl; £8.95, The Wine Society, 37.5cl; 15%) This stunning, dry, complex, umami-rich, single-vineyard (Macharnudo) fino comes from wines fermented in 600L American oak barrels and is aged for around 10 years. The flavours are an Aladdin’s cave of never-ending delights; sea salt, green apples, toasty yeast and almonds and herbs bouncing off each other. It has terrific finesse, line, length and balance. Every inch of it feels classic. A beautiful dry vinous partner for

3

4

food, it effortlessly passes the second glass test!

Sip it with Marcona almonds, fish and chips, garlicky Pan con Tomate, tortilla, young Manchego, Mojama and Ibérico ham. Like most white wines, aim to drink an opened bottle within two to three days. Swap dry vermouth for this fino in your next Martini!

3) A cult, much sought-after raw and alive fino bottled on March 23 from a selection of 96 barrels with minimal filtration González Byass, Tio Pepe En Rama Fino NV Sherry, 2022 bottling (£15.50, The Wine Society & Lea & Sandeman, 75cl; 15%) This is the 13th annual issue of the cult limited release ‘en rama’ (‘from the branch’) Tio Pepe

fino produced from ‘biologically’ aged wine drawn off the cask when the film of oxygenloving ‘flor’ – the strange white bread-like protective frothy carpet of Jerez yeast, which isolates the sherry from the air – is at its most abundant. One for aficionados who thirst for a palate-cleansing, flavoursome, minimally filtered fino that tastes more natural, pure, saline, fresh and as close to that in the producer’s cask in spring. Think apple skin, hay, grilled almonds, fresh sourdough, yeast, salt and lemon peel, plus a soupçon of Marmite. Try it with Esqueixada, Gazpacho/Salmorejo or a bowl of green olives. Serve cool (10°C) rather than well-chilled. Immensely characterful.

4) An aromatically refined, rich-yet-dry, rare and full-bodied treat for the connoisseur Fernando de Castilla Antique Palo Cortado NV Sherry (£28.95-£40.90, NDJohn, NobleGreen, WoodWinters, Hedonism, 50cl; 20%) Palo cortado is a rare kind of sherry that started life in the cellar as a fino, but at some point forsook its flor prematurely to age oxidatively. It brings together the finesse and delicacy of an amontillado with the richness and body of an oloroso (which is aged ‘oxidatively,’ without flor). Splurge on this delicious, refined, aged, concentrated, amber-coloured, satiny example with its endless layers of smoky dried fruits, spice, crème brûlée, orange marmalade, roasted hazelnuts, burnt toast and tangerine rind. Its length and aftertaste are truly exceptional. Utterly silly price for a sherry of this age – it averages over thirty years in age. Aged Manchego, meaty curries, Iberian charcuterie and Dukkah are a must. Serve around 13-14°C. It will hold well for four weeks once opened so enjoy it as a gloom-lifter on a cloudy summer’s day.

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

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Property

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

35

property news

Average house price hits new high but there are ‘signs of a slowdown’ TIGHTER SAFETY REGULATIONS WILL IMPACT LANDLORDS FROM OCTOBER 2022

THE average UK house price hit a new record high in June but there are ‘tentative signs of a slowdown’, according to an index.

Prices were up by 10.7 per cent in June, slowing from 11.2 per cent in May, Nationwide Building Society said.

Homes in Tunbridge Wells were up 10 per cent, according to Nationwide, and across the UK, the average house price in June was £271,613, up by 0.3 per cent month on month.

Purchases Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The price of a typical UK home climbed to a new record high of £271,613, with average prices increasing by over £26,000 in the past year.

“There are tentative signs of a slowdown, with the number of mortgages approved for house purchases falling back towards pre-pandemic levels in April and surveyors reporting some softening in new buyer inquiries.

“Nevertheless, the housing market has retained a surprising amount of momentum given the mounting pressure on household budgets from high inflation, which has already driven consumer confidence to a record low.

“Part of the resilience is likely to reflect the current strength of the labour market, where the number of job vacancies has exceeded the number of unemployed people in recent months.”

Mr Gardner said that, at the same time, the stock of homes on the market has remained low, keeping an upward pressure on house prices.

“The market is expected to slow further as pressure on household finances intensifies in the

coming quarters, with inflation expected to reach double digits towards the end of the year.

“Moreover, the Bank of England is widely expected to raise interest rates further, which will also exert a cooling impact on the market if this feeds through to mortgage rates.”

Looking across the UK, Mr Gardner said quarterly figures showed a softening of house price growth in many regions in the three months to June.

“The South West (of England) overtook Wales as the strongest-performing region in quarter two, with house prices up 14.7 per cent year on year, a slight increase from the previous quarter.

“This was closely followed by East Anglia, where annual price growth remained at 14.2 per cent.

“Wales saw a slowing in annual price growth to 13.4 per cent, from 15.3 per cent in the first quarter.

“Price growth in Northern Ireland was similar to last quarter at 11.0 per cent. Meanwhile, Scotland saw a 9.5 per cent year-on-year rise in house prices.

Region “There was a slowing in annual house price growth in England to 10.7 per cent, from 11.6 per cent in the previous quarter.

“While the South West was the strongest performing region, overall southern England saw weaker growth than northern England.

“Within northern England, the North West was the strongest-performing region, with price growth picking up to 13.3 per cent year on year, from 12.4 per cent in the first quarter.

“London remained the weakest-performing UK region, with annual price growth slowing to 6.0 per cent, from 7.4 per cent in the previous quarter.”

If you own a property in the private rental or social sectors, you will need to be aware of the tightening of regulations regarding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which come into force October 2022. James Richards, Director of award winning Tunbridge Wells sales and letting agent, Maddisons Residential, explains what you need to know.

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, which is being extended by the Government on 1 October 2022, landlords of both private and social housing in England and Wales must ensure a smoke alarm is fitted on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly, or partly, as living accommodation.

To avoid being fined and found in breach of the rules, it’s a good idea to consider installing, servicing and repairing alarms now. At the time of writing, landlords can still choose whether they prefer to use lithium batteries for each smoke alarm or to have the whole system hardwired or interlinked; but this could still change come October.

A carbon monoxide alarm will also be obligatory in any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance – such as a boiler – rather than those with a ‘solid fuel-burning combustion appliance’, as previously required. However, gas cookers are excluded.

The regulations mean that landlords and agents will also need to replace or repair any alarms that tenants report are not working ‘as soon as is reasonably practicable’.

Most landlords will already be providing adequate safety measures, but for any homeowner it is a good idea to follow these guidelines and to check smoke alarms regularly. As the changes bring both the private and social rental sector in line with each other in terms of safety, this can only be reassuring for both landlords and their tenants.

KMJ land leading industry award

By Robert Forrester AN ESTATE agency in Tunbridge Wells has just a top industry award.

KMJ Property took home the British Property Award for Tunbridge Wells after their team performed outstandingly throughout the extensive judging period, which focused on customer service levels.

Shortlisted KMJ Property have now been shortlisted for a number of national awards which will be announced later in the year.

The British Property Awards provide agents throughout the UK with an invaluable opportunity to compare the service that they provide against the service provided by their local, regional and national competition.

Agents who go that extra mile and provide outstanding levels of customer service are rewarded with the accolade, which acts as a beacon to highlight these attributes to their local marketplace.

Robert McLean from The British Property Awards said: “Our awards have been specifically designed to be attainable to all agents, removing common

WINNERS The KMJ team barriers to entry, such as cost, to ensure that we have the most inclusive awards.

“Our awards have also been designed to remove any opportunity for bias or manipulation.

“If an agent has been attributed with one of our awards, it is simply down to the fantastic customer service levels that they have demonstrated across a prolonged period of time. Winning agents should be proud that their customer service levels provide a benchmark for their local, regional and national competition.”

Meet the expert: James Richards is Director of Maddisons Residential, a leading, award-winning independent sales and lettings agent based in Tunbridge Wells, offering expert advice on all aspects of sales and lettings, combined with excellent customer service.

www.maddisonsresidential.co.uk 18 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN Telephone: 01892 514100 Email: info@maddisonsresidential.co.uk

36

Antiques

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Watching the price of timepieces rise

antiques

This week, Alexander Pushkin talks about Swiss watchmakers Audemars Piguet...

Alexander Pushkin

A

UDEMARS Piguet Holding SA is a Swiss luxury manufacturer, specialising in mechanical watches and clocks. Founded in 1875 by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux, the company was named after its founders and now based in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The business is still run by the founders’ families and with the annual production output of 40,000 watches and remains a highly regarded watch manufacturer.

History Before partnering up, the two artisans had already made significant progress in the art of watchmaking: Louis Audemars manufactured complex movements for such prominent watchmakers as Tiffany & Co, and Edward Auguste Piguet’s area of

Swiss Watch Industry FH, Audemars Piguet Holding SA is an important representative of Swiss luxury watchmaking industry, and though the business is private and the output is quite small compared to such prosperous manufacturers as Rolex, Omega and Patek Philippe, the demand and popularity of these watches is overgrowing.

At Pushkin Antiques we understand how difficult it is to get your hands on the latest Audemars Piguet model, with us there are no waiting lists, just peruse at your own leisure the watches we currently have in stock on our website: pushkinantiques. com/watches

expertise was the regulation of watch movements. This experience helped the partners to split the responsibilities and optimise the processes.

The history of the company includes many notable and impwortant inventions.

In 1892, the manufacturer presented the world’s first minute-repeating movement for wristwatches, and this became an absolute breakthrough in the watchmaking industry at the time. It was also Audemars Piguet’s skilful watchmakers, who in 1921 made the world's first jumping-hour wristwatch, that was driven by Calibre HPVM10. The worlds thinnest watch with a 1.64-mm-thick movement, produced in 1946, belongs to Audemars Piguet as well.

Inventions The company prestige was elevated after the introduction of their legendary Royal Oak collection, the first luxury sport wristwatch in the world. The stunning collection was followed by the invention of an ultra-thin automatic tourbillon wristwatch, the world's first automatic "Grande Complication" wristwatch and the first watch with a carbon case and a carbon movement. The manufacturer's latest invention dates back to 2019: the thinnest automatic perpetual calendar in the world was presented that year.

In 2015, Audemars Piguet introduced the world's first mechanical chronograph with independent memory and three columnwheels. The invention was named after the brand's honourable client and ambassador, German F1 racing legend Michael

Schumacher. Among other notable customers of the company are famous athletes, actors and celebrities: Lionel Messi, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger are only a few of them to be listed.

Timepieces by Audemars Piguetare also popular among royal family members all over the world: they have been worn by Mohammad Reza Shah, Shah of Iran, Juan Carlos I of Spain and Felipe VI of Spain, Prince Michael of Kent and Mohammad bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Business A proud member of the Federation of the

HOUSE CALLS

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

Clive Attrell is back and available throughout Kent & East Sussex for home antiques valuations (Appointment Only)

Call Clive on 07860 942726

SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR SAFETY

GOLD • SILVER • WATCHES REMEMBER CLIVE IS ALWAYS READY TO MAKE YOU A GENUINE NO OBLIGATION OFFER

During appointments hand sanitiser & masks will be used on arrival. Social distancing will also be observed where possible at all times.

TOP PRICES PAID FOR

• GOLD (in any condition) • SILVER (in any condition) • WATCHES (working or not) • COSTUME JEWELLERY • DIAMONDS • SOVEREIGNS • KRUGERRANDS

• COINS • TOYS • GAMES • POSTCARDS • CHINESE CERAMICS • FIGURINES • OBJECTS OF INTEREST

• MEDALS • SWORDS • MILITARIA • CLOCKS • PAINTINGS • BRONZES • PRINTS / BOOKS

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35 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1LS 01892 517986

w w w. e d n e y a n d e d n e y. c o m

I SEE CLEAR VISION

through Nikon spectacle lenses

38

Motoring

Wednesday July 6 | 2022

Motoring News Volkswagen’s ID.Aero is a 385mile flagship Electric Vehicle

VOLKSWAGEN has added to its ID. range of electric vehicles with a new flagship.

Previewed in concept car form, the production version of the ID.Aero is set to arrive in Europe next year. Measuring five metres long and showcasing an aerodynamically efficient exterior design, the ID.Aero features a 77kWh battery, which enables an electric range of 385 miles.

It’s based on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, which also underpins some of its current electric vehicles like the ID.3 and ID.4.

Ralf Brandstätter, chief executive officer of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said: “With the ID. Aero show car, we are revealing a preview of the next member of the ID. family. A car with an emotional and at the same time extremely aerodynamic design, a range of over 600km, an extraordinary amount of space and a premium interior.

“With our Accelerate strategy, we are intensively driving forward the electrification of our model range.

Following the ID.4, this model will be our next global car for Europe, China and the US. ”

This week…

The 22-inch wheels on all four corners have been designed in the style of the turbine and sit flush within the wheel arches to help aid aerodynamic efficiency.

Plus, the traditional door handles have been ditched in favour of touch-activated surfaces. The whole car is finished in a ‘Polar Light Blue Metallic’ colour, which displays a ‘golden shimmer’ when in certain lights.

The front end of the car has a similar design to that of the current-generation Golf, with headlights joined together by a single, narrow daytime running light.

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Mercedes Vision breaks record

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Revised and improved DS7

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The Mercedes Vision EQXX breaks own efficiency record

THE Mercedes Vision EQXX electric car has set yet another marathon record, by travelling from Stuttgart in Germany to the UK’s Silverstone on a single charge.

Having already completed a long-distance run from Stuttgart to Cassis in France – a distance of 626.3 miles, the Mercedes team attempted to push things further by travelling for 1,202km (746.8 miles).

Journey

Features

Volkswagen’s new ID.Aero

After ‘negotiating an autobahn closure’ and a cross-country diversion near Stuttgart, the Vision EQXX crossed the French border at Strasbourg before carrying on through northern France to the Eurotunnel at Calais. From Folkestone, it travelled around the M25 – stopping at the Mercedes F1 headquarters in Brackley – before heading onwards to Silverstone.

Guest driver Nyck de Vries – who races for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team – then

proceeded to take the Vision EQXX around the circuit, completing 11 laps while using the last of the remaining charge.

Markus Schäfer, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, chief technology officer responsible for development and procurement, said: “The journey continues – even further, even more efficient. Yet again, the Vision EQXX has proven that it can easily cover more than 1,000km on a single battery charge, this time faced with a whole different set of real-world conditions.

“As Mercedes-Benz strives to go all-electric by 2030 wherever market conditions allow, it is important to show to the world what can be achieved in real terms through a combination of cutting-edge technology, teamwork and determination.”

The total drive time over two days was 14 hours and 30 minutes, with an average speed of 51.5mph achieved. It also returned an electric consumption of 8.3kWh per 100km.

New DS 7 arrives with revised look and plug-in hybrid power THE new DS 7 will bring ‘unparalleled comfort’ when it arrives in the UK this September, the French brand has said.

The original DS 7 was the first car to come from the firm after it became a standalone outfit separate from Citroen and marked its entrance into the heavily contested SUV segment back in 2017. Now, it has been redesigned with a series of ‘new developments’ that aim to help it stay current in what is a very hard-fought market.

COACH TOUR TO S COTL A N D

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TripAdvisor

MONDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER

Design Design-wise, the new DS 7 does play quite close to the look of the original, though the front end has been designed with a revised light arrangement. These lights are slimmer too, while the LED rear lights have also been streamlined.

New Pixel LED Vision lights bring greater night-time illumination than before, while a new DS Light Veil system incorporates a daytime running light and four vertical sections made up of 33 LEDs. All cars get 19-inch wheels as standard, though a larger 20-inch version is also available.

Inside, there are two new Nappa leather colour options – Basalt Black and Pearl Grey – while Performance Line cars get a variety of Alcantaraclad elements for a sportier feel. A new 12-inch

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touchscreen infotainment is where you’ll access navigation and media functions, while a second 12-inch display ahead of the driver relays back all key information.

DS has also equipped the DS 7 with a series of technologies, including active scan suspension that uses a camera to ‘see’ ahead of the car and adjust the ride according to any imperfections in the road that might be in front. A night vision system uses an infrared camera to sweep ahead of the car in the dark and can

detect cyclists, pedestrians and animals at distances of up to 100 metres.

The new DS 7 will be available with a variety of powertrains, including three plug-in hybrids offering outputs of 222bhp, 296bhp and 355bhp.

The latter two outputs also bring four-wheel drive, too, combining a petrol engine with electric motors placed on each axle. A 14.4kWh battery means that the DS 7 can run for up to 40 miles on electric-only power too.

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