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Wednesday, February 10, 2016
WHAT’S THE DRAGON STAR UP TO IN OUR HIGH STREET? Page 3
Watchdog warns about ‘dormitory town’ threat By Lesley Potter newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
TUNBRIDGE WELLS is in danger of turning into a ‘dormitory of over-priced flats for commuters’ according to a stark warning from the Civic Society. In a letter to this newspaper from chairman Dr Janet Sturgis, the society says the number of new homes being approved could lead to ‘widespread destruction’ of the environment. This could damage ‘not only our architectural heritage, gardens and green spaces, but the fields and woodlands on the edge of the town and in the villages’. The letter was sent in response to an interview published two weeks ago in the Times with Council leader David Jukes and chief executive William Benson setting out the Council’s five-year plan. The society, which is credited with saving the former Trinity Church from being bulldozed, points to the recently approved Dairy Crest development as an example of the Council breaching its own guidelines. “This is not simply scaremongering,” writes Dr Sturgis. “The recent decision on the Dairy Crest site in St John’s shows how these pressures are already having an effect. “Here the Council approved a development of 58 flats on a site they had initially assessed as suitable for 31, breaching several of their own polices, overshadowing and overlooking nearby houses, and destroying the historic façade of the old Mission Hall. “This can’t be right. The Dairy Crest development was opposed by about 150 individual residents, the Civic Society,
NEW APARTMENTS Flat building continues at a pace
ARRESTED Husband Stuart Andrews
as well as two members of the Planning Committee.” Under the Council’s existing plan land has to be found for up to 300 homes a year until 2026, but the Civic Society says the plan is being replaced with an ‘assessment of need’ for twice as many. The Society is calling on the Council to lobby central government for Green Belt restrictions on development in and around the town, as has already been done in a neighbouring authority in East Sussex. Councillor Alan McDermott, planning chief for the borough council, said: “The Council has made a commitment to produce a new comprehensive Local Plan for the borough which will guide the area’s future development. “In the case of the Dairy Crest site,
the proposals were assessed against national and local planning policies which seek to optimise the potential of sites to accommodate development. “This brownfield site is located close to local services and is on a main bus route, so is well suited to a high density development. “Although there were many objections, it is the role of the Local Planning Authority to weigh up differing views about development proposals and assess these against the planning policy background. In this instance the Planning Committee’s judgement was that planning permission should be granted.”
See page 18 for full letter
Murder suspect leaves hospital POLICE were last night questioning a City management consultant after his wife was found murdered at their home in Benenden. Stuart Andrews, 54, was discharged from hospital where he was taken with injuries after his arrest in London on Friday. His wife, Caroline (pictured), aged 52, was found dead at their home in the village on Thursday afternoon. The couple moved to Benenden in 2009 after selling their home in Eynsford, according to newspaper reports. Staff and children at Benenden Primary School, where Mrs Andrews worked as a supply teacher, were in shock at the news this week.
For full report, see page 3
2 � LOCAL NEWS
Weather Wednesday Sunny spells Wednesday and Thursday after some overnight frost...
February 10, 2016 Tunbridge Wells
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9C
Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
Visibility: Good
Pollution: Low
Humidity: 73%
Sunrise: 07.25am
Sunset: 17.06pm
Wind: 13mph
Thursday
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Head sorry over hidden cameras
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It felt like spring was in the air as I passed these sheep on a sunny winter walk across Bidborough Ridge. Clifford Gray
email: newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
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THE head of Cranbrook School has sent an apologetic letter to parents after it emerged the school had sanctioned the use of ‘illegal’ surveillance equipment following a spate of thefts. Despite the cameras breaching the law by not being identified with the use of signs, the grammar’s headmaster Dr John Weeds claims they were only used for deterrence rather than to ‘entrap’ potential thieves. In the letter, Dr Weeds [pictured below] explained that since the installation of the covert equipment there had been no further thefts this year. However, the school denied the cameras recorded any criminal activity and said no police action had been taken against any suspected thieves.
Unlucky strike for bowling youngsters
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The school denied any internal disciplinary measures had been taken or that the thefts were the work of pupils at the school. In his letter Dr Weeds said: “… in response to a lengthy series of thefts last school year, the school upgraded its security equipment in a public corridor area. “In doing so, it sought to act in the best interests of its students whose property and personal effects were seriously at risk.” Dr Weeds said the thefts had included a number of valuable personal items from student bags and two desktop computers. He added: “I am pleased to say that this issue has now been resolved and that there has been no repeat occurrence this year. “There was no intention to conduct surveillance. Our aim in relation to CCTV and the like is always to deter potential thieves and not entrap. “All cameras around the school and in boarding houses are now fully identified by signs. It is clear that some colleagues were upset by the school’s actions and I am sorry this was the case.” The school confirmed the cameras in question have since been removed and there were no plans to reinstate them if further instances of theft were to occur.
UPS AND DOWNS A group of youngsters outside the bowling alley on Monday
YOUNG people with disabilities are losing a vital part of their social life after a popular 10-pin bowling centre cut its evening concessionary rate. The group of youngsters with Down’s Syndrome have been going to Bowlplex in Tunbridge Wells for years, and until last month tickets were £2.50 – half the normal adult rate – while carers were free. Since January the concessionary rate no longer applies after 6pm and carers now have to pay. Sol Stanhope, whose son attends Upz and Downz day centre in Mereworth, said: “I don’t think it’s fair. It’s something they really enjoy and makes them feel independent.” Jo Jeffrey, who works at the centre, said: “The cost of bowling going up will have quite a big impact. There are few places for them to go around here.” Matthew Hart, spokesman for the Original Bowling Group, confirmed evening concessions had been cut, but added: “Many different community groups are using our facilities. They are an important part of our business, so we will be speaking to the management of Bowlplex about this.”
Admin slip puts top restaurant on the named and shamed list
THACKERAY’S has paid a hefty price after a ‘one-off’ administrative error landed the restaurant on a list of 92 companies named and shamed by the Government for failing to pay the minimum wage. The incident occurred after the restaurant – which has consistently been ranked among the best dining establishments in Tunbridge Wells – failed to move an employee from one minimum wage bracket for a certain age to another. A total of £211.70 was then owed to the employee, enough to place the restaurant at number 75 on the list published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The worst offending company, TSS Limited, a security firm in London, failed to pay £1,742,655.56 to 2,519 employees. Thackeray’s manager, Gary Beach, said: “The situation which arose was a one-off which was rectified immediately.” Currently the adult rate for the National Minimum Wage is £6.70 per hour, applicable to employees 21 or over, with 18 to 20 year olds on £5.30 per hour and 16 to 17 year olds entitled to £3.87 per hour. Business Minister Nick Boles said: “As a one nation Government on the side of working people we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage receives it. There is no excuse for not paying staff the wages they’re entitled to. “Our policy of naming and shaming employers who ignore the law means there are consequences for their reputation as well as their wallets. “In April we will introduce a new National Living Wage which will mean a pay rise of over £900 a year for someone working full time on the minimum wage, and we will enforce this equally robustly.”
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QUOTE UNQUOTE “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”
Oscar Wilde
Wednesday 10th February 2016
KEEPING THE TOWN VIBRANT AND VIABLE IS SOMETHING OF A BALANCING ACT IT’S the classic tale of opposing views – both trying to do good things and both believing they are in the right. Bit like the EU debate. (Sorry but could not resist that). On the one hand is the borough council charged with keeping Tunbridge Wells vibrant and viable and in the real world. Sat opposite them is the Civic Society with its mission statement: ‘Caring about Tunbridge Wells: Past, present and future.’ And it’s that ‘future’ tag that right now is causing an issue because the society might support the council in its priorities ‘to reinforce the economy and attract visitors while maintaining our quality of life’, but it also holds the view that the authority is going about it in the wrong way.
As one example, the Civic Society points to the Dairy Crest development in St John’s where, according to the society, the developer intended to build 31 flats which morphed into 58 flats. The fear is such things put the town on a slippery slope towards becoming simply a dormitory of over-priced flats for commuters. Indeed the council itself was at one time concerned that we might become ‘a dormitory town’. It’s a debate that will be ongoing with both sides no doubt claiming the moral high ground. And it’s a debate that needs to be ongoing as we balance the needs of growth with the desire to protect our heritage. (It was the society, by the way, that was responsible for saving Trinity Church from demolition and for encouraging
the creation of the Trinity Arts Centre.) Whatever the outcome of this latest exchange we can count ourselves fortunate to have people, on both sides, prepared to spend their time and energy making Tunbridge Wells such an attractive place to live. And for that we thank you. HOPEFULLY we can all give our blessing to the development of the old cinema site, where the doors closed 15 years ago. The latest plans show shops, restaurants and offices. After so many false dawns, most of us wouldn’t care if it became a McDonald’s drive-through, so long as somebody started building something! Richard Moore, Editorial Director
LOCAL NEWS �
Poundland rival set to open new store A HIGH street retailer whose biggest competitors are described as Poundland, Aldi and Lidl has revealed to the Times it will be opening a new store in Tunbridge Wells. Wilko, the Nottinghamshireheadquartered chain which sells homewares and household goods, employs 18,000 people nationwide and is currently in the process of recruiting staff for its new store. A spokesperson for the company said the new store was not due to open until the summer, but the Times understands
training is already underway for store managers with between 20 and 50 people looking to be employed. However, the spokesman was unable to give an exact location at this time for where the store is due to be situated, leading to speculation that the likely closure of Morrisons presents a potentially viable site. Founded in 1930 by James Wilkinson, the company has remained largely in hands of the same family ever since and currently has over 380 stores nationwide.
Benenden murder: Husband faces questions from police By Lesley Potter POLICE were last night questioning Stuart Andrews after he was discharged from hospital by doctors. The IT consultant was taken by detectives to a police station. He was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday after his wife Caroline was found dead at their home in Benenden. Mr Andrews, 54, an Oxford graduate who has worked as an advisor to the Bank of England, had been in hospital recovering from injuries since his arrest, and police had been keeping a bedside vigil while he recovered. His wife, Caroline, 52, was found dead on Thursday afternoon inside the four-bedroom rented house in The Street that they shared with their two daughters. The village of Benenden was in shock this week as residents took in the tragedy that had unfolded on their doorstep. Gill Knox, headteacher of Benenden Primary School, where Mrs Andrews worked, said everyone was ‘shocked and saddened’. She said: “Caroline has been a loved and well respected supply teacher here for a number of years, who has enriched the lives of many of the children she has taught. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family,
and all who knew her and will miss her.” A book of condolence was opened at St George’s Church in the village and prayers were offered at the service on Sunday. The couple had been married for 31 years and have four children. The eldest son, Charles, 26, is an organist and his brother, 23-year-old Harry is a
MOURNING Villagers shocked over death
graduate. They also have two daughters, Polly, aged 19, and Kitty, 14. The family have two dogs and kept chickens in the garden. Mr Andrews has worked at AlixPartners in the City as an information management consultant since 2014. Previously, he has worked at HSBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland. His arrest on Friday came after a dramatic police manhunt during which armed police boarded a London-bound train from Gillingham. They eventually caught up with him in the capital on Friday afternoon. It is understood that the family had been given three months’ notice to leave the house by the landlord. A statement from Kent Police said: “Police were called to The Street, Benenden, on Thursday, February 4 at 4.20pm, where they discovered the body of 52-year-old Caroline Andrews. A postmortem examination of Mrs Andrews took place on Friday, February 5 and the death is being treated as a murder inquiry. “Police made extensive searches throughout part of Kent, including the rail network, to locate a man wanted in connection with the incident. The man was located in the London area on the afternoon of February 5 and taken to a hospital for treatment to injuries.”
Dragons breathe life into the High Street DRAGONS’ Den stars Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis turned heads in Tunbridge Wells this week, as the business gurus filmed a pilot for a new TV series. The pair, who declined to be pictured, visited gift store Love Inc in the High Street on Monday and Tuesday for the programme, which will focus on mentoring small companies. Their appearance for the closed-set filming prompted
reaction on social media, with residents keen to find out more about their visit Kimberley Sanderson-Wells Tweeted: “I have just seen Theo Paphitis wandering outside my office. Yes I am nosey, and I want to know why.” Further details on the filming were not being released, but a source said the show was ‘in the early phases of development’.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Dove abandons the Christmas tree nest PADDOCK Wood Town Council has announced with ‘much regret’ that the collared dove which had occupied the town’s Christmas tree, preventing its removal, has abandoned her nest. The nest had been monitored by the council, who noticed she had failed to return to the tree for some time, resulting in the egg she was trying to hatch going cold. The RSPB advised that the egg will not hatch. The council will remove the tree this week.
City backs Gatwick PROMINENT businessmen have thrown their weight behind a second runway at Gatwick as frustration with perceived Government inaction boils over. Ian Anderson, Chairman of telecoms firm Cicero, hedge fund boss Crispin Odey and Mike Rake, chairman of Worldpay, are among those reported by City AM to favour Gatwick. In addition, L&G Chief Executive Nigel Wilson told Sky: “The £9billion Gatwick investment feels more deliverable economically and politically than the £19billion Heathrow solution.”
NHS strike hits ops MAIDSTONE and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust cancelled just six operations ahead of today’s planned strike by junior doctors. The walk-out is the second by staff and comes after the Government was unable to settle a national dispute over planned changes to pay and conditions.
Pond death man named THE man whose body was found in a pond in Rusthall last week has been named as John Leach, aged 58. An inquest into his death will take place at the Old Town Hall in Gravesend on April 6.
Drugs driver jailed A DRIVER who collided with 10 vehicles in Tunbridge Wells causing thousands of pounds of damage in February last year has been jailed for three years. Arthur Leonardo, 45, of Clifton Road, Tunbridge Wells, pleaded guilty to causing injury by dangerous driving and was banned from driving for four years and five months when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on January 27. The court heard that he had consumed substances including amphetamines.
Our pop-up newsroom THE DRAGON Deborah inside the Love Inc store
THE Times pop-up newsroom will be at Ismail Café in the Royal Victoria Place food court today (Wednesday) between 11am and 2pm. Please feel free to come and talk to us.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
4 LOCAL NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
Truck driver in court after multiple car crash A LORRY driver has been charged with three road traffic offences after a 13-car pile-up in London Road, Southborough in June last year. Mariusz Sudol, 34, of St Mark’s Avenue, Northfleet, has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving and one of failing to stop. He has been bailed to appear at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on March 7.
Police cameras planned KENT Police are to install 34 new automatic number plate recognition cameras across the county – including Tunbridge Wells – bringing the total to 137. Police say the cameras, which photograph number plates, are a useful tool in combatting crime, with images used as evidence in 163 court cases last year.
Progress too slow
Family tribute to ‘fun-loving’ son who died on railway line Lesley Potter newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
THE parents of a young man who died on a railway line two weeks ago have paid tribute to their mischievous but ‘lovely, funny and generous’ son. Emmett Gillah, 21, who grew up in Tunbridge Wells and lived in a flat on Meadow Hill Road, died on Saturday, January 23 after being struck by a train at Nutfield Station in Surrey. In recent times, Emmett had suffered from mental health issues, but he was nonetheless a popular
KENT has made only ‘minute’ progress in narrowing the achievement gap between poorer pupils and their more well-off counterparts, an education chief claims. Kent County Council education director Patrick Leeson said progress in closing the gap has been slow in comments at the opening meeting into an enquiry looking at social mobility in grammar schools. Figures released reveal only eight per cent of the 1,435 children on free school meals who sat the eleven-plus in 2014 passed. They took up just three per cent of grammar school places as opposed to 13 per cent in comprehensives.
ACCOUNTANCY firm Perrys is urging residents of Tunbridge Wells to nominate a charity for their Exceptional Awards campaign before February 22. The awards aim to recognise and reward inspirational unsung heroes in the community. The chartered accountancy firm, which has a branch in Tunbridge Wells, will put the nomination of the winner to a public vote later in the year. Anyone wishing to nominate a charity should write to Perrys at exceptionalawards@pmwcom.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
PICTURE: Huw Bristow
Public vote for charities
FUN LOVING Emmett Gillah, 21, who died in January
and well-loved character around town and was often seen in the silver grey Astra van he had recently bought for his gardening business. He attended The Mead School from kindergarten, and Bethany School in Goudhurst as a day boarder from 2006 to 2011. After school, he went to Plumpton College near Brighton where he studied for a Level 2 diploma in horticulture. Mum, Wendy, and dad, John, who moved to a family home in Chiddingstone Hoath last March, said Emmett had always been funloving and witty, even as a child. Wendy said: “As a child he was always climbing trees and playing at soldiers. He loved his scooter, skate boarding, BMXing, and his mountain bike. He was also a good skier and snowboarder.” The family enjoyed going on skiing holidays together, and often joined school ski trips with other families from The Mead School. More recently, they had gone on family trips to Chamonix and Les Deux Alpes. John, who works at Harvey Jones Kitchens in Tunbridge Wells, said: “Latterly he had given up skiing and taken up snowboarding. I would be skiing along and he would come gliding past and call out, ‘I’ll see you when you get there!’” Emmett had recently started his own freelance gardening business, which his parents said
HAPPIER DAYS John, a young Emmett and Lana, and Wendy on a skiing trip
was going well. He looked after a seven-acre garden in Chiddingstone, as well as working at Garden Proud in Tunbridge Wells and Lawn Culture in Hildenborough. Wendy, a marketing executive, said: “He loved being outdoors, so with gardening he had found his niche. He worked very hard.” Emmett was very close to his sister, Lana, 19, and had many photos of them together pasted on the door of his fridge in his town centre flat.
Memorial He had also kept in touch with lots of his school friends, and many of them attended an impromptu memorial evening held for him in The Forum on Saturday, January 30. A number of DJs played, and a collection was made on the door for
mental health charity Mind, which raised a total of £405. A keen amateur artist, Emmett also played the drums and loved listening to Green Day. Wendy said: “He could be a monkey, but he loved everybody and was very generous with everything he had. He gave his first drum kit away to a little lad who was younger than him. And the one he’s got now he lent to another friend.” She added: “He had a great childhood but he wasn’t that keen on being an adult. He felt that he’d had the best years of his life.” An inquest has been opened and adjourned. A funeral service for Emmett will be held at King Charles the Martyr Church on Friday, February 26 at 3pm. The family said that anyone who knew him is welcome to attend.
LOCAL NEWS �
Seven vehicles are seized in the fight against fly-tipping MORE than £57,000 has been spent clearing up illegal fly-tipping by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in the past year – while only £350 was recouped through fines. The environmental team scooped up 54 tonnes of rubbish, including washing machines, builders’ rubble and a total of 70 lorry tyres. This was lower than five years ago when it was 84 tonnes. Department for Environment figures covering 2014-2015 showed there were 1,226 incidents of fly-tipping in Tunbridge Wells. Gary Stevenson, Head of Environment for the borough council said setting fines was not in its remit, as this was a matter handled by the magistrates’ courts. He said: “The council tackles fly-tipping in order to protect and preserve the quality of the local environment. We tackle the problem in a number of ways, including surveillance of hot spots, issuing Fixed Penalty Notices and carrying out regular operations, sometimes alongside Kent Police, which allow us to seize vehicles that may be illegally carrying waste. “Investigations are pursued wherever evidence or intelligence is available that might give us some leads but the reality of a lot of fly-tipping is that those responsible are very aware of what they are doing and how to avoid detection. “Since September we have seized seven vehicles where the appropriate waste licences were not held and we believe this will have prevented some fly-tips from happening.”
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Plans to build new cinema on site of the old cinema Adam Hignett
adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk PROPOSALS for the redevelopment of Tunbridge Wells’ old cinema site are due to be submitted in the coming weeks after a deal to build a new hotel on the corner plot collapsed last month. It is the latest episode in an ongoing saga which has seen numerous proposals for the site fall thorough since the former ABC cinema was forced to close just over 15 years ago. But now developer Ed Bellhouse, of Bellhouse Joseph, claims to have the financial backing and architectural plans for a scheme combining retail, restaurants, office space and a small amount of residential accommodation. It is also said to include a three-screen cinema, which would be situated on a part of the site not currently affected by a covenant banning the development of any further screens. The covenant was placed on much of the old site by the Odeon after it bought and closed the ABC in order to lock out rivals to its Knights Park multiplex in December 2000. The troubled site has had a complex history, changing hands several times, but has been owned by the Carlyle Group since 2011 after the firm bought the plot for £9.9million. Since October, Carlyle has been in discussions with Bellhouse Joseph, who wish to purchase the site having worked with Carlyle on
THE VISION How the site might look
numerous unsuccessful projects in the past. A spokesman for Bellhouse Joseph said: “Ed Bellhouse knows the site well, having been invol-ved with it since 2011 as part of a joint venture with Carlyle Group. “His proposals are at an advanced stage and he has a number of key tenants lined up.” Adam Architecture has been commissioned to draw up plans for the scheme, which the spokesman said have since been shared with the
planning officers at the borough council. “Ed Bellhouse is therefore in a position to submit a planning application quickly,” he added. Speaking of his determination to see the project through, Mr Bellhouse said: “I remain committed to the old cinema site and believe we now have a high quality proposal that is financially viable, attractive to tenants and will be welcomed by the people of Tunbridge Wells.”
Wednesday 10th February 2016
6 LOCAL NEWS
Town is divided over plans for longer Sunday opening hours By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
SHOPPERS in Tunbridge Wells are split down the middle on the question of extended opening hours on Sundays. An independent survey shows that only half of those polled in the town back the idea. Currently shops are only allowed to open on a Sunday for six continual hours between 10am and 6pm. Most open 10am to 4pm. Plans to allow local authorities to reform ‘archaic’ Sunday trading hours are currently going through Parliament as part of the Government’s Enterprise Bill.
Debate The measure, which will give local authorities the power to zone trading hours in order to boost footfall in high streets and town centres, was ‘welcomed’ by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. However, it acknowledged there are ‘mixed opinions’ on the subject, after a council survey found opinion is divided, with 52 per cent backing the proposal. Councillor Jane March, cabinet member for economic development, said the findings were ‘very important’ for the council, She added: “The results would inform any debate on the matter, but clearly more discussion is needed with retail and business
FOOTFALL Relaxed laws boost trade groups before we can make any decision about whether opening hours in the borough need to change.” Public opinion in Tunbridge Wells is at odds with a survey conducted by polling firm ComRes on behalf of consumer group Open Sundays, which found 67 per cent of people nationally are
The Right Reverend James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, whose diocese incorporates Tunbridge Wells, said: “I concur with the view of the national Church of England which is that we wish to protect people’s ability to spend time with their families and friends and in leisure pursuits. We also are concerned about the pressure which may be placed on shopworkers to work on Sundays. Our position is not simply to protect churchgoing, but rather out of a wider concern for the good of society.”
Wednesday 10th February 2016
in favour of reform. A spokesman for Open Sundays said: “We are delighted that the archaic Sunday trading laws are being reformed. “We would have preferred to have seen a full national liberalisation of opening hours, but this is a welcome first step and a boost for freedom. “We would like to see Tunbridge Wells Borough Council use these powers, when granted, to allow people to shop where they want and when they want to stop this archaic restriction on our freedom.” But John Hannett, General Secretary of the retail workers’ union Usdaw, claimed the Government risked undermining a ‘Great British compromise’ in its pursuit of longer opening hours. He said: “Local shop workers are very concerned about Government plans to devolve Sunday trading hours to councils and the effects that will have on family life, local shops and the community. “The change could lead to large shops opening for longer, even though they are already trading for up to 150 out of 168 hours a week, so shop workers will have even less time to spend with their families. “It won’t help small stores, who are already The Government’s Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “We are a One Nation Government and we want to see the benefits of economic growth being felt in every corner of the country. “These new powers are about giving local areas the choice to extend Sunday trading hours to meet the needs of their local businesses and communities. It is local people who will make the decision.” Nicky Blanchard, co-founder of Royal Tunbridge Wells Together, said: “What is really important about these proposals is that they give local people the opportunity to have their say on whether they want to see trading hours on Sunday change. With Royal Tunbridge Wells Together, town centre retailers and businesses now have a voice and we look forward to taking part in that debate. As more details emerge we will be talking to our members and canvassing a range of views.”
KNOCK ON EFFECT Father - Cliff Allen opposes the change
allowed to open whenever they like, and may put some of them out of business.” Mr Hannett said the current Sunday trading laws were a good compromise which gave everyone a ‘little bit of what they want’. He added: “This is a solution looking for a problem that doesn’t exist. It isn’t even clear who is actually calling for this change, with many retailers opposing it.” His views on the impact on family life were echoed by Father Cliff Allen, head of Churches Tunbridge Wells. Father Allen said: “I think family life and times of rest are important and expanding hours could easily eat into that. “With retailers being able to open later anyway, and with online shopping allowing it to occur 24 hours a day, I question the need for the change.” A spokesman for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, which is responsible for the Enterprise Bill, said: “New powers to devolve Sunday trading laws to local authorities will allow councils to zone any relaxation so they will be able to prioritise high streets and city centres. This will mean councils can help drive footfall to struggling high streets by allowing them to open longer. “The measures also include greater freedoms for shop workers to opt-out of working Sundays if they choose to, for example because they object on religious grounds or for family reasons. “Shopworkers will now be able to give just one month’s notice to large shops that they no longer want to work on Sundays, down from the previous three months, and will have a new right to opt out of working additional hours. The Government will also strengthen the duty on employers to notify employees of their rights about working on Sundays.”
LOCAL NEWS
BEFORE THE SHOCK Happy wedding couple Steven and Rachel
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Every bride’s nightmare – having the venue cancel your wedding Sarah Bond newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
BRIDE-to-be Rachel Montague-Ebbs was shocked when the owner of the prestigious barn where she hoped to be married in May emailed to warn her that her wedding might have be cancelled. A week later it was cancelled. Rachel, 33, who lives in Wadhurst, told the Times: “I was in the gym in Tunbridge Wells when I got an email from the owner of the wedding venue, Mr Bob Camping, which started with ‘This letter is extremely hard to write…’ I immediately sat down on the floor and said ‘Oh God!’ “We were due to get married on May 28,” explained Rachel. “To my shock it said that due to licensing issues he couldn’t guarantee any weddings after April 10. He said there was a licensing hearing on January 28 and advised us not to do anything till then. “He also said at this time he could not afford to pay back any deposits. We had paid £2,840. He added that he was putting everything on the market, and if he could he intended to repay the deposits once the bank and Inland Revenue had been paid. “I crumpled, I couldn’t believe it, and when the shock wore off I couldn’t stop crying. It’s like the rug has been pulled out from under you
and you think ‘Oh no, I’m not going to have a wedding!’” Rachel and her fiance, Steven Letham, 32, were one of about 50 couples due to be married at the East Hampshire venue. Mr Letham works for the BBC and lives in Surrey. “We looked up the licensing and there were a lot of complaints from villagers about noise and drunken behaviour,” said Rachel. On January 28, Mr Camping’s premises licence was revoked by East Hampshire District Council. The Manor Barn in Buriton was Rachel and Steven’s dream venue. But there is a happy ending. Luckily the couple had taken out insurance. “The wedding insurance was the best £100 I have ever spent,” said Rachel. “But they would only pay out if he cancelled, not us, so we went through an awful period of uncertainty. Others were not so lucky.” After receiving that first email on January 13, Rachel – who writes the fashion blog Lady M Presents and has just launched a business consultancy – ignored the request to wait until January 28 and reorganised her wedding in a single morning. “I am very organised,” she said. “After a sleepless night I asked my boss for the morning off to sort it out. In the space of three hours I rebooked the whole wedding at a new venue! “When we were looking for the Manor Barn we happened on another gorgeous wedding barn
by mistake, and now we are getting married there instead. “We have been very lucky indeed. Hopefully this will serve as a warning to all those couples getting married – take out wedding insurance.” A word of advice from bride-to-be Rachel to others getting married: ■ Check out who owns the wedding venue and
how long they have had it ■ Find out if they have all the
appropriate licences and for how long ■ Take out wedding insurance before paying deposits ■ Pay absolutely everything by credit card for added cover (over a certain amount) ■ Make sure your guests do the same
Wednesday 10th February 2016
8 � LOCAL NEWS
Flamingo takes flight By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
A SMALL retailer in Tunbridge Wells who faced an ‘uphill battle’ to stay open is urging central government to fast-track moves to devolve business rates to councils or risk towns losing their identities. The call for action comes after the council previously said it would press for extra powers to ‘make more decisions concerning business rates locally’ adding: “This would include the ability to vary reliefs and premiums to encourage the right composition and support the high street whilst nurturing new businesses.” However, recent decisions by central government mean even when rates are finally dissolved by the end of the Parliament as planned, the council could still find it lacks the resources for flexible rates. Flamingo Trends, an independent fashion boutique, operated out of Ely Court for 18 months before being forced to relocate to Mayfield, a move which cut its overheads by 75 per cent. Despite receiving ‘wonderful support’ from Royal Victoria Place, their former landlords, the boutique was no longer able to operate in the town once its business rate relief expired. Co-founder Louise Kierstenson said: “The team
at the centre did their best to be accommodating but their hands were tied and we tried to survive in town as long as we could. “Our rates were over £1,200 per month, which for a two-person company was unsustainable. Neither
of us have even taken a salary since we started. “As a small independent we were entitled to concessions on the rate when we first set up, but once these expired you go full whack and it just was not realistic.” Their relocation in December coincided with the decision by central government to raid the share of business rates, just 4p in the pound, retained by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to fund less wellrun authorities. This could have an adverse impact on the council’s ability to tailor rates to the town’s needs, especially as it is now looking at the prospect of handing £600,000 a year back to central government by 2020. However, the situation looks set to worsen for the high street after a survey by Colliers International, also released in December, predicted rates in Tunbridge Wells would go up 17.4 per cent at the next evaluation in 2017. Mrs Kierstenson added: “The crazy thing is when we made the decision to move, we looked at other locations before settling on Mayfield and found the business rates at Blue Water were roughly the same as in Tunbridge Wells. That is despite a much higher footfall in Blue Water. It just makes you think how unbalanced the system is.” However, Mrs Kierstenson said she did not blame the council for the situation as she recognised their
Federation of Small Business Chairman Bill Fox says: “Small firms face a challenging start to 2016. Measures to devolve powers over business rates to local authorities provide opportunities but also risks for small businesses. We look forward to engaging with the Government on this agenda. But also we urge the Government to deliver on its commitment to fundamental reform of the wider business rates system. “Small businesses really need total reform of the business rates system. Business rates are the biggest cost for most small firms after rent and staff and pushes many businesses to the brink. What we currently have is a system that takes no account of ability to pay, or changes to economic conditions. The FSB wants to see a level playing field for all businesses and that means starting from scratch to devise a fairer system.” inability to make business rates more flexible for the town. She added: “When the rates are set by central government they are not taking into account the diverse nature of Tunbridge Wells. “There is a misconception the town consists of a certain type of person, but it is silly to think it is just made up of yummy mummies and commuters who all earn a lot of money. “There are many independents in the town who cater to a range of people and it would be so sad to see more empty shops.”
Final curtain about to come down at Southborough hall By Neil Barston nbarston@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to preserve the heritage of the Royal Victoria Hall in Southborough say they are ‘disillusioned’ at the options being considered for its future. A series of public consultations closed on January 28 and councillors are now considering two proposals to replace the historic theatre with a cultural hub, including new town council offices, a library, café and medical facilities. The first involves demolishing the 100-yearold building while the second would retain the main stage area of the hall – meaning the venue would no longer function as a theatre.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
The proposals have remained unchanged, despite the fact campaigners lodged a 5,000-strong petition to Southborough Town Council last year calling for the theatre to be preserved. Mark Airey, of the Friends of Royal Victoria Hall, said: “I think people feel quite disillusioned over this. The venue is a piece of the area’s history, but I don’t think that we have been listened to on this. “The option that includes keeping some of the hall is the least worst – keeping some of it is better than nothing. This should be the jewel in the crown of Southborough, but what is being proposed is certainly not that.” Tony Egan, who staged pantomimes at the venue for more than 30 years, said: “What is being proposed to replace the Royal Victoria
Hall is not the state-of-the-art theatre that was promised. There will not be a viable theatre in the true sense of the word.” Councillor Jason Reeves, of Southborough Town Council, also expressed concern. He said: “This has been going on for so long that there is an inevitability about it all going. “My personal view, and that of the Labour group in the area, was that we should be retaining the hall – but in both options the character part of the building is not being kept.” A decision on the future of the site, which is proposed to be developed as a joint venture between Kent County Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Southborough Town Council, is expected to be made in March.
CULTURAL HUB Possible replacement for the Royal Victoria Hall
LOCAL NEWS
US company buys business as springboard into Europe PLASTIQUE, a packaging company with its headquarters in Tunbridge Wells, has been acquired by an American group for an undisclosed sum. The company, based in Decimus Park, Kingstanding Way, will become part of Illinois-based Thermoform Engineered Quality (TEQ), a subsidiary of NYSE listed ESCO Technologies. Plastique, which also has an office in Nottingham and a factory in Poznan, Poland, employs 180 people across all three sites. The company designs and manufactures plastic packaging for cosmetics, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, food and electronics – such as mobile phones – and their clients include Philips, 3M, Gillette, Lancome and L’Oreal. Its turnover is estimated at between £20 and £30million. A spokesman for the company was unable to comment on whether the acquisition will mean redundancies for any of its staff, but said the tone of the announcement was ‘very positive’. John Lowe, Plastique’s managing director (pictured), said: “Combining with TEQ provides the group with significant opportunities to accelerate growth of our existing portfolio of business and allows us to expand into a broader platform of new product development areas.
Annual jobless figures go down
UNEMPLOYMENT levels in Tunbridge Wells have remained the lowest in Kent – standing at 0.6 per cent. A total of 415 people in the borough were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in December 2015, compared to 450 in May. Youth unemployment emerged as being particularly low, with only five people aged 18-24 claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for a period of more than 12 months. The area’s results were far more positive than some areas of the county, as Kent recorded an overall 2 per cent increase in unemployment, by 255 to 13,325 people. Meanwhile, the fall in long-term unemployment figures in Wealden were welcomed by MP Nus Ghani. In December 2015, 407 people claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance, with just 70 people claiming for more than a year. Youth unemployment was also low, with only 90 of the 407 between 18 and 24. Ms Ghani said: “We must be thankful for our brilliant small businesses, from high street shops to farms to professional services, because it is they who actually create these jobs.”
“The similarities within the two operations are extensive and having the chance to jointly develop new market opportunities across the globe is extremely exciting.” Plastique was established 35 years ago and became the first European manufacturer of smooth surfaced thermoformed pulp packaging. The acquisition is seen by its American parent company as an opportunity to expand its customer base into Europe. Vic Richey, chairman and CEO of ESCO, said: “I’m excited about the future growth prospects at TEQ as we continue to see meaningful and tangible shareholder value creation in this area. “With the addition of Fremont Plastics and Plastique, both acquired at reasonable prices, we now have a technical packaging solutions business approaching $100million in annual revenues, with above industry-average profit margins. “We now have a solid foothold in Europe and have added a new compleEXPANSION PLANS: Plastique MD John Lowe
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Number of homes standing empty nears 1,000 mark
mentary technical packaging solution. We are confident in our ability to exploit our scale and our expanded geographic footprint to accelerate growth in both sales and profitability.” PLASTIQUE is a market leader in the development and manufacture of highly-technical thermoformed plastic and precision moulded pulp fibre packaging. The acquisition of Plastique better positions TEQ for significant, profitable growth by providing immediate access to new customers and new territories in both Europe and North America for both its existing thermoformed packaging solutions as well as its new pulp fibre packaging capabilities. Plastique also expands TEQ’s growth opportunities within its existing medical device and pharmaceutical customers. Pulp fibre is credited in the industry for being more environmentally friendly than other types of packaging. A spokesman for TEQ said: “Using compression moulding and dry technology also produces a superior quality with enhanced precision compared to traditional pulp packaging.” ESCO, headquartered in St Louis, provides engineered filtration products to the aviation, space and process markets worldwide and is the industry leader in electromagnetic shielding and electromagnetic compatibility test products.
Neill Barston nbarston@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk CONCERNS have been raised over hundreds of properties in Tunbridge Wells recorded as standing empty. According to the borough’s figures, 840 homes in the area are presently classified as not in use, with reasons including planning issues, owners’ inability to finance necessary works and disagreements over probate. There are currently 997 individuals or families on the borough’s social housing register waiting for a property in the area. Tunbridge Wells Parliamentary candidate for Labour, Kevin Kerrigan, expressed concern over the levels of empty homes. He said: “There are hundreds of people in the town on low incomes who desperately need a place to live, many of whom have waited years to find one. “The Government and local councils should be putting in maximum effort to persuade or cajole house owners to let these houses out or to buy some of these properties themselves to rent out to those who need them.” However, a spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said that it was doing all it could under the No Use Empty scheme, which seeks to bring both private and council-owned properties back into the housing stock. Over the past three years, a total of 12 properties were brought back into use with financial assistance, and a further 80 homes were put back on the market following discussions with property owners. The spokesperson said: “This scheme is only one of the measures used to tackle empty homes. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council also adopted an Empty Homes Policy in 2012. “Some of these issues with empty properties can be supported by private sector housing, with planning, conservation and council tax, but many of the reasons are outside the council’s control. “Making a decision about what to do with an empty property is often more complex than it would appear and, as well as practical considerations, there can be personal reasons why someone holds on to an empty property, particularly where it has been the family home for a number of years.”
Wednesday 10th February 2016
10 LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS
Brexit would cause FOUNDER Craig Strong of Capital Currencies
By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
NO MATTER where you go in the world, if you want to buy something it is inevitable money will have to change hands. And in an increasingly globalised system where trade is often conducted regardless of borders, it has become more important than ever to ensure you have the right currency. This has led to a booming industry for those dealing in foreign exchange, with London acting as the global centre for the trade, handling £1.71 trillion of transactions per day during the first six months of last year. But it is not confined to the City, with Tunbridge Wells-based firm Capital Currencies annually handling over £75million in trades per year on behalf of its 800 clients. Although founder Craig Strong admits this is a ‘drop in the ocean’ compared to the sheer volume of London, it is achieved by just three traders in a firm numbering ten people. For the world’s major currencies, Sterling, Dollar, Yen and Euro, there is always enough demand for a buyer or seller to be found. However, when a currency is being traded there is a discrepancy between the bid price (what it will be bought for) and the offer price (what it is being sold for), leaving it to intermediaries, such as Capital Currencies, to act as the broker for the transaction. They in turn make money on the difference between the two prices, called a spread, by buying the currency at the offer price and selling it on to their clients as close to the bid price as possible. Mr Strong explains: “We have a system which we can dive into giving us real time feeds from the London market showing us what the bid and offer prices are down to the second. “When you look at Bloomberg or the BBC, what they are displaying is a medium price with a 15-minute delay.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
“So it is indicative but not an exact representation of the market at present.” Mr Strong – who was a currency broker in the City before setting up Capital Currencies 12 years ago – says understanding this is important, because if a client asks to buy dollars at $1.43 per pound due to what they have seen on the BBC they are not going to get that for £500. “For £5million you are going to be nearer to what you want, and for £50million you will be right up there,” he says. This is because economies of scale are a big factor in trades, as the spread can be as tight as going down several decimal places if the volumes are big enough. Therefore the $1.43 per pound displayed by the BBC is the result of extremely narrow spreads brought about by trillions of pounds worth of transactions each day.
Volatility By comparison, a £500 deal will have a much larger spread as less money can be made off it, so the client wanting this transaction is likely to get significantly less dollars for their money than what is displayed. Mr Strong says: “We don’t mind if people want to make these transactions, we do anything from £50 to the millions, but you won’t get the BBC rate at all, although working directly through us it will still be better than at the bank. “On a million-pound transaction with us you are looking at saving around £9,000 on the bank. They are not specialists in foreign exchange, they just want to make the money and move on.” However, the exchange rate is far from a sure bet, fluctuating every second of the day as well as rising and falling more broadly over longer periods of time. There are two main drivers behind this volatility, macro-economics and day-to-day demand, says Mr Strong. “Foreign exchange acts like a pool, with each
LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF
carnage in the market big player sitting next to it with a rod. You have Citi, Barclays, HSBC, hedge funds and every other person who needs access to this pool, including us. “You have macro-economics, this is figures released, budgets, central bank interest rates, quantitative easing and things like Brexit. “So if Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, says rates are going to rise, this acts like a signal to buy the pound, meaning it will get stronger. “But if economic figures then come out showing the UK economy slowing, those around the pool will go ‘this is not looking so great’ and all of a sudden the pound gets sold. “This is what moves markets in a macro sense over longer periods of time. “Then there are the immediate needs of each player around the pool. They each have their lines in the pool acting on behalf of their own customers. “Each communicating with each other, buying and selling to one another, hedge funds taking positions, people dumping currencies. “This is what makes it very choppy on a second-by-second basis, trillions upon trillions of transactions. “Even if Capital Currencies made a £20million transaction, it would never be felt. It would be just a drop in the ocean.” What may appear a tiny shift in the rate could mean a client loses or gains thousands of pounds on each transaction. Therefore some companies which do regular transactions choose to hedge their positions to ensure they are less exposed to any volatility. Mr Strong adds: “Say there is a client wanting to buy at $1.40 per pound, as anything less will cost them money on their profit margins, and that is the going rate at the time. “We would then forward-buy all their transactions at that rate so they have no risk on currency for the rest of the year. “If Sterling bombs, they don’t need to care as they are locked in, but if they had left the option open and it fell to $1.25, then they really would be suffering.” Of course, it cuts both ways, explains Mr Strong, as any appreciation in the pound in this scenario would mean the client has locked themselves into an unfavourable rate.
‘Foreign exchange acts like a pool, with each big player sitting next to it with a rod. You have Citi, Barclays, HSBC, hedge funds and every other person who needs access to this pool, including us’
“There is no right or wrong answer.” In Mr Strong’s opinion, attempting to forecast the currency markets with any certainty is an impossible task, adding he would be retired by now if he could. But there are certain developments Mr Strong says are impacting the currency markets. “The US Federal Reserve have just raised rates. Personally I don’t think they should have done. In fact, in the UK we are now talking about if we should go negative and follow Japan.”
Negative interest rates effectively mean people end up regularly paying to keep their money deposited, as opposed to gaining a small amount of interest. The reason behind a negative rate is to stimulate the economy by ensuring it is unattractive for people to put money aside, meaning they either spend it and boost consumption, or invest it in search of yield.
Bubbles Borrowing becomes cheaper and it weakens currencies by making them less attractive for speculators searching for a return, helping to ensure more competitive exports. However, ‘loose’ monetary policy makes it more likely bubbles build up in the markets which can sometimes be devastating when they burst, and weak currencies make imports more expensive. Mr Strong adds: “The economic recovery in the UK is not bad, but it’s not great, and in my view we are not out of the woods yet. “The Bank of England say interest rates will be going up in 2017, but my personal view is they won’t. If anything they will be held at 0.5 per cent, or even cut to 0.25 per cent.” He also thinks a Brexit will have a huge impact on the foreign exchange market. “It will be carnage,” he says. “There will be an increase in volatility, rumours and speculation, but it is unprecedented, so all I can do is guess. “Sterling could devalue overnight, but there will be a run on the pound for sure by the speculators before a rebalancing. “But sooner or later something else will happen in the world and the market focus will shift on to that.” However, there are potential positives for Capital Currencies, believes Mr Strong. “If we could get rid of some of the pointless EU directives that would be fabulous, and make our own sensible ones for our own banking and financial markets – that would be good. “I don’t think you need to be ‘in it’ to be compliant with their regulations. We are not part of the US but we have to follow some of theirs. “Personally, on a selfish basis, I think leaving will be good for business.”
County switches to LED with £40million project KENT County Council is due to save taxpayers up to £5.2million a year after awarding the contract to convert the county’s 118,000 street lights to energyefficient LED technology to Bouygues Energies & Services. Work to convert street lights to LED is due to begin in residential areas in March and will be completed within 38 months. The project will cost a total of £40million and is being partly funded by a £22million interest-free loan from the Department of Energy and Climate Change which will pay for itself in eight years.
Healthy business event TUNBRIDGE Wells Borough Council is hosting a free healthy business networking event today [Wednesday] between 10am and 4pm in the Council Chamber. The event aims to give advice on the benefits of just a few simple health changes to improve the well being of employees and boost the profitability of businesses. People attending will also be able to find out about efficiency savings and how you can reduce your organisation’s impact on the environment.
Kent tourism tops trend
THE county was the number one trending tourist destination in England last year, according to travel website Momondo. The website analysed the total number of UK destination flight searches for 2015 compared to the previous year. Kent came top of the list after searches for destinations in the county climbed 602 per cent, with Cambridge recording the second highest increase, up 288 per cent.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
12 NATIONAL NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF
Patients disenchanted with health service PUBLIC dissatisfaction with the NHS is rising, according to a new survey by the King’s Fund. In 2015, overall NHS satisfaction fell to 60 per cent, down from 65 per cent in 2014, the British Social Attitudes survey found. At the same time, dissatisfaction with the NHS rose by 8 per cent to 23 per cent, the largest single-year increase since 1986.
Labour calls off meeting on Trident after Burnham challenge
SHADOW HOME SECRETARY Andy Burnham
Tube strike looms HUNDREDS more London Underground workers are to go on strike later this week, threatening disruption to Tube services. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said 500 track patrol staff will walk out for 24 hours from 6.30am on Friday.
Most forgetful lovers NEW research has revealed that Northerners are most likely to forget to buy their loved one a gift this Valentine’s Day, according to a new study. Blackpool topped the charts, closely followed by Manchester and Dundee.
Tennis star now a father ANDY Murray and his wife Kim Sears announced the birth of their 8lb 10oz baby daughter, who arrived on Sunday morning. The tennis star married his long-term girlfriend in his home town of Dunblane last April and they announced the pregnancy in the summer.
A SHADOW cabinet showdown over Labour’s policy on the future of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent has been postponed. Jeremy Corbyn’s top team had been expected to discuss the proposals in the party’s defence review at their weekly meeting at Westminster. However it is understood that the debate has now been referred to a future meeting. While there was no immediate explanation for the move, it follows a warning by shadow home secretary Andy Burnham that the differences within the party on the issue may be impossible to reconcile. The shadow home secretary said scrapping the nuclear deterrent would be “a step on our own into the unknown“ which the UK could not afford in an uncertain world, and called for an “accommodation“ to end the distraction.
Shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry gave the group a brief outline of her thinking last week, but substantive debate on the party’s approach to the looming Commons vote was delayed. Ms Thornberry, who like Mr Corbyn favours unilateral disarmament, was branded “waffly and incoherent“ by one critic after she spoke to MPs and peers about the issue at a meeting on Monday evening. She told the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting she wanted to carry out the ongoing review of Labour policy on Trident in an “atmosphere of mutual trust and respect”. But in the face of hostile questions from MPs and peers, she was forced to tell them there was “no point trying to shout me down”. Mr Burnham, who is a supporter of Trident renewal, said the meeting “confirmed something
many of us had long suspected: that the debate on Trident in the Labour Party is going to be very difficult”. He said: “There are two positions here which are difficult to reconcile – maybe impossible to reconcile – and the party has got to find some way of accommodating those positions and move forward and don’t let this issue take over everything.” In an apparent dig at Mr Corbyn’s suggestion that a new fleet of nuclear submarines could be deployed without warheads, he said: “There are some hybrid options that have been put forward but I think most people have found that they just don’t work. “So the discussion has been in the party: ‘can you realistically try to find a halfway house?’ and most people have concluded that you can’t.”
Let local councils decide on fracking, says poll NEARLY two thirds of people think local councils, not the Government, should decide if fracking goes ahead in their area, a poll suggests. The survey of 1,055 people for Greenpeace which found that 62 per cent of people were in favour of the decision being made locally comes as a public inquiry begins into whether the goahead should be given for shale gas exploration at two sites in Lancashire. The environmental group is staging a protest outside Parliament complete with a 10-metre fracking rig and drill, in protest against the move by the Government to drive forward with the controversial process for extracting gas in the UK. A public inquiry is being held after Lancashire County Council turned down shale gas company Cuadrilla’s planning application for exploratory drilling and fracking for shale gas at two sites in Roseacre and Little Plumpton, in Lancashire.
Big bank to stay in UK HSBC is reportedly set to announce plans to keep its headquarters in the UK after a high profile lengthy review. The decision could come as soon as this week, ahead of its annual results on February 22. A decision to keep its London HQ comes after Chancellor George Osborne made a series of concessions to the City in recent months. HSBC’s review was announced in April last year by chairman Douglas Flint at the bank’s annual meeting. It cited increasingly onerous British regulatory conditions and the UK bank levy introduced in 2010 – a tax based on the size of any UK-based banks’ global balance sheet. HSBC, which has much of its business based in Asia, said the levy cost 1.1 billion US dollars (£720million) in 2014.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Cuadrilla’s appeal against the decision is being heard by the planning inspector at the inquiry, but the Government has decided Communities Secretary Greg Clark will make the final decision because the proposals are “of more than local significance”. A rally is taking place outside Blackpool Football club where the inquiry is being held. Jasber Singh, from Lancashire and part of Frack Free Lancashire, said: “I have been involved with anti-fracking community groups in Lancashire for over two years, and the number of groups keeps increasing. “That’s because we are not going to gain anything from fracking apart from air, noise, land and water pollution that’s bad for our health and the health of the climate. “It would pay the Communities Minister to visit some communities in Lancashire rather than ignoring us and our council.”
The HSBC building in Canary Wharf
NATIONAL NEWS
New bid to quiz Julian Assange SWEDISH prosecutors are working on a new request to interview WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange [pictured below] inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The move was announced followed last week’s finding by a United Nations working group that Mr Assange was being ‘arbitrarily detained’ by the UK and Swedish authorities. The Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a brief statement: “The prosecutor responsible for the case, director of public prosecution Marianne Ny, is currently working on a renewed request to interview Julian Assange at Ecuador’s embassy in London. “A former request was rejected in January by the Prosecutor General of Ecuador.” The spokesman said last week’s report by the UN panel had not had any effect on Ms Ny’s previous conclusions on the case. “Concerning the report that was issued last week, I would like to state that it does not change my earlier assessments in the investigation,” she said. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond branded the working group’s findings as “frankly ridiculous” and said the Australian was “hiding from justice”. Mr Assange said the minister’s comments were ‘beneath’ the minister’s stature and insulting to the UN.
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Cameron’s mum in children centre row DAVID Cameron’s mother has signed a petition against spending cuts in his constituency. Retired magistrate Mary Cameron, 81, confirmed she has put her name to a battle to save dozens of children’s centres due to be closed by Conservative-run Oxfordshire County Council.
Norfolk whale spotted
Home comforts drive sales A SURGE in demand for new sofas and carpets pushed retail sales to a four-month high in January, according to a report. The latest British Retail Consortium-KPMG report showed like-for-like retail sales lifted 2.6% last month against a 0.4% fall in December, which the survey described as a ‘disappointing Christmas’. It added that total retail spending lifted 3.3% year-on-year in January, up from a 1% rise the previous month, as New Year discounts helped clothing sales pick up after a poor December amid unseasonably warm weather. Overall, the report said sales were at their strongest since September. But grocers remained under pressure as the supermarket price war continues, with food the only category in the report turning in a negative performance, as same-store sales fell by 1.1% in January. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “January’s performance was
driven by big-ticket items, in particular furniture, which is encouraging in the largest month of the year for the category. “However, the performance in clothing and footwear was driven by the New Year sales.” The survey said that January is traditionally a strong month for furniture sales, but this month it recorded the highest growth of all retail product areas, which it called ‘a considerable achievement’. But discounting in the food sector remains intense, driven by the likes of Aldi and Lidl, with prices having fallen for more than a year. Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of grocery research group IGD, said: “After encouraging Christmas trading, food and grocery sales settled back into the pattern seen last autumn of a slight year-on-year decline. “Dry January has been gaining ground as a concept and sales of beers, wines and spirits were notably down on the same period last year.”
ANOTHER whale may be in trouble in shallow waters off the British coast, according to marine biologists. The latest report comes after a bull died at Hunstanton, Norfolk, on Thursday. This was the 30th sperm whale death in the North Sea this year.
BA moves into Stansted BRITISH Airways is to fly from four London airports for the first time. The airline confirmed it will launch flights from London Stansted to the European sunshine resorts of Faro, Malaga, Palma and Ibiza from May 28. The flights will be operated on Saturdays and Sundays by the carrier’s subsidiary BA CityFlyer on Embraer 190 jets.
Bungled op pay-out A WOMAN has been awarded £27,000 after a hospital in the Lewisham and Greenwich Trust began a Caesarean without giving her adequate pain relief.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
14 INTERNATIONAL NEWS WRECKAGE Police stand beside two trains that collided head-on near Bad Aibling, southern Germany, yesterday
Rush hour train crash kills ten people in Southern Germany POLICE say the death toll in the train crash in southern Germany has risen to ten. Police spokesman Stefan Brandl said that 90 people were injured in the Tuesday morning accident, including 10 severely. The two trains crashed head-on into each other shortly before 7am on the single line that runs next to the Mangfall river in Bad Aibling, Bavaria - 40 miles south-east of Munich. One train is reported to have derailed in the accident, with several carriages overturned. German federal police told reporters that the incident took place "in an inaccessible region"
and that rescue personnel were still working to free passengers trapped in the wreckage. RESCUE A male body is recovered at the site where two trains collided
"This is the biggest accident we have had in years in this region and we have many emergency doctors, ambulances and helicopters on the scene," Mr Sonntag said. The operator of the two trains, Bayerische Oberlandbahn, said on its website that the trains both partially derailed and were wedged into each other. The operator and federal police in Bavaria have activated phone hotlines for families seeking information. The statement did not address the cause of the crash, and officials declined to comment on it.
Number of besieged Syrians vastly under-estimated, says report More than one million Syrians are trapped in besieged areas, a new report says, in a challenge to the United Nations, which estimates just half that amount and has been accused by some aid groups of underplaying a crisis. The fate of Syria's besieged is at the heart of peace talks that quickly fell apart last week in Geneva and are set to resume by February 25. Negotiators for the opposition insisted that the Syrian government stop besieging civilians before talks could truly begin. The new Siege Watch report, issued by Netherlandsbased aid group PAX and the Washington-based Syria Institute, comes a month after images posted online of emaciated children and adults led to an international outcry and rare convoys of aid to a handful of Syrian communities. The town featured in the images, Madaya, was not listed by the UN as a besieged community at the time. Aid workers who entered last month reported
seeing skeletal people and parents who gave their children sleeping pills to calm their hunger. The Siege Watch report says 1.09 million people are living in 46 besieged communities in Syria, far more than the 18 listed by the UN. It says most are besieged by the Syrian government in the suburbs of Damascus, the capital, and Homs. In the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, about 200,000 people are besieged by both the Islamic State (IS) group and the Syrian government. The report lists two communities besieged by armed opposition groups. "Electricity and running water are usually cut off, and there is limited (if any) access to food, fuel, and medical care," the report says. Deaths have been reported from malnutrition, disease, hypothermia and poisoning while scavenging for food and some communities have been besieged for months or years. The estimates are based largely on information provided by local contacts in the communities,
including councils, medical workers and citizen journalists. With the spotlight on the besieged, the United Nations last month raised its estimate by almost 100,000, saying that 486,700 people were affected. That is still less than some aid groups and others estimate. They argue that the world body's numbers set the tone for humanitarian response efforts and that more urgency is needed. "Many remain unaware of the extent of the crisis, and the international response has been muted as a result," the Siege Watch report says. In meetings this week with UN officials and member states, PAX says it will call for the immediate lifting of sieges as a way to build confidence in the peace talks. Syria Institute executive director Valerie Szybala said the new report has not been shared with Syria's government. The UN says it considers an area besieged if it is surrounded by "armed actors", humanitarian aid cannot regularly enter and civilians, including the sick and wounded, cannot enter and leave. "Of course, differences of opinion do occur," Amanda Pitt, a UN humanitarian spokeswoman, said of criticism of its estimates.
WORLD IN BRIEF
Kowloon fish ball fight spoils New Year party Hong Kong has been left reeling after its Lunar New Year celebration descended into chaotic scenes as protesters and police clashed over a street market selling fish balls and other holiday delicacies, leaving dozens injured. The violence was the worst in Hong Kong since pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2014.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Taiwan builders quizzed
Lock under the hammer
Prosecutors have requested the detention of the developers of a building in southern Taiwan that collapsed following a strong earthquake, killing dozens of people. The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said Lin Ming-hui and two other former executives, Chang Kui-an and Cheng Chin-kui, were suspected of professional negligence resulting in death, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported.
A lock of hair snipped from the head of John Lennon as the Beatle prepared for a film role is expected to sell for 10,000 US dollars (£7,000) at a Dallas auction later this month. Heritage Auctions said the 4-inch lock was collected by a German hairdresser who trimmed Lennon’s hair before he started shooting How I Won The War. The auction will be held on February 20 and will include other rare items linked to the Beatles.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
7 Most frequently asked questions about how to divorce If you are experiencing the anxiety and loss of a relationship ending and suffering sleepless nights worrying about the future, you are not alone. BY STEPHEN WILMOT
1. CAN I GET A DIVORCE? Anyone who has been married for 1 year or longer can start divorce proceedings against their spouse. 2. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO BE SEPARATED BEFORE I CAN START DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS? There is no set period of time of separation required before you can start divorce proceedings. The principle requirement is that you have been married for one year at least. You can even be considered separated if you are both still living in the family home under one roof, as long as you are not still behaving like a married couple. 3. WHAT ARE THE GROUNDS FOR GETTING DIVORCED? One spouse must be able to prove to the Court that their marriage has “irretrievably broken down”. To do this they must state one of five facts in their Divorce Petition which include the following: · Unreasonable behaviour of the other spouse and give examples · Adultery of the other spouse · Two years separation with consent of the other spouse · Five years separation · Desertion 4. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A DIVORCE? On average the divorce process takes between 4-6 months. However, it is always advisable not to apply for Decree Absolute until financial matters are resolved. Once the application for Decree Absolute is made it will often be processed by the Court within 7 days of receipt. 5. HOW DO I START DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS? The first step is to prepare your Divorce Petition which your solicitor will do for you if you instruct one. The Petition is then sent to the Court with the court fee to be issued and the divorce proceedings are then started. A copy of it is sent formally to your spouse and they are asked to
complete an Acknowledgment of Service form. Once the form is complete and returned to the Court you or your solicitor must then prepare your application for Decree Nisi. If all the requirements have been complied with and your spouse is not defending the proceedings the Court will certify you as entitled to Decree Nisi. Decree Nisi is pronounced around a month after you apply for it and you must then wait 6 weeks and a day before you or your solicitor can apply for Decree Absolute. 6. WILL I HAVE TO GO TO COURT DURING THE DIVORCE? The divorce proceedings will in most cases not require any attendance at Court and if you have a solicitor they will be there to represent you. If your spouse decides to defend the divorce a number of court hearings may be required. However, the vast majority of cases will proceed undefended. You may be required to attend if you have asked the Court to order your spouse to pay your costs relating to the divorce and your spouse opposes. This is fairly uncommon if you have instructed a solicitor as in almost all cases your solicitor will have sought to agree this matter with your spouse or their solicitor in advance. 7. DOES GETTING A DIVORCE DEAL WITH MY FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT? Divorce and finances are separate proceedings. You should deal with financial matters alongside the divorce proceedings if at all possible. Married couples have financial claims they can bring against the other and these do not cease just because they get divorced. If you do not deal with finances at the same time as divorce the financial claims remain open. So even if you do not have anything worth dividing now, you may have in the future and unless your spouse remarries they will be able to make a claim against you.
There is no set period of time of separation required before you can start divorce proceedings. The principle requirement is that you have been married for one year at least. For further information and to apply for a free consultation just complete the coupon and post it to the address below. Alternatively, call or email us today quoting reference TWT200116 Telephone: 01892 526442 or email – times@keenemarsland.co.uk Appointments are also available in London, Windsor, Reading, Edenbridge and Haywards Heath.
The right legal team is key to your emotional and financial future. Family Law Solicitor Teresa Payne.
FREE CONSULTATION Name ..................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................ Address ............................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................ Tel No ................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................ Email .................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................ Keene Marsland Solicitors, 6 Clanricarde Gardens, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1PH www.keenemarsland.co.uk
Keene Marsland is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . No 71480
Wednesday 10th February 2016
16 � NATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Holidaymakers choose Spain instead of Turkey THOMSON and First Choice owner TUI said summer holiday bookings to Turkey had slumped by 40 per cent after recent terrorist attacks, with tourists turning instead to resorts in Spain and the Canary Islands. However, TUI said it had got off to a good start to its financial year despite the attacks.
Packing up home stress MOVING day is the most stressful aspect of purchasing a property, according to a survey of home buyers. More than two in five people find moving day particularly stressful, while nearly one in three think deciding how much to offer on a property is among the most stressful aspects of moving.
Energy firm hard sell SCOTTISHPOWER has called for the energy watchdog to overturn a ban on doorstep selling to help customers who do not shop around online. The controversial sales tactic was scrapped four years ago after 52 per cent of customers were found to be paying higher bills after signing up to cold callers.
Power plant to close PLANS to close a coal-fired power station have been announced, threatening the loss of 150 jobs. The plant at Rugeley in Staffordshire is expected to cease operations this summer due to the ‘deterioration’ of coal generation in the UK.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Exports freefall drags economy down BRITAIN’s trade gap grew to its highest level since 2010 last year as the UK saw an £8.1billion plunge in the export of goods. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the deficit - the difference in value between UK imports and exports - widened by £300million to £34.7billion in 2015. This came despite an improvement in December, with the deficit reducing to £2.7billion from a revised £4 billion in November. But the narrowed trade gap showed little sign of a much-needed pick-up in exports, with the gap easing thanks only to a fall in imports. Experts said the Government’s target for £1trillion worth of overseas sales by 2020 would be a “monumental challenge”, while business groups
warned ‘much more needs to be done’ to boost exports. The ONS also confirmed that trade proved a drag on overall UK growth in the fourth quarter of last year and throughout 2015. UK firms struggled to sell products abroad last year as the strong pound made British goods more expensive, while the global economic woes and slowdown in China added to the trade troubles. The figures show exports of goods to the European Union fell by £11.6billion between 2014 and 2015, as the weak euro made UK products more expensive. Exports to China have fallen since 2011 and there are fears the sharp slowdown in China’s economy
Motor manufacturing boom sparks need for engineers THOUSANDS of vacancies in the automotive industry remain unfilled because of the shortage of skilled workers, according to a new report. A survey of British-based firms, including vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers, revealed that a fifth of the 5,000 vacancies still on offer were of ‘critical’ importance. Around 800,000 jobs rely on the automotive industry, which is enjoying a boom in car sales and production levels. But the Automotive Industrial Partnership warned that the success could be undermined by a lack of skilled engineers. Jo Lopes, Chairman of the Automotive Industrial Partnership and Head of Technical Excellence, Jaguar Land Rover, said, “These are very significant findings which present a valuable basis for Government and industry to jointly tackle this issue head-on and ensure that the
growth potential of the industry in the coming years is fulfilled. “The Automotive Industrial Partnership has already made some important steps since its inception – including the introduction of a range of training programmes – and it will have a crucial role to play in addressing the skills challenge.” Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “The automotive industry has already invested heavily in apprenticeships and training for existing staff to grow and develop a new generation of skilled workers. However, even more support is needed. “The struggle to fill vacancies is holding back growth and opportunities for business, and it is essential that both government and industry work together quickly to identify ways to plug this gap.”
will further hit the UK over the year ahead. Allie Renison, head of trade policy at the Institute of Directors, said the rise in the deficit last year was: unsurprising given the sharp fall in the price of oil, which knocked British exports and made imports a little cheaper for British customers. “Meeting the Government’s ambitious target of £1trillion worth of overseas sales by 2020 will be a monumental challenge,” she added. David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “Much more needs to be done to improve our trading position, with particular emphasis on helping small businesses to start exporting, as well as helping firms to break into new export markets.”
PEOPLE �
17
ARTISTS L-R: Helen Lawn and Chris Pope in their gallery
Ancient craft meets pop art Lesley Potter newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THERE is nothing new about the art of papercutting; it has been around at least since the 6th century. But there is something new and fresh about the way artists Chris Pope and his partner Helen Lawn approach the genre. Think ancient craftwork photobombed by Andy Warhol, and you begin to get the picture. For years Chris and Helen had been working at their respective PR companies in the office they share in The Tannery in John Street, Tunbridge Wells. In their spare time they pursued all kinds of artistic interests, including photography and music. They also loved looking at and buying papercuts, and had built up quite a collection. Then four years ago, their fascination with papercutting became something a little more serious.
Creating “We had been collecting a number of papercut prints for four or five years and we were in a gallery in Brighton and they had a little kit for sale,” said Chris. “Helen said ‘I’m going to try that’. We started off with some fairly simple designs. I saw how much fun Helen was having doing it so I jumped in and had a go.” The craft involves creating a design, then cutting it out on paper with a scalpel. Colour can then be added and it is then mounted on a background and framed. An exhibition of Polish papercuts, currently on display at the Tunbridge Wells Museum, created a flurry of interest in the town after it was
featured in the Times of Tunbridge Wells a couple of weeks ago. It sounds simple, but what draws Chris and Helen to the artform – and fascinates the people who see their work – is the mindblowing intricacy that goes into it. Chris said: “On one of my pieces – called Winston Churchill, We Shall Never Surrender – we counted more than 5,000 cuts. It took over a week of cutting.
Intricate “We had a stall at the SEEArt Fair in the Assembly Hall last June and we had such positive feedback. People thought they were just drawings and then we heard people saying, ‘Blimey, someone has actually cut this out’. A
‘On one of my pieces we counted more than 5,000 cuts. It took over a week of cutting’
lot of people can’t get their heads around how intricate it is and how much time it would take. People go away with a sense of wonder and amazement.” The couple held their first exhibition, Slice of Life, at Trinity Theatre in 2014, featuring 30 pieces based on places and objects in Tunbridge Wells that they had photographed. Since then they have exhibited at Fuggles Beer Café and Perk & Pearl in Tunbridge Wells. Then in December last year they took the plunge and converted the meeting rooms under their offices into a gallery. It is the only gallery in the south east dedicated solely to the art of papercutting. Chris said: “We spend all day doing our day jobs, but we also love papercutting because people can appreciate the complexity and the beauty of it all. “Papercutting is a very traditional folk art and it’s very romantic. But we wanted to try and do something different, so we base a lot of our designs on photos we have taken.” Their current collection includes tributes to Darth Vader and Leonard Nimoy, daubed in purple and complete with wacky eyebrows and fringe, alongside depictions of delicate plants. Chris said: “The thing we have always done and remain true to is this; it’s so easy to mass produce art. But everything we have done is original and unique. “We have one-off paper cuts and they are the only ones that exist anywhere in the world. We are not trying to sell as many things as possible, but if someone likes it they can have something that is still unique in the world.”
There is a subtle difference in the way they approach their work. Helen is incredibly detailed and meticulous while Chris describes himself as ‘obsessive’ and ‘a repressed anarchist’. She uses pastels while he uses spray paints to create ‘bright, urban, funky colours’.
The Pope & Lawn gallery in John Street is open 10am to 4pm, but you can ring and make an appointment on 07814 020517 or email hello@popeandlawn. com Prices range from £20 to £1,000. Visit www.popeandlawn.com
Wednesday 10th February 2016
18 � LETTERS
And another thing… The Times of Tunbridge Wells always wants to hear your feedback, whether on reports we have printed or any other issues you think we should know about. Write to or email us using the contact details listed on page 2. Question: When is a pedestrian crossing not a pedestrian crossing? Answer: When it’s at Fiveways in the middle of Tunbridge Wells and is just a series of different coloured grey paving stones [right] without any Belisha beacons or indication that it is a crossing! The ‘crossing’ is an accident waiting to happen in my opinion as I’ve seen many cars forced into breaking hard as pedestrians attempt to cross there believing it is a normal zebra crossing. Leslie Jenkins Via email The council told us: “The crossings are informal or courtesy crossings, they are not therefore zebra crossings in the full sense of the definition. “The Highway Code is very clear in its advice to drivers about the need to drive with care and attention and pedestrians also have a duty to act responsibly on a crossing. “The crossings at Fiveways were designed YOUR paper’s edition of January 27 carried an interview with Mr Andrew Grant of Jarvis Securities, who said that a Brexit might cause temporary instability but ‘…could have a positive impact…’ Those words formed the caption with Mr Grant’s photograph. If that is his opinion, he is in a tiny minority of financial analysts. Fund managers, insurers and industrialists have consistently warned that a Brexit would reduce the economy of the UK, and its financial services sector. Moreover, if the UK left the EU, damage done to European economies would reduce our export markets and our capacity to trade. The overall effects would be recession, redundancies and falling asset values. Times readers should be in no doubt that Brexit would be a disaster for the City of London. Harry Trusted Via email BEING a student I have a Kent 16+ Travel Card, which costs over £500 for an annual pass and I need it to get to and from school every day as I don’t drive, so this makes the bus services my primary mode of transport. However the bus services are not always up to standard, as there have been many a time I have been waiting for a bus for over an hour. One time I waited for an hour and a half at nine o’clock in the evening and it never turned up so I had to get a taxi which coasted nearly £10! With students being made to stay in education until they are 18, shouldn’t the price of a bus pass be reduced? Holly Warburton Via email WE IN the Civic Society support what David Jukes says are his priorities – to reinforce the economy
Wednesday 10th February 2016
was opposed by about 150 individual residents, the Civic Society, as well as two members of the Planning Committee. The Civic Society supports development in the town which is compatible with protecting what we have – not just ‘heritage’ but the environment, social facilities and local employment. There are other major developments in the pipeline which could have similar effects, unless the Council uses its powers to support its stated priorities. Dr Janet Sturgis Chairman, Tunbridge Wells Civic Society
to complement the overall scheme, which has increased pedestrian space, and are marked with tactile paving. The additional traffic restrictions that have been put in place have significantly reduced the number of vehicles going through and are combined with a lower speed limit.” and attract visitors while maintaining our quality of life (Plans for the Changing Face of Town, January 27, p6). It is precisely because the Civic Society values the quality of life in Tunbridge Wells that we have serious concerns about the threat posed by the huge demand for new housing. Under the existing plan Tunbridge Wells had to find land for 300 dwellings a year up to 2026. However, this is now being replaced with an ‘assessment of need’ for about twice as many dwellings. This could be achieved only by widespread destruction of our environment: Our architectural heritage, gardens and green spaces, and the fields and woodlands on the edge of the town and in the villages. The new figure is only an assessment, not a target, and it is for the Council to determine whether and how it is met. National policy permits a planning authority to demonstrate that it can’t meet this need because of Green Belt or other restrictions. A neighbouring authority has already done this, and we believe that Tunbridge Wells urgently needs to do the same. Failure to do so risks reducing our special environment to a dormitory of over-priced flats for commuters, with the inevitable resulting congestion, pollution and destruction of heritage. This is not simply scaremongering. The recent decision on the Dairy Crest site in St John’s shows how these pressures are already having an effect. Here the Council, guided by its officers, approved a development of 58 flats on a site they had initially assessed as suitable for 31, breaching several of their own policies, overshadowing and overlooking nearby houses, and destroying the historic façade of the old Mission Hall. This can’t be right. The Dairy Crest development
The Council’s response… THE Council has made a commitment to review the existing Core Strategy as soon as possible and produce a new comprehensive Local Plan for the borough which will guide the area’s future development. Work has already begun on producing the background evidence that will inform this review, including the level of housing and economic need, based on government guidance, and environmental and policy constraints, including the Green Belt, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and infrastructure constraints. These studies will be used to develop planning policies and approaches to deliver sustainable development. In the national context it’s important to remember house building is a key part of the Government’s economic strategy and this is reflected in recent changes to the planning system and proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including more proactive approaches to delivering additional housing. In the case of the Dairy Crest site, where planning permission was recently granted for 58 apartments, the proposals were assessed against national and local planning policies which seek to optimise the potential of sites to accommodate development. National planning policy advises against refusing developments in sustainable locations because of concerns about compatibility with townscape. This brownfield site is located close to local services and is on a main bus route, so is well suited to a high density development. Through careful design and excavation of the site to provide basement car parking, the developer maximised this site’s potential without causing any identifiable harm to the character of the surrounding area or other harmful impacts that would have justified refusal of the application. Although there were many objections, it is the role of the Local Planning Authority to weigh up differing views about development proposals and assess these against the planning policy background. In this instance the Planning Committee’s judgement was that planning permission should be granted. Councillor Alan McDermott, Cabinet member with responsibility for Planning and Transportation, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Calverley REFERENCE in this column last week about seeking (in vain) decaf coffee in Wetherspoon’s drew some interesting comments, including one from Victor Bethell via Twitter, who posed the question: “What’s the point of drinking coffee if you take the caffeine out?” Totally agree and would go further and ask: “What’s the point of drinking coffee in a pub?” ANYWAY, my thanks to Mr Bethell for taking the interest and in a way where he can be identified. So unlike another member of the local Twitterati who hides behind several aliases as he pours forth comment. Strange chap. He even retweets himself. Wonder if he has a proper job? JUST a suggestion, but it might be a good moment for this particular journalist working for the Press Association to change his name. He currently pens words under the title E. Bola as in Ed Bola. THIS newspaper is always happy to reach out to those in need even if they are supposed to be rivals. When we printed discount vouchers for the popular St John’s chippie, the hard pressed team for another local newspaper promptly tore them out and headed for the top of the queue. Apparently the whole office was able to tuck into half-price food. Worry not, guys, the Times is always printing great offers – as you know! WORD reaches Calverley of a Crowborough pub landlord crying into his beer. Apparently two of the stalwarts of the back bar – let’s call them Rodney and Dave – have gone on the wagon resulting in a significant drop in takings. (One of the chaps can comfortably dispose of a dozen pints a night). The two, after a lengthy session at Christmas, bet on which of them could stay dry the longest. Six weeks later both are still supping orange juice and the desperate landlord is offering to pay off the bet of £200 if one of them gives up and drinks up again. IN CALVERLEY’S experience, newspaper journalists often leave people speechless and largely for the wrong reasons. Imagine my quiet delight, along with a little bit of associated pride, when on Thursday night I went along to the Odeon cinema to see Spotlight, the film that portrays Boston Globe reporters as they uncover child abuse by Catholic priests. As the credits rolled the packed audience simply sat in stunned silence for almost five minutes. Sometimes newspapers serve a purpose. Chin, chin…
EDUCATION ■
19
School friends launch charity to tutor struggling students
T
WO former pupils of Skinner’s grammar have launched a new charity aimed at helping disadvantaged pupils gain good grades in GCSE English and Maths. Founded by 20-year-old school friends Tom West and Sam Carter, who are both currently at university, Cornerstone has already gained the backing of their former alma mater to carry out its programme. The first initiative is being trailed at Skinner’s Kent Academy, with pupils on free school meals being mentored free of charge by year 12 pupils from neighbouring Skinner’s grammar school. The rationale is to provide the sort of additional tuition which is often the preserve of the well-off, explained Mr Carter, who has had first-hand experience of the industry. He said: “During my year out after school I worked as a private tutor and I realised the drastically positive effect it could have on students. “But it is extremely expensive and probably inaccessible to the pupils who need it most. “So together we decided to find a way of providing a similar service to what I was offering but to pupils who in no way
would otherwise be able to access it.” Mr West added: “At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to go to a great school and get good grades. “If we had needed tuition it would not have been hard for us to obtain. But we believed it was a little unfair that those who may need it the most cannot access it.”
Mentors Plans are underway to provide weekly sessions in the run up to exams for under-performing students, on a oneto-one basis, alongside holiday courses over the Easter and summer periods. Willing teachers at the academy will help provide training for the mentors. Long term, they hope to expand the programme to other schools and although the current mentors will work on a voluntary basis, eventually they hope to be able to provide material benefits. Mr Carter said: “At the moment we are hoping people will be motivated to sign up on the basis of both giving something back but also the recognition they will get from it for their CVs.” “Eventually we would like to be able to
offer them some sort of reward system when we get established.” However, neither Mr Carter nor Mr West plan on paying themselves a salary. The pair have already received £5,000 in donations, some of which was used to draw up a legally binding constitution for the charity, plus the development of the website. Mr Carter said: “At the moment we are doing OK for money, but soon we will start to need donations as we look to expand into other schools.”
HELPING PUPILS Tom West (left) and Sam Carter
Wednesday 10th February 2016
20 � ADVERTISING FEATURE
THE Times has teamed up with Tunbridge Wells Kids On The Go to provide an at-a-glance guide for things children - and their parents - can do in the local area and around the county. For more listings, click onto:
WITH THE OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
www.tunbridgewellskidsonthego.co.uk
The next fortnight at a glance… February half term is upon us already and Local Children's Online Directory www.TunbridgeWellsKidsOnTheGo.co.uk is here to help with a multitude of activities that you can enjoy with every member of your family, whatever age they are, whatever the weather! THE FA SKILLS GIRLS FREE FOOTBALL DAY Hawkenbury Recreation Ground, Hawkenbury, TN2 5BW 15th February 10.00am – 1.00pm Led by a team of Kent FA coaches, TW Foresters FC are hosting a FREE FA skills session for girls. The session is for those who already played football and those who are just starting out! Enjoy fun warm up games and small sided matches in appropriate age bands. KIDS AT WOODS RESTAURANT 64 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells 15th, 17th & 18th February, 10.00am – 12.00/12.30pm, £13 -17 per child Let the kids unleash their creative personalities making beautiful crafted mosaic hearts, with a difference! Or explore the art of print making, using styrofoam, rollers and ink. NEVILL TENNIS CLUB Nevill Gate, Warwick Park TN2 5ES 15th - 19th February, various dates/ times - £22 per child
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club are running a Junior Tennis camp; great fun for players of all ages and abilities. Membership not required. BAKE AND CRAFTHOUSE, The Bottlers, The Old Brewery, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3AL 15th - 19th February, various dates/ times/prices From family baking sessions to a full days baking, have fun at the Bake and Crafthouse baking bread, cakes, cookies and more, with a bit of crafting whilst the goodies are cooking! FIRST CLASS FOOTBALL Skinners School, St John’s Road, TN4 9PG. 15th - 17th February, half/ full day - prices starting at £10 per child, sibling discounts available. Indoor half term soccer schools, led by FA Qualified coaches. The weather can’t spoil this one! , Innovative and Educational Coaching Practices, Goal Keeper Workshops, Striker Clinics, World Cup Tournaments, fun, fun and more fun!
KIDS CINEMA Trinity Theatre, Church Road, TN1 1JP. Enjoy great new children’s films Snoopy (U) 16th February 11.00am & The Good Dinosaur (PG) 15th and 17th February 2.00pm. WELLINGTON ROCKS The Common, Tunbridge Wells A natural playground and it’s FREE! After a spot of hide and seek amongst the boulders, how about a Mini Beast Hunt for worms, caterpillars, ants and other tiny beasts. Or a spot of Landscape Art writing names and make pictures with twigs, stones or leaves or collect sticks and make stickmen. Natures Wild Treasure Hunt – Take a bag and collect wild goodies. Conkers, pebbles, stones, feathers and more!
WITH THE
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Wednesday 10th February 2016
� PROPERTY SECTION
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
CROOK ROAD
In my view…
BRENCHLEY £995,000
Andrew Jenner FRICS Senior Partner, Jenner Jones Chartered Surveyors
Let’s have a party! We all appreciate good neighbours when we have them but nothing is guaranteed to cause upset more than building works, especially works which affect party walls. A party wall is one which forms part of a building and stands on the land of more than one owner or one that separates buildings belonging to different owners. Where a wall separates two buildings, only the part that is used by both is considered a party wall. Removing chimney breasts, damp proofing and internal alterations may include work on a party wall and because what you do to your side may affect the other side, your neighbour’s consent is often needed before work can start. Excavating or constructing foundations for an extension within six metres of neighbouring properties may also require consent. If you are considering works at your property, make sure you seek advice in good time regarding issuing a Party Wall Notice to your neighbour. This is the start of a straightforward process leading to a Party Wall Award which ensures that both sides agree to what works are to be carried out, when and over what time period. A schedule of condition of the neighbour’s building, taken before any works start, will make it clear if it has been damaged by the works next door. A Party Wall Surveyor can advise both the person carrying out the works and their neighbour so seek advice as soon as building works are being considered or you receive notification that works are due next door - or even if building works start on the party wall or close to you, if you haven’t received notification. Party Wall Awards are there to protect everyone’s interest.
For more information, contact Jenner Jones at jennerjones.co.uk/services-partywalls info@jennerjones.co.uk 0845 3799 100 With offices in Kent, Sussex and London
newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Wednesday 10th February 2016
Extensive barn conversion bursting with wood beams
S
ET in a semi-rural location with picturesque views, this barn conversion is surrounded by open fields and is only a few minutes’ drive away from Brenchley village. The property offers spacious, light and adaptable accommodation with living arrangements on the first floor and bedrooms to the ground floor. Downstairs, there is a vast entrance hall with bedrooms to either side. The master suite features a dual aspect bedroom,
dressing room and en-suite bathroom. There are three further bedrooms, one with a sitting area/study off it, all served by a family bathroom. A utility room opening into the integral garage completes this floor. Upstairs, there is an incredible 40ft drawing room with a plethora of exposed oak beams, timbers and joinery, with views to the rear garden and beyond. This room is of such a size the current owners utilise it in several ways with a sitting area, dining area and study
area. There is also a fitted study/sitting room, a triple-aspect kitchen/breakfast room and a cloakroom. The property is screened behind a beech hedge and has a driveway providing parking for a number of cars. To the rear, the garden is landscaped with an attractive patio for entertaining. The garden extends to approximately 0.4 of an acre and backs on to a field of approximately four acres with sensational countryside views.
PROPERTY SECTION �
AT A GLANCE � Grade II listed detached barn conversion � Superb semi-rural location � Far-reaching views � Period features � Upside down accommodation � Entrance hall � Master suite with dressing room and bathroom � Three further bedrooms � Family bathroom � Utility room � Vast drawing room/dining room with a wealth of beams � Study/sitting room � Kitchen/breakfast room � Cloakroom � Integral garage � Parking � Mature gardens of 0.4 of an acre � Backing on to four acre field
£995,000 For sale through Hamptons 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
BIDBOROUGH,
ETCHINGHAM,
KENT
EAST SUSSEX
Superb kitchen/breakfast room + sitting room + family room + 6 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + study + utilty room + cloak room + garden + Council Tax=E + EPC=C
New build + high specification + 4 bedrooms (2 en suite) + 3 bathrooms + 3 reception rooms + kitchen/ breakfast room + double garage & driveway parking + Council Tax=TBC + EPC=C
£2,800 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee and other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie
£2,750 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee and other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie
TUNBRIDGE WELLS,
KENT
MAIDSTONE,
KENT
4 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + reception room + conservatory + dining room + kitchen + utility room + double garage + Council Tax=G + EPC=D
5 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + 2 reception rooms + study + kitchen/breakfast room + west facing garden + far reaching views + Council Tax=G + EPC=C
£2,200 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee and other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie
£1,950 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee and other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie
*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/o ccupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee - charged at the end of or 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.
Find your perfect match this Valentine's Day. Buying, selling, renting or letting talk to Savills.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS,
KENT
Gated park with rural views to the South + Grade II listed wing of a Decimus Burton Italianate villa + 1.3 miles town centre + 3 bath/ shower rooms + garden terrace + parking for 3 cars + 3,428 sq ft + about 0.4 acres (freehold)
+ 2 reception rooms + study + kitchen/ breakfast room + 4 double bedrooms
Guide £1.35 million Freehold
BELLS YEW GREEN'
Contact: Liz Devall
EAST SUSSEX
Substantial and adaptable family home in village centre + 2 formal reception rooms + studio + snug + kitchen/ breakfast room + 3,305 sq ft + neighbouring attached property available by separate negotiation + EPC=F (combined properties)
+ 4/5 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + garden + driveway parking + Frant MLS 350 yards
Guide £895,000 Freehold
Contact: Liz Devall
TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Well placed for schools and town + 1,879 sq ft + EPC=D
KENT
+ in need of improvement + 2 reception rooms + kitchen/ breakfast room + 4 bedrooms + conservatory + summer house + car port + front and rear gardens + driveway parking
Guide £665,000 Freehold
Contact: Becky Card
Find your perfect match this Valentine's Day. Buying or selling, talk to Savills.
� PROPERTY SECTION
Stylish period family house in desirable road AT A GLANCE HITCHEN HATCH LANE SEVENOAKS � Well-presented period property � Dining hall � Sitting room � Kitchen with vaulted breakfast area � Basement utility room � Master bedroom � Second bedroom with en-suite WC � Family bathroom � Top floor bedroom � Manicured rear garden with terrace
£750,000 For sale through Savills 01732 780700 www.savills.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
L
OCATED in a desirable road in Sevenoaks, this attractive semidetached period house is only half a mile from the station. The property offers well-proportioned and well-presented accommodation, which subtly incorporates period features. They include high ceilings, wood panelled doors with brass door furniture, fireplaces, sash windows and a solid oak floor to the ground floor. The house is entered through the side and opens into a dining hall with stairs to the first floor. The sitting room benefits from a bay window to the front and New England style shutters, as well as a stone open fireplace. The superb kitchen/breakfast room is fitted with a
comprehensive range of units, granite work surfaces and integrated appliances, and the breakfast area features a vaulted ceiling with remote controlled Velux windows and double doors to the garden terrace. Stairs lead down to the basement, providing a spacious utility room. On the first floor is the master bedroom, a further double bedroom with en-suite WC and a family bathroom. A third bedroom is set on the second floor. To the rear of the property is a delightful south-west facing garden with a full width paved terrace lending itself for al fresco dining. Steps lead up to an area of level lawn with herbaceous border and additional terrace to the rear.
savills
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk ·"""-·
THESUNDAYTIMES
THE . . .T IMES
Tunbridge Wells £795,000 A well presented 3/4 bedroom detached house with a spacious interior in highly regarded convenient location with delightful gardens. EPC:D
Rotherfield £1,100,000 An exceptionally spacious 5 bedroom Victorian stable conversion within a former country house estate providing comfortable family accommodation with good size cottage gardens. CHAIN FREE. EPC:D
We are making the most of our extensive network of 33 London branches by offering to take your property right to the doorsteps of active buyers and tenants in the Capital as part of The Roadshow on Saturday 12th March. To ensure your property is showcased at this exclusive event, contact us today. The deadline for inclusion is the 7th March 20I6. I
1
t I tI 1
Tunbridge Wells £1,295,000 A superb 6 bedroom detached house offering beautifully presented spacious and versatile accommodation including a 28ft kitchen/breakfast room and a excellent principal bedroom suite. EPC:C
Tunbridge Wells Office Sales. 01892 597607 I tunbridgewells@hamptons-int.com
Tunbridge Wells OIEO £700,000 Situated in a convenient and sought after road in the popular St. James' area, this deceptively spacious 4 bedroom Victorian semi detached house offers superb accommodation with off street parking and an 85ft rear garden. EPC:D
Eridge Green ÂŁ1,395,000 This outstanding period former farmhouse is situated in a rural yet very convenient location within about 0.25 mile of Eridge station for London trains and about 3.2 miles from Tunbridge Wells. It is Grade II listed with a spacious refurbished interior providing excellent family accommodation. Gardens, grounds with outbuildings about 4 acres.
Groombridge ÂŁ915,000
This fine 5 bedroom former Doctor's house, believed to have been divided in 1952, has spacious family accommodation arranged over three floors in a popular village location. There are many period features including high ceilings, sash windows and feature fireplaces throughout. EPC:F
DCJ
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
·"""·
THESUNDAYTIMES
T-"!:AMPTONS
11
INTERNATIONAL
THE altlift.TIMES
Yew Tree Road, Dunton Green. Guide Price £650,000 A 5 bedroom beautifully presented new build semi-detached home in the Ryewood Development in Dunton Green with a garage and two parking spaces. The property extends to 1507 sq. ft. and has been built to a high contemporary specification. EPC: B
Botsom Lane, West Kingsdown. Guide Price £620,000 A characterful and deceptively spacious detached four bedroom bungalow of over 2000 sq. ft. situated on a leafy lane in a semi rural location. EPC: C
Sevenoaks Office Sales. 01732 423127
I
sevenoaks@hamptons-int.com
Oakdale Lane, Crockham Hill. Guide Price £1,450,000 A detached Huf Haus arranged to provide striking, open plan living with stunning views and set in landscaped gardens of approximately one and half acres. EPC: C
Drl
PROPERTY SECTION ďż˝
A pretty Grade II listed cottage backing on to open farmland
H
ORNS Cottage is a delightful listed property dating in part from around 1600 and set in lovely gardens. Approximately 1.6 miles to the south west of Hawkhurst, the cottage is in a semi-rural setting and backs on to farmland. Character features include exposed oak timbers and beams, oak flooring and open fireplaces. The present owners have extended the property to incorporate an excellent kitchen/breakfast room with gas-fired Aga and various integrated appliances. The garage has also been converted into a versatile home office/ games room with first floor studio room. The ground floor has an entrance hall,
triple aspect drawing room with glazed doors to the garden, sitting room, cloakroom, utility room and attractive kitchen/ breakfast room. On the first floor the master bedroom is of a good size and boasts a dual aspect and an ensuite shower room. There is a further bedroom and family bathroom on this floor, as well as an additional staircase which leads up to two attic bedrooms. The pretty cottage gardens are well established and lie to the rear of the house, adjoining farmland. There is plenty of off-road parking and the converted garage provides a very adaptable detached two-storey studio with a games room/office on the ground floor and a further room above.
AT A GLANCE DELMONDEN LANE HAWKHURST n Pretty Grade II listed cottage n Semi-rural location n Backing on to farmland n Adaptable accommodation n Entrance hall n Drawing room n Sitting room n Cloakroom n Utility room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Master bedroom with en-suite shower room n Further first floor bedroom n Family bathroom n Two attic bedrooms n Converted garage providing games room/office and studio n Attractive cottage gardens n Off-road parking
ÂŁ695,000 For sale through Savills 01580 720161 www.savills.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
ose
•
Contact your local independent Estate Agent for expert help Tonbridge 01732 771616 Pembury 01892 822880
BarnesKingsnorth
Tunbridge Wells
£550,000 - £599,950
Tunbridge Wells
£499,950 - £515,000
An imposing double fronted 4 bedroom attached Victorian villa presented in good decorative order and offering flexible accommodation set over 3 floors. L-shaped low maintenance garden and off road parking. EPC: E
An immaculately presented detached home, which is in excellent decorative order, benefiting from a low maintenance garden and parking. Through reception room, kitchen/ breakfast room, 3 bedrooms (one with en suite) and bathroom. EPC: C
Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells
£365,000
Set centrally within this picturesque and popular village, a late Victorian2 double bedroom semi-detached house which is offered for sale free of any forward chain.2 reception rooms, kitchen, spacious bathroom. EPC: E
Groombridge
Monthly Rental£ 1,295
A beautifully presented Grade II Listed cottage set in the heart of Groombridge. 2 reception rooms, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and wet room. Large rear garden with summer house. Offered part or unfurnished and available early - mid February.
£250,000 - £275,000
Occupying a pleasant elevated position within the High Brooms area, a refurbished semidetached house and offered for sale with no onward chain. 2 reception rooms, kitchen, 2 bedrooms and bathroom. EPC: E
Tunbridge Wells
Monthly Rental £2,250
A well presented single storey property in Dunorlan Park with 2 reception rooms, study, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, single garage, driveway parking for 3 cars and an expansive garden. Available now. EPC: D
� PROPERTY SECTION
THE GRANARY WOODS GREEN WADHURST £1,450,000
Contemporary design meets country charm in handy hamlet Wednesday 10th February 2016
PROPERTY SECTION �
S
ET in the quiet yet convenient hamlet of Woods Green, near to Wadhurst, The Granary is a spectacular property. The current owners undertook a painstaking and costly conversion process, which sets this apart from anything similar in the marketplace. Offering stylish and versatile accommodation fit for the 21st century, the property is full of character and unique features. From the entrance hall there is a view through the kitchen/breakfast room, living room and dining room to the garden room beyond – a view of more than 65ft. Accommodation on
the ground floor includes an entrance hall with oak staircase, cloakroom, utility room, open-plan kitchen/ breakfast/living/dining space, garden room, library and sitting room. The master suite is also on the ground floor, with a dressing area and mezzanine study above, a dual aspect bedroom and a contemporary bathroom. On the lower ground floor there is a games room with brick vaulted ceiling and wiring for a home cinema. On the first floor there are three bedrooms, one of which has an ensuite shower room, as well as a family
bathroom. A further bedroom with en-suite can be found on the second floor. The courtyard to the rear, which is surrounded on three sides by the property, is exceptional with its dry stone walling and central open fire with outdoors kitchen. The rest of the garden is accessed by steps from the decking area, over small bridge and ornamental stream, which leads to an area of lawn interspersed with flower and shrub borders. The property has a driveway and integral garage. In all there is around 0.38 of an acre.
AT A GLANCE � Unique conversion � Contemporary design with character features � Huge open-plan living space � Set in quiet hamlet � Entrance hall � Cloakroom � Sitting room � Library � Utility room � Vast kitchen/breakfast/living/ dining area � Garden room � Cellar games room � Master suite with dressing room, mezzanine study, bedroom and bathroom � Three first floor bedrooms, one en-suite � Family bathroom � Top floor bedroom with en-suite shower room � Impressive courtyard designed as an ‘outdoor room’ � Pretty gardens with stream � Driveway and garage
£1,450,000 For sale through Knight Frank 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk
‘Offering both stylish and versatile accommodation fit for the 21st century, this home is full of character and unique features’
Wednesday 10th February 2016
� PROPERTY SECTION
A lovingly updated Grade II listed home in country paradise
T
HE Old House is a charming Grade II listed property understood to date from the 18th century and situated within the conservation area of Sandhurst. The house, having been sympathetically refurbished and finished to a very high standard,
now incorporates an adjoining barn which has been converted to provide excellent further accommodation. Features include a wealth of exposed timbers, oak wood flooring and wood-burning stoves to the main reception rooms, leaded light windows, underfloor heating
AT A GLANCE QUEEN STREET SANDHURST
� Rear hall � Master bedroom with contemporary bathroom
� Beautiful listed property
� Three further bedrooms on the first floor
� Village location � Updated and extended
� Study
� Very well presented
� Family bathroom
� Reception/dining hall
� Two attic bedrooms
� Drawing room
� Parking and integral garage
� Kitchen/breakfast room
� Landscaped gardens
� Utility room
� Garden office
� Cloakroom
� 0.33 of an acre
� Games room
£950,000 For sale through Savills 01580 720161 www.savills.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
to several rooms, Villeroy & Boch sanitary ware and travertine flooring to the bathrooms. On the ground floor, there is a spacious reception/dining hall, a lovely drawing room, contemporary kitchen/breakfast room, rear hall, cloakroom, games room and utility room. On the first floor, the superb master bedroom suite enjoys lovely views and benefits from a luxurious bathroom. Three further bedrooms and two attic bedrooms are served by a family bathroom and there is a study on the first floor.
The Old House is approached via a shared driveway. To the front lies a parking area with side access leading to an integral garage. Well established, landscaped gardens lie predominantly to the side and rear of the house. There is
an excellent loggia, garden office, attractive ornamental pond and lawns interspersed with varieties of mature trees and shrubs. Planning permission has lapsed for the erection of an open bay garage. In total there is 0.33 of an acre.
ADVERTISING FEATURE �
Thinking of moving home soon?
You’ve made the decision to move, found your dream home and your offer has been accepted. Feelings of excitement and apprehension set in and all you want is the whole process to end with you safely ensconced in your new home. So what steps can you take to ensure that the process will run smoothly and costly mistakes are avoided? Well, skimping on surveys and conveyancing can cost you dearly in the long run. So here are some top tips to help your move go as smoothly as possible. will not visit the property themselves, so should there be something you feel uncertain about bring it to their attention and they will provide you with the options available in order to try to resolve the issue.
5
REMEMBER TO ARRANGE BUILDING INSURANCE FROM THE DATE OF THE EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS. From exchange of contracts you will be legally responsible for the structure of the property. This is often overlooked and can potentially have serious consequences. Make sure you have buildings insurance cover in place from this date. With this being said and the potential risks of buying a home with hidden problems amounting to thousands of pounds in potential outgoings, why would you cut corners for the sake of a few pounds when the risks are so large?
For your FREE copy of The Kent Guide to Buying and Selling your Home, or for further advice regarding your buying/selling experience, contact Max Barford Solicitors in Tunbridge Wells today and speak to one of my property team on 01892 539 379 or email times@maxbarford.co.uk
2
DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE HAPPY TO RELY ON THE MORTGAGE LENDER’S VALUATION OR DO YOU REQUIRE A FULL SURVEY. A lender’s valuation is an assessment carried out by and for the benefit of the lender in order to check that the property presents adequate security for its loan should you default and the property has to be sold. However, it does not report on actual faults in the property. For many, a Home Buyer’s Report, which will expose problems such as damp, dry rot and subsidence, is adequate but if you are buying an older house or unusual home a full structural survey will be a wise investment. You wouldn’t buy a car without the
4
3
E ID EERS GU FRE MOVE
1
GET YOUR MORTGAGE AGREED FIRST Although borrowing from banks and building societies has improved recently, it is not a given. So to avoid disappointment, check you can get the mortgage you need before starting the process. You can get a mortgage agreement in principle secured first, but remember that this is an indication and not a legal agreement.
CHOOSE YOUR CONVEYANCING SOLICITORS WITH CARE For a free copy of the Kent Guide to Buying and Selling If you take the risk of buying without Your Home or for further advice regarding your home REMEMBER TO FACTOR IN the support and guidance of an buying/selling experience just complete and cut out this THE TRUE COST OF MOVING. expertly trained legal conveyancer, you coupon and post to the address below. Alternatively call Mortgage arrangement fees, run the risk of walking into a financial or email us today quoting reference MBRTO104 survey fees, legal costs and removal booby trap which can seriously hamper costs are all substantial costs of moving. your progression up the property Telephone 01892 539 379 However, the often overlooked but most ladder. You should also make sure or Email times@maxbarford.co.uk expensive cost is Stamp Duty Land Tax you know who you are instructing (SDLT) which varies dependent on the and that the firm is registered with a Name value of the property purchased. If you regulatory body such as the Solicitors purchase a property above £125,000 Regulation Authority. There are bogus Address SDLT becomes payable. Recent changes law firms out there who will take your to SDLT have been introduced to try money and then close up shop which to make the tax fairer. Under the old means you lose the money and your regime the SDLT percentage rates dream home. That is why it is essential increased at various thresholds. Under that you get the advice and guidance the old rules SDLT was payable at a you need every step of the way from single rate on the whole transaction a known reputable law firm. They are value. From 4th December 2014, SDLT there to help you avoid the pitfalls of is payable on a sliding scale depending what can be a murky area. on the portion of the purchase price The cheapest option may not always Tel.No that falls within each rate band. There prove to be the best. Remember, this is no doubt that the SDLT changes will may well be the biggest purchase you’ll Email be of benefit to many home buyers. For make and you want to be sure that you example, under the old regime, Stamp know what you are buying. You should Duty Land Tax payable on a purchase be able to contact your conveyancer Max Barford & Co price of £350,000 would be £10,500 and fully understand what is happening 16 Mount Pleasant Road and under the new regime it would at each step of the move. If you are Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QU be £7,500 - representing a saving not sure, ask! One further point to www.maxbarford.co.uk of £3,000. bear in mind is that your conveyancer Max Barford & Co. is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. No. 71480 knowledge of a service history, so why would you run this financial risk when buying a house?
M HO
BY DEBORAH MILLER
Wednesday 10th February 2016
SJD
PROJECTS
Contact Stephen Donnelly on 07739 514350 or 0845 456 8969
web: sjd-projects.com • email: steve@sjd-projects.com
LAND & DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS
TURNING THE CORNER to your financial future If you own a corner property with a larger than average rear garden, there may be the potential for further development subject to various criteria. For a no obligation consultation please contact SJD Projects on our freephone number 0845 456 8969.
Mobile: 0773 951 4350 Website: sjd-projects.com Freephone: 0845 456 8969 Email: steve@sjd-projects.com LAND & DEVELOPMENT CONSU LTANTS
'Developing Potential'
ďż˝ PROPERTY SECTION
Exquisite country house in luxurious park-like grounds
S
ET in nearly six acres of parklike grounds, Rushmore Hill House near Knockholt, is a fine country, home with spacious family accommodation and exceptional entertaining space, along with detached staff or guest accommodation. The property is thought to have evolved from an early 19th-century coaching inn, which replaced a 17th-century hostelry on the site. No expense has been spared in transforming it into a luxurious 6,700 sq ft family home. Liberal use of natural materials such as oak and marble, combined with period-style
Wednesday 10th February 2016
fireplaces and handcrafted joinery, create a sophisticated elegance throughout. The immense space on offer on the ground floor includes an entrance hall, grand drawing room, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, wine room, laundry room, cloakroom, fitted study, stunning wood panelled billiard room and vaulted family room. There is a superb attached leisure complex accessed via the family room, with indoor pool, sauna and shower room. Upstairs, the master suite is one of the property’s most impressive
features. It comprises a large sitting room with Juliet balcony, a spacious bedroom, luxurious bathroom and fully fitted dressing room. There are four further bedrooms, three of which have en-suites, and a shower room serves the fourth. The house is set in nearly six acres of landscaped gardens and grounds arranged with sweeping lawns, mature trees, terraces and a series of interlinked pools with a waterfall. There is also a lovely two-bedroom gate cottage, a former shooting lodge currently used as a gym, a squash court and plentiful parking and garaging.
PROPERTY SECTION �
RUSHMORE HILL KNOCKHOLT £3,495,000
AT A GLANCE � Imposing country house
� Family room
� Vast and versatile accommodation
� Leisure complex with pool and sauna
� Entrance hall
� Generous master suite with sitting room, bedroom, bathroom and dressing room
� Drawing room � Sitting room
� Four further bedrooms
� Dining room � Kitchen/breakfast room � Laundry room � Wine room � Study � Cloakroom � Billiard room
� Four bath/shower rooms � Two-bedroom cottage � Squash court � Gym � Parking and generous garaging � Park-like gardens and grounds of nearly six acres
£3,495,000 For sale through Hamptons 01732 280801 www.hamptons.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
PROPERTY SECTION
AT A GLANCE
PILGRIMS WAY WESTERHAM � Attractive Victorian property � Far-reaching views � Period features � Contemporary fittings � Arranged over four floors � Flexible accommodation � Entrance hall � Drawing room � Dining room � Study � Sitting room � Kitchen � Breakfast room � Utility room � Family room � Gym
‘Stylishly presented, complementing the period architecture’
Well-proportioned Victorian property with ample space
P
ILGRIM House, near Westerham, is a classic Victorian property with elegant and well-proportioned accommodation over four floors. The versatile house is stylishly presented throughout, complementing the architecture of the period. Features include attractive fireplaces, sash windows, column radiators, deep skirting boards, cornicing, ceiling roses and dado rails. On the ground floor there is an entrance
Wednesday 10th February 2016
hall, impressive triple-aspect drawing room, dining room, sitting room and study. The lower ground floor boasts a kitchen with integrated appliances and an adjoining utility room, as well as a family room, breakfast room, cloakroom, wine store, boiler room/laundry and a room used as a gym. Arranged on the first floor is the master suite with bedroom, dressing room and stylish en-suite bathroom. The guest suite also has a bedroom, bathroom and dressing room, and
could be separated to provide two bedrooms if required. Completing this floor are two bedrooms and a family bathroom. The second floor is currently arranged as a teenage suite with a sitting room, kitchenette area, two bedrooms, a study and a shower room. The house is approached over a driveway with parking which leads to the integral double garage. The rear garden is mainly laid to lawn with an orchard area and there is a terrace extending to the side.
� Boiler room/laundry � Cloakroom � Master suite with bedroom, dressing room and bathroom � Guest suite with bedroom, dressing room and bathroom (or two separate bedrooms) � Two further bedrooms on the first floor � Family bathroom � Top floor teenage suite with sitting room, kitchenette, study, two bedrooms, shower room � Integral double garage � Driveway parking � Mature rear garden with terrace and orchard � In total 0.4 of an acre
£1,575,000 For sale through Savills 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk
PROPERTY SECTION •
LeGrys triumph in Estate ~ LeGrys Agency Industry Awards for both Sales & Lettings within West I<ent Region Build - the respected property industry quarterly magazine recently announced its Estate Agency Award Winners and for the West Kent region LeGrys Independent Estate Agents scooped up not one but four awards. Two awards for best Sales Agents for Tunbridge Wells and Eden bridge and Best Letting Agents, again for Tunbridge Wells and Edenbridge. Bill LeGrys commented "We are very excited and indeed honoured to have our work and dedication to the Sales & Letting market marked in this way. As we approach our five-year anniversary it makes us very proud indeed . Both Tunbridge Wells and Edenbridge are awash with agents and speaking to the panel of judges at Build, they confirmed competition was very tough for both areas. We have become the market-leaders in our areas and are looking forward to further strengthening our position over the coming years. We would like to thank everyone that has supported us over the years . There is much planned for the future here at LeGrys with two new offices opening in April/May 2016 and plans are afoot to open an office in the City of London rather than just work with Associated London Agents providing
complete autonomy. The most important thing for us as an Independent Agency is to grow the business whilst retaining the intimacy and client care that has afforded us our success to date . I strongly believe that vendors appoint Independent Agencies as opposed to Corporate/High Street Chains for a good reason and we must never lose sight of this. Forging ahead we will see LeGrys evolve their brand a little. Having spent the first half of my career in Retail/Brand Marketing for Blue Chip Corporates I am more than aware that our current brand name for example doesn't roll of the tongue; I have had many a chuckle with clients trying to pronounce my surname! It was for this very reason that back in March 2011 when we launched the Company we included the LG lettering within the LeGrys logo and I think that going forward we will major more on this. All in all, there are very exciting times ahead in what is an extremely challenging market .
Late ral th in king close to h o me
Guide Price £385,000 To £400,000 Freehold
The Mews, Southborough • • • • • •
One Of Four Brand New Builds Three Bedrooms (Two doubles & one single bedroom) Light and Airy Living/Dining Room Beautiful Modern Kitchen with Integrated Appliances Downstairs Cloakroom Patio Area/Cycle Shed/Laid to Lawn Sunny Garden
Colebrook Road, Tunbridge Wells
• • • • • •
Guide Price £210,000 To £220,000 Share Of Freehold
• Beautiful Light and Airy Two Bedroom Apartment
A Gift
10 Year LABC Guarantee Oak Engineered Flooring Plenty of Storage Alarm System Off-Road Parking Walking Distance to Primary/Secondary & Grammar Schools
• Lovely Far-Reaching Views
• Finished To A Beautiful Standard
• Share Of Freehold
• Ideal First Time Buy Or Buy To Let Investment
• Five Minute Walk To Mainline Train Station
• Off-Road Parking For One Car
• Close to Local Amenities and Schools
• Communal Garden
• OPEN DAY THIS SATURDAY
for you...
IT you recommend a Landlord to LeGrys Lettings we will say "thank you" by sending you £100 worth of Marks & Spencer's vouchers once the property has Let!
Guide Price £580,000 To £620,000 Freehold
Carville Avenue, Southborough • • • • • •
Detached, Four Double Bedroom Family Home Occupying A Large Corner Plot Lovely Open-Plan Kitchen/Dining Room Downstairs Cloakroom En-Suite Shower Room To Third Bedroom Lovely Original Features
• • • • •
Spacious Living Accommodation Throughout Large Rear Garden With Spacious Outdoor Dining Area Off-Road Parking For Three Cars Separate Garage For Additional Parking/Storage Excellent Location For Local Schools & Amenities
For more details and information on our greatly discounted Landlord fees for March please contact us on: 01892 529448 Or Email: lettings@legrys.com Wednesday 10th February 2016
Benenden A unique, architect-designed family house with spectacular views Entrance hall, kitchen I dining room, drawing room. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 4 further bedrooms (1 en suite), games room, cinema I music room, bathroom, gym, family room, utility room, cloakroom. Gardens and grounds. EPC rating C. In all about 1.65 acres.
Bid borough Superbly presented family house in a highly sought after location Entrance hall, cloakroom, kitchen I dining room, utility room, drawing room, study, family room, gym. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room, bedroom 2 with en suite shower room, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Front and rear gardens. Decked terrace. Summer house. Off-street parking. EPC rating D.
Trottiscliffe, Nr West Malling Superb family house with delightful rural views Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, family room, kitchen I breakfast room, conservatory, utility room, cloakroom. Master bedroom suite, further double bedroom suite, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Integral double garage. Delightful established gardens. EPC rating D. In all about 0.78 acre.
lghtham, Nr Sevenoaks A well-presented executive style family home Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, study I family room, kitchen I breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom. Master bedroom suite , guest bedroom suite, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Integral double garage. Attractive rear gardens and views. EPC rating C. In all about 0.38 acre.
PROPERTY SECTION �
‘The property has been extended and much improved, providing superb family accommodation with ample off-street parking’
Extended detached haven very close to town centre
T
HIS is an interesting and deceptively spacious family house set in a desirable location close to the centre of Tunbridge Wells. The property has been extended and much improved, providing superb accommodation with ample off-street parking. The ground floor comprises an entrance hall, two large reception rooms, currently used as a drawing room to the front and a family room to
the rear, with doors opening on to the garden, a spacious kitchen/breakfast room, cloakroom, conservatory and a utility/hobby room in the converted garage. The four bedrooms are all situated on the first floor, one with an en-suite bathroom, another with en-suite shower room, and the remaining two served by a family bathroom. The area to the front of the property has been block paved, providing ample off-road parking
for several vehicles. The current owner has utilised the area in front of the former double garage to create a sheltered patio that catches the sun for most of the day. The rear garden has been thoughtfully landscaped and well maintained, with a patio leading on to an expanse of lawn, interspersed with a broad array of mature planting. Two sheds, situated at the rear of the plot, provide useful storage.
AT A GLANCE CLARENDON GARDENS TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Extended and improved detached family house n Close to the centre of Tunbridge Wells n Very well presented n Entrance hall n Drawing room n Family room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Conservatory n Utility room/hobby room n Cloakroom n Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom n Three further bedrooms (one with en-suite shower room) n Family bathroom n Driveway with off-road parking n Attractive gardens
£750,000 For sale through Knight Frank 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Walton Road, Tonbridge
Guide Price £470,000 - £490,000
Elm Grove, Hildenborough
Guide Price £470,000 - £490,000
A delightful five bedroom, extended semi detached family home, offering generous proportions throughout. Located just off of Higham Wood convenient for local shops, schools and access to the A26.
A superb example of a 3/4 bedroom Gough Cooper built semi detached house, located in the village of Hildenborough convenient for local schools, Hildenborough and Tonbridge stations and amenities.
Streamside, Tonbridge
Surety House, Lyons Crescent
Guide Price £525,000 - £550,000
Offering generous sized accommodation is this well presented three bedroom detached house, ideally located for local schools and amenities, overlooking fields to the rear.
From £275,000
Surety House is a select development of newly converted apartments set in the heart of Tonbridge conveniently located for Mainline Station and High Street. Just three remaining
ÂŁ250,000
East Peckham
A delightful, Grade II listed, attached cottage in the centre of the sought after village of Goudhurst. Oozing with period features, including exposed beams, an inglenook fireplace, stained glass windows and a plaque dating to 1450. Boasting a 120ft enclosed garden with a paved terrace, this cottage is perfect for any green fingered purchaser. The well-presented accommodation comprises; a beamy sitting room with an inglenook fireplace, kitchen/breakfast room with a laundry cupboard and door to the garden, master bedroom with feature fireplace and views over the church, family bathroom and a further double bedroom on the second floor. Just a short stroll to the village amenities which include a pharmacy, doctor surgery, chemist, bakers, general store and outstanding primary school. In the CRANBROOK SCHOOL CATCHMENT AREA
This charming mid-terrace country cottage is situated on the border of East Peckham and Golden Green surrounded by stunning countryside which provides lovely views to the front and rear. The well-presented cottage comprises: A sitting room with open fireplace, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom, 3 double bedrooms and a family bathroom. Externally, the front south-facing garden is bordered by mature hedging and trees and the rear garden provides a paved terrace area perfect for al fresco dining and summer barbecues. There is also a detached workshop which could be converted to a garage (subject to pp) and off-road parking for up to 3 cars. Nearby Tonbridge ( 4.9 miles away) provides a comprehensive range of shopping and banking facilities as well as a mainline station with trains in central London. Viewing highly recommended.
A charming, period detached cottage which has been sympathetically refurbished and restored throughout to create a contemporary feel yet retaining the original character. The delightful family home comprises: An entrance hall, a new bespoke kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room with inglenook fireplace and wood burner, dining room, playroom, laundry room and cloakroom. On the first floor there is a master bedroom with en-suite and dressing room, two double bedrooms, a further bedroom, a study and a family bathroom. The property boasts wonderful reclaimed exposed oak beams throughout as well as a new oak floor. Externally, there is a single garage, off-road parking for up to 3 cars and a pretty, mature garden to the rear. Marden (2.5 miles away) provides a mainline station with trains into London.
If you are seeking a 'chocolate box' gem, oozing with fine period features, then we have a very special country cottage to tempt you with. Moreover, if you needed an annexe, this cottage could provide a bijou ground floor self-contained apartment for you. This cottage is a true gardener's delight and has a very special feature to please even the most discerning purchaser. The moment one enters this enchanting cottage the character and charm greets you. A beamy sitting room with a beautiful inglenook fireplace is truly magical. A pleasing country kitchen/breakfast room with lovely views over the stunning garden, a laundry room, a cloakroom, a dining room, a cellar, 4 bedrooms, & 2 bathrooms. Ample off road parking plus a double detached garage. WITHIN THE CRAN BROOK SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Detached and unlisted, this period home offers light and bright accommodation on the edge of this popular and thriving village. Externally, this charming cottage offers ample off-road gravelled parking to the front and a pretty Mediterranean style garden with an outbuilding and terraces to the rear. Internally, this well presented village gem comprises: an entrance porch, a reception hall opening into a dining room with a bay window, a triple aspect sitting room, a kitchen/breakfast room with laundry area and pantry, cloakroom, a double aspect master bedroom with great scope to add an en-suite bathroom, 2 further double bedrooms, another bedroom/study and a family bathroom. Ticehurst village is a short stroll away and offers local amenities, whilst both Stonegate and Wadhurst villages provide mainline stations into London. NO ONWARD CHAIN
This beautifully presented and painstakingly restored and extended end terrace period cottage is in a glorious, idyllic, rural setting with wonderful far reaching views. Internally this light and bright country cottage is ready for the new owners to simply move in and then thoroughly enjoy. Spanning over 3 floors, comprising: a stunning open plan kitchen/dining room, sitting room with a gas burning stove and downstairs shower room. On the 1st floor there is a family bathroom, 3 bedrooms, and on the 2nd floor there is a large master bedroom with a stylish en-suite. There is a delightful wrap around garden with 2 terraces for outside dining. The detached garage has lots of storage above and there is also off road parking for some 2 cars. Marden's main line station (1.9 miles) has trains into central London.
ÂŁ750,000 A charming Grade II Listed property situated on the edge of the quaint village of Beckley and boasts a wealth of period features throughout including exposed beams and an inglenook fireplace. The light and bright character accommodation comprises: A dining room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with en-suite and a fabulous balcony offering rural views, 4 further bedrooms and a family shower room. Externally, there is a pretty, well-stocked south-facing wrap around garden with log cabin, summer house and garden shed as well as ample gravelled off-road parking to the front and a detached outbuilding which could provide ancillary accommodation. The Cinque Port town of Rye ( approx. 6.2 miles) offers a range of interesting shops and leisure facilities as well as a train station with links to Ashford International and London.
This is a truly stunning and enchanting detached country home set in a charming picturesque hamlet in the heart of the Weald of Kent. Internally, the property boasts a wealth of period features including exposed timbers and a fabulous inglenook fireplace. The well-presented accommodation comprises: An entrance hall, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, sitting room and sun room. The first floor offers a master bedroom, a guest bedroom with an en-suite and two further bedrooms. Set in some 0.5 acres of wrap around garden surrounded by mature trees, flower beds, a pond and a quality oak framed triple garage with a room above, plus there is ample gravelled off-road parking. Very highly recommended. Nearby Paddock Wood has a mainline station, shops plus a Waitrose.
Victims of our own success, we are desperately seeking more Country Cottages, Character Houses, Farms and Equestrian Properties for our selection of well placed buyers and fully referenced tenants.
Please call for a FREE MARKETING APPRAISAL
Trustworthy, Loving Agent with GSOH Seeks Sin1ilar Minded Clients for Long Term Relationship TUNBRIDGE WELLS
SOUTHBOROUGH
23 High Street, Tunbridge Wells Kent TN11UT Sales 01892 511211 tunbridgewells@woodandpilcher.co.uk Letting & Management 01892 528888 lettings@woodandpilcher.com
124 London Road, Southborough Kent TN4 OPL Sales 01892 511311 Lettings 01892 528888 southborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk
HEATHFIELD
TONBRIDGE
CROWBOROUGH
27 High Street, Heathfield East Sussex, TN21 8JR Sales 01435 862211 Lettings 01435 868899 heathfield@woodandpilcher.co.uk
38 High Street, Tonbridge Kent TN9 1EJ Sales 01732 351135 Lettings 01732 351135 tonbridge@woodandpilcher.co.uk
The Cross, Crowborough East Sussex TN6 1AL Sales 01892 665666 crowborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk Letting & Management 01892 664666 lettings@woodandpilcher.com
Associated Park Lane London Office
woodandpilcher. co. uk
Andrews >
Tunbridge Wells andrewsonline.co.uk
Jackwood Way, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 Guide: £225,000 -£230,000 Modern two bedroom first floor apartment built in 2008, set on the edge of the town centre. The property has open plan living space with dual aspect and arch to the kitchen, en-suite bathroom to the main bedroom and family bathroom. There is residents parking, bike store and communal grounds. Energy Efficiency Rating: B
U::~ =---::::::::::::5.1 Lime Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 Guide £150,000 -£160,000 Buy to let apartment - top floor apartment literally yards from the Millennium Clock and Tunbridge Wells town centre. Accommodation comprises living room, kitchen, bedroom and shower room. There is a share of the freehold included in the sale. Energy Efficiency Rating: B
LANDLORDS WANTED
Let Agreed - Horizon Close £750pcm
St. Johns Road, Tunbridge wells, TN4 £550,000 Period property offering flexible accommodation with 3/4 bedrooms in the St. Johns area of Tunbridge Wells. With 2 parking spaces, garage, entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, utility room, shower room and bathroom, 100' rear garden. No Chain! Energ~ Efficienc~ Rating: D
in Tunbridge Wells
Let Agreed - Stanley Road £850pcm
Let Agreed - Springview £695pcm
Are you a Landlord looking to rent out your property? Or perhaps you already have tenants but want a professional and pro-active Letting Agent to look after the management of the tenancy? Andrews Letting & Management of Tunbridge Wells have an in-house property management team to look after your interests as a Landlord including: • Annual Rent reviews • Rent Collection services • Loyalty discounts for multi-listing landlords • Rent & Legal protection services • Access to a FREE Legal help line
Let Agreed - Amhurst Road £995pcm
Let Agreed - Sandhurst Road £895pcm
Let Agreed - Friezland Road £1250pcm
We've Succeeded - More are Needed!
Tunbridge Wells Sales 01892 515 11+'+ Tunbridge Wells Lettings 01892 525 551
For a FREE Rental Valuation or further details, please come in and speak to the lettings team 01892 525551 or Tunbridgewells.lets@andrewsonline.co.uk
To view more properties available from all 85 of our offices, visit andrewsonline.co.uk
ď Ž PROPERTY SECTION
DELVES AVENUE
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
ÂŁ3,250 PER MONTH
Extended family home filled with the modern essentials
S
ITUATED in a quiet residential area on the south side of Tunbridge Wells, this detached and extended five-bedroom home in Delves Avenue is available to let from March. Conveniently placed for both the town centre and mainline station, the extremely well presented accommodation is arranged over three floors and is light and spacious throughout. On the ground floor there is an entrance hall and a good sized
Wednesday 10th February 2016
sitting room, as well as a utility room and cloakroom. The open plan kitchen/breakfast/family room offers a great space for family living with doors leading out onto the garden and benefits from contemporary white gloss kitchen units, a central island and three Velux windows. On the first floor there are three double bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite shower room, a single bedroom - which would be
perfectly suited to a nursery or study - and a family bathroom. The second floor comprises of a spacious master bedroom with an en-suite shower room, separate cloakroom and fitted wardrobes. Externally, the property offers driveway parking and an integral garage. There is a good size garden backing onto parkland.
PROPERTY SECTION
AT A GLANCE � Detached and extended family home � Well presented � Sought after location � Arranged over three floors � Entrance hall � Reception room � Utility room � Cloakroom � Modern kitchen/breakfast/family room � Four bedrooms on first floor, one with en-suite shower room � Family bathroom � Master suite on top floor with shower room and separate WC
‘On the first floor there are three double bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite shower room’
� Off road parking and integral garage � Attractive and good sized rear garden � Backing onto parkland � Available to let unfurnished
£3,250 per month to rent To let through Savills Lettings 01892 507050 www.savills.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
GROWING YOUR INVESTMENT
KNIGHTS WOOD ROYAL
TUNBRIDGE
WELLS
If you're seeking a sound investment,
Knights Wood offers a variety of exceptional new homes.
the properties at Knights Wood tick all the right boxes. Exceptional quality, attractive design, modern convenience and good communication links. All in a beautiful woodland setting in soughtafter Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Our marketing suite is open daily from 10am to 5pm, so come and visit us to see for yourself what makes
. . Knight ~ Frank
Knights Wood such an asset to investors. Alternatively, call us on 01892 800580.
Two, three and four bedroom homes available now with prices from ÂŁ350,000. Knights Wood, Tunbridge Wells TN2 3UW
dandara
new homes
PROPERTY SECTION �
SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 1O.OOam - 5.00pm
Saffron Place, School Lane, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 1FL
The 3 bedroom Hudson is currently available for just £329,995
with help from the Governm ent-backed 'Help to Buy' scheme
With en-suite , separate lounge , fully fitted kitchen appliances and parking , the Hudson (plot 7) offers outstanding value and is set in an established leafy setting a mile south of the town centre.
·otter applicable to February reservations and completions by April 30th.
Showhome open Saturday and
For details contact our Selling Agent
Sunday 10.00am to 5.00pm
01732 363633
01892 598 119
www.rpcnewhomes.co.uk
www.abbeynewhomes.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
� PROPERTY SECTION
MOVING WITH THE TIMES TO PROMOTE YOUR PROPERTY CONTACT US pkelly@markerstudy.com
I 01892 774 781
Times
POlicyshop A{way5 tJfeJII to 50J/U,1.J ytJu wttJ111.ey Using our panel of leading insurers and looking at your home and its individual needs, we can offer you competitively priced protection, with the peace of mind that your home insurance is the right match for you.
To see if we can save you money, simply call one of our policy specialists for a tailored quote.
Call today on 0333 999 7591
HOME POLICIES CAN INCLUDE
* * * * * *
New-for-old replacement of damaged items Competitive no-claims discounts Tailored contents cover up to £50,000 Tailored buildings cover up to £500,000 Friendly UK-based contact centre
Optional extras including Keycare, Home Legal Expenses and Home Emergency Cover
The Policy Shop is a trading name of Insurance Factory Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 306164). Registered in England and Wales (No. 02982445). Registered Office: Markerstudy House, 45 Westerham Road, Bessels Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2QB. Insurance Factory Limited is part of the Markerstudy Group of Companies. 25% of new business written between 01/06/15 to 31/10/15
Wednesday 10th February 2016
for Front Station. 5 bedroom detached home available with £58,750 Stamp Duty paid*, £1,000 towards legal fees and carpets, or Part Exchanget
Priced at £1,175,000
Prices from £930,000 to £1,185,000
DUKES GRANGE, BAYHAM ROAD, ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS TN2 SHU
CALL 01892 628 676 CALA.CO.UK
TWTl OFEB *Plot specific incentive, for reservations taken before the 29th February 2016. Based on full asking price. tCALA will obtain 2 independent valuations based on achieving a sale in a 4-6 week period, part exchange considered subject to CALA's purchasing criteria, terms and conditions. Up to 100% part exchange and other incentives available on selected plots, subject to terms and conditions and not in conjunction with each other or any other offer. Visit cala.co.uk/terms for full terms and conditions and purchasing criteria. Images shown are taken from Dukes Grange showhome and feature, fittings, decor, flooring and soft furnishings which are not included as standard in a CALA home. Images are used to suggest possible finishes which can be achieved in your home at an additional cost. Please consult a Sales Advisor for further details. Some images have been enhanced.
£50,000 TOWARDS STAMP DUTY PAID* Halsart House
HALSART HOUSE & HARENWOOD HOUSE, DOWNS WAY, TADWORTH KT20 5DJ Two contemporary 5 bedroom detached homes measuring over 3000sq.ft, with a generous 150ft landscaped rear gardens. Located in a popular residential location, close to an excellent range of schools and great commuter links. Halsart House - Priced at fl.449m
I
Harenwood House - Priced at fl.395m
•subject to scheme rules
Harenwood House
ADVERTISING FEATURE �
HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS 13th – 21st February Support National Nest Box Week at Hever Castle’s ‘Living with Birds’ this Half Term and enjoy some family fun. Nature expert, Tim Christian, returns to lead a bird box building workshop* (*£6 in addition to entrance fee). Building a bird box to take home contributes to the conservation effort in the UK while giving you the pleasure of observing any breeding birds you attract to the garden. Children can join a FREE bird themed craft workshop and find out more about different species of British birds on a birds spotting trail in the grounds. Visitors can also buy a bag of bird food* at the information centre (*50p) to feed the birds and ducks. National Nest Box Week is organised each year by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Britain’s leading bird research charity. They encourage everyone to put up nest boxes in their local area to promote biodiversity and conservation of our breeding birds, particularly now the natural nest sites on which many of our bird species depend, such as holes in trees and buildings, are fast disappearing. From February 13th (weather dependent) visitors can follow a snowdrop trail through the grounds where a dusting of frost adds to the beauty of a walk in the award-winning gardens. At this time of year, delicate snowdrop bulbs are starting to emerge after their winter dormancy, the first sign that spring is just around the corner. For further information please visit the website: hevercastle.co.uk or call Hever Castle on 01732 865224.
CHISLEHURST CAVES Old Hill, Chislehurst BR7 5NL. Open Wednesday - Sunday every week. Grab a lantern and travel back in time, on an exciting tour of the labyrinth. Hear tales of Druids, Romans, Saxons and Ghosts; see the Caves Church, Druid Altar not to forget the Haunted Pool! Perfect for a rainy day, can be scary for younger children.
JILLY AND MARY’S HALF TERM HIGHLIGHT Penshurst Place and Gardens, Penshurst TN11 8DG The Best of British Bugs, Beetles and Beasts, 13th to 21st February 10.30am – 4.00pm Admission prices apply. Learn about the life and habitats of Britain’s wickedly wiggly beetles and insects with a special Garden trail. Meet some of the creepy crawlies themselves on the 13th and 14th, with the Beasts Roadshow put on by The Hawking Centre. Enjoy the vast adventure playground with a giant slide, swings, climbing nets and more, plus a junior play area
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for the littlies. Visit their lovely cafe or restaurant, or you can even bring a picnic if the sun is shining!
imaginations take over! A hot choccy and slice of homemade cake finishes the outing off perfectly.
PEPENBURY FARM Cornford Lane TN2 4QU A wonderful local charity providing care and support for people with learning disabilities. For a donation you have the opportunity to see animals cared for by the residents such as ducks, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. Take a stroll to the woods, build dens, swing in the trees and navigate the maze letting
HOLIDAY FUN The Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Road, TN4 9TX 18th February 1.00pm – 3pm This activity is specifically run for children with special needs and their families. Come and enjoy Bouncy Castle, Football, Art and Craft, Table Tennis and Soft Play. To book your place contact Carol on 07486 429 562
MARVELLOUS IMAGINARY MENAGERIE De La Warr Pavillion, Marina, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1DP. Monday 15th February, 11.00am Tickets £8.75 - £10.50 with family tickets available. Roll up; roll up, for the most ‘magnifical’, ‘tremendible’ and ‘fantasticulous’ experience in town! An indoor circus show at the De La Warr Pavilion suitable for big kids and small grown-ups!
EAGLE HEIGHTS Eagle Heights is now home to one of the UK’s largest Bird of Prey Centres, currently we have a collection of approximately 100 raptors. This includes over 50 species, many of which are now breeding at the centre or can be seen flying in our daily demonstrations. We have also expanded into a wildlife sanctuary, housing many different species of animals, including Meerkats, Servals, Huskies, other mammals, Reptiles, Birds and more! At Eagle Heights we have daily flying displays and animal encounters! Please call us on 01322 866577 for times.
THE HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM Are you “cool” enough for science in Doc. Yard’s Secret Lab? Following a successful summer of science spectaculars, Doc. Yard, The Historic Dockyard’s brilliant but slightly eccentric resident professor, is away on another intrepid expedition; this time pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration and visiting both the North and South Poles via the shortest route possible - through the centre of the earth! Back at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Doc’s trusty assistant Bunsen is trying to find ways to keep the Doc safe from the extremes of the subzero cold - Bunsen will need the Dockyard’s growing army of Techsplorers to ‘chill out’ in the Secret Lab and help with some “cool” new research. Doc. Yard’s Secret Lab runs throughout the day from 10.30am until 3pm, every weekend and every day during school holidays from February 13th until April 17th and is included in the normal dockyard annual ticket, giving unlimited return visits during normal dockyard opening times. www.thedockyard.co.uk
Wednesday 10th February 2016
62 ■ FOOD AND DRINK
Hiding out in style… By Lesley Potter
T
HERE is a subtle hint of the nautical about The Hide Out, a jazzy eaterie on the corner of London Road and Castle Street, Tunbridge Wells. A pair of bronze ship lanterns, one port and one starboard, sit in the window, and the custommade tables, with their hickory tops and steel legs, are reminiscent of an ocean-going yacht. That is hardly surprising since the owners, chef Jamie and his partner Fiona, have spent four of the seven years since they met at sea cruising the Caribbean and the Galápagos on chartered yachts where they worked as crew. The pair have now eagerly swapped turquoise seas and a blistering sun to come back to Tunbridge Wells where, a year ago, they opened their own restaurant. It was two years ago when Jamie, who grew up in the town, received a message on his mobile while cruising around St Barthes from an old friend telling him the lease on the building was up for sale – and he jumped at the chance. He said: “I’ve always loved this building. It has a charm to it. It’s just tucked away and quite an interesting looking building. It was a Chinese for years and I always used to look at the garden and think, ‘Wouldn’t that be an amazing place to sit and have a drink in the summer?’” Since then the couple have taken the place over, transformed the interior into a modern and ambient dining room, and the business is going from strength to strength. They came back from holiday in mid-January to find their inbox full of requests for tables, and have been fully booked every weekend since. The menu is short, with only four starters and four mains on a list that changes every month, but this is because Jamie’s focus is on top quality ingredients that are seasonal, and he is guided by what his suppliers recommend. Nevertheless there is something for everyone – whether you like fish, meat or vegetarian. On a chilly evening last week, and after a long day in the office, it was a relief to walk
into this hip joint, with its bold, black décor, candlelit tables and ambient trance music. We already felt like we had been transported to the interior of a luxury boat on some far-flung tropical island… and that was before any of the seafood came out. I always like to start with something light – leaving more space for mains and dessert – so I chose the Courgette and Feta Soup which sounded original and warming for a winter night, while my friend chose the Tempura Prawns. The soup was velvety with a salty, sheep’s cheese edge, and the plump prawns were among the freshest I’ve tasted, and cooked to perfection. They came with a dip reminiscent of the Caribbean: Chilli, spring onions, palm sugar and cane vinegar. For mains, I chose Thai Coconut and Pak Choi Broth with added prawns (the little nibble I’d had of my friend’s starter had
OWNERS Jamie Tsui and Fiona Berg
STYLISH The dining room at The Hide Out
whetted my appetite), while she chose Pan Roast Garlic Chicken. The broth was actually more like a noodle dish, but was again wonderfully fresh, while the chicken had a crispy skin, well balanced with the creamy mash and wilted spinach. To drink we chose the house red from Italy, as we both prefer a light, fruity wine which does not overpower
TASTE OF THE TROPICS Tempura prawns with chilli, spring onion, palm sugar and cane vinegar dipping sauce
Wednesday 10th February 2016
the food, and the Prima Pietra Cabernet Merlot from Italy was the perfect choice. To complete the tropical theme of the evening I suppose we should have chosen a fresh fruit salad as our dessert but there is only so far you can push a metaphor, and it was, after all, mid-winter outside. So we chose a February favourite to share: a portion of the sticky toffee pudding. It came with the tart, citrus accompaniment of redcurrants, tempered by the smoothness of raspberries, vanilla ice cream and a fan of thin chocolate. If you like restaurants with excellent service, wholesome, fresh food and something a little original and different, The Hide Out is a great place to eat.
FACT FILE The Hide Out, 26 London Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1DA Website: www.thehideout.kitchen Phone: 01892 315297 Starters from: £5.95 Mains from £11.95
FOOD AND DRINK ďż˝
On the menu at...
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Coriander & sesame seed Naan
Shahi Zeera Lamb
Chilly Paneer
Lamb chops
Machli Bhaja (Tilapia Fish )
The Cinnamon Square, Rings Hill, Hildenborough, Tonbridge TN11 8LX | 01732 832944 | www.thecinnamonsquare.com
Wednesday 10th February 2016
WITH THE
THE TOWN’S TOP MOTORING GUIDE – FROM EVERYDAY DRIVES TO LUXURY SUPERCARS
FIRST DRIVE:
OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND SEVENOAKS
Skoda Octavia VRS 230 estate ‘Upping the performance factor hasn’t diminished the core Octavia qualities of being undemanding and easy to get on with’
By Matt Joy WHAT’S NEW? There’s a lot to love about the Octavia vRS as we know it. The spacious and good value mid-sized offering can be had in petrol or diesel forms, in hatchback or estate and with manual or slick DSG gearboxes, all of which are blessed with impressive performance and handling. But now there’s a 230 model to make choosing even more difficult. In petrol-only 230 form, the power output has been bumped by 10PS to give 230 in total, or 227bhp in old money, while underneath it also benefits from the clever electronic differential as standard. Marking out the 230 model from a regular vRS are the 19-inch alloy wheels, black detailing on the door mirrors, grille and roof rails on the estate, as well as unique instrument displays. LOOKS AND IMAGE They may be subtle differences to the regular hot Octavia, but the vRS 230 is even better looking. The black detailing around the exterior gives it a little more menace, although it is far from a boy racer’s hack; Skoda has always managed to produce sporty cars that look good, but won’t attract the wrong kind of attention, which is one reason why they’ve proved so popular. There’s also the added cache of owning the 230 model over the standard car, which might well prompt a few people to trade up. SPACE AND PRACTICALITY The other reason the Octavia vRS is so popular is that you can have it as an estate, which makes it far easier to justify as a family wagon. As with the standard Octavia, the boot space is excellent; a yawning 610 litres with the rear seats in place and up to 1,740
Wednesday 10th February 2016
litres if you fold them. It’s sensibly shaped too, with storage areas and lashing eyes for bigger stuff. In the cabin, there’s plenty of space, too, and unless you need the vast legroom of the bigger Superb, you’ll be able to fit adults in all five seats. BEHIND THE WHEEL Upping the performance factor hasn’t diminished the core Octavia qualities of being undemanding and easy to get on with. There’s a brief burble from the 2.0-litre turbocharged unit when you fire it up, but the clutch is light and the gearshift easy and slick. The extra 10PS doesn’t transform the vRS 230 from hot into scorching, but it’s welcome nonetheless. It’s a joyously flexible unit that has lots of low-down torque but is also keen to rev, with strong acceleration right around the dial. The standard sports exhaust adds
a little more to the vocals too, although it’s far from raucous. It also blends ride and handling prowess in a well-judged fashion. The electronic differential means you can accelerate harder and earlier, and it helps to pull the vRS through bends with alacrity. It’s sufficiently good fun to be entertaining, but not so hyperactive it will drive you crazy on the motorway. VALUE FOR MONEY The vRS 230 costs an additional £2,120 over the standard car in manual estate form, but for that you get electric sports seats, the extra power, electronic differential and all the visual enhancements including 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, which is considerably cheaper than those extras added on top. To put that in perspective, a Golf GTi hatchback with less power will cost you another £2,500.
WHO WOULD BUY ONE? If you can afford the extra outlay, there’s no reason not to choose the vRS 230 over the standard vRS. The extra power and grip are welcome as are those heated leather seats and it looks smarter, too. Happily the Octavia in any guise is a purchase you don’t have to justify; good value, spacious, practical, easy to live with and sturdily built, it can play the role of family car and daily driver whilst still raising a smile. This car summed up in a single word: Polished. If this car was a school pupil, it would undoubtedly be the class swot.
FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: Skoda Octavia vRS 230, £27,550 ENGINE: 2.0-litre petrol unit producing 227bhp and 258lb.ft of torque TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels ECONOMY: 44.8mpg combined EMISSIONS: 143g/km of CO2 PERFORMANCE: Top speed 152mph, 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds
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The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for all-new Mazda2 range: Urban 43.5 (6.5) - 74.3 (3.8). Extra Urban 68.9 (4.1) - 88.3 (3.2). Combined 56.5 (5.0) - 83.1 (3.4). C0 2 emissions (g/km) 117 - 89. The mpg fig ures quoted are sourced f ro m off icial EU-regula te d test res ult s obt ain ed t hrough laboratory tes t ing. These are provid ed for co mparability purposes only and m ay not refl ect your actu al driving results . Retail sal es only, subj ect to vehicle availability for vehicles regis tered between 22.12.1 5 and 31.03 .16 at pa rticipa t ing dealers. T&C apply. *Oo/o APR Mazda Per sonal Cont ract Purchas e available on all all -n ew Mazda2 models over 24, 30 or 36 mon t hs wi t h no mini mum deposi t r eq uired. At t he end of t he ag re ement t here are 3 op t ions: (i) Renew: Part excha nge t he vehicl e. (ii) Retain: Pay th e Opt ional Final Paym en t to own the ve hicl e or (iii) Ret urn t he vehicl e. Fur t her charges may be mad e subject t o t he condi t ion or mil eage of the ve hicle. Excess mil eage cha rge of 14.9p pe r mile appli es. You will not own the vehicle until all payments are made. Finance subject t o sta t us, 18s or ove r. Guarantee/i ndemn ity m ay be req uired. Mazda Financial Services RH11SR . Model shown: all-n ew Ma zda2 75 ps SE, OTR fr om ÂŁ11,995. Model shown feat ures op t ional Soul Red Metallic pai nt (ÂŁ6 50). OTR price i ncl udes VAT, number plates, delivery, 12 mon th s' road fund licen ce, f irst regist ration fee, 3 yea r or 60,000 mile wa r ra nty and 3 yea r s' European Roadsid e Assistance . 0 Tes t drives subjec t to applicant st at us and availabi lity. Det ails co r rect at t ime of going to pri nt . Not available in co njunction with any othe r offer un less specified . Calls to 0844/0 8 45 numbers will be cha rged at 7 pe nce per minut e plus yo ur st andard network charge. Cambria Automobilies PLC, trading as lnvicta Tunbridge Wells Mazda is a credit broker not a lender for this financial promotion. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
66 n MOTORS
Model shown is the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider at OTR £63,600 which includes Alfa Red pastel paint at £600, Carbon fibre halo at £1,800, 18-19" Multi-spoke alloy wheels with dark finish at £1,350, Red brake callipers at £350. Range of official fuel consumption figures for the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider: Urban 28.0 (10.11/100km); Extra Urban 55.4 (5.11/100km); Combined 40.9 (6.91/lOOkm). C0 2 emissions 161 g/km. Fuel consumption and co, figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/ regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions.
IS THE ORIGINAL SUV STILL THE BEST? Take a closer look at the Jeep Grand Cherokee and you'll begin to see why it is the most awarded suv· ever. Is it the best? Book a test drive and you decide.
Oo/o APR REPRESENTATIVEt TO £3,000 JEEP DEPOSIT CO
Model shown is the Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 litreV6 Summit at £5 1.715 OTR including special paint at £710. OFFICIAL FUEL CON SUMPTION FIGURESFOR THE JEEP@GRANO CHEROKEE RANGE IN MPG [L/lOOKM]: EXTRAURBAN19.4 [9.6 ] - 43. 5[6. 51. URBAN13.9 [10.31- 30.4 [9.3 1. COMBINED 10.9 [1 3.5] - 37.7 [7. 51. C02EMI SSIONS: 315 - 198 G/KM . Fuel consumption and CO, figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representativeof real-life driving conditions. ' Claim relates to Jeep Grand Cherokee nameplate over its lifetime. 'Promotion available on new Grand Cherokee models registered between 5th January and 31st March 2016. Complimentary scheduled servicing for 3years or 30,000 miles whichever occurs first. including the first MOT on all qualifying retail sales. Jeep Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Jeep Hire Purchase. 0% APR Representative Hire Purchase available for a3year term with aminimum deposit of 12% required. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. Jeep Financial Services, PO BOX 4465. Slough, SLI ORW. We work with anumber of creditors including Jeep Financial Services. Jeep@ is aregistered trademark of FCA US LLC.
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The Power to Surprise
Fuel consumption in mpg (11100km) for th e All - New Ki a Sportage range: Urban 28.2 (100) - 52.3 (5.4), Extra Urban 43.5 (6.5) - 67.3 (4.2), Combined 37.2 (76) - 61.4 (4.6), C02 emissions 177 - 11 9g/ km . MPG figures are official EU test figures fo r comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving r esults. Ava ilab le betw een 05/02/15 and 31/03/15 inclusive. Avai lable over 25. 31 & 37 months. At the end of t he agreement there are 3 options: (i) Renew: Pa r t exchange t he vehicle, (ii) Retain: Pay t he Optional Final Payment to own the veh icle or (ii i) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to mi leage and cond ition of t he vehicle. Excess mi leage charge 14.9p per mi le. Subject t o status. T&Cs apply. 18s or over. Guar antee/Indemnity may be requ ired. Kia Motor s Finance RH l lSR. Model shown: Al l-New Kia Sportage 'GT- Line' 1.6 T- GDi 174 bhp 6 - speed manual (AWD). Offer not available with any other offer. Offer s not avai lable in The Isle of Ma n or Channel Isla nds . Retai l sales only. Detai ls corr ect at t ime of going to press. 7 yea r I 100,000 m ile ma nufacturer's warran t y. For full terms and exclusions visit www.kia.co.uk . Lifestyle Europe Ltd trading as Lifestyle Kia are a credit broker (not a lender) for the purposes of this financial promotion and can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction. You will not own the vehicle until all payments are made.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
68 n MOTORS ADVERTISING FEATURE
THE VITARA GETS A WILD SIDE!
S
uzuki has taken the Vitara to another level! With powerful performance and 4x4 capability, this sporty drive is assured to give you a drive to remember. Less than a year after the UK launch of the Vitara, and with over 5,000 units already being sold, Suzuki has introduced the Vitara S. With prices starting at £20,899, the Vitara S comes with a 1.4-litreTurbo charged engine, boasting Suzuki’s first application of the new BOOSTERJET technology. The engine offers new levels of performance with the car capable of 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds, and a maximum speed of 124mph for both manual and automatic models. Having been voted one of Europe’s safest cars and receiving a 5-star rating from the Euro NCAP, the Vitara S is a fine example for high safety in an SUV. With features like ABS with EBD and Brake Assist Function, Driver knee airbag, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and Side Impact protection beams, Suzuki have done their upmost to protect the car inside and out from any problems that may arise. Emma Britton, Sales Manager for Lifestyle Suzuki in Tunbridge Wells explains that “the previous Vitara sold so well I’m really not surprised Suzuki have brought out the S so soon after. The 5 star safety rating of the S is a
Wednesday 10th February 2016
huge lure to potential customers, along with how technologically advanced the Vitara has become. I don’t think it will be too long before the S becomes more popular than its predecessor.” Stereotypically a four-wheel drive is often seen as an uneconomical vehicle. However, Suzuki’s ALLGRIP system enables class leading CO2 emissions that are extremely low for a four-wheel drive. The Vitara S emissions are just 127g/km and only one gram higher for the optional automatic transmission. The ALLGRIP system has four driver-selectable models including Auto, Sport, Snow and Lock that helps it to adapt to any situation or terrain that you may encounter. Available in four colours: Bright Red, Cool White Pearl metallic, Galactic Grey metallic and Cosmic Black metallic, the Vitara S is unmissable. Especially with the interior sporting the Suzuki theme throughout; with red interior stitching, red accents for air conditioning vents and a sports steering wheel. With an engine auto stop-start system, adaptive cruise control, suede seat upholstery and tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, the interior of the Vitara S is equally as impressive as the outside. With a SAT Nav, DAB digital radio, USB connector and Bluetooth
integrated into the audio unit, there are many options for your entertainment needs whilst travelling from A to B. Having already improved an impressive
model, Suzuki’s vehicles are getting bigger and better, and the Vitara S is currently leading the way for an economical and price pointed SUV.
LIFE AND STYLE �
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UPDATED KITCHEN SHOWROOM OPENING EVENT ON 11 FEBRUARY 2016, 6pm-9pm Edmondson Interiors have been creating beautiful bespoke furniture and kitchens in our workshop in Goudhurst since 1994. We have had a spate of new ideas and cannot wait to show them off. The work surfaces are a mix of textured granite, marble and silestone predominantly in whites, greys and blacks. The lion’s share of the furniture has been made in oak some plain and traditional with simple doors set into sturdy frames but the new favourite is the solid oak raised panel style kitchen, as described and shown in the recent blog post.
Knowle Grange Health Spa Get DNAFit at Knowle Grange Health Spa. Take the guesswork out of how to lose weight, stay fit and keep injury and illnessfree. 50% of what we are is genetic, 50% is behaviour. By taking a 100% accurate DNA test, we can unlock a new level of understanding as to which types of exercise and nutrition best suit your genetic profile.
We are calling this our Egeiro door which is Greek for raised. It is contemporary, very different from anything else we have ever made and starts off a new family of kitchen designs made in different woods and colours. In the new showroom it will be combined with a rustic grey boarding from Admonter in Austria to really set it off.
Improve performance, strengthen your ability to ward off disease, increase longevity, lose weight and feel good. Reach your goals easier and quicker. £299 including DNA test, genetic report, consultation, exercise plan and meal planner. The beauty of DNAFit is that it’s not a one-size-fitsall approach.
The new Utility room should cause comment. Some doors are rippled grey veneer which is remarkably 3D looking, some doors are veneered in ash combined with a dash of orange.
Each plan is tailored to the type of exercise that an individual is suited to, minimising their risk of potential injury and how much time their body needs to recover.
The island is now in stained Black American Walnut. Really rich looking and a stunning result against the latest ‘M Touch’ Miele appliances.
Nutritionally, we can test your sensitivity to carbohydrates, salt, saturated fats, whether you may be likely to develop a food intolerance, and whether increased supplementation may be needed in accordance with your DNA to optimise your health. Fitness and nutrition just got personal: it’s all about you!
We have chosen two fantastic partners for the food & wine at the opening event. More details of the event can be seen on this BLOG POST.
Wadhurst Road, Frant, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9EJ 01892 750 761 | www.knowlegrange.co.uk enquiries@knowlegrange.co.uk
Please Let Us know is you can join us on February 11th! Edmondson Interiors Hammonds Farm, Smiths Lane, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1EU
Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells The stage is set for your perfect wedding Sublime. One word to express the greatest of all days. With exquisite private rooms and gorgeous suites, a tranquil terrace and vineyard, heavenly dining and your own dedicated events organiser, there can be no more fitting a stage, as you glide elegantly from ceremony to wedding breakfast and beyond. Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells is the perfect venue for weddings and civil partnerships. Join us for our wedding fayre on Sunday February 21, from 10.30am until 3pm, with a large range of exhibitors, including photographers, florists, room decorators, spa therapists, DJs and more. Free admission. Complimentary glass of bubbles. Great offers on the day. Free parking. Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2LY 01892 320 749 | www.hotelduvin.com events.tunbridgewells@hotelduvin.com
McKews Catering Catchpole & Rye Catchpole & Rye Limited is pleased to announce the opening of its new showroom in Royal Tunbridge Wells in spring 2016. Situated in the heart of the design quarter on Calverley Road, it represents another milestone in the company’s continued expansion. Since the launch of the Chelsea showroom in 2013, demand for their bespoke branded products has accelerated greatly, necessitating the doubling of its manufacturing base in Ashford, Kent. The ability to manufacture items to customers’ specific requirements is unique within the bathroom industry, and has proven a hit with designers and architects alike. With a longstanding reputation for artisanal products and an exceptional personal service, Catchpole and Rye Limited expects its third and largest showroom to date to provide a valuable service to its existing clients, as well as the opportunity for new private customers to view its offerings first-hand. The showroom, set over two floors, will offer a full design service, alongside its full range of products and finishes. Watch this space for more news about the Tunbridge Wells showroom and its opening date via our website, social media and news pages. www.catchpoleandrye.com
After a very successful 2015, our diary is now open to take bookings for the 2016 season. Using only local, free-range produce and backed by Southborough Butchers, McKews Catering can tailor-make your event to suit your personal requirements, specialising in hog roasts and lamb spit roasts. Catering from 50 to 2,000 people, we can guarantee a personal service. We are available for private parties, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, fetes and fairs! Alongside our hog roasts, we can offer a large selection of barbecue meats, marinated in a variety of mouth-watering flavours. For more information, call our events team on: 07791 175 333 or 07972 091 524
01892 529757 southboroughbutchers.com
Wednesday 10th February 2016
70 TRAVEL
Goa-ing for relaxation gold By Keeley Bolger
I
’M NOT sure what to expect when I reach my hotel in Goa. It’s dark and I only manage to snatch glimpses of coconut trees and the grand white balconies which nod to the state’s colonial Portuguese past. “Goa is not like anywhere else in India,” says our driver proudly. “It moves at its own pace.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard about Goa’s famous gear switch – quite a contrast to the rest of India. It has a reputation for attracting laid-back hippies on yoga retreats and budget travellers seeking cheap massages on the beach. But I’m not a backpacker or a lover of lazing on beaches, so how do I fit into all of this? Quite easily, it turns out. Relaxation is the order of the day across the south of India’s smallest and richest state, and wellbeing is a key focus for the Park Hyatt and The Leela, the first two hotels I stay in during my break. Away from the honeymoon hordes and the busy hippy paradise of the north, hotels like this are helping to reposition Goa as a luxury beach destination. Both properties have enviable access to gloriously quiet and unspoilt stretches. Of course, there are things to do; you can jet ski, have Goan cookery lessons or play tennis. But when the coastline is this beautiful and peaceful, it feels churlish to practise my serves. Nestled in our sun loungers, my husband and I sip surprisingly delicious salty lime sodas, breaking up the day with ungainly hops into the Arabian Sea, after scorching our feet on the sand to do so. Winter is in full swing back home, so dipping into sea water in 32C heat feels strange, when just a day ago, we were snivelling into our scarves at the airport. But it’s not long before we adjust to the sultry weather and settle into our Goan rhythm. Indeed, it’s hard not to feel relaxed when the days fall into a happy pattern of swims, fresh fish curry and lolling in the sun. A hefty gin and tonic from a nearby beach shack sets the mood as we watch people paragliding along the coastline, while the sky turns pink. “Great view from the office,” I say to the owner of the beach shack. “It’s like this every night,” he replies with a smile. After all my idling on the beach, I decide to turn down the dial from ‘relaxed’ to ‘positively horizontal’ with a trip to the Park Hyatt’s spa.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
There, a cashew nut ritual awaits me. The therapist promises me a holistic retreat from the world where my body will be nourished and my mind relaxed. I’m intrigued to see how that’s possible, given my already blissed-out state. After a sauna and shower, my feet are buffed and soaked and I’m scrubbed all over with the spa’s oily cashew product to gently exfoliate my skin, before being wrapped up and massaged. A head massage with the cashew oil follows, as does another steam, a shower and another massage. When my time is up, I’m helped into a fluffy robe and given a cashew nectar drink to sip while I ‘adjust’ to my surroundings. As morning routines go, this is one I could certainly get used to. To combat all this lazing around, I opt for an energetic morning yoga session the following day, at our new digs in The Leela. I’ve never practised yoga outdoors before, but The Leela makes a convincing case for doing so. Surrounded by trees dappled by the morning sun, the yoga pavilion is an appropri-
‘Nestled in our sun loungers my husband and I sip surprisingly delicious salty lime sodas’
ately tranquil spot. More medicinal than the classes I’ve attended at home, the session focuses on resetting the balance of the body and mind. Bird song in the air also makes a pleasant change from the whims of my yoga teacher’s record collection. For a final blast of tranquility, the Nilaya Hermitage boutique hotel in the tiny village of Arpora in north Goa takes some beating. Unlike our previous hotels, the Nilaya isn’t on the coast. Instead, it’s tucked away in the hilltops, overlooking the bustling beaches of the Baga resort. Although only a few miles away from the lively weekend market, the hilltop location and winding roads mean that getting out of the Nilaya requires transport and planning. I love exploring new areas, but can’t resist sitting by the pool with a fresh vat of coconut water. I enthusiastically book myself an Ayurvedic massage, hoping to boost my levels of calm before heading home.
‘It’s hard not to feel relaxed when the days fall into a happy pattern of swims, fresh fish curry and lolling in the sun’
TRAVEL
Gesturing towards a selection of potions in glass bottles, the masseur explains these blends have been used in India for hundreds of years. With my muscles pulled and joints clicked
back into place, I nod in contentment when asked how I feel after my treatment. In fact, I feel just about serene enough to conquer the British winter again.
71
TRAVEL FACTS Keeley Bolger was a guest of The Goa Experience (goaexperience.co.uk ; 01489 866 986) which offers tailor-made seven-night holidays to Goa from £1,299pp, including luxury hotel accommodation with breakfast, private transfers and flights from Gatwick.
Wednesday 10th February 2016
72 � RECRUITMENT
WITH THE
FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY
OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND SEVENOAKS
Term Time Teachers • Teachers, TAs & support staff required for day to day, short/long term and permanent positions.
• Term Time Teachers has been established for 12 years with a dedicated and experienced team.
• We are the local supply service with an open door policy to call in any time to discuss personally your requirements.
• Recognised for our professionalism by our schools, our teachers, TAs, supporting staff and the local authorities.
Tel: 01892 676076 | office@termtimeteachers.co.uk | www.termtimeteachers.co.uk Wednesday 10th February 2016
RECRUITMENT n
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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ADVERT CONTACT OUR SALES DEPARTMENT ON 01892 779624
Fill your vacancy now
in print or online For more information contact Jordanne Reville
jreville@markerstudy.com 01892 576049 Wednesday 10th February 2016
I
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CHANEL 210 Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2SS, Tel: 01892 618618, enquiries@burrellsjewellers.co.uk
Burrells www.burrellsjewellers.co.uk
ADVERTISING n
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3D Skinmed is the ultimate multi-technology platform soon to be revealed as the next celebrity secret to an uplifted and rejuvenated skin.
We are so proud that our clinic Kent and Surrey Aesthetics have been given exclusivity to the new 3D SkinMed. Yes we are in Warlingham, yes it's about 40 minutes from Tunbridge Wells but as it is a 1 session only treatment, surely it's worth the short drive? In the last few weeks since the machine arrived we have been inundated with bookings and think the gorgeous ladies and gentlemen of Tunbridge Wells should know about our little secret.
KENT AND SURREY AESTHETICS 01883 622791 www.kentandsurreyaesthetics.co. uk Email: info@kentandsurreyaesthetics.co. uk Wednesday 10th February 2016
76 ■ WHAT’S ON A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Paul Dunton Live music
The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… www.paulduntonandguests.com
SEVEN DAYS OF EVENTS AT A GLANCE
Dave Barnett of TW events
DON'T MISS Paul's pick of the week Roxxon at The Forum on Saturday
THERE are some cracking gigs to be enjoyed across the town this week, here are my top recommendations! PICK OF THE WEEK… The incredible Derek Nash & Dave Colton return to the Cross Keys this Wednesday night. For all you punk rockers out there ‘Insane Society’ will be at Cassidy’s Bar this Friday night, they are not to be missed! The band have just released their fifth studio album and have previously supported Bad Manners and UK Subs. Expect a highly entertaining live show. Local business Amber Creative are putting on ‘Loofest’ this Saturday at The Forum featuring music from Roxxon + Silent Crowd + Milly McCarron to help raise funds to enable The Forum to have an eagerly awaited brand new set of toilets. For fans of acoustic music there is a cracking line up at The Grey Lady on Tuesday, February 16 with Ed Jones, Kat White, The Frampton Sisters and Corey Fox - Fardell. THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE
The Pantiles. Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7. www.pdag.co.uk /www.thegreylady.co.uk WEDNESDAY - Annie Chew Katy Virgoe Leanie Kaleido FRIDAY - (9.30pm till late) The Violet Jive SATURDAY - (9.30pm till late) Groove Agents SUNDAY - No show TUESDAY - Ed Jones, Kat White, The Frampton Sisters, Corey Fox - Fardell WEDNESDAY - Harry Whitty, Stuart Worsell, Perter Mercer, Benjamin Lewis
Wednesday 10th February 2016
A selection of events in Tunbridge Wells. For more details visit: www.tunbridgewellsevents. co.uk/thisweek
OPERA Jonas Kaufmann 's concert La Scala will be at the Odeon on Thursday
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM
Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk THURSDAY - Lisbon + Skies + Callum Rafferty FRIDAY - Youth + Dead Ceremony + Lui Dodds + Isaac Holman + Paul Cheese + DJ Karl Quinn + Lee Willz SATURDAY - ‘Loofest’ featuring Roxxon + Silent Crowd + Milly McCarron TUESDAY - NARCS + Thee Greater Good + Inevitable Daydream
FRIDAY - Blues with Bottle Club: Booga Red SUNDAY - TARC Acoustic Open Mic Night MONDAY - TWURPS: Ukulele Practice WEDNESDAY - Sonny’s Jazz: refer to venue website above CASSIDY’S SPORTS BAR
Castle Street, Tunbridge Wells. Open all day, free entry, music from 9pm till late times available at www.twjazzclub.co.uk FRIDAY - Insane Society SCALLYWAG
THE BEAU NASH, MOUNT EPHRAIM
Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late SATURDAY - Woodface NO9 SMOKEHOUSE, 9 NEVILL STREET
45 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells. Open all day, music from 7.30pm, entry charge for music may apply FRIDAY - Ed Watts WEDNESDAY - Open Mic Night with Champagne Charlie and Tom Carradine.
FRIDAY - The Broadband THE ROYAL OAK THE CROSS KEYS
St Johns Road, Tunbridge Wells. Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, website: www.crosskeystw.co.uk WEDNESDAY - Derek Nash & Dave Colton
Prospect Road, Tunbridge Wells. Open all day, free entry, live music from mid-afternoon onwards SATURDAY - The Harveys + Guests MONDAY - Open Mic/Jam Session
PUNK ROCKERS Insane Society play Cassidy's Bar
>> WEDNESDAY There are films at Trinity every day this week; the usual mix of foreign, catch-up, repeat screenings of popular films and in this week which kicks off half-term, some children’s films. Today it’s Comme un Avion or The Sweet Escape to give its English title, a French comedy about a 50 something graphic artist who sets off on a trip with unexpected encounters. Mid-life crisis anyone? >> THURSDAY Jonas Kaufmann is a German opera star. This evening he will be popping up in several places as a documentary centred around his concert at La Scala in Milan is broadcast. With 5 encores and 40 minutes of applause I think it must have been a good performance and in this vein there will be repeat screenings over the coming weeks. Tonight you can see it at the Odeon, The Hawkhurst Kino and the Picture House in Uckfield. The lecture series The Art of Faith returns to the Museum after a break for Christmas. This evening is the third in the series and features art in Christianity. Today’s film at Trinity is a chance to catch up with the final instalment of the Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence. >> FRIDAY It’s Friday so it must be time for some Fun at the Museum; today’s art session for children is titled Paper Patterns. With plenty of inspiration in the current Wycinanki exhibition I’m sure the results will be splendid. If you like your classical music live then the first concert in the 2016 season of the Lamberhurst Music Festival takes place in a candlelit St Mary’s tonight. Featuring Steve Devine, recently curator at the now closed Finchcock’s Musical Museum, he will perform Bach’s Goldberg Variations for harpsicord. Also performing will be soprano Kate Semmens. Today’s Trinity film is an additional screening of Tom Hanks in The Bridge of Spies. >> SATURDAY So it’s half term already! This means that the grand houses and estates in the area will be putting on special activities for the next week. Hever Castle has a bird theme and Penshurst Place is looking at bugs, beetles and beasts. Talking of beasts, the Stag has a stage production of Beauty and the Beast from local company Bullfrog today. A Day Out With Thomas is always popular on our
steam railways, today (and tomorrow) the gang are at Tenterden where you can immerse yourself in all things Awdry! Trinity is showing Maggie Smith in The Lady in the Van this afternoon, this is followed in the evening by the monthly comedy cafe. >> SUNDAY And today is Valentine’s Day. If you’re reading this on Wednesday and it’s just reminded you, you can thank me later... But Valentine’s Day is not really event driven so I’ll let you look elsewhere for places to take your loved one. There’s a show for the young ones at Trinity this afternoon, where the Adventures of Pinocchio will be performed. Trinity then gives you a chance to catch up with two films given a nod in the up-coming award ceremonies. First Eddie Redmayne is The Danish Girl and then Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet are in Steve Jobs, the biopic of, erm, Steve Jobs. There are two other films in Tunbridge Wells today in places you might not expect. It’s hard to put a Valentines twist on Legend, unless it’s brotherly love. The story of the Kray twins starring Tom Hardy is being shown at the monthly Royal Oak film club, while at the other end of town the Sussex Arms runs a Bad Movie Club and is showing The Room. This is not the current Oscar nominated film Room, but a 2003 film that has been critically panned for its ‘horrendous acting, incoherent score, remarkably horrid dialogue, appalling screenplay, cheap cinematography, and indubitably unimpressive direction’. Fits the bill then! >> MONDAY Today’s film at Trinity is one for the kids, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur imagines life if the dinosaurs hadn’t become extinct. >> TUESDAY There’s another film for children at Trinity, or I assume it’s aimed at children. Charlie Brown and Snoopy is based on the Peanuts cartoon strip and features all the characters we know and love. This is followed by another French film, this one however is a documentary from the maker of March of the Penguins as he returns to Antarctica to follow explorer and glaciologist Claude Lorius. And there’s likely to be more Polish inspired papercutting at the Museum as they start their half-term art sessions under the title of Plenty of Paper. As is generally the case with such museum events it’s free to attend and there’s no need to book.
WHAT’S ON ■
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My kids have no problem with elephants and warthogs – just dogs Renowned elephant conservationist and wildlife television presenter, Saba Douglas-Hamilton, is heading for Tunbridge Wells and if you have an interest in wildlife this is one show you will not want to miss. Known to millions of viewers for This Wild Life and Big Cat Diaries, you’ll be entertained with animal stories and intimate behind the scenes tales of her life in Kenya with her young family. Saba was born in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya on June 7 at 7pm on the seventh day of the week and became the 7th grandchild in the family. Her name means ‘seven’ in Kiswahili. When she was six weeks old she met her first wild elephant, one of approximately 400 living in the Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania that her father, Iain Douglas Hamilton, was studying. As a child her first language was Kiswahili. Saba lives in Kenya with her husband and three children and runs the family’s tented eco-lodge, Elephant Watch Camp How did you get involved with the camp? My husband Frank and I wanted our kids to experience bush living properly, so taking the decision for me to run Elephant Watch Camp was relatively easy as Frank was already heavily involved
in Samburu National Reserve through Save the Elephants. Was it a difficult decision to take over this camp with a young family in tow? Not really. I was going a bit mad being a 'mum in the suburbs', especially after the twins were born. My life pre-kids was very adventurous and mostly in wild places, as was my husband’s, so we were both pining for a bit of wilderness. How is family life in the busy it different from ‘normal’ family life? Family life in Samburu is pretty similar to normal life elsewhere. You have to make meals, brush teeth, figure out day-care, read bedtime stories, and convince the kids to have a bath! They still say the food is yucky, and yowl at us when they’re annoyed. It’s just set in a slightly different context. While our kids have no problems feeding warthogs or giraffes by hand, but they are absolutely terrified of dogs! On the face of it, you are raising your children in what people might
consider a ‘dangerous’ environment. I feel much safer raising my kids in Samburu National Reserve than I do in urban Nairobi. And when we go to a big city like London, it’s mayhem as they have no idea how to behave on pavements or about the dangers of traffic. So, depending on where you are raised, you either learn to be street-wise or bush-wise. What’s important is to know a bit about both. What do your kids get out of it? Living amongst Samburu nomads is the most incredible education for the kids – they absorb absolutely everything they see and hear, and just by living in the bush are learning all about the animals, bugs and birds, what they eat, where to find them, what their footprints or dung looks like, where they nest, how to identify their songs. I’m constantly surprised by what comes out of their mouths. All of the kids speak Kiswahili (it’s actually their preferred language amongst themselves) but the twins (now 3) also understand Samburu and will happily translate for me. In fact, someone very naughty has
taught them to swear like troopers in Kisamburu, which has all of the warriors rolling on the floor, but luckily none of us know what they are saying! Selkie (5) is the most amazing little guide, explaining to our guests how to sex elephants by looking at the shape of their foreheads, or where the hornbills make their nests and why. We didn’t bring many toys with us, so like Samburu kids they started making
their own. Mainly wrapping up the great sausage-like seeds from the Kigelia trees to use as dolls. We then drew some faces on them to make them more lovable. April 20 7.30pm, Assembly Hall Theatre £17.50/15.50 + booking fee 01892 530613 www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
NATURE LOVER Saba DouglasHamilton with an elephant
Deception, passion and greed A TALE of deception, betrayal, passion and greed prove potent ingredients for an unsettling mystery in Dial M For Murder. This Trinity Theatre Club production is directed by Meg Nutt, who has previously taken the helm at a series of its previous shows including Corpse!, Gaslight, and Rope. It forms the first of four shows for the group’s 2016 programme, which includes a performance of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, marking the 400th anniversary of his death. Taking on Frederick Knott’s thriller for its latest production has been an intriguing challenge, exploring what is regarded as a subtle yet compelling study of infidelity, resentment, and greed. Dial M for Murder is perhaps best known as one of Hitchcock’s film noir masterpieces, and Trinity Theatre Club’s production aims to recreate its sense of style and elegance, as well as adding its own twist. Featuring a black-and-white design, spectacular lighting and an atmospheric set make for an especially memorable play. It traces the story of ex-tennis professional Tony Wendice, who married his wife Sheila for money. Now he plans to kill her for the same reason, convinced that she is having an affair. When his precise murder plot goes awry, can he improvise an equally deadly plan B? Claustrophobic and at times frightening, Trinity Theatre Club’s latest production is a take on a story that has thrilled audiences for decades, aiming to leave you on the edge of your seat. Visually stunning, as well as gripping and unpredictable, Dial M For Murder is a long overdue revival of a classic – so book your seats for an evening of suspense in the style of film noir.
UNSETTLING Dial M for Murder at Trinity Theatre
Dial M For Murder is at the Trinity Theatre, between 23th-27th February. Evening performances: Tuesday 23 –27 Saturday at 7.30pm. Matinee performances: Wednesday & Saturday at 2.30pm. Tickets: Evening performances £14 - concessions £13; Matinee performance £9. Box Office: 01892 678678. visit www.trinitytheatre.net
Wednesday 10th February 2016
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An enjoyable way to expand your knowledge of the arts As a member of the National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts (NADFAS), the Pantiles Decorative & Fine Arts Society has access to outstanding speakers from all around the country. Chairman Graham Archer explains how PADFAS promotes cultural education and conservation through a series of fascinating lectures… Would you say education is a big part of what you do? Very much so. We think we’re going to be able to provide a programme that will enable us to help schools. There are one or two new schools around with growing art programmes, and our members are very interested in seeing whether we can arrange extra activities for young people. Is the involvement of young people important to you? We would like to have more younger members, but we do find that they tend to be people who have retired. This is a little disappointing to us, because it should be possible for people who work during the day to come along to an evening meeting. Of course, with our emphasis now on trying to help schools, we hope some very young members might occasionally come along and participate in our activities.
ART LOVERS Graham Archer (far right) and fellow PADFAS members
Tell us how PADFAS got started The Pantiles branch is an evening branch. It was formed because a lot of people who found it inconvenient to get to a morning meeting were disappointed, and suggested we should have a second NADFAS group in Tunbridge Wells, which would cater for people who were more able to get to an evening meeting, either because they work or have morning commitments. This meets at the school in Langton Green, which is very convenient for people to get to by car. How would you sum up what it is you do? What we’re doing is bringing experts from around the country in areas that we know will be of interest to people in Tunbridge Wells. We try – quite deliberately – to cover a very wide field of interests, such as art, sculpture and costume. We also occasionally introduce local speakers; later on this year, we’re having a local magician talk to us, so there’s a wide spread of interests, which cover history as well as art.
MONTHLY illustrated talks are held in the Jubilee Theatre at Holmewood House School, Barrow Lane, Langton Green, on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7.30pm, apart from July, August and December. Forthcoming topics by national speakers will include Toulouse-Lautrec and Bohemian Paris, Coventry Cathedral, Icons and Inspiration, Wonder Workers and the Art of Illusion, The Aztec Legacy and Handel,
Wednesday 10th February 2016
Are there any particular highlights for members? One of the attractions to people – and we find that they join possibly for this reason – is that we have quite a wide-ranging programme of visits to theatre and art events, as well as places around Tunbridge Wells and in London, which people particularly like. For instance, we took a group to Chevening House on the other side of Sevenoaks, which was a very successful day out. People were able to go in and see this house, which isn’t normally open to the public, and we found that was vastly oversubscribed.
Hogarth and Captain Coram’s Foundling Hospital. The PADFAS committee welcomes all those attending talks to coffee afterwards, with the opportunity to meet other members and the speaker. They also arrange members’ outings to places of interest. Highlights in the last year have been to Waddesden Manor, Chevening, a Thames cruise, Watts Gallery, Glyndebourne, the National Theatre and a members’ garden party in the summer. An annual subscription covers the monthly lectures, quarterly editions of the NADFAS Review and the opportunity to join in the visits. Another important
benefit is the chance to make new friends and share your interests with them. NADFAS is for people of all ages and new members are always welcome. The current annual membership subscription is £45. Visitors pay £7. If you would like to join or find out more, please contact Mrs Jane Langrish by calling 01892 535 385 or by emailing langrish@langrishm. freeserve.co.uk For more about PADFAS, visit www.pantilesdfas. org.uk
Whereabouts do members come from? We find they come from places like Groombridge, Mayfield and quite an area around Tunbridge Wells. That’s partly because it’s outside Tunbridge Wells and relatively easy to drive there in the evening. We meet every month and are having a meeting on February 25, which people are very welcome to come to. We charge visitors a very low fee of £7, and if people are joining NADFAS, they’ll pay to become members. It’s all run by volunteers and we’re entirely self-supporting, so members’ fees, donations and the money we get from visitors pay for the annual programme. Exactly how many members do you have? It’s a little bit over 100 at the moment, but we’ve found for a number of years that we’ve managed to retain about 100 members. We would very much like to increase that and see 120 members by the end of this year, and we’re fortunate out at Langton Green that we have a large, very good hall with a screen and all the audio amplification systems, so we could actually fit in a lot of people, and certainly have 150 members if people were interested in coming. Do you come up against many obstacles in running PADFAS? One challenge is that we have to be quite certain that we have the members, which we sustain at about 100. The other is to ensure that we get high-quality speakers, for which we go all around the country. For instance, a speaker we’ve got soon is coming up from South Devon and is an expert on costume in court. She’s been a curator and is the expert, so that’s what we tend to try and do, which is get the best people from around the country to give the
OUTINGS A PADFAS visit to Strawberry Hill
talks to us. What makes it rather special is that they bring with them a very high quality of visual presentation. Why is the work of NADFAS so important? What NADFAS does for young people is very important. We provide study days, so if anybody is interested in looking into a subject in some depth, with a bit of luck, they can look at the NADFAS programme and enrol for a whole day in a subject that will interest them. So, it’s not just a question of evening lectures, as there’s a programme throughout the year, run by NADFAS, which people can get the details of when they join us. We’ve found that a lot of people enjoy the extra activity and education that provides.
UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday February 25 – Martin Heard: Toulouse-Lautrec and Bohemian Paris. The atmosphere and excitement of fin de siècle Paris, as depicted by ToulouseLautrec and his contemporaries. Thursday March 24 – Alexandra Epps: Coventry Cathedral, Icon and Inspiration. The extraordinary story of the rebuilding of the cathedral as a symbol of reconciliation, and its inspiring commitment to world-class contemporary artists such as Piper and Sutherland.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS �
Kent Barker Country matters
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After taking a leap from London, the plan was to start a new life in the countryside and a career as a famous author. Instead I acquired a dog and part-time work managing a community orchard. You can read these experiences on my blog: www.kentcountrymatters.blogspot.co.uk
Row over responsibility for rutted lanes
I
GOT my ear bent by a local farmer the other day. “That letter you published in the village magazine – bit unfair. It’s not our fault. Anyway, we were here first.” After pointing out that I’m not responsible for what the magazine publishes, I tried to disentangle what had so irked him. The letter was, I thought, relatively innocuous and quite well argued. It expressed concern about farm vehicles damaging verges and drains along the narrow lanes that proliferate round here. “These vehicles are getting larger, in some cases they are as wide as the whole lane making passing virtually impossible. This is having a detrimental effect on the sides of the lanes… causing deep trenches.” It’s certainly true that, in the extraordinarily wet weather we’ve had this winter, verges have been badly chewed up. Part of the problem is that there are no official lay-bys or passing places so if you meet another vehicle you have little option but to pull over on to the side and pray that you won’t get stuck in the mud. Otherwise, it’s a long reverse, possibly up hill and round a bend or two. So you can see the point. Harassed homeowners, trying to make the station on time for their daily commute, or scurrying late for the
school run, do perhaps have a legitimate gripe about large, slow-moving tractors and trailers clogging up ‘their’ lanes. But, as the farmer pointed out, there is another perspective. How did the lanes come to be in the first place? Round here in the Weald they generally started as drovers’ routes. Anglo-Saxon settlers imported ‘transhumance’ – the seasonal herding of stock from one area to another. As their stock was mainly pigs, they created swine pastures in woodland clearings, known as ‘dens’, hence Benenden, Rolvenden etc. By Norman times, surrounding woods had been enclosed by manorial lords or ‘assarted’ (cleared), and the countryside we’d recognise today began to be created. The tracks remained, linking the dens, some of which turned into settlements, while others became outlying farms. And it stayed thus for almost a thousand years. But then, less than a century ago, the internal combustion engine changed it all. Suddenly it was practical for people with no links to farming to live in isolated rural homes. And, along with their cars, came macadamised road surfaces. So perhaps our letter writer should accept that the lanes she is so concerned about are only there because of farming. As, in all likelihood, is her
‘Perhaps our letter writer should accept that the lanes she is so concerned about are only there because of farming’ house. And the only reason the rural countryside – which presumably drew her there in the first place – remains as it does is because of farming. And farming is a business – one which has always needed to transport goods. Other businesses may be able to relocate to specially designed industrial parks near main roads. Farmers can’t. If you have a dairy farm down a narrow lane, you have – at the very minimum – to get cattle feed in and milk out, along that lane. But surely our correspondent has a point about the size of modern farm vehicles? Well, yes and no. A modern tractor trailer can be almost 25 tonnes. A trailer behind an old-fashioned grey Fergie or Fordson Major was likely to be about 3.5 tonnes. So, to transport 24 tonnes of silage, you could have one trip by the modern rig or seven by the old one. That’s seven extra journeys, probably at considerably lower speeds, clogging up your lanes. Even seven journeys by a lighter vehicle would cause less damage to the road than one much heavier one, wouldn’t they? Not necessarily. Modern agricultural vehicles are fitted with those
huge balloon tyres which spread the weight over a greater surface. Farmers use them because they don’t crush or compact the soil in their fields as much as standard tyres. So it’s possible that they cause less damage to verges than earlier tractors, and that the ‘deep trenches’ are not from farm vehicles at all, but from cars – or delivery vans which have dramatically increased in the Amazon/Ocado era of home shopping. Farmers themselves complain of the domestication of the lanes. One homeowner has a wide verge between his boundary hedge and the road which he kindly mows, even though it doesn’t belong to him. However, to protect it from vehicles, he has put in a line of posts along the kerb. It means it can’t be used as a passing place and even makes it difficult for tractors to turn at the junction there. Perhaps the lesson is that all should recognise the lanes have to be shared by residents, farmers and businesses alike. And that depredations need to be reported to, and repaired by, the county council. But getting any action from them is another story!
HEAVY WEIGHTS Farm vehicles leaving their mark
Wednesday 10th February 2016
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