Times of Tonbridge 2nd November 2016

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

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Generosity pours out after vandals INSIDE smash up coffee maker’s business HISTORY REVIVED

Tonbridge rekindles links with French village Page 2

Crowdfunding rescue plan set up by mothers reaches target in one day

spate of criminal damage that occurred in the Barden Ward area on the same night.

After bumping into Mr Crick clearing up the damage on Friday morning, Silke Thistlewood decided to put a post on the Facebook group Tonbridge Mums to suggest something be done to help.

A crowdfunding page was set up the next day by fellow mother Magda Piecykolan, with the aim of raising £1,000 to help with repairs. People were asked to buy a ‘virtual coffee’ from Mr Crick for £2, a kiss for £20, or even pay £50 to acquire his hand in marriage. An honour that two generous donors will have to fight over.

The mothers set a target of raising the money within a month, but incredibly the £1,000 had been pledged within one day.

Ms Thistlewood said: “We thought we were being optimistic suggesting £1,000.

We hoped over a month it might slowly start to add up, but within just eight hours we had reached the target. It was so surprising, but so lovely.”

Mr Crick, who has had no involvement in the fundraising himself, has been overwhelmed by people’s kindness. He said: “It’s sort of surreal, really. I think there was genuine anger from people about what had been done, but I think the reaction tells you a lot about the community we live in.”

By Murray Jones newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A TONBRIDGE coffee maker has been left ‘overwhelmed’ by the hundreds of local residents who pledged to help him after his van was vandalised and trashed last week.

Jem Crick, aged 50, whose Mochafella Coffee van has been a much-loved feature of Tonbridge Park, and a regular at town events for the last five years, said he has been ‘humbled’ by the outpouring of community support after his vehicle was broken into in the early hours of Friday October 21.

‘I think the reaction tells you a lot about the community we live in’ A fault with the battery meant he had been forced to leave his valuable 1967 Citroen HY vintage van in the park overnight. When he returned the next day, Mr Crick found all his tyres had been slashed and his coffee grinder ‘completely destroyed’.

Police are investigating, but Mr Crick believes the attack may be related to the

VANDALISED VAN Jem Crick with his vehicle

Third runway night flights banned – but what about Gatwick’s burden?

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE decision to award the runway expansion project to Heathrow seemed like a victory for those who want to protect the skies over

West Kent from further noise pollution.

But one aspect of the deal, the pledge to outlaw night flights on the third runway, has led to renewed calls for action to reduce noise pollution caused during the early hours by Gatwick.

The provision said that there would be no

flights between 11.30pm and 6am. There are currently restrictions on air traffic at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted between these times, but no outright ban.

The numbers of night flights permitted at Gatwick and Stansted already far outstrip the quotas applied to Heathrow.

And as the next set of figures are being considered, the Department for Transport (DfT) is warning that numbers could rise at Gatwick.

The MP for Tonbridge & Malling, Tom Tugendhat, immediately raised the matter

Continued on page 3

HEALTH SCARE

Concerns over the future of Cottage Hospital Page 3

FAMILY FAVOURITES Tonbridge Angels in six goal thriller Page 79

WHAT’S ON

Christmas village fair prepares to go back in time Page 76

2 ■ LOCAL NEWS

Weather Wednesday It will be a dry and bright day on Wednesday with long spells of sunshine

November 2, 2016

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After rediscovering Tonbridge’s First World War links with Thiepval in France, a group of residents ventured across the English Channel ahead of Remembrance Day to rekindle the bonds of friendship they forged in the wake of tragedy. Neill Barston reports

Visibility: Good

Pollution: Low

Humidity: 68%

Sunrise: 06.52am

Sunset: 16.32pm

Wind: 8mph

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Historic ties with a French village brought back to life FRENCH TRIP Some of the Tonbridge delegation

TOUR GUIDE Sophie Shrubsole at the Thiepval Memorial

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‘Somewhere’ over Tunbridge Wells Photo by Mary Rimmer

Beautiful day on the river Medway, Tonbridge Send your weather pictures to... newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

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QUOTE UNQUOTE ‘Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory’ Theodor Seuss Geisel

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

“EVERY day I remember the sacrifices that were made for us,” said Thiepval’s Mayor Max Potie during an emotional speech to members of a delegation from Tonbridge who made a special journey to his village in October.

The Mayor works as a farmer in northern France and 100 years after the Battle of the Somme, which took place on his land, he still regularly uncovers shrapnel and other First World War relics from the soil.

During the unrelenting trench warfare with German forces, a total of 419,654 British troops were officially listed as killed, missing in action, or wounded.

‘It’s important that Tonbridge’s links with Thiepval should be remembered and embraced’

PRAYERS: Reverend Simon Couper leads a service assisted by translator Derek Payne HISTORIAN Pam Mills

But this figure is still just a mere fraction of the staggering total figure of ten million soldiers who died during the 1914-18 conflict.

Several hundred soldiers from the Tonbridge area were among those who fell in battle, and are now remembered on the town’s war memorial.

After the war ended, Tonbridge formed a support of the town’s Royal British Legion cross-Channel friendship with Thiepval.

Poppy Appeal organiser, Carl Lewis, and First Residents raised hundreds of pounds to help World War tour guide, Sophie Shrubsole. rebuild the French village, and in the early Last month they achieved a milestone after 1920s a delegation from West Kent was sent successfully convincing property firm Redrow over as a gesture of support. to bestow the name of Thiepval Drive Former Royal British Legion youth worker Pam Mills, who lives in Tonbridge, rediscovered these long-forgotten connections when she was researching the death of her great uncle who died in the First World War. It inspired her to begin a campaign to restore the historic links between the TRENCH WARFARE two communities A preserved medical station and she gained the

on a new street on Tonbridge’s Somerhill Green development.

“I think it’s important that Tonbridge’s links with Thiepval should be remembered and embraced,” said Pam. According to her research, Tonbridge residents responded to a national campaign to help French communities by donating a sum of 100 French francs to each family in Thiepval to help them buy livestock and rebuild their decimated homes.

The Reverend Simon Couper, of St Peter and St Paul Church, Tonbridge, who joined the delegation to lead the service of remembrance in the grounds of Thiepval Church, felt it was significant to acknowledge the bonds that were formed out of the tragedy of conflict.

He said: “It’s important to remember the sacrifices that were made by our forefathers for their country.”

Trip organiser Sophie Shrubsole, who is also a Tonbridge & Malling borough councillor, has successfully run tours of French First World War sites for the past three years.

Sophie’s passion for the history of the period stemmed from her father, who took the family on visits to France in her childhood, and she has since discovered there are five Shrubsoles from her family who are on the Thiepval memorial.

She said: “The trip we’ve made is the first step towards marking that link between Tonbridge and Thiepval.”

TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP Cllr Howard Rogers is given a sash by Thiepval Mayor Max Potie

LOCAL NEWS 

NEWS IN BRIEF

Dame Kelly gets extra time to open her doors A HILDENBOROUGH café owned by Dame Kelly Holmes has been granted permission to stay open later, despite opposition from the parish council.

Café 1809, which has been run by the double Olympic Gold medallist since December 2014, was permitted to extend its closing time from 6pm to 8pm at a meeting of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council on Thursday night.

The council heard objections from local residents who feared there will be an increase of noise in the rural village.

Councillors allowed the extension for a year, but with a number of restrictions, including a maximum of 100 customers at a time.

School plan refused A CAMPAIGN to block a Tonbridge school’s plans to expand its operations has been successful after Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council refused the application last week.

Neighbours living next to Hilden Oaks School in Dry Hill Park Road raised objections to the application for converting two residential properties into classrooms, kitchens and staff facilities.

PO delivers more hours A TONBRIDGE post office is to treble its opening hours once it relocates to a new premises at the end of the month.

The Higham Wood branch, which is currently located on 11 Martin Hardie Way, will be open an additional 73.5 hours once it moves three doors down the road into the McColl’s store on November 24.

The new opening hours are MondaySaturday 6am-10pm and Sunday 7am-10pm.

Mayor’s expenses cut THE Mayor of Tonbridge, Cllr Mark Rhodes, has had his transport budget cut by nearly 50 per cent.

Last year, Cllr Rhodes claimed £10, 275 for travelling even though he was actually permitted to spend £19,000. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council therefore reviewed the allowance, limiting it to £10,000.

The full budget for the Mayoral function also includes insurance of the Mayor’s chain of office, £50; Civic hospitality £7,000; mobile phone £150; and sundries £1,500.

Shoppers’ bomb scare TUNBRIDGE WELLS was brought to a standstill on Monday after a military bomb disposal unit was called to blow up a ‘suspicious package’. An unattended suitcase was seen next to a phone box outside Royal Victoria Place by a shopper.

The centre was evacuated at 10.13am, and the package safely detonated at 1.53pm.

Shops and roads reopened at 3.10pm.

3

Question mark hangs over future of Cottage Hospital

By Murray Jones newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

beds. So in 2020 I’ve got a big decision to make. A new lease will last for at least 50 years, so I’ve got to be confident it can meet the needs of the town. Whether that means expanding the Cottage Hospital or moving to a different site is yet to be decided.”

THE NHS is looking at ways to provide more community bed space in Tonbridge as the health authority seek to allay fears over the future of the Cottage Hospital.

Expensive It comes after the hospital’s League While the different options are still of Friends Chairman, Dr David Goodridge, raised concerns that the lack being costed, Mr Ayres highlighted a of permanent funding for some of number of drawbacks to the current the bed space has left the facility site. He revealed that beds in the Cottage Hospital cost £356 per day, ‘living hand to mouth’.

Originally built in 1902 at the top of which is more expensive than larger Quarry Hill, the hospital moved to its acute facilities.

“At its best, Tonbridge Cottage Hoscurrent Vauxhall Lane premises in 1935, when it agreed an 85-year lease pital can provide 24 beds. It’s not a good layout and it’s an old building with the Somerhill Estate.

It is funded by the NHS, with the with high maintenance costs. We semi-autonomous foundation trust need modern units that can fulfil the Kent Community Health carrying out demands of the town, whilst also bethe hospital’s work. The League of ing affordable,” he said.

Friends also raises funds.

The 24-bed facility proHIGH MAINTENANCE vides rehabilitative care for Tonbridge Cottage Hospital those who do not need the acute attention of a general hospital but are not yet ready to go home.

Its role has changed over its long history, but this year the lack of permanency over the numbers of bed spaces has raised questions over its future.

Ian Ayres, Accountable Officer for the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (WKCCG), claims the town’s beds are ‘not under threat’.

He said: “There are no plans to close the hospital, but the lease runs out in 2020 so we are looking at our options. Ideally, I would like services from a bigger provider because Tonbridge needs more community

Although the hospital is secured until the turn of the decade, the inconsistency in bed numbers since the beginning of the year have created their own problems, leaving Dr Goodridge ‘bemused and bewildered’ by the lack of clear planning.

It has meant agency staff have had to be hired at short notice, driving up the hospital’s wage bill.

The turbulence began earlier this year with bed numbers shooting up and down month to month. In March, ten extra beds were made available to the facility, following the relocation of the Stroke Rehabilitation Unit to Tunbridge Wells. However, only one week’s notice was given to hospital administrators to find the staff to cover the additional patients.

Then, four months later, WKCCG officially announced that 12 beds were to be closed due to a lack of funding available. Staff were then

told half of these were to be reintroduced temporarily in September, but only for a month. Although it is now understood that these will be open until at least the end of the year, leaving the current total at 20.

“It’s good to have the new beds but there is just no clear planning. We want some certainty and consistency in the system because we can’t manage at such short notice,” said Dr Goodridge.

Mr Ayres explained that the most recent half-dozen beds are in anticipation for the ‘difficult winter ahead’, but admitted they can only be open temporarily because of budget constraints.

MP Tom Tugendhat echoed Dr Goodridge’s concerns over the frequent changes in bed numbers. Vowing to protect the ‘crucial role’ that the hospital plays for the town, he said: “We have seen the number of beds fluctuate over recent months and this is not good for the long-term stability of the hospital. I’m working with everyone involved to confirm their commitment to the hospital, and to make sure they ensure it is adequately funded.”

The MP said he felt that community hospitals can also play a role in alleviating the bed and financial crisis currently facing the NHS, adding: “Rehabilitation hospitals bring care closer to home and that speeds recovery and saves money and that’s why Cottage Hospitals are very important.

“It allows us to be cared for locally, and only go to Pembury if we need a specific treatment.”

‘Could he not extend the ban to Gatwick, where we suffer all the time?’

By Andrew Tong Continued from page 1 with the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling when he announced the Government’s decision in the House of Commons on October 25.

Mr Tugendhat said: “Could he please talk about the six-and-a-half-hours’ relief he is, quite rightly, offering the

people of Heathrow, but could he not extend that ban to Gatwick, where we suffer all the time?”

Mr Grayling responded: “I am very aware of the issues of noise around Gatwick. It is something that is very much on my desk about how best the right balance can be found for people around the take-off routes and landing routes near Gatwick airport.”

According to AirportWatch, Gatwick is

permitted 14,450 night flights whereas Heathrow is allowed to operate 5,800 – or 60 per cent less. Stansted runs 12,000 in total.

The next set of figures will be enforced in October next year, though the current quotas have been in place since 2006 and were simply renewed in 2014.

Then the DfT’s Night Flying Restrictions document stated: “Three years is shorter than recent regimes but by

this time the Government of the day should be in a position to have reviewed these night flying restrictions in the light of decisions made about any new airport capacity.”

It also suggested that the numbers for Gatwick and Stansted were likely to increase during the next quota period, which would mean that ‘the existing movement limits would impose additional costs to industry by 2017’.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

4  LOCAL NEWS

Lib Dem criticises cost of County Hall’s glossy budget cuts brochure A GLOSSY document outlining Kent County Council’s budget plans for the next five years has been criticised as ‘an extraordinary waste of money’ after each copy was revealed to have cost £34 to produce.

Kent County Council (KCC) spent £6,877.60 to produce 200 copies of the statement, entitled Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes.

The 82-page document discusses the council’s budget strategy and forecast cuts of £83million during the next financial year.

Liberal Democrat councillor Rob Bird criticised the poor use of the money, which included £3,430 for graphic design. He said: “Next year’s budget will be the most difficult ever experienced because of loss of government funding.

‘It does very little to suggest how to improve services’ “I have no doubt there were cheaper options available,” he added. “It should not have cost this much to produce. This is the kind of report that a very large corporation might use to impress an equally big client.”

Cllr Bird (pictured below), who has represented Maidstone Central since 2012, also criticised the content of the paper: “It does very little to suggest how to improve services. It seems to have been put together purely to put the KCC in a good light.”

Deputy Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services, Cllr Jeremy Kite, responded to Mr Bird’s complaints by questioning the maths behind the £34 valuation.

“If you really want to start doing your calculations about how much it costs to produce stuff, I guess you’ve got to divide it by the 1.4 million people who have access to it on the internet,” COMPLAINT Rob Bird he said.

Wealden MP to help Thalidomide victims NUSRAT GHANI, MP for Wealden, has again been nominated as Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Thalidomide.

The drug was commonly used to treat nausea by pregnant women in the 1950’s and 60’s, but was discovered to be the cause of significant birth defects in thousands of children.

So far, the government has given in the region of £80million in grants to the Thalidomide Trust, which helps meet the needs of survivors.

Commenting on her reappointment, Ms Ghani said: “I am glad to support a local and national campaign that receives little attention but deserves huge recognition.

“We in the All-Party Parliamentary Group are committed to ensuring that Thalidomide survivors get justice as quickly as possible.”

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

MP provokes Twitter storm after calling film ‘fictional’

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk GREG CLARK faced a barrage of criticism on social media last week after his appearance on BBC1’s Question Time, in which he clashed with film director Ken Loach.

The Tunbridge Wells MP and Cabinet minister was quizzed by fellow panellist Keir Starmer, Labour’s MP for Brexit, on the government’s industrial strategy and whether or not they had offered Nissan a special deal to keep production in the UK.

His biggest run-in was with 79-year-old Cathy Come Home director Ken Loach

for Work and Pensions, who decide that he is in fact ‘fit to work’.

Mr Loach accused the Tories of ‘conscious cruelty’ in the way that the government handled benefits and used ‘hunger as a weapon’, after he had listed case studies of people he met while researching for his film.

Mr Clark hit back by reminding the Gloucester audience, amid some heckling, that I, Daniel Blake was ‘fictional’ and did not reflect the true behaviour of Jobcentre assessors.

He subsequently faced a torrent of abuse online, with Twitter users accusing him of ‘lying without shame’ about the impact of cuts, ‘deflecting the blame’ on to the poor and being ‘disingenuous’.

Others questioned whether a ‘privileged’ Tory MP representing Tunbridge Wells could speak on issues affecting ‘the North’ – despite the fact Mr Clark was born in Middlesbrough to working-class parents.

The Times was unable to find any feedback supporting the MP.

HECKLED Greg Clark tried to separate fact from fiction

Mr Starmer said that while a deal may not be a bad thing in itself, the minister ‘could not hide’ information on any negotiations from the public.

However, the Business Secretary denied any special deal had taken place when he met Nissan’s directors in Japan last week, insisting ‘there’s no chequebook’ being used to sweeten negotiations.

But his biggest run-in was with 79-year-old Cathy Come Home director Ken Loach over the validity of his new film, titled I, Daniel Blake.

The movie, which won the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival this year, tells the fictional story of a carpenter who suffers a heart attack and is told by doctors he can no longer work.

He is then refused benefits by the Department

Tunbridge Wells gives green light for council lottery A BOROUGH lottery will be up and running by April after Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Cabinet voted to give the go-ahead for a one-year trial last week.

Despite some misgivings over the proposal, the decision has effectively put it into action by allowing a contract with the operator to be drawn up.

The idea has several precedents around the country, including the Hive Lotto in neighbouring Tonbridge.

It is seen by the council as a way of funding local good causes as

RISKY GAMBLE? Some councillors have questioned the lottery plan

government spending is cut back.

Representatives of the voluntary sector spoke out in support of the plans at the meeting on October 27.

But one member of the council – who claimed to be speaking for some of his colleagues – objected to the proposal. Cllr Joe Simmons, Conservative, said a ‘level of unease’ exists among some councillors over the issue. He stated his ‘personal’ objections to the lottery were on three grounds: ethics, the business plan, and the financial ramifications.

Mr Simmons, who is not a member of the Cabinet, said: “On the ethics, my personal opinion is that however we spin this, we are encouraging people to gamble – and I do not think it is appropriate for a local council to do so.”

‘A lottery such as this is a particular benefit to smaller grassroots organisations’ Regarding the business plan, Mr Simmons described the idea as ‘high risk’, adding that not enough market research had gone into it and there was a possibility the scheme could tarnish the council’s image.

In addition, he said a thorough risk assessment and the drawing up of contingency plans should be made, adding: “I see none of this, though.

It is a leap in the dark.”

Financially, he described the amounts forecast to be raised for good causes as ‘heroic figures’, but questioned how they would be achieved ‘with virtually no

promotion’ or support provided.

However, the lottery was supported

by Wendy McGeachy and Jon Weller who were representing Imago – a Tunbridge Wells-based organisation which helps provide assistance to charities and the voluntary sector.

Ms McGeachy described the lottery as ‘absolutely fantastic’ for the voluntary sector in Tunbridge Wells, which she said is facing ‘an extremely difficult’ financial climate, with some organisations already struggling.

Imago would help promote the lottery across its network, she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by her colleague, Mr Weller, who said: “There are around 200 voluntary organisations in Tunbridge Wells of various sizes. A lottery such as this is a particular benefit to the smaller grassroots organisations who do not have access to the types of funding their larger counterparts have.”

The Cabinet proceeded to reach a consensus to support the proposal with the proviso that the lottery would be reviewed within a year of operation.

LOCAL NEWS 

5

Cash-strapped NHS Trust finds way to beat the deficit

In a spin Music fans visit the new vinyl store

by reducing the use of temporary staff.

Agency rates have proved a heavy newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk burden on the budget for several years because of a shortage of permaTHE embattled Maidstone and Tun- nent staff, a problem which was notbridge Wells Trust is preparing to re- ed by the Care Quality Commission. duce its headcount as it seeks £37milThe Trust’s board reported in Seplion of budget improvements by the tember: “Confirmation of the terms of end of the financial year in order to financial special measures from NHSI tackle its ballooning deficit. had focused on the trust’s failure to The trust, which agree a control total runs Tunbridge Wells and decision to foreHospital in Pembury, ‘Some of the savings cast a deficit, as well was placed in special as its excessive rate of will be achieved by pay growth over the financial measures in cutting the overall July by NHS Improvepast two/three years.” ment (NHSI) after it The new financial pay bill – mainly by had previously refused reducing the use of plan anticipates a to agree a financial nursing agency bill temporary staff’ target with the health of £16.4m for agency service’s regulator. nurses and £4million However, within a for locum doctors. The month of measures being implement- forecast for spending on part-time ed, the estimated year-end deficit had staff has been reduced by almost nearly doubled to £42million, leaving £9million. regulators scrambling to find ways of If all the measures are implementplugging the gap. ed, the trust will then run a deficit of The rescue measures identified only of £4.7m, which in turn entitles £14million of additional income it to £9.4m of national sustainability while also finding savings worth and transformation funding, result£16million. ing in an actual surplus of £4.7m.

The remainder of the ‘budget imThe trust said “Maidstone and Tunprovements’ will come from a real- bridge Wells Trust are working closelocation of assets and ‘technical ac- ly with NHS Improvement to support counting measures’. the development and delivery of Some of the savings will be achieved financial efficiencies as part of our by cutting the overall pay bill – mainly agreed control total for 2016-17.”

By Andrew Tong

Vinyl revolution goes full circle with opening of new record store A RECORD renaissance is underway, with the first store in Tunbridge Wells to exclusively stock vinyl in a generation opening its doors to the public last week.

Vinyl Revolution launched on Thursday (October 27) with a party for supporters of the new Camden Road store.

Co-founder, musician Simon Parker and members of his band Villareal, entertained the guests, with additional live music from Pete Harwood of New State Masses.

The store, which has a short-term lease running until mid-January next year, stocks an extensive range of records from the 1960s to the present day, as well as the turntables required to play them.

“The support from Tunbridge Wells and the wider Kent community has been amazing,” said 48-year-old Mr Parker. “It’s great to be in a town which is so into music. We’ve had great support from The Forum; we’re stocking vinyl from its record label, Unlabel and will be hosting live acoustic sets from their artists.”

Mr Parker’s business partner, Rachel Lowe, said the process of setting up the store had been ‘hard work’, but ‘worth it’.

She added: “People love what we’re offering. They love that we’ve created a really accessible environment, whether you’re looking for a vintage gem to add to your established collection or are discovering vinyl for the first time.”

Countess receives royal welcome in Benenden THE residents of Benenden village gave HRH Countess of Wessex an enthusiastic welcome when she visited their community-run shop and post office yesterday [Tuesday].

Her visit was to commemorate Benenden School’s acquisition of the local shop in June 2015 after it came close to the brink of closure, and its subsequent reopening as a community-led project at the start of this year.

The store itself is run by Benenden Community Shop Limited which was funded through shares issued to local residents, grants and donations.

Together with a newly-created café, it is now staffed by over 40 volunteers and five professional paid managers.

Girls from the school also help by volunteering, while the school itself uses the adjoining accommodation to house members of its staff.

Following a brief overview of the story of the shop, the Countess of Wessex, who is married to Prince Edward, the Earl of Essex, unveiled a plaque to commemorate her visit and the celebration of the official opening.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

6  LOCAL NEWS

Survey finds south east businesses are warming to Brexit BUSINESS leaders are overwhelmingly optimistic about Britain’s prospects outside of the EU and many are also confident about the year ahead, a new survey has revealed.

Conducted by Tunbridge Wells-based law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore on October 20, the anonymous poll of 60 regional businesses took place at a Brexit forum hosted at Tonbridge School. Speakers at the event included local Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, Dominic Deeson of the Institute of Directors and John Elliott of Millwood Designer Homes – a longstanding client of the firm.

Sentiment among those attending was that Brexit ‘must mean Brexit’ and that it also presented an opportunity for Britain.

This was reflected by the survey, which revealed 77 per cent feel confident about the economy in the next 12 months, while 84 per cent believe Britain will thrive outside the EU. However, almost three quarters of those polled said they preferred a ‘soft Brexit’ – meaning continued access to the single market – over a ‘hard’ break, although 70 per cent did say striking free trade deals with other countries was a benefit of this option.

Commenting on the results, Thomson Snell & Passmore CEO Simon Slater said: “This was an interesting and thoroughly informative forum on the impact of this enormous economic and political event. It was great to be able to collate the views of the business leaders of the south-east region, which is uniquely placed to understand the challenges and opportunities that Brexit brings.”

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

The Art of Fashion comes to town

THE catwalk came to Tunbridge Wells over the weekend when Royal Victoria Place hosted its event The Art of Fashion to show off the latest range of autumn and winter wear stocked by its retailers.

The fashion-filled event, which ran on both Saturday and Sunday [October 29 and 30] showcased the season’s latest trends with themed live runway shows, including Victoriana, Modern Heritage and 80s’ Remix.

The 18 live runway shows featured more than 35 of the centre’s

top fashion, jewellery and accessory brands.

Fenwick, M&S, Next, Topshop, GAP, French Connection, Monsoon, Hobbs, Office, Superdry, Accessorize, Timberland, Pandora, Swarovski and many more were represented.

Each show featured professional models styled by beauty experts from MAC, Clarins and Bare Minerals at Fenwick, and hairstyling was created by Simon Barker, Artistic Director at McQueen Hair Salon in Tunbridge Wells.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS 

7

Hostile reaction to takeover offer A quiet Tunbridge Wells street was recently turned into an international corporate battleground – with hundreds of millions of pounds at stake

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk FROM the outside, Clanricarde Gardens in the heart of Tunbridge Wells is not the sort of street most people would associate with business deals worth hundreds of millions of pounds or assets in farflung corners of the world.

However, tucked away among the private residences, nurseries and clinics, one company last week rebuked a £360million takeover offer, claiming it was ‘wholly inadequate’.

Shares in M.P. Evans rocketed by 45 per cent last Tuesday (October 25) following the news that the Malaysian firm Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) was seeking to take over the palm oil producer – which controls 45,000 hectares of plantations in Indonesia.

However, despite the offer representing a premium of around 51 per cent on its share price of 426p at the close of Monday (October 24), the board decided to dismiss the deal – leading to a tense 24 hours in which the fate of the firm rested in the hands of its shareholders.

KLK had been scoping out the Tunbridge Wells company for around a month and had already seen one non-binding proposal of an indicative takeover offer rejected by the board on October 13.

This led the Malaysian firm to directly quote their offer to the shareholders of the AIM-listed company in what some financial commentators described as an attempted ‘hostile takeover’.

KLK justified the approach, stating it would let shareholders in M.P. Evans

*all values are in millions

WORTH MORE: (L-R) Tristan Price (Finance Director) Peter Hadsley-Chaplin (Chairman) Philip Fletcher (Non-Executive Director) inset, Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian (CEO, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad)

‘have the opportunity to decide on the merits’ of the proposal.

They added they believed the deal is ‘highly attractive’, given its substantial premium to M.P. Evans’s current share price. It was this direct offer that led to the 45 per cent surge in the share price on October 25, when they closed up at 620p.

Unsolicited Members of the board, many of whom live locally, would have benefited to the tune of tens of millions of pounds if they had accepted the offer, although the largest shareholders are asset management firms and pension funds.

However, a statement released by the company in response to what they described as an ‘unsolicited offer’ read: “M.P. Evans believes the offer is wholly inadequate and very substantially undervalues the company, its unique position and its future growth potential.”

It concluded by ‘strongly’ urging shareholders to take no action in relation to their shares in the company.

The offer itself was conditional on the receipt of valid acceptances for M.P. Evans shares which carry more than 50 per cent of the company’s voting rights.

The rallying call to defy the offer was heeded, with the company releasing a second statement the last Wednesday (October 26), confirming they had enough support from shareholders – including big backers such as Aberdeen Asset Management and J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

It read: “The board is pleased to announce that it has received the immediate and unequivocal support of shareholders representing in aggregate 54.72 per cent of the issued share capital of the company.

“On the basis of these letters of intent to reject the offer which have been received from shareholders holding a majority of the shares in the company, the offer cannot succeed and will fail.”

M.P. Evans

KLK

WHAT IS PALM OIL?

1870

1906

*Market cap (October 26)

£339.84

£5,100

*Turnover 2015

£48.96

£2,730

*Operating Profit 2015

£10.88

£248

Plantation area (hectares)

45,000

250,000

Palm oil is derived from the pulp of oil palms.

It is one of few highly saturated vegetable fats and is semi-solid at room temperature but contains very little cholesterol. It is an important source of calories and a food staple in poorer communities and can be used as a base for the production of margarine. It is also used in some cosmetic products, forming the basis of some soaps.

Founded

Enterprise boss backs Heathrow air choice CHRISTIAN BRODIE, Chairman of South East Local Enterprise Partnership, has welcomed the government’s decision to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow, describing the choice as ‘the right one’.

However, he issued a warning that companies should not have to endure any further delay to the project.

Mr Brodie, whose organisation secures funding for the economies of Kent, East Sussex and Essex, said: “Heathrow as a global hub and an economic driver is what other countries Christian aspire to have and we Brodie must support its

long-term future.

“It connects the UK with the rest of the world and secures the supply chains that underpin the success of many business and communities throughout the south east.”

“However, we recognise that with a further year’s consultation and planning process, the timeline for a new runway at Heathrow is still a decade away.

“What business needs is the reassurance that its delivery won’t be delayed any further so they can plan their own investments.”

Tonbridge hosts business tour SMALL Business Saturday is coming to Tonbridge as part of a nationwide tour aimed at providing support and showcasing local enterprises.

The Federation of Small Businesses event will take place at the Old Fire Station on November 18, and those visiting will be able to receive free advice on business rates, flood defence for businesses and the Tonbridge Loyalty Card.

Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council Nicolas Heslop said: “I am very pleased to support Small Business Saturday. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy and their drive and commitment is a key part of what makes this area so successful and helps to forge a strong economic identity.”

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

8  LOCAL NEWS

Remembrance parade saved – without having to pay police local people putting their names forward, but a campaign on social media has seen the newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk numbers increase.

Interest in the event has grown enormously in PADDOCK WOOD’S Remembrance Day parade the last couple of years. The Chair of Paddock will go ahead this year after a last-minute plea Wood Town Council, Cllr Elizabeth Thomas, puts for volunteers meant organisers did not have the enthusiasm down to a heightened awareness of what the Armed Forces do. to cancel it.

For five years the hugely popular event “I think people are much more conscious has been beset by difficulties after the of wars universally and that makes them police said they were no longer able more thankful,” she says. to provide stewarding because of “Commemorations like the centenary of budget constraints. the First World War nudge people into The march from St Andrew’s remembering.”

Church along Maidstone Even though there are no longer any Road, Commercial Road, survivors of the trenches, she says the desire to keep memories alive has moved on to their Station Road and Church Road to the children and grandchildren – especially those who were born between 1939 and 1945. war memorial attracted more than “The generation who were born during 700 people last year. the Second World War are in their 70s The Royal British and 80s now, and when you get to that age you tend to look back more.”

Legion was told Cllr Thomas revealed that the police that at least 16 were prepared to keep the roads clear marshals were required to ensure – but only at a price. “They will do the route was safe it but it would be rather expensive – or the parade because they would charge for it,” would have to she said. “That was when we be called off. started to find it difficult.”

LINE THE STREETS Until recently, In the end, she says, ‘a few arms were Last year’s parade attracted there had been twisted and a few consciences were more than 700 people pricked’. But the problem with finding only a couple of

By Andrew Tong

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

volunteers is that everyone with a genuine interest wants to take part in the parade, not watch it from the sidelines.

‘The problems arose in 2012, when Kent Police declined to lend a hand’ “The people who attend tend to be in uniformed organisations, whether it’s the scouts or the fire brigade,” she said.

“They give up their time for the rest of the year so they want to be in the parade, not marshalling it.”

The problems arose in 2012, when Kent Police first declined to lend a hand.

At the last minute, Theresa May, who was Home Secretary at the time, then ordered them to carry out the task.

The current Prime Minister insisted then that all parades were ‘of such national significance that local forces should support them without charge’.

Mrs May wrote to the Association of Chief Police Officers saying it was bound by guidelines to prioritise all remembrance parades.

In a statement to the Legion’s Head Office, she said: “We are committed to proper recognition of British service personnel and all that they have given and continue to give to this country.”

At the time the Chief Constable of Kent Police, Ian Learmonth, stated: “I would like to advise all officers and staff that Remembrance Day parades will be policed in local communities, and to our usual high standard.”

New traders have chance to shine in Ely Court shops LOCAL entrepreneurs and small business startups will have an opportunity to promote their wares in the run-up to Christmas.

They will be able to make use of the vacant retail units in Ely Court on December 3 free of charge as part of Small Business Saturday.

The town centre management company Royal Tunbridge Wells Together (RTWT), which is based in Ely Court, has secured access to the open-air arcade from Royal Victoria Place.

The offer is available to local people who are setting up a business and want to test the popularity of their products with shoppers.

Rachel Jenman, RTWT Town Centre Manager, said: “This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to test their business plans and get invaluable feedback from the buying public.”

Nicky Blanchard, RTWT Chair and Centre Manager of Royal Victoria Place, said: “We know everybody is busy, and it’s so easy to simply go online and click ‘buy’. However, supporting our local small independent businesses helps ensure that the town remains a vibrant place to live and work for all of us.”

Last year’s Small Business Saturday customers spent an estimated £623million with small traders nationwide, an increase of £119million on the 2014 event.

Any traders interested in the local scheme should email: rachel.jenman@ tunbridgewellstogether.co.uk and describe their plans and how they would use the space.

The deadline for applications is November 14. For further information visit www.tunbridgewellstogether.co.uk

LOCAL NEWS 

9

An evening in the life of an inexperienced but hugely enthusiastic judge of fine ales READY FOR THE OFF The SVR & West Kent CAMRA Beer, Cider and Heritage Diesel Festival

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk DESPITE the perception, not every journalist is a borderline alcoholic. But when it comes to this writer, unkind souls may say an enthusiasm for ale is a fair description.

So, imagine my delight one day on being offered the chance to mix business with pleasure when an invite came from the West Kent branch of CAMRA [the Campaign for Real Ale] to be a judge at their beer festival last week.

I was to adjudicate a range of Green Hop ales at the old Tunbridge Wells West Station. These are ales, I later learned, made from freshly cut hops that have not gone through the industry’s standard practice of roasting.

Although well accustomed to quantity, I confess that my limited knowledge of what makes an ale one of quality meant I was not overly qualified for the task.

So imagine my surprise when told by the organiser, Iain Dalgleish, I would be judging at the final table.

However, fortunately for me, among the great and the good of Tunbridge Wells society gathered on Thursday was special guest Sophie Atherton, the first female beer sommelier to be accredited and, to my envy, a professional ‘beer journalist’.

Among the helpful hints she divulged were: “Appearance, if its cloudy that’s not

‘I confess that my limited knowledge of what makes an ale one of quality meant I was not overly qualified for the task’

a good sign, you should be able to see light through it… Make sure that when it comes to tasting you keep your palate clear by drinking water between rounds and eating dry crackers… So it’s probably best you don’t go to the bar before judging commences.”

At that final hint my heart sank. I had, after all, come to the beer festival’s preopening booze-up, so this pre-judging prohibition was a bitter pill to swallow. There were 162 casks of ale and beer ready, and I had ambitiously hoped to taste at least ten per cent of those before the night was over.

But I was committed to doing it properly, and believed I would not be waiting long before it was my turn. How wrong I was.

What I hadn’t factored in was, just like myself, everyone else present was also very committed to thoroughly scrutinising each tipple on the five criteria of appearance, aroma, taste, after-taste and (in my opinion ambiguously) ‘overall quality’.

With around 25 individuals, each sampling six green hops, it was a bit of a wait – and a mathematical mix-up when it came to the scoring added further delay.

‘I also heard interesting tales from our esteemed Mayor’ In the few hours I spent waiting for my turn, I busied myself by talking to my fellow finalist judges, one of whom was Tunbridge Wells Mayor David Neve, who promised me there would not be a single pun uttered that evening.

It was a promise he failed to keep, but by the time he began I was sufficiently tipsy to appreciate his considerable wit.

I also heard many interesting tales from our esteemed Mayor, including his recent trip to the headquarters of Scientology in East Grinstead, where he became close ‘friends’ with its leader, David Miscavige… pictorial evidence is being sought.

At around 9.30pm (I had arrived soon after 7pm), it was at last time for the finals, where the judges had the privilege of judging not six, but eight ales.

GET THE BEERS IN! And let the judging commence…

My appreciation for the art of beer tasting grew considerably over the next 40 minutes – as did my state of mild inebriation – in learning the ropes about what to expect from a decent green hop.

I could discern a certain ‘resinous tang’ to many, and my ‘mouth-feel’ picked up slight oiliness in others, although this could have been due to the rather potent aroma of diesel coming from the Spa Valley Railway train shed next door.

It was a close run thing, but as the names of the ales were kept anonymous – a standard practice – I can only reveal which brewer won and the two runners-up.

The best ale was the aptly named Green Hop by Old Dairy, followed by my favourite, Goody’s Green Hop Genesis, and then Westerham’s Scotney Green Hop. The main thing I learned from the night was although each of the ales sampled was pleasant enough, I think I will stick to the standard IPA for the foreseeable future.

And I soon returned to type by using my free beer tokens once the tasting was over.

What I did appreciate was the very professional nature of the event run by

the CAMRA organisers, and the patience of my fellow judges when it came to making a layman at the table feel included in what turned out to be a splendid evening.

Cheers!

WHAT IS KENT GREEN HOP BEER? Kent Green Hop Beer is beer made with fresh, or green, Kentish hops – instead of using hops that have been dried, as is more traditional in brewing.

The beers have a characteristic fresh taste because the hops used contain many of the oils that are normally lost when hops are dried.

It is important to make sure the hops are as fresh as can be by using them within 12 hours of being picked.

Often a green hop requires four times the volume of hops to be made than their ‘dry’ counterparts.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

10  COMMUNITY NEWS

Cancer charity marks up another milestone

Shout’s going out to help hospital radio A LOCAL hospital radio station is seeking additional funding of £4,000 a year in order to keep the operation running.

Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells, which is run entirely by volunteers, provides bedside entertainment and information to patients in local hospitals.

When Kent & Sussex Hospital closed in 2011, the charity had to move into rented accommodation. This more than doubled its annual running costs, which had previously been covered by the NHS Trust.

The team of 40 volunteers have worked hard to increase their fundraising levels.

However, each year there has been a shortfall, which has been met by using savings – and these are now running out.

Originally set up in 1961, the charity also perks-up patients with their song requests.

“Studies have shown how having their name mentioned and a song played on the radio can help the patient’s recovery by lifting their self-esteem,” said a spokesman.

“A stay in hospital can be a frightening and lonely experience, so hospital radio aims to be a friend at the bedside to keep patients company and make their stay a little bit better.”

It also provides local people with training in how to present and produce radio shows.

This has helped many volunteers with their interpersonal skills and, during the last 55 years, it has also enabled more than 40 to move on to work in radio, TV and the media.

To make a donation or enquire about volunteering, email: info@hrtw.org.uk or visit www.hrtw.org.uk – or you can vote for them in the Aviva Community Fund at www.community-fund.aviva.co.uk

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

CHILLING ENCOUNTER Santa Clauses will be up against the penguins

P-p-p-pick up a penguin suit for the Ho Ho Hospice Run ARE you the jolly Father Christmas type?

Or do you see yourself as more of a penguin person?

Hospice in the Weald are to hold a special Christmas run in Tunbridge Wells this month to complement its highly popular 10k run in September.

But competitors in the Ho Ho Hospice Run have to be dressed as Santa Claus or penguins to take part in the 5km event, which takes place in Dunorlan Park on November 27 at 10am.

You have to choose whether to join Team Santa or Team Penguin, and will be provided with a free suit as part of the sign-up fee.

There will also be a complimentary glass of mulled wine.

Event organiser Duncan Philip said: “We are encouraging a bit of friendly competition between the rival squads to see if the Santas or the penguins turn out the winners. It should be a lot of fun, for spectators as well as runners.

“But there’s a serious side, of course – we’re encouraging all the runners to get some sponsorship.

“It costs £7million a year to run the hospice, which sounds a daunting figure, but just raising £50 on the run would pay for two hours’ care from a clinical nurse specialist to provide a terminally-ill patient with pain and symptom control.”

To find out more information, contact Duncan Philip on 01892 820527 or email: duncan.philip@hospiceintheweald.org.uk

DAME KELLY HOLMES was among the guests at the Big Birthday Bash last week to celebrate 12 years since the doors first opened at the Pickering Cancer Drop In Centre in Tunbridge Wells.

The double Olympic champion cut the birthday cake as more than 100 people gathered at the Monson Road house that is home to the charity to mark another milestone in its history.

Since being launched, Pickering Cancer Drop In Centre – which is CARING KELLY Our local Olympic hero with Pickering youngsters

run entirely by volunteers – has helped and supported more than 30,000 people of all ages whose lives have been touched in some way by cancer. All advice and treatment is given free of charge.

Co-founder Polly Taylor said: “This is not just to celebrate our birthday, it is also to say a huge thanks to all the wonderful individuals and businesses who willingly give their time and their donations to keep the doors open.

Without them we would not exist.”

COMMUNITY NEWS 

11

raises £30k for You better watch out – there’s a Covers south-east hospices Christmas Boogie Storm coming

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THIS year’s Big Christmas Get Together promises three days of festive fun and frolics in Tunbridge Wells from November 17-19.

Britain’s Got Talent’s Star Wars stormtroopers Boogie Storm will be strutting their stuff when the lights are switched on.

The first day, Thursday, sees SUPER TROUPERS Boogie Storm

Santa Claus coming to town. He will take an open-top bus tour with the cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, starting at 3.30pm.

Snow White is this year’s pantomime at the Assembly Hall, featuring former Hi-de-Hi! star Su Pollard and children’s TV’s Jamie Rickers.

Santa will go to his grotto in Royal Victoria Place at 4.30pm (Nov 17), and will be joined by Jennie Falconer of Heart radio, who will host the Big Lights Switch-on Party in

the shopping centre, at 6.30pm.

Boogie Storm will perform live and the lights will be turned on by 2014 X Factor winner Ben Haenow.

‘Christmas is massively important to our retailers’ The entertainment moves to Calverley Grounds on Friday for the opening of the town’s beautifully illuminated ice rink.

There will be skating displays from Gillingham Silver Blades and the Invicta Dynamos and a festive performance by the Tunbridge Wells Rock Choir.

The enormous 35 x 20-metre ice rink, which has a capacity of up to 250 skaters, will be open

seven days a week over Christmas.

It is supported by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Meanwhile, at the southern end of town, The Pantiles Traders will hold their Christmas Cracker on the third day [Saturday].

Their festivities will start at 5.30pm, featuring a Christmas lights switch-on, open-air disco and live music.

Rachel Jenman, Town Centre Manager for event organisers Royal Tunbridge Wells Together, said: “Christmas is massively important to our retailers and leisure businesses, and it is vital that we showcase all Tunbridge Wells has to offer as a place to eat, drink and shop.

How better to do it than by having a three-day-long Big Christmas Get Together?”

For more details visit www. tunbridgewellstogether.co.uk QUEEN OF HEART Jenni Falconer will welcome Santa

COVERS, a timber and builders merchants in Tunbridge Wells, has raised £29,700 for local hospices.

After the success of last year’s campaign, when the company raised £27,000 for hospice charities, their second Help for Hospices week saw it pledge £20,000.

It has also been donating a pound for each registered customer who made a purchase, which helped contribute a further £2,820.

The funds will be split among 11 hospice charities

located in the south-east.

As part of the event, volunteers from Hospice in the Weald joined Covers’ staff at the Tunbridge Wells depot for a ‘builders bake off’ of homemade cakes.

A raffle was held with the grand draw attended by charity representatives.

Covers Chairman Rupert Green said: “I would like to thank everyone who got involved, supported us and helped to raise money for some of the worthiest causes in our community.”

BUILDING BRIDGES: (L-R): Hospice beneficiaries Alisa Lakeman-Ford of St Wilfrid’s, Eliza Dunn of Rowans, Alison Taylor of Chestnut Tree House, Covers Chairman Rupert Green, Chris Walton of St Wilfrid’s, Andy Perry of St Catherine’s and Mary Bye of St Barnabas

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

12 � NATIONAL NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF

Lord denies killing dog belonging to mother FORMER deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has denied killing his mother’s dog after it started to bite him as he went to stroke it.

The Tory grandee faced a backlash after telling a glossy society magazine that he had pulled the Alsatian’s collar tight and it had gone limp.

But the peer insisted his comments had been misinterpreted and that Kim was still alive after the incident but was put down the following day by the vet because of its violent outburst.

“I was devoted to Kim, but he’d obviously had some sort of mental breakdown,” said the former Cabinet minister.

The RSPCA said it would not investigate the historical incident but said there was ‘no rule’ that dogs should be automatically put down if they bite someone.

Train splits in two ALL 209 passengers onboard a train operated

by CrossCountry escaped unhurt after the leading powercar became separated from the rest of the train near Bristol. A company spokesman said: “The incident happened at low speed and the onboard safety systems stopped the train immediately.”

Tubes through the night THE Night Tube service on the Piccadilly line in London will begin on December 16, Sadiq Khan has announced. The London Mayor said the decision fulfilled his pledge to have five lines running throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays by the end of the year.

Coaches from Calais QUEENS Park Rangers football club has offered to provide coaches to help bring refugee children stranded in France to the UK. The Championship club said it has already had talks with officials at Hammersmith & Fulham Council in west London to try to help the minors in Calais.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

NATO clash with Russia next year not likely says Defence Secretary FEARS that Russia and NATO are on a collision course for war next year have been dismissed by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

Sir Michael insisted that a hot conflict with Moscow was not likely in 2017, as he gave evidence to the Commons Defence Committee.

Pressed about warnings by former NATO deputy allied commander in Europe, General Sir Richard Shirreff, that the plot of his novel 2017 War With Russia was plausible, Sir Michael said that was an extreme view.

“Well, there are a lot of people writing books and trying to sell them, and his is a very good one. However, I don’t agree that war with Russia is likely next year. I think that is too extreme.

“We have seen much greater Russian aggression this year, and in preREADY FOR ACTION vious years, in terms of long-range Sir Michael Fallon aviation, in terms of submarine activity, and the carrier task group that sailed through our waters, the role of Russia in deterrent against possible aggression.

Syria, and elsewhere. But I don’t think that pres“The whole point of forward deployment to Estoages an open conflict next year. nia is to arrange, if you like, an earlier tripwire so “And I hope that General Shirreff would - and I the force there doesn’t have to wait for tension to think he does this - recognise that NATO is now escalate. The force will be there from next spring responding. So, NATO is waking up to the chal- in any event, in all three of the Baltic States. It’s lenge,” Sir Michael said. partly reassurance, but it’s also deterrence - to The Defence Secretary insisted the decision to make it very clear to any potential aggressor that send 800 British troops to Estonia next year was NATO is ready to respond.” intended to create an ‘earlier tripwire’ and act as a Sir Michael also used his appearance before the

committee to announce plans to invest £1.1billion in new accommodation for service personnel and their families by 2020.

The move will see 2,600 extra bed spaces created, and bring 200 jobs to south-west England, Sir Michael said.

He said: “With our defence budget secure and rising to 2020, we can now properly invest in our soldiers, their families and communities.”

The move will see significant investment in the Salisbury Plain and Aldershot areas, with new and improved technical, office, catering, retail and leisure facilities included in the Project Allenby Connaught initiative.

The construction programme is scheduled for completion by 2020, meaning all British Army units based in Germany can return to the UK by then, resulting in savings of up to £240 million per year by 2022/23, Sir Michael said.

Asked if Britain would have the army capability for any war with Russia in 2018, or 2019, Sir Michael said: “Yes, we would be ready to increase the tempo in that kind of situation, which I don’t immediately foresee.

“And, of course, we will not be doing this on our own. We will be doing this as an active member of NATO, and presumably in some kind of NATO scenario.”

Youths throwing fireworks cause Halloween chaos THE Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has called for appropriate punishments after gangs of bikers and crowds of youths throwing fireworks created Halloween mayhem for police across the country.

More than 200 motorcyclists gathered for a ‘Halloween ride-out’ in Solihull and Birmingham on Monday evening, while in Leeds a group of around 50 racing off-road motorcycles and quad bikes brought a busy road to a standstill.

Police were pelted with fireworks in multiple incidents, with one officer narrowly avoiding being hit by an explosive in Tottenham, north London, the Metropolitan Police said.

At least seven people were arrested and 10 motorcycles seized following the bike gathering in Birmingham.

The riders caused ‘chaos’ as they darted between traffic, jumped red lights and performed stunts on busy main roads.

At one point up to 100 masked bikers surrounded a police van in Chelmsley Wood, while the fire service also reported that a group had attempted to stop them from responding to an emergency call.

West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley said: “This wasn’t a rally of bike enthusiasts, this

was loutish, criminal behaviour. Bikers were riding without lights, at speed, dangerously, pulling wheelies in the street, mounting pavements and damaging vehicles.”

Police closed Kirkstall Road in Leeds for 90 minutes on Monday evening as they waited for a gang of around 50 bikers to disperse following a similar event, which is believed to have been organised on social media.

Witnesses described the scenes as ‘utter chaos’ and ‘madness’ and compared them to those in the Mel Gibson film Mad Max. Footage from the dashboard camera of a car being driven by a London neighbourhood watch group showed a firework fly past a running Metropolitan Police officer.

The rocket then ricocheted and exploded next to a police car. Police were also targeted as they attempted to disperse a crowd of around 100 youths in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

The group threw fireworks at officers, parked cars and houses in the Rosedale and Andrews Lane areas of the town, Hertfordshire Police said.

Some 40 officers attended the incident, which took several hours to defuse, and a number of arrests were made, a spokesman said.

Calum Macleod, vice chair of the PFEW, said:

UNDER FIRE A police car was pelted with a volley of fireworks in Tottenham “Attacking a police officer in any way is to attack those who put their lives on the line to protect others - like any profession, they have the right to feel safe when they go work.

“But the harsh reality is that an officer is assaulted every 22 minutes across England and Wales.”

He added: “Statistics show that most crime occurs at night when forces are even thinner on the ground. This leaves officers more vulnerable to being assaulted - as we saw last night.

“Yet what we are seeing is a judicial system that doesn’t appear to act as a deterrent for offenders.”

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14 � NATIONAL NEWS

Amber Rudd misses urgent question in Commons on Orgreave inquiry decision HOME Secretary Amber Rudd has dodged fresh questions about the government’s decision not to hold an inquiry into the so-called ‘Battle of Orgreave’ by failing to show up to an urgent question in the House of Commons.

Former Shadow Home Secretary Andy ­Burnham led criticism of Ms Rudd, who left Home Office minister Brandon Lewis to defend the move.

‘There are few lessons to be learned from a review of the events and practices of three decades ago’ This prompted calls of ‘where is she?’ from the Labour benches, amid anger that she had failed to appear to defend the decision.

Mr Burnham said: “Orgreave is one of the most divisive events in British social history.

“Given that there is evidence of unlawful conduct by police in relation to it, isn’t it simply staggering that the Home Secretary has brushed away an inquiry as not necessary?

“And isn’t it even more revealing that she wasn’t prepared to come to this House today to justify her decision?”

Labour’s Mr Burnham went on to say that campaigners felt ‘bitterly betrayed’ by the government’s decision, and added that it was ‘utterly cruel’ to have previously suggested there was going to be an inquiry into the 1984 clash between police and striking miners at Orgreave.

Mr Burnham told MPs that following a meeting with ministers in September, campaigners had been left with the impression that an inquiry would take place.

He said: “In retrospect, does the minister now concede that it was utterly cruel to give those campaigners false hope in that way?

“Yesterday we were hit with a bombshell. But today, we dust ourselves down and we give notice to this government that we will never give up this fight.”

Mr Lewis defended the Home Secretary, saying she had answered questions from MPs about the issue on Monday.

He added: “Despite the forceful accounts and arguments provided by the campaigners about the effect that these events [at Orgreave] had on them, ultimately there were no deaths or wrongful convictions.

“In addition, the policing landscape and wider criminal justice system have changed fundamentally since 1984, with significant changes in the oversight of policing at every level.

“There are few lessons to be learned from a review of the events and practices of three decades ago.

“We do not believe that establishing any kind of inquiry is required in the wide public interest, or for any other reason.”

The campaigners who called for an inquiry into the clashes at the South Yorkshire coking plant have vowed to continue the fight following

CAMPAIGNERS The fight goes on the Home ­Secretary’s rejection of their plea and are now seeking a judicial review.

The brutal confrontation was the fiercest clash between police and the picket lines during the 1984-85 miners’ strike.

The violence erupted on June 18, 1984 as thousands of protesters at the British Steel Corporation plant were met by police clad in riot gear and wielding truncheons.

Almost 5,000 officers formed a solid barrier against the miners, who had gathered at the works near Rotherham to stop coke deliveries leaving for steelworks in Scunthorpe.

The police, some on horseback, made regular charges to break up the crowds, often under a hail of stones and missiles.

Official reports said 30 officers and 50 ­picketers were hurt, including the National Union of ­Mineworkers’ president Arthur Scargill, but many others are believed not to have reported their injuries.

Campaigners allege the police manufactured statements following the incident to discredit those involved. Many miners were arrested, but were then cleared after a court case against them was thrown out.

SPORT IN BRIEF

Smith suspended after being caught on video GYMNAST Louis Smith has been suspended for two months after appearing to mock Islam in a video which appeared online last month.

The Olympic silver medallist was found guilty of a breach of British Gymnastics’ Standards of Conduct by an independent panel.

His friend, former gymnast Luke Carson, was issued a reprimand.

Smith has since apologised for the footage, which shows him pretending to pray to Allah while laughing, and revealed he has received a number of death threats.

Kane on comeback trail HARRY KANE’S chances of returning for the north London derby against Arsenal have received a boost after the striker trained with the Tottenham first team on Tuesday.

Kane has not played for Spurs since injuring ligaments in his right ankle just over six weeks ago but he was seen taking part in full training, without any visible sign of discomfort.

The 23-year-old was rated as 50-50 by manager Mauricio Pochettino to feature against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League tonight (November 2), four days before Tottenham take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Jockey remains stable FREDERIK TYLICKI remained in a stable condition in intensive care yesterday (November 1) following his fall at Kempton on Monday.

The Group One-winning rider was involved in a four-horse pile-up in the Breeders Backing Racing EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes along with newly

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

crowned champion jockey Jim Crowley, Ted Durcan and Steve Drowne.

Durcan and Drowne walked away from the incident, but Tylicki and Crowley were taken to St George’s Hospital in Tooting with suspected spinal injuries, although the latter was later released having escaped with just a broken nose.

Mourinho charged again JOSE MOURINHO has been given a second misconduct charge within a week by the Football Association over his behaviour during Manchester United’s draw with Burnley on Saturday.

The United boss was sent to the stands for the second half by referee Mark Clattenburg after allegedly using ‘abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official’ in the tunnel at half-time.

Mourinho, who has until 6pm on Friday to respond, was also charged with misconduct last Thursday over comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor in the build-up to the 0-0 draw at Liverpool last month.

Graham nurses knee ENGLAND will be without vice-captain James Graham for Saturday’s Ladbrokes Four Nations rugby league match against Scotland but coach Wayne Bennett is confident he will be back for the crunch clash with Australia.

The Canterbury Bulldogs prop, who has been a permanent fixture in the England team over the last eight years, will sit out the double-header at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena with a knee injury.

Graham captained England in the recent game against France in the absence through suspension of Sam Burgess, who returned for last Saturday’s Four Nations opener against New Zealand. * For local sport turn to pages 78-79

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16  BUSINESS NEWS

Hackers ‘actively exploiting’ flaw in Microsoft Windows, claims Google GOOGLE has exposed a security flaw in Microsoft Windows and is warning that it is already being ‘actively exploited’ by hackers.

The internet giant said in a post on its security blog that it informed Microsoft of the weakness in the kernel, or core, of the Windows operating system on October 21, but a fix is yet to be released.

The bug can be used to escape what are known as security sandboxes, which are designed to isolate malicious code.

However, the declaration has angered Microsoft, which says Google could endanger Windows users by revealing the vulnerability before an update to fix the problem has been issued.

“We believe in co-ordinated vulnerability disclosure, and today’s disclosure by Google could put customers at potential risk,” the Windows developer said in a statement.

“Windows is the only platform with a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as

Company faces fine possible. We recommend customers use Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser for the best protection.”

Google said the flaw is ‘particularly serious because we know it is being actively exploited’ and, as part of its bug disclosure policy on active flaws, waits only seven days before going public with its findings, rather than the normal 60 days.

Google said it did this to ‘protect users’.

THE Go-Ahead Group, owner of the troubled Southern rail franchise, has said it is on track to meet its financial targets for the full year despite sliding revenues at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which is also one of their companies.

The group said GTR passenger revenue fell 3 per cent in the first quarter, as it came under pressure from months of strike action linked to planned changes to the role of conductors.

‘Passenger revenue and journeys have been adversely affected by strike action’ GTR, which runs Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, also saw passenger journeys fall 0.5 per cent between July 3 and October 31 this year.

Go-Ahead, which owns 65 per cent of GTR, booked annual profits of almost £100million last month, but Chief Executive David Brown said GTR does not make any money.

The group is expecting to make a 1.5 per cent margin on GTR over the seven-year

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Value of pound up after Carney’s announcement THE value of the pound rose following Mark Carney’s decision to stay on as Bank of England Governor until June 2019. Sterling rose as high as 1.228 against the US dollar and 1.117 against the euro in early trading yesterday [Tuesday].

Investors were comforted by Mr Carney’s announcement that he would extend his tenure past 2018, which will cover the full two-year period of Brexit negotiations – assuming Prime Minister Theresa May stands by her pledge to trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year.

CODEBREAKERS Bugs in the system

Google also revealed it had discovered a bug in Adobe’s Flash software, although Adobe issued a fix for the problem on October 26.

“We encourage users to verify that auto-updates have already updated Flash, and to manually update if not, and to apply Windows patches from Microsoft when they become avai lable for the Windows vulnerability,” Google’s Threat Analysis Group said.

Rail company confident it will hit targets despite Southern problems

ON TRACK Go-Ahead’s expectations are unchanged

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

period for which it holds the franchise.

In its first-quarter update, the firm said: “Our expectations for the full year remain unchanged, with robust trading in the first quarter. The group remains in a good financial position, with strong cash generation and a robust balance sheet.”

Go-Ahead said passenger revenues for Southeastern and London Midland grew by 3.5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.

Focusing on GTR’s performance, it added: “Passenger revenue and journeys have been adversely affected by strike action during the period.

“As previously reported, the additional resources being invested in GTR to support service delivery continue to impact margins in the short term. Our margin expectations for the life of the franchise remain unchanged.”

The update comes as protests were expected to be held in Westminster yesterday [Tuesday] in the latest twist in the long-running dispute over changes to the role of conductors.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will also strike for 48 hours from Friday, with further walkouts planned in the coming weeks, causing travel misery for hundreds of thousands of their passengers.

Southern says moving conductors to a new role of on-board supervisors will improve services to passengers, with responsibility for closing train doors switching to drivers.

SOUTH WEST WATER is facing up to a potential £1.7million fine from Britain’s water regulator over ‘serious wastewater pollution incidents’.

Ofwat said that the company, which provides services to customers throughout Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset, allowed sewage to spill into the sea on seven different occasions between April 2015 and March 2016.

BP drop in profits BP PROFITS nearly halved in the third quarter as it remained under pressure from low oil prices, but expects production to increase slightly in the fourth quarter.

The oil giant posted underlying replacement cost profits – the benchmark industry measure – of 933million US dollars (£762.8million) for the three months to the end of September against 1.82billion US dollars (£1.49billion) a year earlier.

Bank disappointment STANDARD CHARTERED boss Bill Winters has admitted the bank’s profits are ‘not yet acceptable’ as it posted worse than expected earnings.

The bank saw its shares slump by more than 7 per cent at one stage, after it reported third quarter underlying profits of 458million US dollars (£374million).

This marked an improvement from losses of 139million US dollars (£113.5million) a year earlier, but left investors disappointed as it fell short of City forecasts.

More lending by Virgin VIRGIN MONEY notched up a 33 per cent surge in mortgage lending and said the Brexit vote had failed to dent borrower appetite, but added it remained cautious.

The challenger bank said net mortgage lending – overall mortgage lending less borrower redemptions –- leapt a third higher to £3.5billion in the first nine months of the year as it took an 11.5 per cent share of the market.

Pools deal terminated A DEAL to sell The Football Pools for nearly £100million to its management team has fallen through. The owner of the world’s oldest football gaming company, Sportech, said yesterday [Tuesday] that talks with private equity firm Burlywood Capital, which was fronting the deal, have been ‘terminated’. Burlywood had proposed to acquire the firm for £97.25million last month as part of a management buyout.

WORLD NEWS �

Rescuers search for 18 trapped miners after underground explosion in China HUNDREDS of rescuers were struggling to find 18 coal miners still trapped after a gas explosion killed 15 of their colleagues in western China.

Whether the 18 were alive was not known yesterday [Tuesday], more than 24 hours after the blast ripped through the privately owned Jinshangou mine in the sprawling Chongqing region.

Just two miners were confirmed to have survived, and 13 people had been confirmed dead by yesterday morning. Later, two more bodies were recovered from among the 33 left in the shaft following the explosion, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Rescuers were being hindered by debris blocking some of the mine’s passageways.

We ‘will exert our utmost as long as there’s still a ray of hope’, Chongqing Deputy Mayor Mu Huaping said of the search efforts, according to Xinhua.

Gas explosions inside mines are often caused when a flame or electrical spark ignites gas leaking from the coal seam. Ventilation systems are supposed to prevent gas from becoming trapped.

The State Administration of Work Safety ordered an investigation into the blast, adding ‘that those responsible must be strictly punished’.

Local officials in Chongqing also ordered smaller mines to shut down temporarily, Xinhua said.

China’s mining industry has long been among the world’s deadliest. The head of China’s State Administration of Work Safety said earlier this year that struggling coal mines might be likely to overlook maintenance.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, but plans to shut more than 1,000 outdated mines as part of a broader plan to reduce overproduction.

RESCUE PARTY The search for miners goes on

17

NEWS IN BRIEF

Senator says sorry for Clinton ‘bullseye’ jibe A SENATOR has apologised for saying he was surprised that a gun magazine with a photo of Hillary Clinton on the cover had not put a bullseye over her face.

Richard Burr made the comment during a private gathering of Republicans, but broadcaster CNN obtained audio from the event in which the North Carolina senator made the comment.

Mr Burr later said in a letter: “The comment I made was inappropriate and I apologise for it.”

Italian tremors continue DOZENS of minor earthquakes have continued to shake central Italy, where a big tremor on Sunday devastated towns in the mountainous region north-east of Rome.

Civil protection officials say the number of people needing housing has risen by 15,000 since last week, a figure that does not include the 2,000 who remain displaced after the deadly quake in August.

Shipyard workers killed AT LEAST seven labourers have been killed and dozens of others injured in an explosion at a ship-breaking yard in Gadani, south-western Pakistan.

An oil tank exploded yesterday [Tuesday] while workers were dismantling an old ship, which then caught fire. Gadani is one of the world’s largest ship-breaking yards and was established in the 1970s.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

18  LETTERS

And another thing…

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

Brexit: If the Prime Minister tries a slightly different approach the EU might look more kindly upon us The welcome we are likely to receive in Brussels when the Brexit negotiations start is indicated by the five minutes at 1am that Theresa May was given to state her case at the EU conference yesterday [October 21].

Perhaps if she sends a copy of the following to each of the member states, they might be inclined to look more kindly upon the UK when we next seek to obtain their cooperation.

And little did I know or care that it would cause our fall I beg of you, our EU friends, be gentle, kind and sweet Do rescue us and lead us from the end we’re bound to meet.

(With apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson) Alexander Magnus Via email

The curse is come upon me bewailed Theresa May The country’s going bankrupt: My hair is turning grey Our disunited kingdom all heard the Brexit word And taking note I volunteered to lead them in the merde So now we’re all in darkness and ruin is our fate Our one-time friends have left us: We’re in a sorry state T’was I who shouted loudly the dreaded Brexit call

Heroes: Are we devaluing the word?

Your article [October 19] on the Love Where We Live Awards identifies an ‘individual hero’ (I quote). Whilst these persons’ contribution to local life is significant, I am not sure that, along with ‘Olympic Sporting Heroes’ we are not devaluing the currency of the word ‘hero’.

How shall we describe military personnel who put themselves in danger and lose their lives if, by comparison, the mere quotidian is described as ‘heroic’?

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

Traffic: Roads are not car parks The solution to cars speeding along Church Road in Rotherfield [October 19] to get through the single lane traffic rather than wait their turn is simple and obvious: Get rid of the single lane by getting rid of the parked cars; with two-way traffic there’s no need to speed. Roads are not car parks.

Ralph Steerpike Tunbridge Wells

Civic complex: Appalling waste of money What gives our local council [Tunbridge Wells Borough] the right to spend £50million of our money on what seem to be entirely unnecessary plans to relocate their offices?

The age of austerity may be over – a distant memory now, apparently, although that’s how the government got itself elected last year – but this is an appalling waste of public money.

So they don’t think their offices are ‘fit for

FEELING BLUE The European Commission in Brussels

purpose’. So they want the Assembly Hall to attract West End shows. So we need a new car park on the sight of a… er, car park.

Then came the bombshell about the new offices, which the council would share with a private company and thereby create enough revenue to help fund the development retrospectively.

But when the company pulled out, there was no back-up plan. We still haven’t heard about a revenue stream being sorted out to replace this crucial source of income.

And they’re spending three million quid on consultancies and drawing up plans so they can say that there’s no point in backing out now we’ve wasted all this money.

Come on council, get real. If you want to spend vast amounts of our money, then give us something we care about, don’t just spend it on yourselves.

Andrew Wilkins Via email

Rail: Train times were ‘communicated’ Barbara Hall [October 26] says that the change of the time of her train from Tunbridge Wells to London ‘wasn’t communicated’. Yes it was. It’s on page 25 of ‘Train Times 4’ that started on August 28. And it’s 07.32, not 07.33 as she quoted.

John Brandon Via email

Gatwick: I’m not an eco-warrior but…

My selfish relief that Heathrow was chosen for expansion last week (I don’t think I could’ve taken more noise) was matched by my general

frustration at the false choice being offered by the government and the media. The decision has been presented as if one airport had to be chosen, as if it were an inevitable eventuality.

I simply want to ask, aren’t we trying to reduce our carbon emissions, the amount of air and noise pollution in the UK as well as globally?

I reject the notion that green politics has to reject any industrial development out of principle. That is not my position, I completely understand the need for expanding our airport capacity. It will provide an exceptional boost to our econom at this particularly financially precarious time.

But don’t we all agree that the damages of rising sea levels, more extreme weather and air that slowly kills us is also something we want to avoid?

Well expansions like this will help bring that reality round quickly. You may dismiss this as some kind of eco-warrior agenda but it’s not, it is the scientific consensus of our time and it will affect us all (unless you’re one of those lucky volunteers going up to Mars in the 2020s).

I am not necessarily against the expansion, I just don’t like the way the debate was framed as if the huge environmental effects were not an issue and not significant enough to even raise doubts about going forward.

Unfortunately, the spectre of climate change means we cannot carry on business as usual.

A runway at Heathrow or Gatwick? How about neither?

Robert Johnson Via email

Rural pubs: Precious community assets I was delighted to read the story [October 26] about Castle Inn in Chiddingstone being saved from prolonged closure.

Far too many of these precious community assets have been lost in recent years and closures seem to be an increasing trend.

Pubs are often essential to promoting a sense of community, and in rural areas they are often the lifeblood of a village.

Unfortunately, the (necessary) enforcement of drink drive rules, the over-taxation of alcohol – squeezing margins – and unscrupulous landlords who care only about maximising their profit with an eye on eventually turning pubs into houses, has exacerbated the decline of the pub.

But the takeover of the Castle Inn has shown that even when the pub industry is on its knees there are still, thankfully, some people willing to give it a go and hopefully make a success of it.

So I offer my heartfelt support for Nick Naismith and wish him success in his latest venture in Chiddingstone.

Julian Gilmore Via email

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

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Calverley

BEING a journalist has its rewards. Like last week when a colleague was invited to be a judge at a local CAMRA beer festival. He was actually salivating at the prospect of supping all those wonderful ales and thought he would arrive early for some warm-up pints.

Evening ruined, though, when informed that as a judge he needed a clean palate and could not drink for the two and a half hours prior to judging – when he would have to take water and chew crackers between sips to keep his taste buds fresh. Calverley just had to laugh (quietly).

ACROSS his desk comes an invitation from no less a punny man (he’s known for making puns) than the Mayor, David Neve. Tradition demands that each year the incumbent holds a charity quiz night at the Assembly Hall. The invite makes it clear that those taking part will not require ‘Mensa membership’. That’s good news. It also insists that ‘to make it fair to all, no Googling’. That’s not such good news.

Calverley now thinks he is busy that night.

KIDS are such wonderful creatures. Himself overheard the following conversation in a local restaurant: Mum to two children aged about seven and ten, “You know that daddy and I do not get along and we will be getting a divorce – what do you think?” Both replied in unison: “We want to live with daddy.” Mum ordered another large glass of red.

HIMSELF is always looking for ways to invest the £10 under his mattress, but there are limits. How can bosses at NatWest keep straight faces when describing a cash ISA with an interest rate of 0.01 per cent as a ‘savings account’? Anyone putting in the maximum of £15,240 at the start of the tax year would receive an extra £1.52 in interest at the end of the year. At least they would not have to pay tax on it. And they wonder why bankers are not top of the popularity polls – unlike newspaper journalists.

Chin, chin readers

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EDUCATION ■

19

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

They’re just the business!

Skinners’ Kent Academy sixth form students have been awarded scholarships for earning top marks in Personal Finance nationally TOP MARKS The students who won LIBF scholarships

LAST month a group of Skinners’ Kent Academy pupils were singled out by the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) for the excellent results they attained in their Year 12 exams in Personal Finance.

David Anderson, a Financial Capability

Relationship Manager from LIBF, presented the sixth form students with scholarships which will entitle those who achieved an A grade to bursaries starting from £500 should they choose to study one of the organisation’s university courses.

These include BSc (Hons) in Banking Practice

and Management and BSc (Hons) in Finance Investment and Risk.

This is the second time in three years that Skinners’ Kent Academy has had students performing at the very top level of maths and business studies.

Arithmetic skills don’t add up New ‘maths mastery’ MD warns that low skills leave young people at risk of unemployment

THE new Managing Director of a leading Tunbridge Wells-based academic publishing house has warned that sub-standard arithmetic skills among young people are damaging their job prospects.

Martin Casimir [above], who recently joined the company that produces the Maths – No Problem! series of Singapore maths mastery books said: “A succession of reports from MPs and the Education SUMMING IT UP Maths will be a vital skill

and Training Foundation have revealed shocking findings about our young people’s maths skills.

“In a global economy with increasing automation, there simply won’t be jobs for those who aren’t confident in maths.”

The solution, he believes, is encouraging take-up of the highly successful Singapore maths teaching method, developed in Asia and introduced to Britain seven years ago.

The Maths – No Problem! Programme has trained thousands of teachers and helped hundreds of institutions, from village schools to large academy chains, with more schools adopting the approach in next year’s curriculum.

NEWS IN EDUCATION

Tunbridge Wells’ state schools come second to top in national GCSE results ACCORDING to new analysis of GCSE results

by Savills, 47 per cent of the top pupils at KS4 level nationally are at high performing state schools in the Tunbridge Wells borough, second to West Dorset’s 58 per cent.

The area’s five high performing state schools – Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, The Skinners’ School, Bennett Memorial Diocesan School and Cranbrook School – also come top in the estate agent’s survey of the south east.

New music centre opens in Southborough school The Tunbridge Wells Music Centre has recently opened at Southborough Primary School, and operates every Thursday from 4 to 6pm.

The centre offers a Junior Mixed Ensemble, where children with two-plus years’ experience are invited to bring their instruments along and join others in playing favourite pop, film and traditional tunes.

There is also a choir for children over seven.

For more information, or to join the centre, please email Penny Miller at pmiller@kent-music.com or call 01892 358403.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

20  WEEKLY COMMENT

Martin Betts Labour Party local campaign co-ordinator

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

Southborough hub – a lesson to be learned WE AGREE that Southborough town centre needs a complete makeover. Those of us who live and work here have seen the results of years of underinvestment by our local councils. The shopping area has lost its vibrancy, we have our own derelict pub site, the civic building has been neglected, and a much-loved Victorian theatre has been closed and left to dilapidate.

So why is it that there is so much ill feeling towards the new Southborough Community Hub? Why is it that TV architect Ptolemy Dean and the Theatres Trust have criticised the design? Why is it that Sport England have decided to ‘make an outright objection’? And why – in just over a week – have over 1,000 people put their names to a petition objecting to the plans?

The answer is fairly simple and one that local councillors need to learn from. If we want people to ‘love where we live’ then they need to listen and act on what people want for their area.

More than this, once they have listened they need to keep people informed, involved and excited as plans are developed and completed. This approach is more likely to end up with residents who feel that it is ‘our’ venture, not one dumped on them by the council.

So where has the Southborough Hub project gone wrong?

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

From the start people have felt ignored, excluded and disrespected. Over 11,000 who signed a petition to keep the Royal Victoria Hall open under new volunteer management were dismissed as being inspired by a load of ‘luvvies’.

This was made worse by a senior Conservative councillor who was heard to say that he wanted to be the first to wield the demolition hammer on the historic theatre.

HUB OF CONTENTION An artist’s impression of the new community building

‘Most think the planned new building will be an eyesore’ Despite protests, decisions continue to be made by a three-councillor Project Board, in secret!

Key information is regularly held back from members of the public. Consultations have been a tick-box exercise with a minimal attempt to reach out into the community. Expert opinion – like that offered freely by the theatre community and footballers – has been ignored. Astonishingly, there is still no business and financial plan available to the public.

Is it any wonder that so many people are aggrieved about the way that they have been treated? Most think the planned new Hub building will be an eyesore and blight on the main gateway to

Tunbridge Wells. Theatre groups and users have said that a promised ‘state of the art theatre’ is unfit and unusable, and footballers have said that trust in the project team has ‘evaporated’. The Project Board struggles to find any evidence of support for their work.

Most critics of the Southborough Hub don’t op-

pose town centre development. They just want councillors to listen, to respond to their objections and have these plans reworked. They want a town centre around a renovated and modernised Royal Victoria Hall, less housing and protection of their playing fields. In the words of the local campaign they feel that ‘Southborough Deserves Better’.

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Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

Cosy in the kitchen

INSIDE

of a magnificent country house

Rustic living in a refurbished dairy farmhouse Page 26

A beautiful home that’s not just for the Birds Page 46

bracketts

est. 1828

A Foxy Tunbridge Wells house with a tennis court Page 56

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

22  PROPERTY SECTION PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

In my view…

Your at-a-glance guide to

Rupert Connell Partner, Office Head Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells

Continued uncertainty and fear of the unknown caused by the UK’s decision to leave the EU, combined with the recent fall in the value of sterling, has all contributed to a further dent in confidence in an already nervous market.

Much of this caution is perhaps unfounded as no one knows for certain what the implications of leaving a struggling European Union will be. However, there is still a tendency for over-optimism from some agents and vendors alike with regard to the value of property, and this is evident with the number of overpriced houses still sitting on the market unsold.

There is little doubt that prices have been affected by recent political events. London prices continue to fall and this is gradually filtering down to the country. Those vendors who are wise to this and realistic in their expectations on price are successfully selling their properties, those that still maintain that property prices have risen are not.

The weaker pound has opened up the overseas market and foreign buyers are keen to take advantage of the significant discount, but the housing market is being underpinned by the ongoing fundamentals of undersupply and ultra-low mortgage rates.

There is every reason to be positive about the market, however. Buyers have a very good opportunity to acquire the property they really want by taking advantage of cheap borrowing and reduced prices.

Vendors have an opportunity to take full advantage of motivated buyers by being realistic and standing out from the crowd.

We are quietly confident about the market going forward, so if you have thoughts of buying or selling in the near future, please contact Knight Frank to see how we can help you.

01892 310997

UNDER £250,000

50% SHARED OWNERSHIP

and a second bedroom, as well as an open-plan lounge/diner and fitted kitchen area, and is well presented throughout. Allocated underground parking is also a benefit. Ideal for first-time buyers.

Conveniently located at the beginning of St John’s, this modern top floor, purpose-built apartment is very handy for the town centre. It comprises both a master bedroom

CONTACT Connells Tunbridge Wells 01892 547966 www.connells.co.uk

MARCONI PLACE TUNBRIDGE WELLS

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Wednesday 2nd November 2016

£127,500

UNDER £350,000 LAVENDER HILL, TONBRIDGE

£325,000-£350,000 A charming, three-bedroom period terraced house within walking distance of Tonbridge mainline railway station. It offers two reception rooms, a modern fitted kitchen and an array of character features, such as sash windows,

ornate fireplaces and wood floors, along with central heating and double glazing. At the rear is a courtyard-style garden paved with flower borders and set out over two tiers. There is also a garden shed.

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

PROPERTY SECTION 

23

great properties by price range…

THE OLD TONG BARN TONG ROAD, BRENCHLEY

£985,000

UNDER £450,000 HANDEL WALK, TONBRIDGE

£370,000-£380,000 An ideal project for modernisation, this semi-detached Gough Cooperbuilt family home has two reception rooms, a kitchen, three bedrooms, and a bathroom – all in a sought-after location. The property is double glazed throughout, and has a 66ft rear garden which includes a lawn, patio area, shed, and small vegetable and herb garden. Plus a driveway and garage.

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

UNDER £600,000 CUMBERLAND MEWS TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£575,000

Tucked away in Tunbridge Wells’ ‘village’, this modern four-storey mews house is extremely desirable, and part of a courtyard of similar properties. The interior is in excellent order, having been updated. It has a first-floor sitting room and three bedrooms, including a top floor master suite. The integral garage could also be converted for additional accommodation, subject to the usual consents. Outside, the house has its own private courtyard garden.

CONTACT Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

UNDER £800,000 UNDER £1 MILLION

CATS CASTLE, SOUTHBOROUGH

£795,000

OLD TONG BARN TONG ROAD, BRENCHLEY

£985,000 This Grade II listed barn is thought to date from 1650, but has been beautifully revamped to offer contemporary living alongside period timbers. The L-shaped drawing room and vaulted reception/dining hall are of particular note, along with a vaulted family room. It has a well-fitted kitchen/breakfast room and four bedrooms (two en-suite).

The grounds include a walled garden, an orchard a wild meadow and pond and attached studio.

CONTACT Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 597039 www.hamptons.co.uk

A delightful Grade II listed attached house, possibly extended by Decimus Burton, with views across Southborough Common, which give this beautiful family home a rural feel. The stylishly updated interior includes high ceilings, period fireplaces, panelled doors with brass fittings, oak flooring, elegant bay windows and French doors to the front.

There are five bedrooms, two reception rooms and a kitchen/breakfast room.

Plus an integral garage/workshop.

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

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Goudhurst, £475,000

Rolvenden Layne, £560,000

If it's rural you are seeking, you can have it in great abundance with this picturesque attached cottage. Positioned off a leafy lane, nestled between the hamlet of Curtisden Green and the historic village of Goudhurst. Retaining eye-catching part vaulted ceilings and exposed beams. Comprising: entrance hall, sitting room with wood burning stove, kitchen/breakfast room, a shower room, two double bedrooms, a family bathroom and excellent storage space throughout. Externally there is a detached garage, off-road parking, a vegetable plot and a well-stocked garden. Spectacular scenery and country walks. Close to stations with services to London. Cranbrook School catchment area.

This wonderful, attached, Grade II Listed cottage was once part of the renowned Great Maytham Hall and its estate, designed by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Set back from the lane, nestled within the most wonderful, mature gardens with fruit trees and views over surrounding fields. Ample outbuildings and detached garaging.

A double aspect, bespoke kitchen/breakfast room with AGA and pantry, drawing room with wood burning stove, garden room with French shutters, entrance hall used as a perfect home office, 3 double bedrooms (1 currently used as a dressing room), a famil bathroom and a shower room. Set in a rox 0.36 acres.

An unlisted, major p~~~~f~?u~?aJ2Pv?ctorian family home.

Within the parish of Playden, on the outskirts of the ancient cinque port of Rye, with beautiful rural views across to the marsh. Boasting heated pool in approx 2 acres of park like gardens at the end of an unmade road. Offering a reception hall, kitchen/breakfast room with walk in pantry, drawing room with fireplace, garden room, sun room, study, snug, inner hall, laundry, cloak, triple aspect master bedroom with en-suite, guest bedroom with an en-suite and balcony, 4 further bedrooms and a family bathroom. There are also cellars, various outbuildin s and am le off road arkin . Within a short stroll of R e.

This Oasthouse is full of period charm from the moment one enters.

The rural views here are truly amazing and have to be seen to be fully appreciated. The cottage spanning some 1,392 sq.ft (subject to planning) could provide even more accommodation, currently used as 2 apartments and storage rooms. The Oast is some 3,055 sq.ft. and comprises: a reception hall, a drawing room, a dining room, a kitchen, a laundry room, a shower room, a freezer room, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Two garages plus ample off road parking make this a very exciting project for anyone desiring ulti-livin units for famil /investment. HIGHLY RECOMMENDE

Linton, £1,100,000

Cousley Wood, oieo £599,000

Bewl Water, £675,000

This magnificent chapel was originally constructed in 1892 as a free church and completely rebuilt as a striking contemporary home in 2010. In a semi-rural location, the flexible accommodation comprises: stunning open plan living area, kitchen with ultra-modern twist, storage area, laundry, two double bedrooms with en suites, hird bedroom with en suite. The exquisite finish was achieved by the esteemed Vernacular Homes. Externally, an oak connecting bridge leads to a secluded garden and oak framed open bay garage. Off road parking. Wadhurst Station is only 2 miles away and Wadhurst station to London is around one hour. Must be seen to be trul a reciated!

A modem master piece with a back drop to buy for. This attached cottage has been completely renovated and revamped with a bespoke :f inish, original period features throughout; an eclectic mix of country life versus London suave. With Bewl Water on your doorstep, the far reaching views over the reservoir can be admired from the raised terrace or the wonderfully light and bright master bedroom balcony.

Offering an entrance hall, sitting room, a kitchen/breakfast room with AGA leading into a dining and snug area, laundry, pantry, master bedroom with en-suite and balcony, 2 further double bedrooms, shower room and wet room. The cottage offers off road parking.

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Woodchurch, £1,350,000

Frittenden, £1,595,000

Set back from the road, just 9.4 miles from the Ashford fast train link to London, this beguiling detached country house has been lovingly extended and renovated to make the most of the original features.

The truly amazing, handmade open plan kitchen/breakfast room with antry and laundry is the social hub providing a fabulous entertainin space. From the reception hall is a study, drawing room with a wood burner, dining room with fireplace and panelling, cellar with bar.

Principal bedroom suite has views, dressing room and en-suite. Four double bedrooms with en-suites; one with a study. 2.5 acres with m __ ara es, outbuildin s and stables. Further ad· acent land available.

A stunning, bespoke, contemporary masterpiece down a long private drive, all set in 9.1 acres of grounds & woodland. No expense has een spared on this modem family home, packed full of state of the ar features; surround sound and Thermaskirt heating. Comprising: An impressive entrance hall, a well equipped kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room, cinema room, study, cloak, master bed with en-suite, 4 further bedrooms, 1 en-suite and a bathroom. Externally, 15 open bay garages, a detached garage with underfloor heating and ample off-road parking. The terrace is perfect for al fresco dining. Detached 2 bedroom barn which rovides further ancilla accommodation.

Victims oj·our own success, we are desperately seeking more country cottages, character houses, farms and equestrian properties for our selection of well placed buyers. Please call for a free valuation.

26 ď Ž PROPERTY SECTION

The perfect rural retreat, nestled amid rich farmland with spectacular views

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION 

S

ET within the hamlet of Chainhurst, near Marden, this wonderful six-bedroom rural home has been refurbished with care while retaining plenty of character features, including open fireplaces, bressumer beams and multiple wood-burning stoves.

The light, bright kitchen/breakfast room forms the social hub of the house, fitted with cream base units with soft-close drawers and matching wall units. Stylish granite work surfaces and a

cream, four-oven Aga complete the room.

There are bifold doors to the rear garden and terrace, and the kitchen has its own garden, including vegetables.

The elegant drawing room has triple-aspect views and also has bifold doors, here leading out to a terrace.

In addition, there is a sitting room and dining room.

Upstairs, the double-aspect principal suite has

beautiful views, and one of the other five bedrooms is also en suite.

You enter the property through remotecontrolled electric gates, and the grounds include a south-facing heated swimming pool and terrace – the perfect retreat to capture the sunshine.

There is also a superb pool house and bar for entertaining, a natural pond, paddocks, fruit trees. Plus a workshop and garage.

27

AT A GLANCE DAIRY FARMHOUSE DAIRY LANE, CHAINHURST ■ Porch ■ Entrance lobby ■ Cloakroom ■ Drawing room ■ Sitting room ■ Dining room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Laundry room ■ Principal bedroom suite with dressing room and en-suite shower room ■ Five further bedrooms (one en suite) ■ Family bathroom ■ Heated swimming pool ■ Pool house with bar ■ Garage and workshop ■ In total, 3.8 acres, including paddocks

£1,350,000 Freehold For sale through Country Property Group 01580 211888 www.countrypropertygroup.com

‘This wonderful rural home has been refurbished with care while retaining plenty of character features’

DAIRY FARMHOUSE DAIRY LANE, CHAINHURST

£1,350,000 FREEHOLD

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Rolvenden An attractive Grade II Listed oast house with wonderful views 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Triple open bay garage with office / study above. Gardens and grounds. In all about 0.56 acres.

Sandhurst A beautiful 16th Century Grade II Listed farmhouse 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Ponds, rose garden, orchard, swimming pool and pool house. In all about 2.59 acres.

Tunbridge Wells An impressive detached townhouse in the heart of Tunbridge Wells 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms. Situated just 0.4 miles from the mainline station. Parking space. South-facing courtyard garden. EPC rating D.

Lamberhurst The perfect Grade II Listed Georgian village house 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Separate 2 bed coach house with double garage and storage. 'Bothy' with huge potential (subject to the necessary consent being obtained). Stunning gardens and grounds including a heated swimming pool, tennis court, 3 fields and a copse of woodland. In all about 18. 7 acres.

Cranbrook An attractive twin roundel oast house within walking distance of the town centre 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached double garage, off-road parking, immaculate gardens and grounds. EPC rating D. In all about 0.4 acres.

Goudhurst An attractive Grade II Listed farmhouse with a detached oast house 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached oast house. Garaging. Gardens, grounds and equestrian facilities. In all about 3.76 acres.

Tunbridge Wells A well-presented apartment in a prime central town location 1 bedroom, 1 reception room, 1 bathroom. Situated on the second floor of an attractive red brick Victorian building. Off-street parking with further permit parking available. In all about 541 sq ft.

Cross in Hand A delightful family home situated in a sought after private estate amongst stunning countryside 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 6 reception rooms. Beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds. Excellent equestrian facilities. Garaging. EPC rating D. In all about 17 acres.

32  PROPERTY SECTION

Handsome country house with glorious gardens

NETHERFIELD LONDON ROAD, CROWBOROUGH

£1,250,000

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION �

N

ETHERFIELD is a truly elegant family home lying in between the hamlet of Lye Green and the northern end of the popular town of Crowborough.

The property boasts charming features over three floors, starting with a tumble-edged limestone floor and a beautiful high beamed ceiling in the entrance hall.

All three reception rooms enjoy three-sided bay windows with fitted window seats.

The triple-aspect drawing room features a fireplace with reconstituted stone minster-style surround and a log-burning stove. There is also a door to the side garden.

Both the sitting room and dining room have oak-panelled walls, and have easy access to each other through bifold doors.

The double-aspect kitchen/breakfast room has a gas-fired two-oven Aga, a Belfast sink and island unit and doors to the gardens.

There is a central feature staircase which leads to the master suite, three further double bedrooms and a dressing room which could be a fifth bedroom.

The property has electric gates, a driveway, and two garages. The lovely gardens include a tennis court, a fruit cage, flower beds, a seating area, a terrace, and an attractive timber-built chalet.

33

AT A GLANCE NETHERFIELD LONDON ROAD, CROWBOROUGH n Entrance hall n Drawing room n Dining room n Sitting room n Large kitchen/breakfast room n Family room n Utility room n Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom n Dressing room/bedroom 5 n 3 further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Garage and ample parking n Hard tennis court n Garden chalet n In all about 1.6 acres

£1,250,000 For sale through Jackson-Stops & Staff Tunbridge Wells 01892 521700 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

‘The lovely gardens include a tennis court, a fruit cage, flower beds, a seating area, a terrace, and an attractive timber-built chalet’

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Tonbridge

£265,000 - £285,000

Well-presented and improved 2 Bedroom Terraced House, walking distance of the High Street & Station. NO CHAIN. EPC D

Central Tonbridge

£425,000

Stunning New Luxury Penthouse Apartment, just off the High Street. 2 Bedrooms & 2 bathrooms. 3 balconies offering views.

Tonbridge

£ 165,000 - £175,000

I Bedroom first floor apartment at the south end of the town, ideal for a first time buyer or an Investor. Parking EPC D

Tonbridge

£325,000

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached House at the south end of the town, ideal for families and the commuter. 2 reception rms. EPC E

Tonbridge

£675,000

Substantial Detached 4 Bedroom Family House with 3 reception rms. Sought after and popular residential Crescent. EPC C

North Tonbridge

£375,000

Brand New Semi-Detached House. Master Bedroom suite, fitted kitchen-diner, lounge, cloakroom, parking, enclosed Garden.

WADHURST,

EAST SUSSEX

CRANBROOK,

KENT

Unique design + 5 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + detached garage with room above + front and rear gardens + decked veranda + beautiful views + Council Tax=G + EPC=C

Popular village location + Cranbrook school catchment + 4 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + eat in kitchen + study + garden with hot tub + residents parking + Council Tax=F + EPC=E

£3,995 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

£2,850 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

SPELDHURST,

KENT

Chalet style dwelling + 2 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + open plan kitchen/ reception + off street parking + gated development + rear garden + Council Tax=C + EPC=C

Conversion apartment + one bedroom + open plan kitchen/ reception room + bathroom + two allocated parking spaces + beautiful communal gardens + Council Tax=C + EPC=F

£1,500 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

£950 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/o ccupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check o ut fee - charged at the end of o r early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished / unfurnished. For more details including example inventory fee, visit

www.savills.eo.uk/fees.

With a UK-wide network, wherever you're moving, we'll be local to you what can we do for you?

HORSMONDEN,

BIDBOROUGH,

KENT

KENT

Attached period family house + 2 reception rooms + study + office + 5 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + front and rear gardens + garage + 3,576 sq ft + 0.23 acres + EPC=E

Modern family house in semi-rural position + well-placed for schools and stations + 3 reception rooms + 5 bedrooms + integral garage + car port space + garden + 2,828 sq ft + EPC=C

Guide £895,000 Freehold

Guide £895,000 Freehold

WADHURST,

VILLAGE AREA,

EAST SUSSEX

Contact: Becky Card

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Semi-detached cottage + 1.7 miles MLS + kitchen/breakfast room + 3 reception rooms + 3 bedrooms + workshop/office + garden + 1,886 sq ft + about 0.74 acres + EPC=E

Detached character property with scope for residential conversion to 1 bedroom house + about 0.3 miles MLS + off-street parking + 805 sq ft + EPC=E

Guide £725,000 Freehold

Guide £395,000 Freehold

Contact: Becky Card

Contact: Becky Card

With a UK-wide network, wherever you're moving, we'll be local to you what can we do for you?

� PROPERTY SECTION

~

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HOMES

* Based on a full purchase price of £420,000 and a 20% Help to Buy Equity l oan. Help to Buy is available subject to status, terms and conditions. This scheme is not available in conjunction with any other financial incentives. Written details available on request.

YOUR HOM E ISAT RISK IF YO U DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYM ENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR OTHER LOAN SECURED ON IT. Image is computer generated.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION 

39

AT A GLANCE

Superb former vicarage with accommodation for all

THE OLD VICARAGE TUDELEY ROAD, TUDELEY ■ Reception hall ■ 3 reception rooms ■ Kitchen ■ Breakfast room ■ Walk-in larder ■ 5 double bedrooms (two en suite) ■ Dressing room/nursery ■ Family bathroom ■ Cellar and wine store ■ Two large attics ■ Additional cottage and coach house ■ Double garage with studio flat

£1,999,950 For sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.com

A

FORMER vicarage, once used as a dower house for the family at Somerhill, which has the attractive features and good proportions typical of the Regency and Victorian periods, plus the benefit of an attached cottage.

The two homes are surrounded by extensive grounds, providing a high level of privacy while still offering a lovely outlook from all sides.

The delightful interlinked cottage, which is of earlier origins and is the oldest part of the property, offers flexibility of use, either as part of the main house via interconnecting doors

from the breakfast room, or closed off as a self-contained annexe.

The main house enjoys period features such as high ceilings, sash windows, wood panel doors and ornate working fireplaces.

The impressive reception hall has a large stone fireplace inscribed with ‘Faithfully Serve’ and leads to three principal reception rooms.

The kitchen has a separate breakfast area and traditional walk-in larder.

The bedrooms are arranged over two floors, with a master suite, three double rooms and a family bathroom on the first floor, and a fifth

bedroom and shower room on the second floor.

The coach house is brick-built and remains largely in its original form with three brick stables, along with a covered veranda to the back, all with power and light connected.

Also included in the land is a double garage, complete with a studio flat.

The property is approached through large double gates into a sweeping driveway and the extensive grounds amount to approximately 3.5 acres, including a tennis court, secret garden and pond.

‘The interlinked cottage offers flexibility of use, either as part of the main house or as a self-contained annexe’

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

TRUSTED TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS FOR OUR CLIENTS

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Robinson Jackson has over 50 years experience as a leading High Street estate agent - with 24 branches in Kent and London. Our reputation has been built on our ability to achieve the best results for our clients in a timescale to suit their plans. Whether it's an apartment or family home, contact us today for a free valuation or for general advice about the Tonbridge property market.

01732 757300 Available until late, even on Sundays

ROBINSON¡JACKilN Our service will move you

24 Branches in Kent & London 119 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1DL

42  PROPERTY SECTION AT A GLANCE ELY GARDENS TONBRIDGE ■ Twin aspect living room ■ Newly fitted kitchen/dining room ■ Study ■ Ground floor cloakroom ■ Master bedroom with en-suite shower ■ Four further bedrooms (one en suite) ■ Newly fitted bathroom ■ Garden including decked area ■ Double garage and driveway

Guide price

£850,000-£875,000 For sale through Robinson-Jackson Tonbridge 01732 757300 www.robinson-jackson.com

Pristine chain-free executive property ready to move into

A

DETACHED family home in a soughtafter north Tonbridge location which is smartly presented both inside and out with an executive finish.

Offered to the market chain free, the light colour scheme and wood floors add to the appeal.

The entrance hall has wood-style laminate flooring and stairs to the first floor.

The twin-aspect living room is carpeted and has the benefit of double doors to the hallway as well as doors to the garden.

The newly fitted, L-shaped kitchen/dining room includes a range of units with seamless work surfaces and under-cupboard lighting, a breakfast bar, a stainless steel double oven and a stylish Franke sink unit.

Most stunning of all, it also has room-wide bifold doors opening out to the immaculatelydesigned decked seating area, which is raised above the rest of the garden and ideal for outdoor family living.

The ground floor also has a utility room and a study – perfect for working from home.

Upstairs, the double-aspect master bedroom has fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room with his and hers vanity hand basins and underfloor heating.

There is a second en-suite bedroom with fitted wardrobes, and there are three more bedrooms, two of which also have built-in cupboards, plus a newly fitted family bathroom.

The rear garden has lawn beyond the low-level wall enclosing the raised deck, and there is a block-paved driveway providing off-street parking for two cars as well as a double garage with power and light.

‘Most stunning of all, it has room-wide bifold doors opening out to the immaculately-designed decked seating area’ Wednesday 2nd November 2016

we open doors for you ...

BarnesKingsnorth

SOUTH TONBRIDGE £750,000 SPACIOUS FAMILY ACCOMMODATION & CHARACTER in a most convenient position just a short walk to the town, schools and station. Dating back to Edwardian times with later additions this extended, semi-detached property ticks all the boxes! Traditional dining room with bay window, separate study, well fitted kitchen/breakfast room and super sitting room opening to decked terrace. Master bedroom with en-suite shower room, 3 further bedrooms and family bathroom. Detached double garage, area of driveway and generous sized rear garden. EPC: D

Apply Tonbridge

TUNBRIDGE WELLS £425,000 ST JAMES' AREA. A very well presented 3 bedroom detached bungalow which has been improved and updated by the current owners. Set within 1 mile of the town centre and mainline station.

Comprising porch, sitting room, conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room with utility and bathroom. Set within established gardens with parking and garage to the rear. Potential to enlarge SIPP. EPC: D

Apply Pembury

PEMBURY £455,000 BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED 4 double bedroomed semi-detached house recently redecorated and updated. Comprising: Porch, hall with storage, sitting room, family /dining room, kitchen, bathroom, separate we and en-suite shower room. The garage has been divided to provide a utility room and separate storage area. Driveway parking for 2 cars and !awned rear garden with large decked area. NO CHAIN. EPC: D

Apply Pembury

'B) Primelocatior

t.- rightmove.co.uk

Residential Sales & !Lettings

Pembury: 01892 822880 e.pembury@bkea.co.uk

Tonbridge: 01732 771616 e.tonbridge@bkea .co.uk

Lettings: 01732 771616

e. Lettings@bkea.co.uk

www.bkestatea1ents.com

Your local independent Estate Agent

~MJProperty

...contactable 7 days a week

consider ourselves part of the community. Having lived locally all our lives we immerse ourselves in the community and support local events throughout Tunbridge Wells, whether through advertising them, helping at them, donating to them or our children 'K', 'M' and 'J' being there on duty with St John Ambulance.

We are genuinely contactable 7 days a week, we don't tie clients in to a long contract and we always provide realistic market appraisals and advice and offer competitive fees.

Selling property throughout Tunbridge Wells and surrounding villages

So if you are thinking of moving now or in the future, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 01892 515188 for your free market appraisal.

www.kmjproperty.co.uk .-:I

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MORE PROPERTIES URGENTLY REQUIRED

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sales@kmjproperty.co.uk

ADVERTORIAL

A brilliant location and Help to Buy: the perfect combination for first-time buyers in Sevenoaks in London . The scene is set by the elegant foyer with a concierge service and exclusive business suite facility for residents. There's also a beautifully landscaped split-level courtyard garden and private allocated parking, which is important for Charlotte and Jamie as they share a car.

Their apartment is light and airy, enhanced

by Prime Place's trademark higher-than-usual ceilings and over-sized doors. The specification is excellent with luxury laminated flooring, a smart fully-integrated kitchen and stunning, fully-tiled bathroom with Roca bathroom suite.

Charlotte and Jamie enjoying the stunning view from the show apartment When Charlotte Powers, 28, and Jamie Cullen,

Charlotte adds: " Before purchasing our new

29, found out that they could buy a luxury home in a fantastic location at Prime Place, Sevenoaks using Help to Buy, the opportunity was too good

School, where Jamie works as a PE teacher. This

to miss. They only needed a 5% deposit and the 20% government loan meant they could afford a spacious two bedroom apartment. The buying process was easy too .

Jamie says: " We were complete novices at home buying, but it turned out to be quite simple. The

Charlotte and Jamie can 't wait to move in spring next year. Jamie says: "It will be great to know that we're not wasting our money on renting and that every penny we pay is going directly into our future."

home, we were renting a house at Sevenoaks was great, but we wanted a place of our own in Sevenoaks, and the location and high quality of the apartments - just minutes from Sevenoaks station - was perfect for us."

A perfect location - just minutes from Sevenoaks station.

sales team at Prime Place called us regularly with updates, which we really appreciated, and we

Prime Place, Sevenoaks offers a very high standard

feel very well prepared for moving in ."

of living, more usually associated with homes

Show apartment master bedroom with ensuite

PRIME PLACE

---------SEVENOAKS

~ Help to Buy Event 5th & 6th November, 11am - 5pm

V'

Prices from ÂŁ350,000

Sales & Marketing Suite Open Daily Call: 01732 430750 www.primeplace.co.uk primeplace.sevenoaks@countrywide.co.u k Show apartment ensuite bathroom

:!"=~AMPTONS 11 INTERNATIONAL

savills

Joint Selling Agents:

Prices correc t at time o f press. * He lp to Buy is subjec t to e lig ibility. Your ho m e m ay be rep ossessed if yo u do n o t keep up re p aym e nts o n a m o rtgage o r a ny o the r debt secured o n it. If yo u a re in a ny d o ubt, seek indepen dent fin a n c ia l a d v ice.

46  PROPERTY SECTION

A spacious home with Tudor links surrounded by stunning gardens

AT A GLANCE

BIRDS’ ISLE ST MICHAEL’S, NR TENTERDEN ■ Spacious family home ■ 4 reception rooms ■ 6 bedrooms ■ 6 bath/shower rooms ■ Superb kitchen/breakfast room ■ Beautiful grounds of around 3 acres

£1,850,000 Guide price For sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk

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TANDING on the site of a former Tudor building of the same name in St Michael’s, Birds’ Isle is a beautifully proportioned property, with splendid southfacing gardens and distant views over adjoining fields towards St Mildred’s Church in Tenterden.

With ceramic tiled flooring, and a triple-aspect drawing room, this excellent family home boasts attractive and well-arranged accommodation of over 5,200 sq ft, including a superb bespoke kitchen/breakfast room.

The 26ft reception hall and large conservatory add to the spacious appeal of the ground floor.

A turned staircase leads upstairs, where two bedrooms are dual aspect, both with luxury en-suite bathrooms.

There are three further bedrooms

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

– one of which is also en suite – with the other two served by adjacent bath/shower rooms.

A central staircase leads from the landing to the second floor where there is a further delightful bedroom suite and a substantial attic store.

Birds’ Isle is approached via a sweeping driveway and turning area at the front of the house, culminating in an extensive parking space. There is a short right of way prior to the electric gates.

The gardens and grounds, including a terrace and a natural pond with decked seating area, amount to about three acres in total, and provide a superb setting for this lovely property.

Outbuildings comprise a glazed summerhouse, two greenhouses, a garden shed, and an English Heritage double garage with workshop and covered log store.

‘Birds’ Isle enjoys splendid south-facing gardens and distant views over adjoining fields towards St Mildred’s Church in Tenterden’

Oakwood Rise, Tunbridge Wells

*Price Range £300,000-£325,000*

A well-presented family home set in this convenient position for High Brooms station. Accommodation includes open plan Lounge/diner with door to garden, a modern kitchen area, three bedrooms and family bathroom. Garage, Driveway, front and rear gardens. No Chain.

Standen Street Tunbridge Wells

Chilstone Close Tunbridge Wells

*Price Range £260,000-£275,000*

Situated in the favoured area of St Johns, a ground floor two bedroom maisonette which has been stylishly decorated and improved by the current owners. Features include modern kitchen and bathroom. Private Garden and Garage en bloc.

Park Road, South borough

A character two bedroom apartment set within this handsome character building in this favoured road in South borough village.

Features include a Lounge/diner with bay window, a modern kitchen and contemporary bathroom. Communal garden and parking.

Stone Street, Tunbridge Wells

Price £535,000

*Price Range £275,000-£300,000*

OIRO £325,000

CHALLENGE US TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY IN JUST 6 WEEKS

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SEE WINNING RESULTS!

SOLD Subject to contract. We have waiting applicants Looking to buy in and around the St Johns area. If you are thinking of selling your character home or apartment please give us a call to arrange a free market appraisal.

Ridgeway, Pembury

*Price Range £525,000-£550,000*

A four bedroom detached family home with off road parking and garage, situated in this popular village. Features include a modern kitchen, Lounge with bay window, dining room with doors to garden, bathroom and ensuite.A mature rear garden with patio and Lawn.

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See va riation to standard agency terms an d conditions.

Stephens Road, Tunbridge Wells

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01 RO £625,000

A character four bedroom halls adjoining semi-detached property situated in this sought after road in St Johns. Lounge with fireplace, Dining Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, Ensuite and Bathroom. Rear garden with Lawn and pergoda.

01892 547 966 tunbridgewells@connells.co.uk 5 Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN11BS

Sold SSTC We have first time buyers and investors who are keen to buy character properties in the St James/town Location of Tunbridge Wells. Call now for your free market appraisal.

Third Street, Langton Green

£390,000

A detached three bedroom family home centrally Located in this pretty village.Accommodation comprises of Lounge/diner, kitchen, utility area, conservatory, useful Loft room. Garden and off road parking.

ELLIS&CO

01732 770077 tonbridge@ellisandco.co.uk

ELLIS&CO Sales & Lettings

VALE ROAD, TONBRIDGE£995PCM FEES APPLY

WOODSIDE ROAD, TONBRIDGE £1,050PCM FEES APPLY

A well presented 2 double bedroom terrace house that is within walking distance of the mainline station and High Street. The property has 2 reception rooms and kitchen downstairs with 2 double bedrooms and a modern bathroom with separate shower upstairs. Outside there is a well maintained garden. Available now 1 EPC D

A 2/3 bedroom terraced house within walking distance of the mainline station and High Street.

This property has a reception room, a large kitchen/diner and bathroom downstairs with 3 bedrooms upstairs, the third bedroom leads off the second bedroom, 2 of the bedrooms are double. Outside there is a garden and there is permit parking. Available early November. EPC E

MAIDSTONE ROAD, HADLOW £895PCM FEES APPLY

HECTORAGE ROAD, TONBRIDGE £895PCM FEES APPLY

Located in the attractive Kentish village of Had low, on the outskirts ofTonbridge, is this modern, bright and very well presented 2nd floor 2 bedroom flat. The property benefits from integrated appliances in the kitchen and off-street parking. The impressive building is located in an ideal position within easy walking distance of the local shops and amenities. If you want a supermarket or mainline station, Tonbridge is just4 miles away, approximately 10 minutes by car. Available now 1EPC C

Located in the south end of town within easy walking distance of the mainline station and High Street is this 2 bedroom first floor maisonette with off-street parking for 1 car. The accommodation is well presented and comprises lounge/diner, kitchen, bathroom and 2 double bedrooms. The property is available late December. EPC D

50 � PROPERTY SECTION AT A GLANCE BLANDFORD HOUSE SOUTHVIEW ROAD, CROWBOROUGH n Reception hall n Drawing room n Sitting room n Dining room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Pantry n Boot room n Cellar n Principal bedroom with dressing room and en suite n 5 further bedrooms n Detached garage n Established south-facing gardens n In all about 0.64 acres

£1,125,000 For sale through Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 597039 www.hamptons.co.uk

A handsome Edwardian property boasting ornate period features A DELIGHTFUL family house with very attractive front and rear elevations, originally believed to have been built in 1898 and completed in 1904, with only four owners since.

The property houses many fine features, including an impressive solid wood double front door with stained glass inserts and a panelled porch, and offers good views.

Elegance runs through the house, with the drawing room featuring a beautiful bay window

overlooking the garden, an open fireplace and ornate bifolding glass doors. Also on the ground floor is a well-proportioned dining room, and a kitchen/ breakfast room with an island unit.

Upstairs, the principal bedroom suite has a square bay window with detailing and outlooks across the garden. An adjacent dressing room, which also has its own door to the landing and so could be used as an additional bedroom, is fitted with a bank of wardrobes and gives access to an en-suite bathroom. There are two further

‘The house was originally believed to have been built in 1898 and completed in 1904, with only four owners since’ bedrooms on this floor, and two inter-connecting bedrooms and a bedroom currently used as an office on the second floor.

To the side of the house there is a gravel driveway that provides parking, as well as a detached double garage with two up and over doors.

To the rear of the house, the gardens are excellent, being mainly laid to lawn with many established shrub beds. A south-facing flagstone terrace also provides a lovely spot in which to sit, dine and entertain.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Be with Belvoir! ' '

Personally, we would never use any other lettings agent to manage our property portfolio and I cannot recommend them highly enough ' ' - Mr F- Tunbridge Wells Landlord

' ' Belvoir have an acute understanding of their clients' needs and requirements and, in my opinion, deliver l 00% ' ' - Mrs L- Tunbridge Wells Landlord

01892 615333

I

www.belvoir.eo.uk/tunbridgewells

I OOO C

72 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TNl 2QP

j[f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _r

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WOOD & PILCHER

Tonbridge

£245,000

Tonbridge

Offers Over £600,000

Newly renovated ground floor two bed maisonette within walking distance to Tonbridge Station.

Perfect for commuters, first time buyers and investors alike. EPC: C

Five bed detached house with garage, cul-de-sac location within a mile of outstanding primary schools and amenities. Three reception rooms, two bathrooms, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast, utility room, conservatory, lovely gardens, plenty of parking. EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells

£495,000

Guide Price £415,000 - £435,000

A bright, spacious and extremely well presented three bedroom house in this especially quiet but central location in a "hidden" part of Tunbridge Wells. EPC: C

An attractive and welcoming, well cared for three bedroom, semi detached period home in the St Johns quarter of Tunbridge Wells. EPC: E

Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells

£162,500

Situated upon the entrance to the historic Pantiles is where you will find this spacious one bedroom apartment set within a converted Grade II Listed building.

Tunbridge Wells Office I 01892 511211 tun brid ge w e 11 s@ w ood and pi I cher. co. u k Southborough Office I 01892 511311 south bo roug h@ w ooda nd pi lch er. co. u k Tonbridge I 01732 351135 ton brid ge@wood and pi I cher. co. u k

OPEN HOUSE 5th Nov at 11 am by appt only. A 1930's 3 bed semi detached house which has been in the same family for over 50 years now in need of total renovation. EPC: D

woodandpilcher. co. uk rightmove

£324,950

~ nTheMarkelcom

Other offices in Crowborough , Heathfield & associated London Branch

54 � PROPERTY SECTION AT A GLANCE CLAREMONT GARDENS TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Entrance hall n Sitting room

Refurbished 1930s’ residence now offers open-plan living

n Dining room n Study n Family room n Kitchen/breakfast/living room n Utility room n 4 bedrooms n Bathroom n Shower room n Cloakroom n Gas-fired central heating n Integral garage plus parking n Superb terrace n Garden

£1,250,000 For sale through Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 597039 www.hamptons.co.uk

‘It has been extensively refurbished and improved to include an excellent, well-fitted kitchen/breakfast room and living room with sliding doors leading to the outdoor terrace’

T

HIS exquisite detached 1930s’ family home is both spacious and light, with accommodation spread over three floors.

It has been extensively refurbished and improved to include an excellent, well-fitted kitchen/breakfast room/living room on the lower ground floor with sliding doors to a terrace.

There is also a luxurious family/cinema room and utility room on this floor.

The ground floor houses a dining room and sitting room with access to a terrace.

A study to the front has a wood floor, a square bay, a fitted cupboard and a door to the side.

Adjacent is a useful shower room with a large walk-in cubicle.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

On the first floor, the principal bedroom has a bay window and overlooks the garden. There are three further bedrooms and a family bathroom.

There is a small area of lawn at the front of the property, while the rear garden faces south and includes a superb decked terrace running the length of the house, with archways to a covered area. Wide steps lead down to a lawn with a children’s play area beyond.

On the first floor level there is a further long terrace with steps leading down to the lower terrace.

In addition to the integral garage, the front of the house has ample parking for a number of cars.

Tunbridge Wells

Andrews >

andrewsonline.co.uk

Grove Hill Road, TN11SA

Guide ÂŁ325,000-ÂŁ350,000

First floor apartment in town location with parking in gated under croft area and balcony. Open plan living area, integrated kitchen appliances and granite worktops, 2 bedrooms, both with en-suite facilities and feature sinks, separate cloakroom.

Energy Efficiency Rating: B

Tunbridge Wells Sales 01892 515 11+1+

To view more properties available from all 85 of our offices, visit andrewsonline.co.uk

56 ď Ž PROPERTY SECTION

A luxury house and annexe with all mod cons including a cinema room

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION 

FOXWELL HOUSE FRANT ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£2,299,000

57

AT A GLANCE ■ Detached family home and annexe ■ Reception hall ■ Cinema room ■ Study ■ Drawing room ■ Sitting room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Conservatory ■ Utility room ■ 2 cloakrooms ■ 6 bedrooms in main house ■ 3 bathrooms ■ Games room ■ Sitting area ■ Car port and gym with additional bedroom above ■ Garages ■ Tennis court ■ Established gardens

Guide price £2,299,000 For sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

‘There is an impressive reception hall with galleried landing above, a dual-aspect kitchen/ breakfast room and a generous drawing room’

C

ONSTRUCTED about 18 years ago, this generously proportioned detached family home has a self-contained annexe and lies in a highly sought-after location to the south of Tunbridge Wells.

The array of luxuries include an equipped cinema room, a games room and a tennis court.

Stylishly finished, there are good

ceiling heights throughout the ground floor as well an impressive reception hall with galleried landing above, a dual-aspect kitchen/breakfast room, a generous drawing room and a covered walkway connecting the main house to the annexe.

Upstairs is a master suite, five further bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus a games room that could be a bedroom.

There is also a one-bedroom annexe.

Outside, the garden has a flagstone and brick terrace, a tennis court and an extensive lawn area.

The property has electrically-operated gates, a double garage, a car port and space to park extra vehicles.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

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iJl1iFLY PROPERTIES

BY CAROL PRIER

Located within wa lking distance of Paddock Wood town centre and main line station. Accommodation comprising entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room leading to conseJVatory, sepa rate study/dining area, fitted kitchen, integral garage. To the first floor, bedroom 1 offers en suite facilities, 3 further double bedrooms. Large so uth west facing garden to the rear, with paved patio area. EPC: D

Well presented three bedroom end of terrace family home located at the end of a cul de sac with the addition of a large conseJVatory to the rear, accommodation comprising entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen/dining room and three bedrooms to first floor with modern bathroom. Single garage to the side, good size garden to the rear. Walking distance to main line station and shopping amenities. EPC: D

PADDOCK WOOD This three bedroom detached house is situated in the heart of Pemburyvillage and within wa lking distance to all amenities.

The stylish accommodation comprises integral garage, sitting/ dining room, conseJVatory and fitted kitchen. To the first floor Master bedroom with en-suite powder room, double bedroom and single bedroom. Large famil y bathroom. Landsca ped garden to the rear. EPC: D

£499,995

Open Day 5th of November 10-2pm - by appointment only Well presented 4 bedroom detached family home situated in a quiet cul de sac within walking distance of Paddock Wood town centre and main line station. The property offers 3 excellent receptions, fitted kitchen, ground floor cloakroom. The master bedroom offers modern en-suite facilities and contemporary family bathroom. South facing rear garden, attached double garage. EPC D.

Open Day 5th of November 10-2pm by appointment only. Attractive 4 bedroom detached family home situated in a cul de sac location with the added benefits of newly fitted Burnhill kitchen and newly fitted en su ite to master bedroom. 3 reception rooms, large garden to the rear and attached double garage. Viewing essential! EPC: D

Acharming and refurbished cottage in the tiny village of Fairwa rp set in the beautiful Ashdown Forest. Two good size bedrooms, upstairs bathroom, sitting room, fitted kitchen/dining room, Garden front and rear. Off road parking. EPC: F

Ideal investment purchase. Immaculately presented ground floor 1 bedroom flat with modern kitchen and bathroom. Good sized sitting room, fitted kitchen to include cooker and washing machine and communal garden to the rear. There is communal car parking leading off Bullion Close. NO CHAIN. EPC: C

PADDOCK WOOD OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £699,995 3 bedroom semi-detached cottage within walking distance of Matfield village centre, offering the added advantage of off road parking with driveway to the side. Accommodation comprising sitting room with fireplace , separate dining room, fitted kitchen and bathroom/utility room. To the first floor, three good size bedrooms, showe r and cloakroom. Outside, secluded garden to the rear with rural views. EPC: G

Beautiful 1950s family home offering in excess of 1 acre of grounds plus an additional 2.2 acres of communal land. 4 bedrooms all with en suite bathrooms, 3 receptions to include conservatory, kitchen/breakfast room, utility and cloakroom. Detached annex building with services and triple bay garage. NO CHAIN. EPC: E

Stable Cottage is perfectly located within the Parish of Brenchley for country living, yet only 1.9 miles distant to Paddock Wood mainline station and surrounding amenities.Accommodation comprising 3/4 bedrooms, study/bedroom4, large drawing room which is 22'5" x18'7". Ground floor bathroom with first floor cloakroom. Farmhouse kitchen (extension) with bespoke fitted units, 2 double bedrooms to the first floor. Garage with utility area which leads off from the kitchen. South facing rear garden. EPC: E

MOVE ITim~~ I

To promote your property contact Patsy I<elly PiKeliy@markerstudy.com I 01892 774781

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The Abergavenny Arms, Frant Rd, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9DB 01892 750 233 I 750 933 abergavennyarms.co.uk

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62 n FOOD AND DRINK

Remember, remember these seasonal tasty treats on the fifth of November…

Long walks, rustling through falling leaves, crackling wood fires and warm, slow-cooked comfort food – there’s nothing quite like this magical time of year says Bruce McMichael. Here our regular culinary columnist gives food lovers his tips on how to make Bonfire Night a roaring success

S

ATURDAY sees the first of the social events of the winter season: Guy Fawkes Night.

So if you’re planning to host a Bonfire Night party, or are going to take the family to a community event, it’s a good idea to prepare some food in advance, leaving you time to enjoy the fireworks and celebrations.

There’s plenty coming into season with apples, pears and sweet root vegetables, including parsnips and swedes, pairing well with the game meats of pheasant, boar and venison.

And no Bonfire Night party would be complete without some classic treats, such as sausages, toffee apples or perhaps a spiced apple cake [see recipe, far right].

Venison is also in season at the moment and is available from local suppliers such as Dundale Game and Fuller’s Farm Shop in Eridge. Quinces are also readily available and their flavours complement each other beautifully, so it’s the perfect excuse to

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

make a wonderful warming casserole.

There are few drinks that can match well, and taste good, with both venison and apple cake, but cider can. Kent-based apple growers and cider makers Kentish Pip have produced a single variety cider showcasing the great Discovery Apple. This early season apple has a delicate flesh with a blush of pink when first cut. By late pressing and fermenting with wine yeast, the cider produces a wonderful floral aroma – incredibly fresh on the palate, with good acidity and notes of quince and fresh grass.

“Discovery is a special apple, but you have to treat it very carefully,” says Ed Curry, Production Manager at Kentish Pip. “That said, the results are really worth it. Very few apples will give such a distinctive floral aroma as a Discovery, and the delicate nature of the apple makes it soft on the palate but balanced with great acidity.”

Read on for some more top tips on making your Bonfire Night party go with a bang…

TOP SHOPS FOR SEASONAL BONFIRE NIGHT TREATS YOU’LL find fresh, delicious produce and home-cooked treats from local producers such as Downingbury Fruit Farms in Pembury and Scotch egg maker Naked & Ready in Frant

good with bangers and homemade ketchup

YOUR LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKET ALSO HOSTS THE FOLLOWING TRADERS:

Love Chillies Stock a variety of spiced olives – delicious packed in a small sandwich box and shared amongst friends while you are waiting for the fireworks to spark into life

Pannel Organic Specialist vegetable grower Metske Van der Laan

TIPS FOR KEEPING TOASTY ON GUY FAWKES NIGHT:

The Green Door Deli Cheese specialist Flint Owl Bakery Their sourdough tastes really

n If you’re out walking or

enjoying watching fireworks and meeting friends at a village bonfire, decant portions of

recently purchased and cooked foods into thermos cups and bring spoons n All-in-one dishes such as

casseroles will fill everyone up and keep them going throughout the display n Pack some warm mulled

cider for adults and sticky toffee apples to keep the little ones happy n A bag of hot roast chestnuts

in each coat pocket is a great way of keeping cosy if you forget your gloves when you’re out and about

FOOD AND DRINK �

63

Fill your kitchen with the scent of autumn courtesy of these seasonal recipes, or serve them to guests at your bonfire party SPICED APPLE CAKE WITH TOFFEE SAUCE

STILTON CHEESE AND FENLAND CELERY PASTIES

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 30-35 mins

Recipe and image: www.fenlandcelery.com

What you need: 2 Large potatoes, peeled and diced 1 tsp English mustard powder

200g Stilton cheese, crumbled 4 Sticks Fenland celery, diced 450g Ready-made puff pastry 1 Free-range egg, beaten with tablespoon milk Salt and pepper to taste

What you do: Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Grease and line a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Boil the potatoes until they are soft enough to mash; then mash them until they are smooth and add the mustard powder, crumbled Stilton cheese and diced celery.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Roll the pastry out on a well-floured board and stamp out circles with a saucer or small plate, to about 5in (13cm) in diameter.

Spoon some of the filling mixture over one half, moisten the edges of the pastry, then fold the pastry over to form a crescent and seal by crimping around the edges with your fingers or a fork.

Place the pasties on the baking sheet, cut a slit to allow the steam to escape and brush them all over with the beaten egg and milk mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.

This delicious cake makes the most of the wonderful flavour of Bramley apples. You could also add a handful of blackberries in place of the raisins.

Serves 8

What you need: 185g Butter, softened, plus extra to grease 3 Medium Bramley apples, about 700g 1 Lemon 185g Caster sugar 2 Eggs, at room temperature 1 tbsp milk 225g Self-raising flour 110g Raisins For the topping: 1½ tsp ground cinnamon 25g Soft light brown sugar You will need a 20cm round cake tin.

What you do: Heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease the cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Peel, core and dice the apples into 1-2cm pieces. Finely grate the lemon zest and squeeze the juice, then stir both into the apple and set aside.

Using an electric whisk or wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until pale, light and fluffy.

Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly, using a fork, until broken up.

Gradually add the egg to the creamed mixture in several additions, beating well after each addition. Stir in the milk.

Sift the flour over the mixture and scatter over the diced apples and raisins.

Sprinkle over the lemon juice and stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level off a little with a spoon (it needn’t be completely smooth).

Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake mixture.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 1-1¼ hours until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Peel off the baking parchment and serve in slices.

Remove the pasties from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving warm, or cold.

Can be frozen before baking.

Recipe courtesy: Leiths How to Cook Cakes

Flaky pastry encases a delectable filling of potato, Stilton cheese and diced Fenland celery. These pasties make for a perfect midweek family supper, as well as tasting wonderful packed up and eaten al fresco as a bonfire night warmer. Suitable for freezing.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

64  TRAVEL

Moving into Pole position

By Karen Bowerman IT’S a tricky city to pronounce, but once you’ve nailed its name, Wroclaw (pronounced Vrots-Vaaff) in south-west Poland is easy to visit, especially for a short break.

Less than a two-hour flight from the UK, it is served direct by budget airlines (airports include Luton, Bristol and Liverpool) and is remarkably good value, with a pint of beer or a cappuccino costing just over £1 each.

Wroclaw, presently European Capital of Culture, is itself the capital of the province of Lower Silesia and made up of 12 islands connected by more than 130 bridges and plenty of cycle paths.

I hire a bike from my hotel, the new Doubletree by Hilton – a striking, elliptical building close to the Old Town – and cut through the leafy Slowacki Park to the ivy-covered National Museum overlooking the River Oder. The museum is home to Silesian paintings, silverware and ceramics but, keen to enjoy the mild autumnal weather, I cycle on, passing pleasure boats, cafés and families out for a stroll.

I pick a bridge – which happens to be Most Piaskowy (Sand Bridge), the oldest in Wroclaw – cross over and find myself on Ostrow Tumski (Cathedral Island), known for its religious buildings dominated by the twin spires of Wroclaw Cathedral.

Stone statues of lions flank the entrance.

One is almost worn away; the other is largely intact. I learn later that the former was the statue women would touch if they wanted to be married within a year. The other was for would-be grooms.

I bump over the island’s cobbled streets to Tumski Bridge, where romance rears its head again; the bridge’s railings are covered in padlocks attached by couples keen to demonstrate everlasting love by tossing the keys into the river.

Back in the Old Town, I join a walking tour, beginning at pedestrianised market

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

square The Rynek, lined with gabled houses with decorative façades and open-air cafés selling traditional Zywiec beer.

Our group’s guide, Michal Filarowski, explains the city was largely destroyed in the Second World War, and that none of the medieval-style buildings are original.

As we wander around, I spot two of the city’s quirkiest tourist attractions: A couple of bronze dwarfs. The mischief makers are a nod to the Orange Alternative – an anti-communist movement that used nonsensical slogans to ridicule the regime in the 80s. When the authorities painted over anti-government graffiti, the movement painted dwarfs instead.

Papa Krasnal (Papa Dwarf), an official monument to the movement, was erected decades later. Soon afterwards businesses, noting Papa’s popularity, created specialist dwarfs of their own. You’ll now find dwarf beauticians, butchers and bakers. I even meet a bespectacled fellow dressed in a striped scarf at the university gates.

I finish with a coffee in the city’s indoor market. Its vaulted ceiling is said to have inspired Wroclaw’s architectural landmark, the domed 20th-century Centennial Hall.

I’m most intrigued by the mushrooms, collected from forests across Lower Silesia.

One stallholder talks me through his offering; there are kurki, borowiki, podgrzybki and prawdziwki – all delicious, but utterly unpronounceable, of course!

WHERE TO STAY

■ Doubletree by Hilton,

www.wroclaw.doubletree.com Occupying the first two floors of the oval-shaped OVO complex in the heart of the city, this striking, modernist, five-star hotel opened its doors in August.

It has white, curvaceous walls, smooth lines, arched ceilings and walnut finishes.

The lobby merges with the lounge bar and restaurant and there’s an outdoor terrace with a grassy courtyard. A pool and spa is

AERIAL VIEW Cathedral of St. John in Wroclaw

‘As we wander around, I spot two of the city’s quirkiest tourist attractions: A couple of bronze dwarfs… The mischief makers are a nod to the Orange Alternative – an anti-communist movement that ridiculed the regime in the 80s’

POLISH POET Aleksander Fredro in the Market Square

due to open in December. The hotel is the only one in Wroclaw with an Executive Lounge, offering breakfast, complimentary canapés and pre-dinner drinks.

Doubletree by Hilton is 11km from Copernicus airport (the hotel can provide a limousine shuttle service) and a few minutes’ walk from the nearest tram stop.

The Old Town market square and National Museum are a ten-minute stroll away.

There are 189 rooms, many overlooking the city’s Slowacki Park. Standard doubles cost from 379 PLN (£79) per night, including breakfast.

WHERE TO EAT

■ JaDka, www.jadka.pl Housed in vaulted, medieval cellars, JaDka specialises in traditional and contemporary Polish cuisine.

RELAX The lobby at Doubletree

Tables are draped with starched white tablecloths featuring traditional Silesian embroidery. Dishes include pierogi (polish ravioli, filled with mushrooms or veal) and pike perch with pearl barley and spinach.

But most people order roasted duck served with apple, potato dumplings and fried beetroots (86 PLN; £17). Portions are generous; expect half a bird each!

■ Ovo Restaurant, www.facebook.com/OvoBarAndRestaurant The Ovo restaurant at Doubletree by Hilton serves tapas (salmon pakora, pulled pork, marshmallow and seaweed) from 9 PLN each (£1.80), alongside Mediterranean and modern Polish cuisine.

The atmosphere is informal and service is prompt and polite.

TRAVEL 

BRIDGING THE GAPS Sand Bridge (Most Piaskowy), the oldest in Wroclaw If you fancy a pre-dinner cocktail, the bar has all the classics; or how about an Ovo Spritz (35 PLN; £7) – a sweet-tasting concoction of tequila, aperol, pink grapefruit and prosecco created by the hotel’s mixologists?

The airy restaurant serves steak, lamb cutlets and fried octopus salad, but the chef’s signature dish, a hearty helping of wild boar with artichoke puree (65 PLN; £13), is a must.

WHERE TO DRINK

■ OKWine Bar, www.okwinebar.com/en Run by local TV presenter and wine buff Katarzyna Obara, this bar and restaurant is white, bright and modern with a terrace overlooking the river.

It has more than 2,000 wines to choose from and its list includes international favourites and vintages from Georgia, Canada and Lebanon.

There are even a few bottles from Lower Silesia.

■ Browar St Mostow, www.100mostow.pl/en If beer is your thing, you’ll love this craft brewery where you can sit above the vats and enjoy a very local pint.

During communist times, the brick building used to be a film theatre for workers at a local manufacturing plant.

They have just started producing Schops – a 16th-century wheat beer for which Wroclaw was once famous.

TRAVEL FACTS Karen Bowerman stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Wroclaw; rooms start from £79 per night when booking direct at www.wroclaw. doubletree.com

manatees and more – all of which are found in various regions of Africa.

Wander through a rainforest typical of the Congo, spot fish from Lake Malawi and crocodiles from the Nile, and admire sharks swimming overhead in the building’s 18m water tunnel.

Despite its odd name, the attraction has doubled the zoo’s numbers to around two million visitors since it opened in 2014.

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■ The Centennial Hall www.wroclaw.pl/en/centennial-hall-halastulecia A World Heritage Site, this monstrous domed building is a sports and music venue, sitting in picturesque grounds with fountains and a Japanese garden. Built in 1913, its roof is 65m in diameter, a huge feat in its day. A museum explains how it was built as an exhibition space.

WHAT TO SEE

■ Panorama Raclawicka, www.panoramaraclawicka.pl At 114m long and displayed in a rotunda, this impressive painting depicts the battle for Polish independence fought near Raclawice in 1794.

Creative lighting and the use of life-size 3D models – so that, for example, a fence in the painting becomes a fence in ‘real life’ – make you feel as if you’re really part of the battle.

The panorama was painted in the late 1800s and transferred to Wroclaw after the Second World War, but communist authorities refused to display it because it showed the defeat of Russia, Poland’s then ally.

The work didn’t go on show until 1985.

Entrance is by guided tour.

■ Afrykarium www.zoo.wroclaw.pl Part zoo, part aquarium, this is home to fish, fur seals, penguins, hippos,

COLOURFUL FAÇADE The Rynek market square

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

66 n LIFE AND STYLE HADLOW MANOR HOTEL GAME FOR A LAUGH Gag House Comedy Clubs are launching their first Kent event at the Hadlow Manor Hotel on Friday 11 November at 8:30pm starring the hilarious Steve Best as the headliner for the evening. The line up also includes the fabulous Ben Van Der Velde and Stephen Carlin.

Gag House Comedy Director, Nick Wyschna said: “We are delighted to be hosting our first Kent Gag House at the Hadlow Manor Hotel.

We have a brilliant line up for the evening and we can certainly guarantee you a night of great entertainment. We are all about making comedy accessible to a wider audience for a reasonable price. Come along and join in the fun, you will definitely have a good laugh.”

HAYLEY’S HEROES TO HOST ‘HOT BITES & BOOGIE NIGHTS’ CHARITY EVENING FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH CANCER Hayley’s Heroes, a local cancer charity set up in memory of Hayley Martin, has today announced it will be hosting a ‘Hot Bites & Boogie Night’ charity evening in order to raise money to provide young adults with cancer special treats.

Ben Van der Velde, the MC for the evening, is a stand-up comedian, actor, improviser and presenter, who has performed throughout the UK as well as Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Norway.

In 2009 Ben starred in improvised hit Scenes from Communal Living alongside Rob Broderick of Abandoman and Carly Smallman for its Edinburgh Fringe and London transfer run. A year later he shared a bill with James Acaster and Andrew Doyle in Sex and Hugs and Forward Rolls. He gigs all over Britain, and has earned himself a great reputation with audiences and comics alike. His consistency and persistence were rewarded when in 2011 he was crowned Comedy Café New Act of the Year. Ben then went on to host Just the Tonic’s Big Value Comedy Showcase at the Edinburgh.

The charity event will take place on Friday 11th November at One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells and all money raised will go to the Hayley’s Heroes charity, set up in memory of mumof-one, Hayley Martin, who sadly lost her battle with bowel cancer in January this year, aged 31.

Stephen Carlin is a stand up comedian who performs regularly across the UK and in Europe. He launched his career at the Camden Head pub in Islington in 2002 after attending a gig at London’s Chuckle Club. Stephen now writes comedy as well as performing and is particularly proud of his recent BBC radio series Gus Murdoch’s Sacred Cows. Stephen has recently starred in Radio 4's "Andrew O'Neill: Pharmacist Baffler" and is a frequent performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Hayley went on to open a cancer care room at the Hospital, which has been named ‘Hayley’s Room’ after her – it was created to give patients somewhere to relax before and after their treatment.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Hayley dedicated her time to raising thousands of pounds for the Charles Dickens chemotherapy day care unit at Maidstone Hospital, where she received her treatment.

Hayley’s Heroes raises money to provide young adults, who are currently undergoing chemotherapy, to apply for a special treat for them and their family. These treats can range from spa days, trips to sporting events, or even a day as a zoo keeper.

Steve Best, has been a stand-up comedian for over 20 years and has performed all over the world. He is a great visual comedian harnessing a mind-boggling array of gadgets and gags to keep his audience in stitches.

Funny, frenetic and mad, his unique form of slapstick comedy is backed up with astounding talent; he plays the guitar like a genius, can juggle 5 balls, ride a uni-cycle and is fluent in Serbo-Croatian. He has performed in almost every comedy club in Britain and has supported Frank Skinner, Craig Charles and Omid Djalili on huge nationwide tours.

For further information and ticket details on the ‘Hot Bites & Boogie Night’ please contact: Lucy on 07967 482595 or lucy@easybooktraining.com

UNION SQUARE DIVAS After two years of uncertainty around the planned redevelopment of Union Square Divas, they have now relocated to an airy New York loft-style salon in Sussex Mews, adjoining The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells. Having considered many potential locations, owner Janette Leach agreed terms with the Nevill Estate in June 2016. Following her detailed specifications, Janette’s team of specialist craftsmen have transformed the former mirror and picture frame workshop into a cutting edge salon. Decorated in white and on-trend subtle muted shades of grey, the salon offers a tranquil oasis in TW.

Steve has many TV credits including, The Stand-Up Show (BBC1), The Big Stage (C5), and more recently twice on The Slammer (CBBC).

For just £12.50 you can enjoy a great evening or for £23 you can include supper in your ticket price. Dinner is available from 6:30pm to 8pm and the Hadlow Manor will be serving up their best Fish and Chip dinner for you. Tickets can be purchased from www.GagHouseComedy.com or by calling 0333 666 3366.

You can follow Gag House on twitter @GagHouseComedy and on facebook /GagHouseComedy.

The Hadlow Manor Hotel is located at Goose Green, Hadlow, Kent, TN11 0JH, you can find out more information about the hotel at www.hadlowmanor.co.uk

CRANBROOK CHORAL SOCIETY There is something very special about a large choir, accompanied by a fine orchestra, singing some of the greatest music ever written and the 100 voices of Cranbrook Choral Society will be performing Haydn’s magnificent ‘The Seasons’ at St. Dunstan’s Church Cranbrook for their autumn concert on the 19th November.

RURAL CRAFTS ASSOCIATION: Step into a creative world and rediscover the art of enjoyable Christmas shopping at the Maidstone Exhibition Hall!

Talented creative and designers from all over the UK will be gathering in the Maidstone Exhibition Hall will on the Kent County Showground November the 4th to 6th for the Rural Crafts Association event. Indulge yourself, friends and family with stunning accessories- from leather bags and belts to graceful diamonds and scarves in lustrous velvets and satins. A selection of festive cakes, wines, cheeses, meats and honey will similarly be available throughout to accompany additional live entertainment.

Full details are on their website: www.cranbrookchoral.org.uk

The event promises easy, free parking as well as wide aisles for pushchairs and wheelchairs. The event times are 9am – 5pm Friday and Saturday 9am – 4pm on Sunday.

It’s great that you don’t have to go to London to hear live performances of this quality.

For more information, visit www.ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Janette opened her first salon 'Uppercut' in Union Square in Tunbridge Wells in 1987. She went on to open further salons in Uckfield and Heathfield under the name ‘Divas’.

Janette has a wealth of experience and caters for all aspects of hairdressing across the ages offering services from cut and blow dry, to shampoo and sets. Janette is a qualified colouring technician specialising in multi-coloured foils, semipermanent and full head colours.

Divas is offering a 20% discount to all new customers on appointments before the end of November 2016 (not in conjunction with any other offer).

Wedding packages available Reduced rates for senior citizens on Mondays - book on-line at www.divassalon.co.uk - call 01892 510465 for a free consulattion or appointment - email hello@divassalon.co.uk

Janette looks forward to welcoming her existing and new clients at: Divas Hair Salon 5 Sussex Mews Tunbridge Wells TN2 5NL

WITH THE

THE TOWN’S TOP MOTORING GUIDE – FROM EVERYDAY DRIVES TO LUXURY SUPERCARS

By Simon Davis

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

FIRST DRIVE

WHAT’S NEW? Currently sitting at the top of the DS Automobile line-up, the new DS 3 Performance Black is the French manufacturer’s attempt at a hot hatch.

It shares the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and limited slipdifferential as the Peugeot 208 GTI, yet is dressed up in a chintzier frock.

DS 3 PERFORMANCE BLACK CABRIO

LOOKS AND IMAGE With the matte black paint and gold wing mirrors that featured on our test car, the DS Performance Black is a fairly mean-looking thing. Adding to its sporting credentials are massively flared wheel arches, an aggressive-looking body kit, black 18-inch alloy wheels and twin exhaust pipes. Our car also featured the optional DS Performance Exterior Graphic Kit for added visual impact.

‘The good news is that the DS 3 is pretty sweet through corners. There is an abundance of grip’ Altogether, they make for a car that is imposing to look at. Some may think they make the Performance look rather tacky and over-styled, but isn’t that part of the fun of owning a hot hatchback?

In the cabin, it’s much the same as the regular DS 3, save for the massive bucket seats. While these look the part, they don’t quite provide the right amount of support. So you’re thrown around a wee bit when pushing the car through corners.

DS has also thrown in some mock carbon-fibre panelling on the steering wheel and doors, while the dash was the same gold colour as our wing mirrors.

Again, this might come across as bad taste to some, but it seemed to fit the character of the Performance rather well, and its appearance does attract a fair deal of attention from other motorists.

If you’re after a hot hatch that likes to shout about the fact it has a more power than its regular siblings, you’ll likely find the DS 3 Performance a

more appealing prospect than some of its more understated rivals.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY As long as you sit in the front two seats, the hot DS 3 has more than enough space.

But in the rear seats adults have next-tono leg room, and because the canvas roof bunches up right behind rear passengers’ heads when retracted, head room can be limited, too. It’s probably best the back seats are left for children on long drives.

Unfortunately, the car’s boot is also compromised by the folding roof. While it may boast 245 litres’

worth of space, the aperture is incredibly small, which makes loading even things like a weekend bag a bit of a tricky process.

Because of this, it might be worth opting for the the hard-top instead.

BEHIND THE WHEEL For a hot hatch packing 207bhp under the hood, the Performance doesn’t feel as fast as its numbers might suggest. Sure its quick, but the manner in which it picks up speed isn’t terribly exciting – especially when you compare it to the rather savage nature of the Peugeot 208 GTI. Another sticking point is the fact the Peugeot sounds fantastic– the DS 3 just doesn’t.

Thanks to the lack of a proper roof, the Cabrio isn’t terribly composed over bumpy surfaces either. It has a slight tendency to shudder and groan over any piece of road that isn’t absolutely smooth.

Sadly, this doesn’t end the DS 3’s list of woes. In what seems a common factor in all DS cars, the driving position is incredibly awkward. It appears that the manufacturer is determined to build cars for people who have incredibly long arms and stumps for legs. You’re likely to find yourself sitting incredibly far away from the large steering wheel, while your

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: £25,295 MODEL: DS 3 Performance Black Cabrio ENGINE: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 207bhp and 300Nm torque TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, driving the front wheels PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, top speed 143mph ECONOMY: 52.3mpg combined EMISSIONS: 125g/km CO2

legs are bunched up above the pedals.

The good news is that the DS 3 is pretty sweet through corners. There is an abundance of grip, and the Torsen limited-slip differential works well to keep you on the road and helps to minimise any understeer.

VALUE FOR MONEY With an asking price of £25,295, the DS 3 Performance Black Cabrio isn’t the cheapest hot hatch. Though, it does come with a healthy dose of standard kit. This includes satellite navigation, a reversing camera, front parking sensors and an uprated hi-fi system.

A top-of-the-line Ford Fiesta ST is significantly cheaper at £20,495. While it may not be as powerful, it’s one of the best hot hatchbacks on the market. A Fiesta ST200, priced similarly to the hard-top DS 3 Performance Black, could make for an even more tempting choice.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? That’s a tough one. Sure the Cabrio looks great, and comes with a decent amount of kit as standard, but isn’t as exciting to drive or as competent as its competition. As the little DS is a rather niche choice anyway, perhaps this is a car that will appeal to someone looking for a hot hatch that’s slightly left of field.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

68 n MOTORING

REASONS

TO BUY A SKODA

AVAILABLE FROM

NIL ADVANCE PAYMENT* AUTOMATIC (DSG)

REAR PARKING SENSORS

OR MANUAL GEARBOX

STAN OARD FROM SE TRIM

AVAILABLE WITH

Available on

Motability Visit skoda.co.uk/motability

CV Caffyns SKODA Tunbridge Wells

Lamberts Road, North Farm Industrial Estate, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TNZ 3EL

~ 01892 570784 @ www.caffyns.eo.uk/skoda

Model shown is SKODA Yeti Outdoor SE 1.2 TSI llOPS DSG. With nil advance payment. 'To qualify for this offer you must be in receipt of the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance, War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement, Enhanced Rate Mobility Componen t of Personal Independence Payment or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP). Nil Advance Payment applies to Yeti Sand SE trim 1.2 TSI llOPS DSG and manual, Yeti Sand SE trim 2.0 TOI llOPS SCR manual, Yeti Outdoor Sand SE trim 1.2 TSI llOPS DSG and manual, Yeti Outdoor Sand SE trim 2.0 TOI llOPS SCR manual. Contact your local retailer for more information. Offers may be varied or wi thdrawn at any time and are not available in conjunaion wi th any other offer. Motability retailers only. Subjea to availability. Valid for applications to Motability from 1 Oaober 2016 to 31 December 2016.

Official fuel consumption for the SKODA Yeti Outdoor range, petrol only in mpg (litres/lOOkm): Urban 37.7 (7.5) to 43.5 (6.5), Extra Urban 50.4 (5.6) to 58.9 (4.8), Combined 44.8 (6.3) to 51.4 (5.5). CO, emissions for the SKODA Yeti Outdoor rang e, petrol only in mpg are 147 to 128g/km. Standard EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

Models shownare New Alfa Milo 875cc TB TwinAir 105 hp incl. meta llic paint at £475, OTR £15,135 & Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp at £19,225 OTR incl. meta llic paint at £525. Range of official fuel consum ption figures fo r theAlfa MiTo & Giulietta ra nge: Urba n 29.7 - 64.2 mpg (9.5- 4.41/100km); Extra Urban 54.3 - 97.4 mpg (5.2 - 2.9 1/lOOkm); Combin ed 41.5 - 80.7 mpg (6.8- 3.51/100km). C0 2 emissions 157 - 90 g/km. FuelconsumptionandCO, figuresareobtainedforcomparativepurposesinaccordancewithECdirectives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. 'Customer deposit is £1,710. Optional Final Payment is £3,882. Contract Term is 48 months. Offer available on New Alfa Milo 875cc TB TwinAir 105 hp incl. metallic paint at £475 between 1st October and end of December 2016. MCustomer deposit is £1,999. Optional Final Payment is £5,373. Contract Term is 48 months. Offer available on Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp incl. metallic paint at £525 registered between 1st October and end of December 2016. Alfa Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Alfa Romeo Preferenza PCP. With Alfa Romeo Preferenza you may return the vehicle instead of making the final payment.

It must be in good condition and if you exceed the agreed annual mileage, you will be charged 6p per mile for exceeding 6,000 miles p.a in this example. Subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Ts&Cs apply. At participating Dealers only. We work with a number of creditors including Alfa Romeo Financial Services. Alfa Romeo Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL! ORW. We reserve the right to change any offer without prior notification.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

MOTORING NEWS �

BMW’s Champion toast to Wittmann

CHILLS AND THRILLS The only ice driving programme in the world is just one of the treats

McLaren on ice – at a price PURE MCLAREN has released the date for its new ice driving experience – which will take place in Finland.

Coming as the only ice driving programme in the world, where drivers will be able to get behind the wheel of McLaren’s Sports Series cars, it represents an incredible opportunity for those lucky enough to attend.

Taking place from January 15 to February 3, 2017, the event is for groups of up to 14 guests for a three-night stay. Not only reserved for current McLaren owners, it is open to anyone.

A team of professional drivers will give those attending guidance on how to get the very best from the cars, showing them just how driving on

69

snow and ice differs from conventional surfaces.

Not only will guests be able to test-drive the McLaren 570S, but they will also be treated to a variety of other experiences, such as a husky safari and snowmobile expedition.

They’ll also stay in the famous Javri Lodge, the former home of the President of Finland. Completely remote and isolated, the location provides the perfect setting to view the Northern Lights.

Of course, all of these experiences don’t come cheap. Prices for the event start at £12,500, though this includes transfers from to airport to the Javri Lodge, as well as winter wear for each person.

BMW has unveiled the limited-run M4 DTM Champion Edition in celebration of BMW Motorsport Works driver Marco Wittmann’s DTM championship title.

Only 200 examples of the modified M4 will be produced, and will cost buyers 148,500 Euros (£134,136).

Compared with the regular M4, the DTM Champion Edition straight-six engine features a power output that has been increased by 68bhp to 492bhp, while torque has been upped to 600Nm, a gain of 50Nm. This jump in power allows the car to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds,

before hitting a limited top speed of 190mph.

BMW claims it can achieve a fuel consumption figure of 33.2mpg on the combined cycle, while CO2 emissions stand at 199g/km.

Similar to the BMW M4 GTS, the DTM Champion Edition calls upon water injection technology, which helps to cool the engine’s combustion chambers, raising its thermally related performance limits in the process.

The handling dynamics of the car have also been improved in an attempt to make the DTM Champion Edition a properly track-focused car.

LIMITED EDITION The modified M4

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Porsche recommends Mobil D and ~

If history is any indication, you're looking at the future of sports cars.

The new 911.

Ever ahead.

For more information call 01732 361222 or visit our Centre.

Porsche Centre Tonbridge Scan to witness the 911 in action

Brook Farm, Five Oak Green Road Tonbridge TNll OQN info@porschetonbridge.co.uk www.porschetonbridge.co.uk

Official fuel economy figures for the 911 Carrera 4S Coupe in mpg (1/lOOkm): urban 22.8 - 27.4 (12.4 - 10.3), extra urban 41.5 - 42.8 (6.8 - 6.6), combined 31.7 - 35.8 (8.9 - 7.9). C0 2 emissions: 204 - 180 g/km. The mpg and C02 figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated tests, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

PUZZLES �

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Codeword:

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

3

1 9

7 5

9 5 8 1

P I Q U E

4 3

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C O C K P I T

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

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26 21

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In this Sudoku, the normal 3x3 boxes are now strangely odd shapes – but all the rules and logic of normal Sudoku apply.

Fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and box contains every number uniquely.

Puzzle solutions will be published in next week’s paper

A T E R B R H U O A R I B O U O I N U B I C C R O E U B I N G M E F L A Y F U L M U A U I S S K E S E E P H E S U S

Sudoku:

9 6 1 4 5 3 8 2 7

8 7 2 1 9 6 3 4 5

5 4 3 2 7 8 1 6 9

A M B L E C A V C A N V A R G D A C K L E O A R K U P N R AWA R E L W T Y H O L E Z K X E J E C T

Jigsaw Sudoku:

3 8 9 7 6 2 5 1 4

2 1 6 3 4 5 7 9 8

7 5 4 8 1 9 2 3 6

4 9 8 5 2 1 6 7 3

1 3 7 6 8 4 9 5 2

6 2 5 9 3 7 4 8 1

9 6 2 3 4 5 8 7 1

4 7 3 9 1 6 5 8 2

5 2 7 6 3 8 1 9 4

1 8 4 5 7 2 9 6 3

8 3 6 1 2 9 4 5 7

7 4 9 2 8 3 6 1 5

6 9 1 7 5 4 2 3 8

3 5 8 4 6 1 7 2 9

2 1 5 8 9 7 3 4 6

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

5

★III

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DIFFICULTY RATING:

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3

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

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SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

1

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING:

CODEWORD

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Wednesday 2nd November 2016

72 n RECRUITMENT

WITH THE

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Fill your vacancy now in print or online.

For more information contact Jordanne Reville on 01892 576049

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

RECRUITMENT n

73

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ADVERT CONTACT OUR SALES DEPARTMENT ON 01892 779624

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

74  WHAT’S ON SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON

Eileen Leahy

WITH THE

Local events

>> WEDNESDAY Running until November 13 at Trinity Theatre Gallery is an exhibition entitled Forests, Maps, Birds and Bees. The show features three different artists whose work has been inspired by nature, but each one boasts a very distinctive style.

Denise Fisk’s textured oil paintings are wonderfully atmospheric and ethereal, while Jan Moffitt’s watercolours are vibrant and boast great attention to detail. The work of the final artist, Jane Brown, focuses on the clever art of collage and is exceptionally unique as a result. For more information visit www.trinitytheatre.net Whether you like it or not, Christmas is just around the corner, so if you want to get ahead of the game early then pop down to the United Reformed Church, which is hosting its Cards for Good Causes charity Christmas pop-up shop.

Open until Wednesday December 21, it has all you need to wish your friends and family Season’s Greetings. Staffed by a team of local volunteers, it’s part of a network of 300 temporary shops and represents more than 250 charities, including Cancer Research UK, Barnardo’s, Alzheimer’s Society, NSPCC, RNLI and local charities, including Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance. >> THURSDAY At 10am there will be a Fungi Discovery Walk with Martin Allison in conjunction with Kent High Weald Partnership. This free event starts from the twin Victorian Chapels in Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, but places are limited to just 15 people so be quick to book on 01892 515 460 or email: Caroline Auckland at carolineauckland@btinternet.com Tonight The Secret Cellar is hosting another of its popular pop-up restaurants, with Michelin-star chef Maxwell McKenzie cooking up a feast of culinary delights at its premises. Tickets for food only are priced at £35 and wines are charged at an additional cost as you can choose from a variety of bottles.

For more information visit www.thesecretcellar.co.uk Go along to meet author Elly Griffiths, who will be

Wednesday 2nd November

talking about and reading extracts from her new mystery The Blood Card from 7pm at Tonbridge Library.

Tickets to the event cost £3.50 and are available by telephoning 03000 41 31 31 or email: tonbridgelibrary@kent. gov.uk The Artspring Gallery in Tonbridge will be THERE’S NOT MUCH holding another of their ROOM INSIDE! First Thursdays – a Join a Fungi Discovery private view with Walk on Thursday Prosecco which happens every first Thursday of the month from 5.30-8pm. Drop in and chat to some of the artsists about their work, which includes paintings, prints, jewellery, photography and ceramics. >> FRIDAY From 8am there will be a talk by Rob Caskie at One Warwick Park Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. The South African presenter and raconteur will be talking about the life of explorer Ernest Shackleton a century after his epic endurance expedition to the Antarctic. Tickets to the event, which is in association with the Hospices of Hope, cost £30 and include a full English breakfast. To book tickets, contact Amy on 01959 525110, or email: amy@hospicesofhope.co.uk Trinity Theatre is putting on a performance of Romeo and Juliet, but be prepared for a totally unique take on this classic Shakespearean tale.

The critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company gives the bard’s story of ill-fated love a dynamic interpretation. Featuring live music, audience interaction and that famous bit with the balcony, critics say it’ll make you laugh – until you cry. Tickets cost £16 and are available from Trinity’s box office.

Cute children’s movie Finding Dory is on all weekend at the Hop Farm. If you haven’t seen the sequel to Finding Nemo, then this film is a must. Covering loss, love and everything else life throws the animated little fish and his friends along the way, it’ll have both parents and their little ones brushing away tears of sadness and joy. Tickets are £25 per car, and are available from Moonlight Cinema www.moonlightcinema.com

COMIC CRUTTENDEN See Hal on Saturday

>> SATURDAY Get the weekend off to a flying start by signing up for one of the park runs that happen in the area.

These timed 5k runs are free to enter and are sure to get you fit for the festive season, or help you work off those extra pounds.

Choose from either Dunorlan Park, Tonbridge Castle Street or Bedgebury Pinetum. For more information visit www.parkrun.org.uk Ensure your Bonfire Night celebrations go off

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

with a bang by visiting the Tunbridge Wells Round Table’s official Fireworks display at Dunorlan Park.

Tickets cost £6 per adult and £4 per child, and the event starts at 5.30pm.

Tonbridge’s was last weekend, but you can still catch the Sevenoaks Round Table event, which starts at 7pm with a torchlight procession along the High Street. Tickets cost £10 per adult and £8 per child, with those under four free. To book visit: www.sevenoaksfireworks.co.uk Lovable comedian Hal Cruttenden arrives at Trinity Theatre at 8pm with his new show Straight Outta Cruttenden. Covering many topics, including over-sharing on social media and, ahem, hard core rap music. Tickets to see the Live at the Apollo and Royal Variety Performance star are priced from £17. >> SUNDAY From 11am until 2pm there will be a car boot sale at The Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells. If you fancy setting up a stall, get there at 10am and pay £10 a car or £12 a van. Alternatively, just go along and support the school and pick up some bargains.

The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra plays at the Assembly Hall from 3pm. This concert will be an ‘all-English affair’ with George Vass making a welcome return to conduct pieces by three of England’s favourite composers: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Malcolm Arnold and Sir Michael Tippett. For details visit www.rtwso.org Over in Tonbridge at the same time, at St Peter & St Paul Church, there will be a Time to Remember, Time to Give Thanks service. This encourages peaceful reflection and offers the chance to light a candle and give thanks for the lives of those we have loved and lost. >> MONDAY Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap starts its sixnight run at the Assembly Hall today.

It is the longest-running play to be put on anywhere in the world, and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

The murder mystery has clocked up a staggering 26,000 performances alone in London’s West End, so it really is a big deal that it’s now coming to Tunbridge Wells until November 11.

Shows commence at 7.30pm every evening, with a matinee at 2.40pm on Wednesday and Saturday.

Tickets are priced from £28. To book visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk The Good Companions Club meets in the British Legion Hall, Tonbridge at 7.30 pm and entertainment will be provided by the Tonbridge Community Choir. All welcome.

THE BIG BANG It’s Bonfire Night again

A PEASANT DAY OUT Join a Medieval Game of Life at Bodiam Castle

>> TUESDAY Bodiam Castle has just launched an exciting new adventure trail called the Medieval Game of Life.

Spin the ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and then start your journey as either a lord, craftsman or peasant.

As you travel around the special route there are a number of dilemmas to solve in order to illustrate how precarious it was to live in this era, no matter what your status. The game costs £1 per person to enter and is suitable for children aged seven and upwards. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle

PICK OF THE WEEK: Penshurst Vintage Christmas Fair Saturday November 5 10am-4pm

Showcasing vintage homewares, clothes, jewellery, furniture and gifts, this fair is a must for all lovers of unique, chic and quirky finds. Enjoy live music from past decades brought to us by Miss Vintage, or stop for a well-deserved break in the pop-up tea room run by Dolly’s Diner. Entry is £2 with proceeds to the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance.

WHAT’S ON 

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

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

THURSDAY Lily & Jessie + Kyla & Nat + Dale Chapman & Ryan Weeks FRIDAY Boogie Nights SATURDAY The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing + Andrew O’Neil THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

The Pantiles, Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk

WEDNESDAY Martin Stenning, The Breaks, Hannigan

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

Crescent Road, information on times and tickets at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

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

Live music THERE are plenty of superb gigs and concerts to be enjoyed this week, so make sure you venture out to one of your favourite local venues and support live music! My top recommendations are: For a midweek Wednesday night outing, I highly recommend the renowned Steve Harley at the Assembly Hall. Extremely talented siblings Lily and Jessie Denning headline The Forum this Thursday night, supported by Kyla and Nat and Dale Chapman and Ryan Weeks. Lily and Jessie have a style that could be described as Bat for Lashes meets Tori Amos, and are known for their breathtaking harmonies and catchy, edgy melodies. Another excellent live act performing on Thursday night is The Tori Freestone Trio at Trinity Theatre who offer a mesmerising saxophone-led sound drawing on Folk and contemporary Jazz influences.

75

WEDNESDAY Steve Harley Acoustic Trio FRIDAY Are You Experienced?

(Hendrix Tribute) SUNDAY (3pm) The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra – conducted by George Vass Arnold: English Dances Set 1, Op. 27 Tippett: Concerto for Double String Orchestra / Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony

Flawless Carbon

THE CROSS KEYS

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

Triage FRIDAY Breezers Blues Band SATURDAY The Violet Jive SUNDAY Eliza Lewis Alana Hazzard Red Green and Blue TUESDAY Andy Evans, Harry Witty, Andy Tywman WEDNESDAY Amber Anderton, Kieran Draper, Storm Engine

WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: Paul Malsom & the Nocasters FRIDAY Sonny’s Blues: (refer to venue website) MONDAY TWURPS – Ukulele Beginners’ Session WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: (refer to venue website) TRINITY THEATRE

THE BEAU NASH INN

Mount Ephraim, open all day Free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY Total Recall SUNDAY Open Mic Night SCALLYWAG CAFE

45 Mount Ephraim Open all day, music from 8.30pm till late Music cover charge may apply

THURSDAY Tori Freestone Trio

WEDNESDAY Carradine’s Cockney Singalong FRIDAY Ed Watts Jazz Piano WEDNESDAY Cabaret Open Mic Night

TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB

THE ROYAL OAK

CASSIDY’S BAR

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

Prospect Road, open all day, free entry Music from 8pm onwards

Castle Street Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late

Church Road, information on times and tickets at www.trinitytheatre.net

MONDAY Triage

SATURDAY No Strings Attached MONDAY Open Mic Night

MASONIC CENTRE

THE BEDFORD PUB

THE PUNCH & JUDY

2 High Street, open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm onwards

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

St John’s Road, information on times and tickets at www.twjazzclub.co.uk

FRIDAY TW Jazz Club: The JJ Vinten Quartet

SATURDAY Flawless Carbon

FRIDAY Grovesnor Road

TUESDAY Fate The Juggler (trio)

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

76 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

Murder, she wrote… and made a global success of The Mousetrap The Mousetrap is coming to the Assembly Hall this month for a week of performances. The famous whodunit by Agatha Christie is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and is not only the West End’s but also the world’s biggest theatrical success to date. We spoke to one of the touring cast’s principle actors, Oliver Gully, who plays Christopher Wren – the first guest to arrive at a fateful manor – about what it’s like to be part of such an acclaimed piece of dramatic theatre history HOW EXCITED WERE YOU TO FIND OUT YOU’D BEEN CAST AS CHRISTOPHER WREN IN THE MOUSETRAP? Incredibly so! Not only was it the chance to be part of what has become theatrical tradition, but for me Christopher Wren is one of The Mousetrap’s most engaging characters to play.

Christie wrote what could have easily been a superficial stereotype in 1952 as a fully-rounded, multi-layered and unpredictable human being.

She often gets praise for the complexity of her plots, but I don’t think she gets enough credit for the complexity of her characters.

HAVE YOU PLAYED THIS CHARACTER BEFORE? Earlier this year, when we started rehearsing, I had never played the character and had only seen the show itself once. But now, as we come to Tunbridge Wells, we’ve notched up over 280 performances in theatres everywhere from Edinburgh down to the Channel Islands, so we’re getting pretty well practiced!

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT PLAYING HIM? The character has been written brilliantly, with so many different textures, which make playing him constantly engaging and actually constantly challenging; there’s always something new to discover, even after 280 shows. But also it’s an incredibly fun part to play, he gives off so much energy that it’s hard not to get carried along with him once you get started. Plus, to top it all off, the rest of the cast are always so responsive, focused and dedicated. They’re brilliant to work with.

HOW DOES HIS CHARACTER FIT INTO THE PLAY’S PLOT? I’ll be cautious answering that question, I don’t want to give too much away! What I can say is that Christopher Wren is the first of the guests to arrive at the newly-opened Monkswell Manor Guesthouse, run by Giles and Mollie Ralston. He – along with the other guests – arrives just before heavy snowfall cuts the house off from the

outside world, and before some shocking news is revealed. All the familiar suspects are present (Christie practically invented them, after all) and as the evening progresses, it becomes clear that there’s a murderer among them.

‘At the end of each performance the audience is asked to keep whodunit secret, and they do’ WHY DO YOU THINK THE MOUSETRAP HAS ENDURED AS A PIECE OF THEATRE FOR SO LONG? I think that essential mystery does play a part in its success. At the end of each performance, the audience is asked to keep ‘whodunit’ secret, and they do, it’ss part of the tradition. It means the show always has a fresh audience keen to try and solve the mystery. An audience that spans from everybody can enjoy it. But above eight to 80 –everybody

all, it is a very wellconstructed play.

The psychological dimensions and motives of the plot are founded in truth (it was inspired by a real case from 1945) and they have been put together to make a truly engrossing and engaging story.

ARTS & CULTURE 

77

FACTS ABOUT THE MOUSETRAP » WHEN The Mousetrap opened on November 25, 1952 with Richard Attenborough and his fellow film star and beloved wife Sheila Sim, Winston Churchill was Prime Minister, Harry Truman was President of the United States and Princess Elizabeth began her long reign as The Queen.

Not familiar with the The Mousetrap’s plot? Then here’s a quick synopsis…

■ The play is set in the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, in what Christie described as ‘the present’.

■ Act I opens with the murder of a woman in London, played out in sound only on a dark stage.

The action then moves to Monkswell Manor, recently converted to a guesthouse run by a young couple, Mollie and Giles Ralston.

■ Their first four guests arrive: Christopher Wren, Mrs Boyle, Major Metcalf and Miss Casewell.

They become snowed in together and read of the murder in the newspaper. An additional traveller, Mr Paravicini, arrives – stranded after he ran his car into a snowdrift, but he makes his hosts uneasy.

■ In the next scene, the imposing Mrs Boyle complains to the other guests, first to Metcalf and then to Miss Casewell, who both try to get away from her. Wren comes into the room claiming to have fled Mrs Boyle in the library. Shortly afterwards, the police phone to inform the group that they believe a murderer is at large and on his way to the hotel. When Mrs Boyle is killed, they realise that the murderer is already there.

■ Act II opens ten minutes later, when the investigation is ongoing. Each character is scrutinised and suspected. It quickly transpires that the killer could be any one of them. The characters plan to set a trap re-enacting the second murder, and trying to prevent a third…

» On November 25, 2002, The Mousetrap celebrated its golden jubilee with a Birthday Gala performance attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Lord (Richard) Attenborough gave the famous curtain speech exactly 50 years since he first delivered it in London: “Now you have seen The Mousetrap you are our partners in crime, and we ask you to preserve the tradition by keeping the secret of whodunit locked in your hearts.” » In November 2012, Agatha Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, welcomed the audience to the Diamond Jubilee celebratory evening, which was also the 25-thousandth performance of The Mousetrap. » Agatha Christie became a Dame of the British Empire in 1971 and her books have sold billions of copies around the world – only beaten in popularity by Shakespeare and The Bible. She died on January 12, 1976, aged 85. At one point she had three plays running at the same time in the West End, a feat never matched by any other woman. She was as successful as a playwright as she was as a novelist. Her most famous characters are Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. » There have been productions of The Mousetrap in 50 languages, and there is rarely a night without a performance somewhere in the world.

» Having achieved many world records at The Ambassadors Theatre, where the play opened, it moved to St Martin’s Theatre in March 1974 without missing a performance, and in its new home it has achieved many more world records.

Only the clock on the mantelpiece has survived, everything else has been replaced. » No seat has ever been sold at a discount. For many years the advertising announced this by proclaiming: “Sorry – no discount ever from any source.” » The Mousetrap has four entries in the Guinness Book of Records, including: For the ‘longest continuous run of any show in the world’; ‘most durable’ actor (David Raven, who played Major Metcalf for 4,575 performances from July 22, 1957 until November 23, 1968); and ‘longest serving understudy’ (Nancy Seabrooke, who stood by as Mrs Boyle 6,240 times until March 12, 1994, and actually appeared 72 times). » In March 1956, Peter Saunders sold the film rights, but shrewdly added the proviso that the film could not be released until six months after the end of the West End run. The film has yet to be made.

The Mousetrap is on at the Assembly Hall from Monday November 7 until Saturday November 12. To find out more regarding show times and tickets, which are priced from £28, visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

78  SPORTING TIMES

CONTACT US:

If you have a sports story or you would like to see your club’s reports and results featured in these pages…

Copsey lifts Juddians into second place

Doubles for Garwood and Graystone inspire return to winning ways Tonbridge Juddians 44

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Men’s 1st XI got back to winning ways in comprehensive fashion with a thumping win over mid-table Crawley.

The visitors soon found their rhythm. A combination of short, sharp passing and good movement off the ball saw Faris Al Askari, James Beck and Jack Garwood give Wells a comfortable 3-0 lead at half-time.

Wells welcomed Ali Sitton into their midfield, while player-coach Ben Allberry made a timely return from injury as he played around 20 minutes of the game.

The second half saw Wells improve further, as their hosts succumbed to some ill-discipline.

Six further goals came, including a brace for Will Graystone, a second for Garwood, and one each for Allberry, Dan Barnaby and the man of the match, Matt Wilson.

Equally importantly, Wells remained very disciplined in defence and registered the clean sheet their performance deserved.

The local crowd sportingly applauding Wells from the field at the end of the game.

The win moves Wells up to fourth place in Kent/ Sussex Division One, three points off top spot.

They will be looking to improve on this as they take on second-placed Old Bordenians at Tonbridge School this weekend.

Chichester 19

By Adam Hookway RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS climbed to second spot in National League Three London & South-East after a tough encounter against Chichester.

Despite the visitors languishing in the bottom half of the table, the game proved a particularly hardfought encounter.

The Sussex club were a feisty, resolute bunch and were harder to break down than had been expected.

While TJs dominated much of the territory and had a lot of ball throughout the game, they would have liked to have been further ahead than the 11-0 scoreline at the break.

Two penalties from Liam Prescott and a scything try by James Copsey from the full-back position was perhaps a try or two short of what could have been after 40 minutes. In contrast, Chichester had not come close to scoring.

The second half started brightly as Copsey added a second after Hugo Watson had done the hard graft, and with Prescott adding the extras TJs were looking the hungrier of the two teams.

However, they were rocked when the referee adjudged that Murray Galbraith-Lowe had not grounded a kick and chase.

From there, Chichester took a quick 22 to go up field and score to make it 18-7.

TJs reacted with another fine attack and Jon McMahon, who looked to back to his best form, crossed on the right.

Galbraith-Lowe then popped up on the right side

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

Crawley Men’s 1st XI 0 Tunbridge Wells Men’s 1st XI 9

HARD YARDS TJ’s pack piles on the pressure

to hurtle through to set right his perceived wrong, and the home side were back in charge.

Adam Darracott and George Lawson added further tries but Chichester finished well with a brace of their own and the game ended 44-19.

Another bonus point win had the added bonus of Juddians coming through it relatively unscathed.

Squad member Will Ward was the only major worry after coming off with an elbow injury but he will be back in two weeks’ time.

TJ’s Head Coach Pete Dankert welcomed another

successful result, saying: “Once again we were up against a side who played much better than their league position suggested.

“While at times we lacked a little discipline and accuracy, our class shone through in the end.

“It’s a mighty relief too that the medics get a less stressful week and that Will Ward’s injury was not as bad as we first thought.”

He added: “It’s Guernsey away next and that’s always a tough place to go. We need to keep the winning habit going.”

Broxbourne Ladies’ 1st XI 3 Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ 1st XI 1

Solid defence backs up pace of Pope to maintain home record

By Brandon Begg

Tunbridge Wells 28 Cobham 21

PHOTO: Brandon Begg

HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ Ladies 1st XI made a promising start against their second-placed hosts Broxbourne.

They overloaded the D with a string of attacking short corners, but the keeper was in fine form.

The deadlock was broken after 25 minutes when Wells goalkeeper Ali Playle saved a shot but the umpires deemed the resulting play dangerous and the hosts scored from the penalty corner.

Shortly after half-time they added to their lead but then Annie Wilson made a blistering run for Wells and slipped the ball to Jemma Stephenson, who finished off the move by thundering the ball into the net.

Wells continued HOT SHOT Wells’ Jemma to push for Stephenson more goals, but Broxbourne capitalised on a penalty corner decision for 3-1.

Meanwhile Georgia Whitaker represented the Saxon Tigers Under-16s in the England Hockey Futures Cup. She was named as their player of the tournament and scored a goal.

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

By Nick Manser RUGBY: A LATE defensive stand ensured that Tunbridge Wells held off a strong challenge from visitors Cobham.

This victory was crucial for Wells and it ensured they remain unbeaten in the league at home since March 2015.

The team’s attack proved a well-oiled machine, with liquid handling skills in the centre of the park consistently opening up room for the pace of fullback Hayden Pope to bring two tries.

Yet when they were camped in their 22 for the majority of the second half, Wells proved their defensive capabilities against what seemed to be a never-ending wave of Cobham attacks. A committed defensive performance was imperative, and it was up to the task.

However, it took just ten minutes for a string of passes to bring Pope and then Ollie Lewis-Donaldson into the line and to set Charlie Harding away for a very quick try in the corner.

Despite missing an early penalty attempt, Frank Reynolds

(pictured below) realigned the radar to convert from the touchline.

Expert offloading play dictated space for Wells out wide and Pope, in true poaching style, unleashed a sharp fend and dancing feet to sail past Cobham’s defence and score. With Reynolds converting, Wells were in the ascendency with 14 unanswered points.

But Wells’ tight grip on proceedings was not to last. It only took one missed tackle for Cobham’s outside centre Matt Goddard to penetrate and touch down underneath the posts.

However, Wells went back on the attack and full-back Pope skipped under the posts to make it 21-7 to the hosts.

The embodiment of a ‘game of two halves’ was to ring true in the second 40 minutes as Wells defence was tested to the very limit.

But in a rare attacking opportunity, LewisDonaldson broke free out wide, and put Harding in for his second try.

The conversion made the

scores 28-14 and the smart money looked to have Wells out of sight.

Cobham’s human battering ram was to have one last attempt to force its way over Wells’ try line.

After 30 minutes of knocking, Cobham finally went over as a slick line break and a cutting line from their winger brought a deserved try.

‘This was a good result for us in the sense that it stopped the rot of the previous losses’

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

Broxbourne keeper’s form repels visitors

But Wells defended strongly to hang on to the win. Head Coach Matt Cook, who missed the match after suffering an injury last week, believed it was a valuable win.

He said: “This was a good result for us in the sense that it stopped the rot of the previous losses.

“In the second half we didn’t perform half as well as we should have done, which meant the visitors came back at us and they nearly won, so we should have put them away.

“There were some good performances though – Charlie Harding did very well.

“We hope to have a strong side together for our next match against Sidcup, despite being depleted through injuries in the past few weeks.”

SPORTING TIMES 

…or on our website at www.timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk please email them to sport@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or sport@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Rumsey shows his skills to seize runner-up spot in maiden season MOTORSPORT:

TUNBRIDGE WELLS rallycross ace Graham Rumsey claimed second place in the Hot Hatch category of the British Championships after a fine performance in the eighth and final round of the season at Croft in North Yorkshire.

The Hot Hatch class was amalgamated into a ‘super’ class along with Super 1600s and BMW Minis, which made for larger grids and some great racing throughout the day.

Rumsey put in consistent times in the three qualifying heats, and drove his Citroen Saxo into second place – and a front row spot for the final.

This race not disappoint fans, and was quite possibly the final of the year for the Hot Hatch class, seeing Rumsey take the flag in third place.

However, after a technical infringement the defending champion and event winner Robert Potyra was excluded, moving Rumsey into second place for the round.

This secured him second in the championship overall, missing out on the top spot by five points.

Rumsey said: “I’m delighted with the result. Of course I would have liked to have won the championship in my maiden year, but next year I’ll be back to put that right.”

He added: “It was nice to round out the year with a good clean final, where it was all down to driving skills.”

‘It was nice to round out the year with a good clean final, where it was all down to driving skills’

PHOTO: David Couldridge

GREAT LEVELLER Nathan Elder heads home the equaliser

Tonbridge 3 Ashford Town 3 FOOTBALL:

A SIX-goal thriller left Tonbridge Angels fans on the edge of their seats after their team snatched a late draw against Ashford Town.

The Middlesex visitors to Longmead Stadium quickly raced into a 2-0 advantage, gift-wrapped by a fragile-looking home defence.

Sheppey dominate after Wells suffer from bad timing Sheppey United 2 Tunbridge Wells 0

By Scott Bartlett

TIGHT CORNER Graham Rumsey competes in his Saxo at Croft

Wheeler comes to rescue in cup thriller

By Jim Rowe

79

Early on in this FA Trophy clash, Angels goalkeeper Tony Di Bernardo was forced into a good save while at the other end his opposite number Kavanagh Keadell reacted well to a Nathan Elder header.

The crowd of 381 did n0t have to wait long for the visitors to start scoring.

After 15 minutes, Dan Fleming was able to place the ball into an empty net following a dreadful

mix-up between Jerrome Sobers and Di Bernardo.

And 12 minutes later, the unfortunate home keeper lashed a clearance straight to the opposition, giving Mark Bitmead the easiest of tasks in doubling Ashford’s tally.

Early in the second half, Ugo Udogi’s badly timed trip on Kameron English resulted in referee Isaac Searle immediately pointing to the spot. It seemed all over for the home side as Bitmead duly converted the penalty.

However, Nick Wheeler responded for Angels with two strikes on 58 and 68 minutes that revived home fans’ hopes.

When Elder headed home a third to level the scores on 82 minutes it was very much game on.

In the frantic conclusion to the match, which included six minutes of stoppage time, there were chances for both sides.

Butafter all that had happened, the draw seemed to be a fair result.

Angels Manager Steve McKimm felt the team had responded well after a poor start to the match that had left them facing a cup exit.

He said: “We didn’t play well in the first half at all, and we deserved to be down 2-0.

“But I had words with the team at half-time and told them they needed to work a lot harder in order to get any results.

“We had a couple of players return from injury, but we’ve still got quite a few out as well. We’ll set the team up the same for the replay, though there might be a few personnel changes.

“We have proved we can come back from being down in Saturday’s match.”

FOOTBALL: TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ league campaign suffered another blow after they suffered an away defeat to Sheppey United.

The visitors’ vocal support was matched by the home side’s fans at Holm Park, who cheered their team on to a decisive victory in what was one of the largest attendances of the season, 465.

Dane Moore and Chris Seenan, returning to the Wells side in midweek, went straight into the team, while Luke Hackett, who has committed to the club for the rest of the season on dual registration with his parent club Dorking Wanderers, also made a return to the action.

However, there remained notable absences with Ryan Crandley still out through injury alongside club captain Tom Bryant and Perry Spackman.

The first opportunity of the game fell to the Wells when, from a corner to the far post, Paul Butler headed back across the face of goal to the head of Hackett, who brought a good save from the Islanders’ goalkeeper Dean Warford.

It looked as if the Wells would go into the break reasonably deserving of parity but Sheppey opened the scoring in the last minute of the first half.

A lapse in communication in the Wells defence left Timmy Babbington the easy task of heading home.

Sheppey started the second half on the front foot but wasted chances before they doubled their advantage after 67 minutes.

A strong run to the byline from Babbington ended with a cross to Karn Miller-Neave, whose powerful header looped over the defenders and past the despairing hands of Steve Lawrence.

The game was now in Sheppey’s hands and they dominated the closing stages, with Lawrence making a good low save to deny Davies.

Wells’ Manager Jason Bourne took heart from his injury-hit side’s display, which he believed showed they have the potential to progress this season.

He said: “The team put in a good performance today, but losing a goal just before half-time made a difference as we were growing into the match.

“Sheppey are near the top of the league and were playing well, but we took quite a few positives from the game, as the score didn’t tell the whole story.”

STAND FIRM Kieron Tarbie (left) battles for the ball

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

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