Times of Tunbridge Wells 20th April 2016

All the news that matters

Local, National and International

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY THURSDAY MA’AM

Our royal connections Page 28

JONATHAN DIMBLEBY BRINGS HIS ICONIC RADIO PROGRAMME TO A LOCAL SCHOOL

NO FLY ZONE FOR DRONES DURING VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT

WHY THE PANTILES IS REALLY SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS

Page 3

Page 16

Pages 25-27

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MARK…

Three reasons why you should vote in the coming weeks THE REFERENDUM ON EUROPE...

THE POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS...

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS...

will shape our country for generations.

We give you the chance to question experts

will impact the number of officers on the streets.

We provide the background to those standing

will decide how money is spent locally.

We set out your choice of candidates

INSIDE BUSINESS MATTERS New group reinforces role as the networking capital

PAGE 10-11

FOOD AND DRINK

Brothers’ unique approach to gastronomic delights

PAGE 80 OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

COMMENT TODAY this newspaper publishes five pages devoted exclusively to three elections that will be taking place in the coming weeks. And we are placing such an emphasis on them because each election is unique and in its own way will have a significant impact on our community.

Rarely have three such occasions to vote come together at the same time and it is unlikely to happen again in our lifetime.

There’s the chance to change the face of Europe and beyond in the EU referendum on June 23. Before then, on May 5, there’s the opportunity to elect a new police chief for Kent, someone we will hold responsible for keeping our streets and homes safe. Finally there’s the borough council elections, also on May 5, where a third of those who have power over elements of our lives across Tunbridge Wells will be chosen.

BALLOT BOX Make sure you cast your vote

In this country it’s not compulsory to vote. But those who choose not to tick a box on a ballot paper can hardly claim the right to complain about the outcome or the consequences that follow.

That’s why the Times is playing its part in the democratic process by working with others to give readers access to the information they need to make considered decisions.

In association with The Discussion Forum we’ll be staging a live debate where you will be able to get answers from a panel of experts. We’ll also be putting readers’ questions direct to MPs Greg Clark (IN) and Nus Ghani (OUT).

Plus we’ll find out what the younger generation think from a debate and vote at Bennett Memorial School.

See pages 4, 5, 6, 7, 12

ENTERTAINMENT

Mayfield Festival hits high note with weekend launch

PAGES 96-97

THE COMPETITION

Your chance to win a night’s stay at One Warwick Park

SEE Page 93

2 � LOCAL NEWS

Weather Wednesday Another dry day with plenty of sunshine.

Jota make flying start at Silverstone VICTORY (L-R) Giedo Van Der Garde, Simon Dolan, Harry Tincknell

April 20, 2016

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11 C

Visibility: Very Good

Pollution: Low

Humidity: 62%

Sunrise: 05.52am

Sunset: 20.03pm

Wind: 15mph

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

12ºC

9ºC

9ºC

8ºC 8ºC

A walk in Dunorlan Park sent in by Alex Wallace

Send your weather pictures into... newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

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QUOTE UNQUOTE ‘One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well’

Virginia Woolf

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Queen thanks author who wrote autobiography when aged 90 AS THE Queen turns 90 tomorrow (April 21), the celebrations will have extra meaning for one Tunbridge Wells resident who has her own unique royal connections.

For Mary White the day marks one more achievement in her extraordinary life with the broadcasting on local radio of the autobiography she wrote two years ago at the age of 90.

Her book, Time to Love, will be read out in nine one-hour-long instalments, with the first timed to coincide with Her Majesty’s own birthday, and Mary is thrilled.

“I am very excited,” she said before adding that her celebration will be low key: “We will probably just listen to it on the internet and enjoy it.

“I sent the book to the Queen as she will be 90, and got a lovely letter back thanking me.”

Published last year, Time to Love has sold nearly 1,000 copies.

It chronicles a life which has been lived through war and poverty while raising a son

with Asperger’s. There was also the tragic loss in 1991 of her husband Lionel, who himself came from Tunbridge Wells.

Born in Norfolk, Mary moved to Tunbridge Wells and later found love again while taking an art class at the adult education centre.

There she met her new husband, Norman White.

She describes it as ‘the best moment’ of her life.

Although The Queen will be the focus of numerous and spectacular celebrations tomorrow, Mary fondly recalls her own 90th birthday.

“Norman and

myself just went for a meal, but I did not feel like I was 90. I don’t even feel like I am 92, I just feel like me, the only difference being I cannot walk very fast or run to catch the bus.

“The last 16 years since I met Norman have been the happiest of my life and I am so lucky to have a soul mate. Every day is a good day.”

The instalments of her book will be broadcast from tomorrow (Thursday) on BBC Radio Norfolk.

For more on local royal connections see page 28.

MY WORD Mary White’s book will be broadcast on local radio

Another step in the regeneration of Sherwood A NEW neighbourhood park in Lakewood has been opened by Town & Country housing association as part of its ongoing regeneration of Sherwood.

Complete with a playground, which was installed by Hill Partnership, the project joins a long list of improvements in the area, including those made to TN2 Community Square and enhancements of Sherwood Lake.

The Lakewood Jubilee Neighbourhood Park cost £238,300 and is part of a wider £34million Sherwood regeneration scheme from Town & Country which was approved in April 2012.

It was officially opened to the public

by MP Greg Clark in front of a crowd of local parents and children. To celebrate the event there was a free hog roast and refreshments.

Greg Clark is pictured with local councillors, Town & Country staff and contractors.

PHOTO: David Hodgkinson

8ºC

JOTA Sport won the season opener of the European Le Mans series at Silverstone on Saturday, putting them in good stead for the rest of the championship. The Frant-based team were running two cars over the weekend, both under the banner of their primary sponsor G-Drive Racing. In addition to the four-hour race on Saturday, Jota had their debut in the World Endurance Championship for a six-hour race on Sunday, where they clinched third place.

LOCAL NEWS 

BBC’s iconic talk programme to be broadcast from local school Eileen Leahy newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk ONE of the BBC’s most popular radio programmes will be broadcast live from a school in Tunbridge Wells this Friday and members of the public are invited to attend.

Radio 4’s Any Questions? visits a different part of the country each week with a panel of four leading figures who answer questions from the audience.

This time the flagship programme, which attracts a listening audience of 1.5million, will be broadcast from Bennett Memorial Diocesan School.

Presented by Jonathan Dimbleby, it is thought that the panel will consist of Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening and Mick Cash, General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union.

Any Questions? was first broadcast in October 1948 and has been hosted by Mr Dimbleby since 1987.

Bennett contacted the Any Questions? team in 2012, when it was celebrating its Diamond Jubilee, to offer the school as a possible venue for the programme.

“At the time they thanked us and informed us

they would be in touch. Towards the end of 2015, three years later, they asked us if we would be interested in hosting on April 22. The answer was a most definitive ‘yes!’” said Deputy Head Teacher Richard Tyson.

The production team then work very hard in the half hour before the programme starts to finalise which questions will be asked.

“We have not yet received final confirmation of Parents and students have been invited to who is on the panel but the BBC express an interest in attending – there are 300 producer informs us that the tickets available. panel looks set to include some “Some pupils will also be involved in welcoming high profile politicians.” members of the panel to the school and talking to What does he think the them before and after the programme. Others will students will gain from such be given a tour of the outside broadcast van. an experience?

“Members of the general public are very “A lot - we are aiming to welcome to attend. If any reader would like a involve them as much as ticket they should contact our school possible. The opportunity reception at the soonest opportunity.” to meet with and question politicians in If you are interested in attending such an environment is Radio 4’s Any Questions? at Bennett relatively rare.

Memorial Diocesan School on April 22 “Hosting the event in please call 01892 521595. Members the school will give our of the audience will need to arrive students new insights by 7.15pm. The minimum age for and knowledge about audience members is 14.

Jonathan Dimbleby major current affairs.”

MPs target air traffic control in fight against plane noise THE four local MPs who warned Gatwick not to backtrack on its recent commitment to reduce noise from low flying aircraft, have kept up the pressure by taking aim at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, Wealden MP Nus Ghani, Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon and the MP for Tonbridge, Tom Tugendhat, have written a joint letter to NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe, asking for a meeting.

In the letter, they state their constituents have suffered ‘for too long’ with the consequences of current airspace arrangements although it was ‘clear’ a solution could be implemented.

They add: “We are very pleased Gatwick has opted to implement all of the recommendations [in the Arrivals Review].

“However, they [Gatwick] are clear that without the co-operation of the National Air Traffic Services, some of the recommendations may not be implemented in full.”

Any meeting with air traffic control, they state, should be held before the closure of the latest consultation on Gatwick’s proposals on May 16.

The letter coincides with Mr Tugendhat securing a debate in Westminster Hall this morning (Wednesday) on ‘the effect of aircraft noise on local communities’, where he will speak for the first 20 minutes.

Westminster Hall is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate.

QUESTION TIME Bennett students discuss what they will ask politicians

Its debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister.

Mr Tugendhat’s initiative has been praised by pressure group Gatwick Obviously Not, whose Chairman Martin Barraud described it as a ‘significant moment’.

Referring to both the letter and the debate, he said: “We salute Tom and his team for securing this ground-breaking event. Democracy has reared its powerful head. Twice.”

LONG HAUL Constituents have suffered ‘too long’

Viewers relief as teenager survives horrific cliff fall MILLIONS of TV viewers watched in disbelief on Monday night as they saw Tunbridge Wells teenager Patrick Dauncey fall off a cliff towards jagged rocks on Channel 4’s The Island with Bear Grylls. Fellow contestants let out terrified screams as the 19-year-old, who is on a gap year in order to take part in the TV show, fell 30ft after losing his footing on the cliff while on a mission to find firewood.

He landed on his back on the jagged rocks jutting out to sea, leaving viewers wondering how seriously injured he was.

Thankfully one of his team mates was Dan Quemby, one of two doctors in the group, who has since revealed the teenager was saved from serious injury by the fact he was wearing a rucksack on his back.

Mr Dauncey has since been on Twitter making light of the situation, stating: “Oh my gaaad, is he alive or dead? Tuck in next week for more class banter.”

The Island with Bear Grylls is a British reality TV series in which participants are placed on remote, uninhabited Pacific islands as a test of their survival skills.

3

NEWS IN BRIEF

KCC academy broadside on government plans MEMBERS of the Conservative-run Kent County Council have turned on the government by demanding a rethink over plans to make every school an academy.

County Councillors unanimously voted yesterday (Tuesday) to write to Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, to say the reforms were flawed and should be dropped.

The vote is particularly significant as Kent County Council is the largest Conservative-run education authority in the country.

Cllr Roger Gough, who sits as the council’s cabinet member for education, said he had ‘considerable concerns’ over the policy.

He said while he did not oppose academies he did not believe there was ‘evidence’ suggesting they were always better than maintained schools.

Love Where We Live NOMINATIONS have opened for the annual Tunbridge Wells Love Where We Live Awards giving people the opportunity to the recognise individuals, groups and organisations who make the town what it is.

There are seven categories open for nomination this year including Charity of the Year, Best Group and Individual Hero.

For the younger members of our community there are the Young Sports Achiever of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year awards, while a panel of judges will choose the overall Love Where We Live Award.

Nominations close on 29 July, and the finalists will be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Assembly Hall Theatre on Tuesday 11 October.

Landlord shuts Shoon A PROMINENT Calverley Road shop was abruptly closed over the weekend following what the Times believes to have been a dispute between the store and its landlord.

Shoon, the shoe shop situated on the corner of Calverley and Camden Roads, was left vacant with a ‘notice of forfeiture’ visible on the shop front.

The notice, which was issued by law firm Howard Kennedy on behalf of the landlord Calverley Court Limited, stated that Shoon had forfeited its lease and the locks have been changed.

New museum YouTube TUNBRIDGE Wells Museum has launched its own YouTube channel in the hope of increasing access to its displays.

Behind the scenes tours, staff interviews, lectures and responses to online questions will be just a few of the services on offer.

It comes after the museum was recently awarded £4.3million from the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to develop a cultural and learning hub in the town.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

4  LOCAL NEWS

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Helping you get some answers to those all important questions In the coming weeks, voters in Tunbridge Wells will get the chance to take part in three vital polls that will decide our future at national, county and borough level. Over the next four pages we explain what’s at stake with the EU referendum, the ballot for a new Police and Crime Commissioner and the council elections

OUT

IN

THE most important vote in a generation will be taking place next month (June 23) and whatever the electorate decides, the implications for this country will be monumental.

Any decision is likely to be irreversible and will determine this country’s path for decades to come.

The Times believes it has a responsibility to give readers access

 THE GREAT EU DEBATE: No one knows what the future will hold, how events will unfold with data being interpreted to suit the arguments of both IN and OUT campaigns. In order to help get to grips with the daily outpouring of information we are playing our part in staging The Great EU Debate in partnership with The Discussion Forum. The event will be hosted at the Assembly Hall on May 25 and chaired by ITN Political Editor Andy Bell. (See opposite for the full story).  QUESTIONS TO MPS: The IN and OUT campaigns are now in full swing, splitting parties and even the government, with polls showing the population is also becoming more polarised. Despite being in the same party Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark and Wealden MP Nus Ghani now find themselves campaigning for different sides.

In February we featured their views on Britain’s relationship with the EU. Both Mr Clark, who supports Britain remaining in the EU, and Ms Ghani, who supports leaving, put forward reasoned arguments in support of their positions.

At the time Mr Clark said: “I believe that we

Wednesday 20th April 2016

to information that can help them make informed decisions when they reach the ballot boxes.

For that reason we are taking part in three EU initiatives.

have a brighter future as a leading part of Europe than out of it. For me, it comes down to our national interest. We are a trading nation.

Nearly half of all our exports go to countries in the European Union – the biggest free-trade zone in the world. Our jobs and our livelihoods depend on businesses large and small selling their wares to other countries.”

Ms Ghani, in contrast, argued: “The growing constraint on Britain to decide its own approach to issues such as prisons and policing is a dagger at the heart of sovereignty and a huge blow to the legitimacy of our Parliament. The truth is the EU has faced a massive crisis of legitimacy of its own for many years. And it’s a crisis that could envelop us all.”

Readers have since been invited to submit their own questions to be put to the Conservative MPs and the Times is currently in the process of compiling a balanced cross section. Questions such as what impact will Britain leaving the EU have on the City of London? How long will the exit process take?

And will university research suffer or flourish outside of the EU? Answers from both MPs will be published in the coming weeks.

 SCHOOL DEBATING: It is important to

remember that despite the over 60s being the age bracket most likely to vote, it is those still at school who will live with the consequences longest. So, we decided to find out what the younger generation think about the EU issue. And we enlisted the help of Holly Stafford, a year 12 pupil at Bennett Memorial Diocesan School who we know through her ongoing work experience with this newspaper. We asked her to talk with others about staging a debate at the school with her peers.

She was given the go-ahead by the school and the debate took place yesterday (Tuesday). Members of the Senior Debating Team went head to head on the pros and cons of Brexit. Many of those who attended will be able to vote in the real referendum and they were invited to take part in an endof-debate ballot on whether to stay in Europe or leave. They voted to stay in Europe.

Holly’s report on the proceedings will be featured in the newspaper next week, giving readers a small insight into what the younger generation is thinking

LOCAL NEWS 

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Approximately 190,000 people who are eligible to vote across the boroughs of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells will have their chance to define the future of this country for years to come by choosing IN or OUT. However, many people are still confused and undecided about how they should vote. This is why the Times has agreed to be the media sponsor of the Great EU Debate, which is being hosted at the Assembly Hall on May 25 by The Discussion Forum.

The idea is the brainchild of forum founders Caroline Clark and Diana Armstrong-Wilson, both of whom are having trouble making up their minds on which way to vote.

Mrs Armstrong-Wilson said: “Caroline and I are both fairly politically knowledgeable, but we are struggling to come up with a clear-cut decision.

“One evening we said ‘all we want is to have one event where all the policies from both sides are put to us clearly at one time and we can then make a decision on facts, not rumour, scaremongering or political gainsay’.

photo: ITN

Andy Bell

TV political editor to chair debate on Europe dilemma Andy Bagnall

photo: CBI

SHOULD we stay or should we go?

That is the question millions of people in Britain will be faced with on June 23 when asked to give their verdict on the UK’s membership of the European Union.

“We quickly realised that such an event did not exist and so the Great EU Debate was born.”

They have since worked tirelessly to put together a programme aimed at giving people all the information they need to make an informed decision.

The debate will be chaired by ITN’s Andy Bell, who cut his journalistic teeth on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, where he was the foreign affairs’ editor, before heading across to the political desk at ITN. This debate is aimed at appealing to everyone in our community and beyond. New voters can take advantage of The Discussion Forum’s offer of 100 free places to 6th formers from local schools so that they may take part in this landmark dialogue.

Although the debate panel is still being finalised, it’s confirmed that Ben Patterson, former President of the West Kent European Movement, and Professor Philip Davis, Visiting Fellow of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, will be arguing for the IN vote.

Arguing for OUT will be Brendan Chilton, General Secretary of Labour Leave, and Diane James, an MEP representing South East England.

The Confederation of British Industry’s Director of Campaigns Andy Bagnall will also be taking part.

Local business leaders are being invited to come along and put their questions to the panel of experts.

The opening discussion will be followed by audience questions aimed at either the panel or local business representatives, giving all those attending the chance to challenge the experts.

Ticket prices for the event being run by The Discussion Forum start from £12.50.

This is your chance to get answers to those all important questions that might help you decide which way to vote on June 23.

Balanced One of the major sponsors of the Great EU debate is the Tunbridge Wells branch of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

The independent charity, which was founded in 1939, operates 216 self-funding branches across the UK, with the aim of providing free, confidential information and advice to assist people with their money, legal, consumer and other problems.

Explaining why the charity decided to sponsor the Great EU Debate, Jeremy Cross, Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells and District CAB, said:

“Citizens Advice exists to help local residents deal with the challenges that face them every day.

“The EU Referendum is a big decision for everyone,” he added. “We welcome this opportunity to inform people by sponsoring a balanced, well-informed and lively debate that I hope will help them make the decision that is right for them.”

DEBATE DETAILS: Debate starts at 7.30 pm at the Assembly Hall on May 25.

Pricing: £17.00 full adult, £15 concessions (code required), Group 10+ £12.50 Book Now: 01892 530613 Online: www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Submit your own question by emailing Caroline@thediscussionforum.co.uk.

Additional names are regularly being added to the panels so go to www.thediscussionforum. co.uk for the latest news

Diane James

Wednesday 20th April 2016

6  LOCAL NEWS

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Five parties fighting for your local votes

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE CABINET ARE  Leader of the Council: Cllr David Jukes (below)

 Finance and Governance: Cllr Paul Barrington-King  Sustainability: Cllr Dr Ronen Basu  Communities and Wellbeing: Cllr Lynne Weatherly (left)

Polls can have significant impact on your daily life Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TAX, housing and culture are just some of the many things at stake in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council elections on Thursday May 5.

Despite rarely seeing turnouts exceed the mid-30’s during years when they don’t coincide with a General Election, these polls still have a significant impact on our daily life.

For better or worse, Tunbridge Wells has been almost exclusively dominated by the Conservative Party since the borough was formed in 1973.

Five parties are fielding candidates: Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour, UKIP and The Green Party. With the exception of a brief four year gap in the mid 90’s, when there were two years of no overall control followed by a short period of Liberal Democrat governance, the Conservatives have ruled. And they cannot lose overall control this time round with only a third of the seats up for grabs. Even so individual councillors can still hold the authority and its officers to account.

The council provides a diverse range of services across the borough which are budgeted to cost £65.6m over the next financial year. Just over half of this, £35.2m, is reserved for housing benefits and council tax support, however this is directly reimbursed by central government.

However, the remainder has to be paid for through a mixture of sources, including council tax, fees and charges. All this will have an impact on your pocket.

With central government cutting its financial support for Tunbridge Wells to the bone over the course of this Parliament, savings, tax rises and price hikes are on the cards to fill the funding gap.

Choices have to be made – cut back on free parking? Scrap the ice rink? Cut back further on museum opening times? Or reduce the often touted, but little explained, ‘wastage’?

And these are matters of daily expenditure.

The council also oversees millions of pounds worth of investment into projects and infrastructure, often with an eye on making a return.

The key is who do you trust to make the right choice to spend this money and deliver the services we take for granted?

HOW THE COUNCIL IS RUN Formed in 1974, Tunbridge Wells Borough is run by a council made up of 48 representatives from 20 wards.

Eight of these wards cover the town itself while the remaing councillors represent smaller towns, and rural communities.

The majority of the wards are represented by two or three councillors, with the exception being Capel and Frittenden & Sissinghurst, each of which only have one.

The council is split along party lines, with the Conservatives currently having the majority of members.

The biggest party gets to set policy and will generally pick one of their own to be Council Leader.

You can find the full list of the 16 seats being contested and details of the 67 candidates looking for your vote on page 12.

 Planning and Transportation: Cllr Alan McDermott

 Tourism, Leisure and Economic Development: Cllr Jane March

ONES TO WATCH Conservatives are the incumbent party in all but six of the 48 council seats. Currently the Liberal Democrats are the second largest party (3) followed by Labour (2) and one independent.

However, 16 council positions are up for grabs and the smaller parties will be looking to make a breakthrough. Labour and the Conservatives are fielding candidates in every ward, as is UKIP. The Liberal Democrats are contesting 18, while the Green Party are running in five. The wards of Rusthall, Culverden, Pantiles and St Mark’s, St John’s and Southborough and High Brooms will see candidates from every party standing for election.  Husband and wife Labour candidates Kevin and Isobel Kerrigan will be attempting to take their place on the council.

Mrs Kerrigan will be battling to dislodge Conservative Sean Holden in the Benenden and Cranbrook ward.

Mr Holden (left) recently questioned whether money should be spent on having a mayor ‘in a pantomime costume’.

Mr Kerrigan, who ran for Labour in last year’s general election, is going up against Conservative cabinet member Jane March.  Two out of three of the incumbent Liberal Democrats will be defending their position: Hugh Patterson in Capel and Ben Chapelard in St James’ ward.  Labour will be hoping to make Southborough and High Brooms an all red ward by securing the third and final council position up for grabs.  Cabinet member for Sustainability Dr Ronen Basu will be defending his position in the Culverden ward.

ELECTION TURNOUT FIGURES:

Wednesday 20th April 2016

THE YEAR

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Turnout

45.5%

32.9%

31.4%

39.6%

70.8%

LOCAL NEWS �

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Who will be the new police tsar?

Winner will oversee a county-wide budget of £258million and face tough decisions LAUNCHED with little fanfare, and even some hostility, the role of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) did not win a ringing endorsement when just 16.3 per cent of Kent voters turned out for the inaugural election in November 2012.

However, despite the controversy of incumbent Ann Barnes, who will not be standing for re-election on Thursday May 5, whoever holds the position will have a direct impact on policing in the county.

Their role is to deliver an effective and efficient police service within their force area while being an elected voice for the public to hold police to account.

Despite budget cuts of £61million since 2010, the new PCC will still oversee a policing budget of £257.9million.

With more cuts expected, whoever is elected to the £85,000 per annum job, will have to make some tough choices and will have to prioritise resources.

Their challenge will be to work out how best to spend the money and use the 5,769 officers, staff and PCSOs currently available to protect the 1.7 million people who call Kent home. Just over 1 million are eligible to vote.

HOW TO STAND AS PCC: Candidates must secure the signatures of 100 people registered to vote within the force area in which they wish to stand and must pay a deposit of £5,000.

They will lose that deposit if they secure less than five per cent of the overall vote.

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER MATTHEW RICHARD SCOTT – Conservative “Your security is my priority.

My six point plan will deliver the positive changes that Kent and Medway needs in all of our urban, rural and coastal areas.”

Lives in: Swanley Current employment: Parliamentary Manager in Westminster.

Background: He has served as a local councillor and school governor, and ran a community centre for three years.

DAVID SANDRU NAGHI – Liberal Democrat “While it is fashionable to treat this election as of little importance, policing involves a multimillion-pound budget and affects all our lives.”

Lives in: Maidstone Current employment: Selfemployed builder and councillor.

Background: Chairman of Maidstone Sea Cadets, a member of the Kent Playing Fields Association and a long association with the Howard De Walden Youth Centre.

HENRY BOLTON – UKIP “If the people of Kent elect me as their Police & Crime Commissioner on May 5, I will NOT be subject to UKIP party whip.”

Lives in: Folkestone Current employment: Border Management at the European External Action Service.

Background: Mr Bolton has had 21 years military service as an officer with the infantry, and worked as a civilian police officer and a security and defence planner at the Foreign Office.

GURVINDER SANDHER – Independent “Your independent local candidate standing up for the people of Kent and keeping party politics out of policing.”

Lives in: Dartford Current employment: County chair of the Kent Police Independent Advisory Group and vice chair of the Kent Police and Crime Panel.

Background: Chair of a local mental health project and a youth club and an independent parish councillor.

TRISTAN OSBORNE – Labour “Kent needs a Police and Crime Commissioner that will put people and our Police over PR.” Lives in: Rochester Current Employment: Senior Consultant at market analysis firm Ellwood Atfield and a councillor for Luton and Wayfield ward at Medway Council. He was the youngest councillor to be elected in 2011.

Background: He is a long-standing member of the USDAW Trade Union, Co-operative Party and a number of charities in Medway.

STEVE UNCLES – English Democrat “I believe in one Law for everyone in Kent – English Law, and that’s why I commit to protect our law.”

Lives in: Dartford Current Employment: Project Manager and freelance Contract Manager.

Background: He was commended in March 2014 by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police for tackling an armed robber in July 2013 in London.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS 

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Taxpayer money to be spent seeking biotech dividends

KENT County Council is buying into the world of biotech by securing equity in some of the county’s most cutting edge firms, giving taxpayers a stake in these companies.

The £5million Discovery Park Technology Investment Fund has seen the council invest directly into a range of different firms, such as a £1million cash injection into Centauri Therapeutics, a developer of anti-bacterial drugs.

Money from KCC is invested under the advice of venture capitalist firm NCL, which has offices in Kent and specialises in getting biotech companies from the idea stage to making money.

So far, NCL has advised on the investment of almost half of the fund, which has drawn an additional £6.8million from other backers.

Thanks to the council’s financing, Centauri Therapeutics was able to secure a further £5.3million from investment firm Horizon two weeks later.

Flat profits fail to spook investors in M.P. Evans SHARES in Tunbridge Wells’ plantation owners M.P. Evans rose last week despite profits falling by ‘only’ ten per cent over the course of 2015.

Profit after tax at the AIM-listed firm came in at £18 million, compared to £20million for 2014, a result described as ‘pleasing’ by executive chairman, Peter Hadsley-Chaplin.

The fall in profits was driven by a 25 per cent drop in the price of palm oil over the same period from an average of $821 (£573) per tonne in 2014 to $622 per tonne in 2015.

However, this was partially offset by a ten per cent increase in palm oil production and rising demand for the firm’s second biggest commodity, beef-cattle.

M.P. Evans said the cattle market strengthened in 2015 due to a weakening Australian dollar, where its major ranch lies, supply pressures in the US and strong Asian demand.

In Malaysia,

the firm’s share of profit at its properties division fell ‘a little’ although development and sales continued at a ‘healthy level’, the chairman added.

Recovery Mr Hadsley-Chaplin painted an optimistic picture for 2016 stating: “It is pleasing that, in a year of significantly lower palm-oil prices, the profit for the year fell only by 10 per cent.

“The palm-oil market has staged a welcome recovery from the low levels of 2015 and Australian beef-cattle prices, whilst softening a little, remain at historically strong levels.”

In its final results the company said its strategy moving forward was to continue to expand its palm-oil areas in Indonesia, ‘in a sustainable and cost-effective manner’.

Total dividends for the year were maintained at 8.75 pence per share. However, brokers Peel Hunt and Finncap both retained their ‘buy’ rating for investors looking to buy into the company.

9

NEWS IN BRIEF

Birthday for quarter £billion wealth firm BROOKS Macdonald, one of the UK’s leading investment management groups with a principal office located in central Tunbridge Wells, celebrated its 25th anniversary last week.

In 2005, the firm floated on AIM with a market capitalisation of £14million, which has grown to over £240million today.

The company currently works with over 900 professional intermediaries and operates in the UK and internationally, across Europe, South Africa and the Middle East.

New associate partner BRACKETTS Chartered Surveyors has signed up James Logan as an Associate Partner at their Tonbridge branch. His role will see him dealing with commercial agency and professional client work.

Originally from London, Mr Logan qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2001 whilst at Network Rail where he worked for 11 years dealing with the London Portfolio.

More recently, he has worked for a regional firm of Chartered Surveyors in Canterbury and set up and managed a new commercial office in Maidstone.

Post Office relocation CHAIRMAN Peter Hadsley-Chaplin

THE POST Office is proposing to relocate Higham Wood Post Office to McColls Retail Store, Martin Hardie Way, Tonbridge, where it would open as a modern open-plan branch with significantly extended opening hours.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

10 � BUSINESS NEWS

New group reinforces town’s position as the networking capital of Kent…

Lucy Garside – Accountant – Wells Associates “To get the right contacts you need to meet people and know which businesses are around. Because I am an accountant I rely on referrals for a lot of my work.”

Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk DESPITE its relatively small size Tunbridge Wells is home to almost 20 networking groups dedicated to promoting local businesses.

And now another one has been added to the list with the Panoramic Wealth Networking Breakfast cementing the town’s reputation as one of the most networked places in Kent.

Panoramic is a wealth management firm aimed at targeting younger investors and is run by Gary Jefferies and his son Ross.

The groups themselves are seen as one reason Tunbridge Wells is so successful in nurturing strong companies.

Emma Cox, who runs three networking groups including Women in Business West Kent and

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Ladies Who Latte, and was attending the Panoramic debut, believes there are enough networking groups for ‘everyone to benefit’.

“You have to go out and try all the types to see what is best for you. It is a great way to find potential clients but it is also about helping out other people and making contacts for them,” she said.

‘You can learn a lot about how genuine someone is from body language’ In this way, she explained, networking actually goes ‘beyond the room’ in which it is taking place, as people chatting to each other may end up recommending friends or associates who are not at the event.

Unlike trying to socialise online, there are added benefits to networking groups.

“It is important to meet face to face as you can learn a lot from body language and that helps you find out how genuine someone is,” said Emma Cox. She believes the main reason why so many networking groups flourish in the town is due to the number of individual business owners.

“There are many people with small businesses, who perhaps work from home, and they need these sorts of forums to meet each other.”

Around 60 people attended the Panoramic event on Friday which was hosted at Trinity Theatre.

They represented a wide range of businesses, from decorating to accounting and from online marketing to high street banks.

Steve Budden, Warden of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, was the guest speaker who gave a timely talk on the history of the commons and the current state of affairs concerning their governance.

There is an ongoing debate on the rights of some res-

idents to cross common land to access their homes Event organiser and Managing Director of Panoramic Gary Jefferies said he wanted to create a network that was both ‘relaxed’ and ‘informative’.

“I thought it would be good to have comments and contributions on local issues.

“The speakers help break the session up a bit and provide some focus. But the people I will be inviting, like Mr Budden, are not necessarily going to be business people.

“They could work in any sector that has an impact on daily life in Tunbridge Wells whether business or not. It is important for people to be informed about current issues.”

He plans to host the event quarterly, at rotating venues, believing this is a good way to keep people interested and avoid it becoming too ‘routine’.

“We don’t want to overdo it and I think people will enjoy it more if it’s not overly regular.”

BUSINESS NEWS �

Stephen Harris – Self-employed decorator “I come to these events in the hope of picking up work and advertising my services and word of mouth is the best method for me to do that.”

Natalie Friday and Simon Hird – Barclays High Net Worth Division “We are a big bank but we think local so we are keen to be out in the community meeting people and letting potential clients know what we are about.”

PANORAMIC VIEW

11

LIST OF NETWORKING GROUPS n Panoramic Wealth

Management Networking Mafia n West Kent Networking n Warners Solicitors Link-Up n The Net n Business Over Breakfast n BNI Royal Spa (Spa Hotel) n BNI Tunbridge Wells (Nevill Golf Club) n ABC Networking n Women in Business West Kent n Ladies Who Latte n Ladies Lunch Clubs n Tunbridge Wells Mums in Business n Meeja Hub n Invicta Chamber of Commerce n West Kent Chamber of Commerce n Muesli

List courtesy of simplenetworking.uk

WITH a starting time at 8am the event takes place later than many other networking groups. Gary Jefferies believes that they start too early.

“With some of them you have to get up before six to make it and then you are just tired for the rest of the day so it seems counter productive.”

But he readily admits that despite the event being free, he is not running them purely to benefit those who attend.

He said: “I want to promote Panoramic and get it more in people’s view. So it isn’t just a philanthropic exercise, there is a business case for it too.”

Peter Martin – Shape the Future – Market Research “Networking helps me to explain the value of what I do.”

Dan Foreman – Zappistore – Market Research “Most of my clients are big businesses and I meet them in London, but I live locally and work from home so I like to meet people here.”

Wednesday 20th April 2016

12  LOCAL NEWS CIAL... ELECTION SPECIAL... ELECTION SPECIAL... ELECTION

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Thursday May 5th 2016 Below is a list of the candidates standing for election to the borough council. All but four of the 20 wards are being fought over, for more information vist… www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/council/voting-and-elections BENENDEN AND CRANBROOK WARD

PARK WARD

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

SURNAME

HILTON

SIMON

UKIP

BULMAN

HOLDEN

SEAN

CONSERVATIVE

KERRIGAN

ISOBEL CLARE

WARNE

MATTHEW RICHARD JOHN

*

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

PETER ERIC

CONSERVATIVE

DOUGLASS

GILLIAN

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

LABOUR

KELLY

HAZEL JOYCE

UKIP

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

MALTBY

NICK

LABOUR

*

BRENCHLEY AND HORSMONDEN WARD

PEMBURY WARD

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

CHETTA

THOMAS

UKIP

COLE

JAMES ROBERT

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

KERRIGAN

KEVIN ANTHONY

LABOUR

MORGAN

MARGARET

LABOUR

JANE

CONSERVATIVE

REILLY

DAVID PATRICK

CONSERVATIVE

WEATHERLEY

DAVID

UKIP

MARCH

*

BROADWATER WARD SURNAME

PARTY

BARBARA GLADYS

CONSERVATIVE

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

KETTERINGHAM

JAMES

LABOUR

BRITCHER

ALEX

LABOUR

MORTON

MARGUERITA

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

HOLTON

DAVID CHARLES

GREEN PARTY

MARK ROBERT

UKIP

MCLACHLAN

ISLA MEGAN

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

NICHOLSON

COLIN

UKIP

JOY ANN

CONSERVATIVE

COBBOLD

*

NICHOLSON

PODBURY

CAPEL WARD SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

KEN

UKIP

CAROL ANN

CONSERVATIVE

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

MOON

RAYMOND PETER

LABOUR

BETTS

MARTIN ROLAND

LABOUR

HUGH DAVID

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

BICKNELL

MARK

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

HOARE

CHRIS

UKIP

FRANK

CONSERVATIVE

WILLIAMS

CULVERDEN WARD SURNAME

*

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

RONEN

CONSERVATIVE

BULLION

ALAN JAMES

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

LESLIE

RICHARD

GREEN PARTY

CAMP

CHRISTOPHER ROGER

CONSERVATIVE

DIANNE

LABOUR

BASU

*

SOUTHBOROUGH AND HIGH BROOMS WARD††

LUKACS

STEPHEN GEZA

UKIP

HILL

WILSON

CAROL

LABOUR

LYONS

MATT

GREEN PARTY

MURRAY- JENKINS

KEITH

UKIP

WRIGHT

JO

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

GOUDHURST AND LAMBERHURST WARD SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

BISHOP

RUSS

UKIP

FOWLER

SIMON JAMES

*

LABOUR

NOAKES

BARRY

CONSERVATIVE

WARNE

NANCY

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

SPELDHURST AND BIDBOROUGH WARD SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

O'SHEA

WILLIAM

UKIP

JULIAN

CONSERVATIVE

TYLER

ANN CHRISTINE

LABOUR

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

ALLEN

HARRY ROY

CONSERVATIVE

BEN

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

STANYER

*

HAWKHURST AND SANDHURST WARD SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

AUSTEN

JOHN

UKIP

BURGESS

DAVID

DEACON PALMER

*

LABOUR

THOMAS CAMILLE

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

BEVERLEY SARA

CONSERVATIVE

ST. JAMES’ WARD

CHAPELARD

*

JAGGER

LINDA MARIE

LABOUR

MIAN

NAZ

UKIP

PANTILES AND ST. MARK’S WARD

ST. JOHN’S WARD

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

SURNAME

OTHER NAMES

PARTY

BLACKMORE

LORNA

LABOUR

LESLIE

PHYLLIS VALERIE

GREEN PARTY

LEONARD

CONSERVATIVE

LIDSTONE

PETER ANDREW

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

HURST

JOHN ANTHONY

GREEN PARTY

MARSHALL

CHRISTINE JENNIFER

UKIP

MATHON

DOMINIC JAMES ALEXANDER

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

RICH

TIMOTHY JOHN

LABOUR

STEVENSON

CHRISTOPHER ROBERT

UKIP

SCOTT

DAVID ALLISTER

CONSERVATIVE

HORWOOD

*

* Incumbent †Vacated by independent Cllr Mike Tompsett ††Vacated by Labour Cllr Alain Lewis

Wednesday 20th April 2016

SHERWOOD WARD

GILLARD

*

Located just off the High Street, opposite Waitrose car park

*

MACKONOCHIE

PATTERSON

Whether you are looking for kitchen, dining or living furniture, upholstery or accessories the showroom in Tonbridge has it all

RUSTHALL WARD†

OTHER NAMES

*

There are no council elections in Tonbridge & Malling on May 5th

LOCAL NEWS �

13

DEMONSTRATION Useful tips for parents

Striking doctors stage free life-saving clinic Mums and dads turn out to learn new skills and support doctors Jonathan Banks newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk PARENTS of babies and young children went along to a special ‘clinic’ held by junior doctors, on one of their strike days, to learn life-saving skills.

The event was paid for by the doctors themselves and the sessions attracted mums and dads from across the borough. They went along not just for the free advice but also to show solidarity with those taking action.

It took place above the Manna Café on Tunbridge Wells High Street with a dozen doctors from the local NHS trust, some of whom had only just finished their night shifts.

The event, titled Little Life Savers, was organised by 31-year-old oncology registrar Dr Nicola Davis, who explained their reasons for hosting the free sessions.

She said: “We wanted to do something positive during our day of action and engage with the local community so that they could meet their junior doctors.”

Awareness Dr Davis rejected any suggestion that the techniques being taught were to prepare people for an upcoming A&E walkout later this month, claiming the sessions would have gone ahead regardless.

She added: “It is being done to raise awareness of our situation and there are many other trusts where junior doctors have undertaken similar things in the past, before the decision was made for the next strike.

“But we are all hoping the next 48-hour strike won’t go ahead, we just want the issue to be resolved. We don’t want to be on strike, but we have no choice.”

Her position was backed by Dr Matt Ellington, an A&E doctor who had only finished his last night shift at 9am, just three hours before the session began.

He said: “We wanted to make sure the strike was not just a sit-at-home-and-sulk day and by doing this we can still benefit the community.

“I do feel guilty about striking but there is no choice. I believe the risk from these strikes is the lesser of two evils compared to the risks to patient safety in the long run from the new contract.”

The British Medical Association, which backs

the action taken by junior doctors, has argued the new contract which Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wishes to enforce will put lives at risk by forcing doctors to work longer hours and for less pay.

However, the government argues there is a need to create a truly ‘seven-day’ NHS, claiming 11,000 extra people die at the weekend, as opposed to a weekday. Junior doctors claim the figures have been misinterpreted.

However, there was little doubt who the mothers and fathers attending the seminars supported.

Mother of two Ainsley Goddard said: “I completely see their [junior doctors] point of view and hope more people will come out in support of them. We need them.”

Her view was echoed by Katie Richards, who said: “I came partly because I wanted to take advantage of the free event which these goodnatured doctors have put on.

“But I also definitely support their action and will be signing their petition. I am worried that the number of doctors is already decreasing and I want to support those we have left.”

Junior doctors are due to hold the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS, withdrawing even from emergency care, between 8am and 5pm on April 26 and 27.

POSITIVE PROTEST Doctors at Manna Café on strike day

Wednesday 20th April 2016

14  NATIONAL NEWS

FORMER Foreign Secretary Lord (William) Hague has defended Barack Obama’s right to make clear during his visit to Britain this week that it is ‘unambiguously’ in American interests for the UK to remain in the European Union.

Prominent Brexiteers have insisted the US President should not intervene in the campaign for the June 23 referendum on EU membership, with London Mayor Boris Johnson suggesting it would be ‘hypocritical’ for Mr Obama to urge the UK to remain in a multi-national bloc of a kind which the USA would not join.

But Lord Hague said Mr Obama is ‘entitled’ to voice his concerns about the impact of UK withdrawal from the EU during the two-day visit, and said it would be wrong for British politicians to be precious and sensitive about it.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s official spokeswoman said it will be for the President to decide whether to make any comment about the EU referendum during his visit.

Asked whether pro-Brexit former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith was right to claim the PM had ‘gone on bended knee’ to beg the President to speak out in favour of continued UK membership, the spokeswoman said: “I certainly haven’t seen that.”

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Gove outlines benefits of life outside the EU THE UK would thrive as a member of the European free trade zone without being bound by restrictions imposed from Brussels if the country backed Brexit, Michael Gove said, as he set out his vision of life outside the EU. The Vote Leave campaign chief said it was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘preposterous’ to suggest that European Union leaders would attempt to block trading links with the UK after the June 23 referendum.

The Justice Secretary also warned that the UK would be held ‘hostage by Brussels if it voted Remain, as he claimed the Prime Minister’s efforts to block ‘ever closer union’ would not halt the process of closer integration.

Tory Cabinet minister Mr Gove explained how under Vote Leave’s plans the UK would secure a

unique deal after Brexit, enjoying a tarifffree trade agreement but without accepting free movement of EU citizens, paying into the Brussels budget or being bound by the European Court of Justice.

Setting out the details at Vote Leave’s headquarters in London, Mr Gove said: “There is a free trade zone stretching from Iceland to Turkey that all European nations have access to, regardless of whether they are in or out of the euro or EU. After we vote to leave we will remain in this zone.”

Mr Gove also intimated that Brexit could spell the end for the EU as it currently exists, with the UK’s decision spreading a ‘contagion’ of democracy across the continent.

LOOKING FORWARD Michael Gove

NEWS IN BRIEF

Haulier’s stowaway challenge rejected THE Home Secretary’s system for imposing civil penalties on road hauliers found to have migrant stowaways in their vehicles has been given the backing of senior judges.

Romanian-based haulage company ICS Car SRL, which was ordered to pay up after three Afghan nationals were found in a trailer at Calais, argued the code of practice introduced

by Theresa May to stem the flow of clandestine entrants to the UK was being applied in a flawed manner and without ‘a sense of pragmatism’.

But three judges unanimously rejected the challenge in what is believed to be one of the first cases of its kind to reach the appeal court.

Star-struck princes THE Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry learnt the ways of the force when they toured the studios where the latest instalments of the Star Wars movies are being brought to life.

William and Harry were given a guided tour of Pinewood by actress Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in The Force Awakens, the latest episode of the popular sci-fi series to be released.

PHOTO: Policy Exchange

US President entitled to air his views on Brexit says Hague

Rail strike support CONDUCTORS on Southern Rail have voted to go on strike in a dispute over their role, and driver-only trains.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union voted by 306 in favour of walkouts, with 14 against, and by 320 to one for other forms of industrial action.

ADVERTISING FEATURE �

15

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Wednesday 20th April 2016

16  NATIONAL NEWS PHOTOS: Drone by Richard Unten. Obamas by Steve Jurveston

GROUNDED No drones allowed when the President comes to call

No fly zone for drones during President’s visit DRONES have been banned from large parts of London and surrounding areas during this week’s visit by Barack Obama.

The US President and his wife Michelle arrive on Thursday night, just days after an unmanned aircraft is believed to have collided with a British Airways flight landing at Heathrow.

Detectives launched an investigation after the pilot of flight BA727 reported his aircraft being hit by a drone on Sunday afternoon with 132 passengers and five crew on board.

Flying restrictions will be in place at various locations until the Obamas depart on Sunday morning.

Drone operators are normally allowed to fly at least 150m (492ft) over built-up areas such as

towns and cities, while approved commercial users can fly as low as 50m (164ft).

But guidelines have been issued by the UK’s national air traffic service (NATS) and regulator the Civil Aviation Authority stating that Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin decided flights must be restricted ‘as part of the overarching security plan’ for the presidential visit.

Drones will be banned from flying between 9pm on Thursday and 10.30am on Sunday over a large part of London, from Purley in the south to Haringey in the north.

Restrictions are in place for the skies between Windsor and London on Friday – when the Obamas will join the Queen for lunch at

Windsor Castle the day after her 90th birthday celebrations – and between Stansted airport and London on Thursday night and Sunday morning.

The regulations prohibit aircraft – including drones – from flying below 762m (2,500ft) within the specified areas unless they are using Heathrow, Stansted or London City airports, London Heliport, RAF Northolt or are being operated by the emergency services.

Pilots of other aircraft wanting to fly in the restricted areas must seek permission from the Metropolitan Police.

Similar rules have been put in place for previous significant events such as other high-profile visits and major sporting fixtures.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Diamonds are forever

The spy who loved me

Terror suspects arrested

INDIA’S government has told the country’s top court it will not try to reclaim the 106-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is now part of the British crown jewels.

The government told the Supreme Court the diamond was neither taken away forcibly nor stolen, but was given as a gift to Queen Victoria by an Indian king in the mid-19th century.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a rights group asking it to direct the government to seek the return of the diamond.

For many Indians, the loss of the Koh-iNoor is symbolic of British colonial rule and its return is viewed as compensation.

The diamond is on display in the Tower of London, set in the Queen Mother’s crown.

CHINA is circulating a poster titled Dangerous Love warning female government workers about dating handsome foreigners who could turn out to have secret agendas.

The comic book-style poster tells the story of an attractive young Chinese civil servant who meets a man at a dinner party who turns out to be a foreign spy.

Beijing district government said in a statement that the poster educates its employees about keeping classified information confidential and reporting to state security agencies if they spot any spying activity.

It said it would familiarise employees with ways to counter espionage.

The poster is part of the central government’s inaugural National Security Education Day, which is aimed at making people aware of security problems in China.

FOUR men and a woman aged between 18 and 39 have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of founding a right-wing terror group to attack refugee homes and other facilities.

The Freital Group, named after a suburb of Dresden that has seen a string of anti-refugee protests and other incidents, was formed in July last year or earlier, federal prosecutors said.

Members of the group are believed to have carried out three attacks on refugee homes in Freital and on a left-wing housing project in Dresden.

The five arrested German nationals are also suspected of attempted murder, bodily harm and causing explosions.

Germany has seen a surge in far-right attacks over the past year amid a huge influx of refugees and other migrants.

BUSINESS NEWS �

17

Revenues jump for McCarthy & Stone impacted by £9million of costs linked to its Initial Public Offering (IPO) last year.

Shares stepped up nearly one per cent, as the firm said it was on track to meet its full-year target of 20 per cent volume growth.

The firm added that it would begin to pay out an interim dividend of 1p a share in May, with a final dividend of 3.5p per share.

The firm said underlying operating profit lifted 10 per cent to £40.2million for the first half of the year, up from 36.5million last year, despite ploughing investment into new regional offices and infrastructure.

McCarthy & Stone floated on the London Stock Exchange last year, valuing the business at £967 million. It entered the FTSE 250 on March 21.

PHOTOS: Tejvan Pettinger

RETIREMENT home builder McCarthy & Stone has seen revenues leap by a third as it sold more properties at a higher price.

The firm said revenues were up 33 per cent to £250.2million in the six months to February 29, driven in part by a 19 per cent jump in legal completions to 923 units.

The FTSE 250 firm was also boosted by a surge in the net average selling price to £253,000 for the first half of the year, up 12 per cent on £226,000 last year.

It said pre-tax profits were flat at £29million over the period, compared with £29.1million in 2015.

But operating profits came under pressure, slipping 11 per cent to £30.1million, as it was

Record sales for sandwich maker SANDWICH chain Pret A Manger saw sales rise 13.9 per cent to hit a record £676.2million in 2015, while operating profit grew 14.5 per cent to £84.3million.

The company also said it plans to open a ‘vegetarian-only’ pop-up in London in June after sales of non-meat products recorded double-digit growth last year.

Chief executive Clive Schlee said: “These results represent another year of record sales. Our newly opened Penn Station shop has the highest sales per square foot of any Pret in the world.”

The company opened 36 new shops globally in 2015 and created 763 jobs. In total, the firm employs 9,860.

Pret also revealed that avocado was the fastestgrowing ingredient in popularity, with customers gobbling up five million in total over the year.

Coffee sales remained strong, with Pret selling 1.5million cups a week globally.

Pret is owned by Bridgepoint and last year the private equity firm said it was not considering either selling or listing the sandwich chain on the stock market.

If it looks like Coke and tastes like Coke…

COCA-COLA has reformulated Coke Zero to taste more like the original in a fresh effort to increase sales of its sugar-free drinks.

The re-branded ‘Coca-Cola Zero Sugar’ will be on UK shop shelves from the end of June backed by a £10million marketing campaign to encourage consumers to choose sugar-free options.

The new drink comes a month after George Osborne announced a surprise sugar tax which will be brought in in two years’ time.

The marketing campaign will encourage consumers to try the new and improved Coca-Cola Zero Sugar by highlighting that it ‘tastes more like Coke and looks

more like Coke than the original Coke Zero.

The new name and packaging is designed to make it clearer to consumers that the drink is sugar free after a survey last year found that half of people did not know Coke Zero contained no sugar.

Currently, Coca-Cola GB’s Coke Zero, which was launched in 2006, Coke Life and Coke Diet products make up 43 per cent of sales, and the company said it would like the figure to reach more than 50 per cent by 2020.

A regular 330ml can of Coca-Cola contains 35 grams of sugar, or 39 per cent of an adult’s GDA (guideline daily amount). Diet Coke contains no calories.

The company is a signatory to the Government’s Responsibility Deal, under which the food and drink industry has pledged to promote a healthier diet and make changes to their products.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

18  LETTERS

And another thing…

The Times of Tunbridge Wells and the Times of Tonbridge always want to hear your feedback, whether on reports we have printed or any other issues you think we should know about. Email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or write to the Editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

RUBBISH The A21

Litter: It’s better handled in Essex

John Reeves [March 30] has done a great service in raising the issue in your newspaper of the unkempt, rubbish-strewn road verges in the otherwise delightful area of Tunbridge Wells – especially around the A21. The contrast in this matter with my past experience in rural Essex should make the residents of Kent thoroughly ashamed – or at least their representatives on the Council. In Essex parish councils would liaise with the county council to maintain certain strips of road, organising rubbish-gathering at least once a year. Could such a scheme not work in the Garden of England?

Let us hope the Council is listening.

Deric B Wood Matfield

NHS Trust: British-born staff

I was unsurprised to learn [April 6] that one fifth of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust employees are classified as ‘non-British’. Our health service has been forced to take competitive action by the Government and sourcing non-EU staff is part of their solution. It should be noted, however, that the NHS also has a hard time recruiting British-born staff because we have an education system that does not prepare young people with the skills, nor the enthusiasm for, skilled publicsector jobs such as nursing. The idea of achieving a long-term, worthwhile and skilled job sounds like a complete fantasy to many young people.

Connor O’Shea Tunbridge Wells

EU debate: Facts simply wrong

Maxwell Macfarlane’s allegation [March 30] that EU Commissioners are unelected bureaucrats is simply wrong. Please consider whether Leon Brittan, Neil Kinnock, Chris Patten, Roy Jenkins and Peter Mandelson fit into that category.

Although the Commission initiates legislation to

improve the working of the EU, real power lies with the heads of government, such as David Cameron and Angela Merkel, and with executive heads of state, such as President Hollande. This is why the PM went on a tour of capital cities of EU member states. Negotiating with the Commission could have been done in London or Brussels Isabelle Wright complains about the system for electing MEPs, which was decided by the House of Commons in London. The size of the constituencies varies from Northern Ireland, which has three, to South East England, which has ten. It does not include London.

Voters in the UK could be further empowered if they were allowed to move candidates up or down the list, as in Italy, or if the system used were as in Northern Ireland and some other member states.

John Hume and the late Ian Paisley were both MEPs. Richard Underhill Matfield Kent

Anti-social: Review club’s licence

I was walking down the High Street over the weekend at around midnight and was shocked by the number of drunken people spilling out of Zee Bar on to the street and causing a nuisance.

Three times I passed groups engaged in scuffles and there was broken glass everywhere. Ever since that establishment opened there has been trouble and its predecessor was no better.

Charity: Paws for thought

I am writing to ask your animal-loving readers to Paws for Tea and host a tea party on Friday 13 May in aid of a pet charity very close to my heart, Blue Cross.

Their Paws for Tea tea parties are a really fun and simple way to help the thousands of sick, injured and homeless pets that need Blue Cross every year.

Whether it’s at home, in the office or at school, Paws for Tea is a good excuse to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake whilst helping raise money for a good cause.

My two dogs Stan and Elsie are very dear to me and they get so much love and attention – I wouldn’t be without them. But sadly not all pets are as lucky. Blue Cross works tirelessly to care for hundreds of

The club seems to think it is acceptable to simply wash its hands of people causing a nuisance once they have stepped out of the front door, even though it is the main cause of the problems that plague the High Street every weekend.

Perhaps they feel unable to deal with what goes on outside because they even have problems handling what happens inside their club. Not so long ago one poor young man was badly injured when he was struck in the face with a glass.

The Council should have used that incident to review the club’s licence. Don’t get me wrong, I am all up for people having a good time, but that particular venue is a continuing source of trouble.

Michael Peters Via email

Newspaper: The perfect read

Congratulations on your new newspaper the Times of Tonbridge that I pick up at the railway station on a Wednesday. In fact it is handed to me by one of your staff. For me it is the perfect read on the way into London as it keeps me in touch with what is happening in the town and also has those pages of national and international news which must make it unique for a local paper.

Hopefully you will be able to find the support in the town that you need to keep it going. I for one would not mind paying for the paper, but I would imagine that would not be very practical.

Michael Blake Via email vulnerable pets and to help find them happy new homes.

So go on, put the kettle on and sign up now at www.bluecross.org.uk/teaparty Pam Ferris Blue Cross Ambassador Via email

ANIMAL LOVER Kent Actress Pam Ferris with her dogs

We will always do our best to publish all letters in full. However, the Editor reserves the right to edit any letter because of its length or content. Please ensure that letters do not exceed 250 words.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Calverley SELDOM does one feel sorry for Aston Martin drivers; jealousy just seems to kick in. But Calverley’s heart goes out to this one. Driving his pride and joy into town he got stuck directly behind a bus that was throwing mud up on to his shiny, bright bonnet. Horrified, he was about to drop back when white van driver (you know the one) saw what was happening, raced up and sat on his bumper.

The tears flowed as Aston man sat wedged, watching laughing van driver in his mirror.

Calverley promised not to reveal the colour of the Aston Martin but that was a little white lie.

TWITTER is not something in which Calverley indulges; how can you say anything meaningful in so few words? His friend Lee, though, is addicted and spends much time putting out thoughtprovoking messages hoping they will trend. Most hardly raise an eyebrow let alone interest. Then he spotted a dog in a shopping trolley outside Victoria Place. He snapped this picture, put it on Twitter and (you guessed) attracted nearly 5,000 impressions. Calverley rests his case.

JOURNALISTS rarely make mistakes (yeah, right). And when they do they jump at the chance to print a correction. A fellow hack, though, is still recovering from a particularly harrowing experience involving a typo in his newspaper. The story about a police raid was supposed to refer to ‘detectives’ making an arrest. Instead it told about ‘defectives’ making an arrest. Full of apologies he promised a correction which he duly carried but then referred not to the ‘police force’ involved but the ‘police farce’. He never did try another correction.

STRIKING Junior doctors evoke differing reactions depending on where you stand on the NHS issue. The other day, during a 24hour strike, local doctors ran a special clinic to teach mums and dads basic life-saving techniques. Just a PR stunt? Not really. They didn’t want to sit around doing nothing and had a whip-round among themselves to pay for the hire of the venue. Their hearts are obviously in the right place.

EDUCATION

WITH THE

EDUCATION �

19

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Top national drama award goes to Mead pupils PERFORMING A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a She went on to say: “Every child in year six was joy for most actors but for pupils at The Mead it an integral part of the team and without each one literally was a dream come true as their abridged giving 100% the production would not have version of the Shakespeare classic has just won worked.” them a top prize at the Independent Schools Angela Culley also paid tribute to the school’s Association Drama Festival.

Head of Performing Arts, Victoria Hall whose The play scooped the Oxford House Prize for Best ‘vision, drive, ambition and direction’ enabled Junior Production and also saw one of its actors, everyone involved to achieve such a brilliant result.

Sam Tavares, 11, take home the Wilmslow Prize for She also thanked the school’s staff for their help Best Junior Boy Performer for his role as Bottom. with the ‘ethereal costumes, amazing set, props The Independent Schools Association Drama and make-up.’

Festival is held nationally every year and sees schools perform complete versions or extracts from GOING SOLO plays, musicals and also original Sam Tavares creations. won Best This year’s competition took Junior Boy place on March 5 at Hurst Lodge Performer School near Ascot and competition winners were announced last week.

“We are so thrilled, excited and proud,” said The Mead’s Headmistress Angela Culley.

“This is an amazing achievement and accolade for everyone involved in the production and will be a lifelong moment of pride.”

A DREAM PERFORMANCE Winners of the Best Junior Production

Wednesday 20th Apri 2016

20  EDUCATION

Youngsters taught how to stay safe in today’s world THE Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes was on hand last week to greet the first of more than 1,500 schoolchildren from 54 primary schools across West Kent taking part in a series of practical exercises designed to teach them how to stay safe.

It was one of her last public appearances before she steps down after nearly four years in the role. She has decided not to stand in the May 5 elections for the post.

Safety in Action is an interactive event staged at Salomons Estate that runs until next Tuesday (April 26) for Year 6 children. They will learn about some of the dangers they may face as they become more independent and prepare to go on to secondary school including staying safe while using social media.

Co-ordinated by Salus, a Kent-based organisation dedicated to improving the lives of children, the event is supported

by Kent Fire and Rescue Service, RNLI, Kent Police, Kent County Council, Drive to Ensure, Hopkins+ and UK Power Networks. All will deliver a range of scenarios designed to highlight safety issues the youngsters may face and how to deal with them.

Wednesday 20th Apri 2016

“This event has been running in Kent since the early 1990s, with several thousand children from, amongst other places, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks,” said Martin Carter of Salus.

“It’s the second year we have organised an event specifically for West Kent and more than 100 schools from the area were invited to attend.”

The event is funded by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

Andrew Daniells, Chief Operating Officer of Markerstudy, owners of the Salomons Estate, said the venue was perfect for hosting such an important event.

“The grounds of the estate provide the space and safety needed for such a large-scale exercise involving so many youngsters,” he said.

“It is an extremely valuable experience for the children attending and one that we are excited to be hosting.”

For more information on Salus, visit www.salusgroup.org.uk.

ARRESTING SIGHT Pembury pupils with police chief Ann Barnes

EDUCATION n

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The supporting organisations set up a variety of scenarios, including: Fire Safety (Kent Fire and Rescue) n Smoke alarms; escape plans; what to do in an emergency Road Safety (KCC) n Keeping safe when walking by roads; how to cross the road safely; distractions Water Safety (RNLI) n Beach safety; warning signs; lifeguard flags; what to do in an emergency Drugs and Alcohol (designed by Salus, delivered by Kenward Trust) n Types and categories of drugs; different effects; peer pressure; NPS (Legal Highs) – ‘legal’ but not safe Electrical Safety (UK Power Networks) n Dangers of electricity; electricity sub-stations; risks of overhead powerlines Internet Safety (Kent Police) n Staying safe online; protecting your identity; how to get help – who to trust Driver Safety (Drive to Ensure – Markerstudy Group) n Consequence of drink driving; how many points new/young drivers can accumulate before they lose their license; average insurance costs for a new/young driver Emergency Life Support (Heartstart South East Coast – British Heart Foundation) n Checking for danger; checking for a response; summoning help; check airway, breathing; start chest compression/place in recovery position.

Wednesday 20th Apri 2016

22  EDUCATION ADVERTORIAL

The Mead School

Hurstpierpoint College

Claremont Senior School

The Mead School is a thriving, exciting and stimulating environment with a palpable heart and soul. The school is conveniently situated near the historic Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells.

This academic year marks 20 years of educating girls at Hurst. September 1995, saw Hurst Senior School open its doors to girls for the first time.

The first girls joined the Prep School in 1993, two years later the Senior School followed, welcoming 30 brave girls who joined 340 boys. Currently there are more than 770 pupils in the Senior School and almost half are girls.

A wander around Hurst leaves visitors in no doubt that this vibrant community is now fully co-educational.

The 20 year celebrations are well underway! To mark the start of the anniversary year all current girls took part in an aerial photo shoot to form the number 20.

In December, a celebration dinner was held for old girls and current girls had their celebration in February.

Artist-in-residence, Mandy Bangerter, hosted a textiles workshop in January, to create a contemporary wall hanging to celebrate girls’ involvement in College life during the past 20 years.

Late acclaimed composer, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, was commissioned to write an anthem for female voices. The anthem has been recorded as part of a collection of music by the College Choir, to be released on CD later this year.

The new girls’ DT Club is putting the finishing touches to a display for Hurst’s new Design and Technology foyer, to be unveiled at our Open Morning on Saturday 7th May.

Supported by outstanding facilities and a unique and progressive programme, Claremont Senior School has grown exponentially in both size and reputation. The school is now one of the leading independent schools in the South East.

A recent programme of expansion has included a new Sports Hall, a state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre, science laboratories, a 250 seat auditorium, a Photography Centre and refurbished boarding.

Claremont enriches the lives of its students. Set within the beautiful village of Bodiam, the school offers a remarkable range of activities and a genuinely holistic experience that prepares young people for life after school.

The school is developing into a centre of academic excellence. Recent GCSE results placed Claremont Senior School top in East Sussex, reflecting an ambitious academic culture and insistence on the highest standards.

The next Open Morning at Claremont Senior School is on 7th May. Tours of the school are also given by the Headmaster by appointment.

For information, please contact Gillian Wilson at gillian. wilson@claremontschool.co.uk or 01580 830396

Academic standards and expectations are high, enabling each child to realise their potential, discover their strengths and interests and move to secondary school as independent learners who have established excellent work patterns and strong values which will remain with them for life.

We are a community based school.

The children enjoy high quality teaching and resources and their learning is greatly enhanced by a broad range of educational trips and visitors.

Mead school life is fun and full. A huge programme of sport, music, drama and extra-curricular activities is offered and our pupils embrace it all with enthusiasm and confidence.

We hope our pupils will look back on their prep school life and be able to say “those were wonderful days!”

To arrange a personal tour or attend our Open Day contact us on: 01892 525837 office@themeadschool.co.uk

Wednesday 20th Apri 2016

EDUCATION ADVERTORIAL n

23

Bright Young Things TUITION CENTRES

Pre-Prep Open Evening Tuesday 26th April, 7-9pm The Joy of Learning At Hilden Grange a joy of learning runs through every aspect of school life.

Small classes provide a nurturing atmosphere where teachers can meet individual needs. Our chilaren are happy and engaged and make rapid progress. This translates into academic success, as illustrated by the 23 scholarships gained by our pupils in 2015.

If you are considering Hilden Grange for your child, please come to our Pre-Prep Open Evening to find out more.

"An absolutely outstanding school with a lovely family environment where the children a Iways CO me f .I rst. " Current parent 'Self-esteem is high because pupils are Valued as individuals.' /5/ Report

Wednesday 20th Apri 2016

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THE PANTILES NEWS 

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Targetfollow Group Ltd and The Pantiles Traders Association

ISSUE THREE

PANTILESNews

The

Wedding Fair puts love in the air…

The Pantiles is hosting its first wedding fair this weekend April 23 and 24.

Eileen Leahy spoke to its organiser Tara Fuller and to some of the exhibitors to discover why the event will be a match made in heaven for couples about to tie the knot

I

F YOU’VE just said ‘I do’ to your loved one then clear your diary for this coming weekend. Kicking off on Saturday, April 23, is the first Pantiles Wedding Fair and it promises to be a wonderful occasion.

As well as a few familiar town traders there will also be plenty of the area’s most experienced wedding specialists on hand to ensure your big day is as stylish and stress free as possible.

Having hosted successful food and interiors markets for the past few years Tara Fuller of The Pantiles Bandstand Event Company decided that putting on a wedding show was the logical next step – for both exhibitors and loyal Pantiles Markets customers.

“I just thought it would be something a bit different,” she reveals. “Wedding fairs are becoming increasingly popular and as there are so many great local businesses in this area I thought it would be a perfect location to hold such an event.”

Exhibitors and experts were quick to get on board with the idea and before long there were photographers, florists and wedding venues all asking to be involved.

“It shows a real sense of community and it is always great to support the locals,” admits Tara. “I think it’s nice as a resident of Tunbridge Wells to be able to come down to The Pantiles and find everything you need for your wedding all in one place.

“The great thing is you can expect a fantastic variety at this fair,” continues Tara.

So whether you’re planning a classic ceremony or something a little more quirky and unique you will find plenty of inspiring ideas.

“Shoppers can expect to see lots of traditional offerings as well as unexpected wedding venues such as Fern and Field, who hire out fields and forests for blessings. There are also festival-style bell tents from the Original PopUp Festival company which allow you to throw a truly contemporary wedding breakfast.”

Alongside the stalls of tempting gourmet goodies, fabulous flowers and useful services there will also be plenty of musicians too.

The Audacity will be playing on The Pantiles’ famous bandstand throughout the day and will be on hand to answer any questions including what first dance tune to pick.

For those who want something a little bit more serene and classical as the soundtrack to their wedding, local harpist Ellen Smith will be giving demonstrations of her skilful playing at the Tunbridge Wells Hotel.

“The Pantiles is at the heart of Tunbridge Wells life so, as a local myself, I’m delighted to be supporting this important wedding fair,” Ellen explained when she spoke to us.

‘You can get married on The Pantiles bandstand’ “The fair is a fantastic opportunity for brides to be creative and for suppliers to showcase their services in a beautiful, historic setting!”

The Tunbridge Wells Hotel will also be opening up their Dining Room function area so people can see how it looks all dressed up with floral decorations by Clare Steward who runs Flower Girl. The hotel is also the only premises to hold a licence for getting married on The Pantiles’ bandstand – perfect if you fancy a location that is just a little bit different.

THE WEDDING PLANNER Fair organiser Tara Fuller

The all-important issue of a bride looking her beautiful best is also covered courtesy of exhibitors such as Seacreme which harnesses the powerful skin healing elements of the sea in its products. The brand’s spokesperson Laura Healy tells us: “We are extremely excited to be taking part in this year’s Pantiles Wedding Fair. It will be a fantastic opportunity to introduce Seacreme to a wider audience within the local community.”

If the inaugural Pantiles Wedding Fair is a success then organiser Tara says there are plans to do more events of this kind.

“We have had a lot of really positive feedback so far and have already had businesses enquiring about booking for next year so I would love to run it again.”

Are there any other fairs planned for the near future?

“We have a couple of other things I am working on at the moment” reveals Tara. “So keep an eye out for Fashion Fever and the Vintage Fair – oh and there’s a literary festival which is also in the pipeline.”

Events on The Pantiles

THERE are always plenty of interesting markets and specialist fairs happening on the famous promenade in Tunbridge Wells. Here’s a roundup of what’s coming up over the next few months…

WEEKEND MARKETS The usual Pantiles Market continues on the 1st and 3rd weekend of the month. Shoppers will be treated to an array of locally produced food and drink offerings.

JAZZ ON THE PANTILES This hugely popular event which now has a new sponsor: Markerstudy Group, kicks off on May 5 and runs every Thursday night until the end of the summer.

WEDDING FAIR The Pantiles’ first event of this kind takes place this weekend (April 23 and 24). There will be plenty of ideas for venues, music and gifts.

FOOD FESTIVAL If you’re a foodie then The Pantiles is the place to be seen on the weekend of May 13 to 15 with stalls selling gastronomic goodies, fine wines and craft beers.

ARTS FESTIVAL On June 11 and 12 Seeart gallery hosts a celebration of the arts showcasing sculptors, ceramists and performers.

FASHION FEVER Keep the weekend of June 25 and 26 free as there will be a host of chic independent designers and vintage fashion specialists coming to The Pantiles to offer their wares.

ONE OF A KIND The Vintage Fair rolls into town on the final weekend of July (30 & 31) so if you love quirky, unique and antique items then this is the perfect place to visit.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

26  THE PANTILES NEWS

‘The Pantiles is a really lovely environment in which to work’ The Times speaks to two leading businesswomen about why they’ve chosen to run their successful enterprises on The Pantiles and the benefits of being based in such pleasant surroundings help them focus and source products they like. I also project-manage for many of these people, giving them a more seamless service from start to finish.

HOW LONG DOES EACH PROJECT TAKE? Some may only involve shortterm consultancy work but with other projects I have managed and worked with architects and contractors for several years before finishing a refurbishment or new build.

CAROLINE PICKERING runs Style My Home. She talked to us about her interior design business and why being based in The Pantiles inspires her work HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS? Ten years. I worked for various companies gaining experience in interiors, bathrooms and

Wednesday 20th April 2016

kitchens, then set up a small office sharing Rencraft Kitchens’ building on Calverley Road where I worked with them on certain projects as well as independently.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? I was working for companies where I didn’t always feel I could create interiors without limitations. Of course there will always be certain ones, but I feel I can now source independently and offer a range of services to suit each client.

ARE YOU INSPIRED BY LOCAL INTERIORS BUSINESSES FOR SOURCING ACCESSORIES OR IDEAS? I am and I do try to source locally where possible. It is nice to build up a relationship with local suppliers and craftsmen, and I think the clients like that too.

DO YOU HAVE A TYPICAL CLIENT? I work for a range of customers, with different backgrounds and ages. Many are time-poor professional people who need someone to

HOW DO YOU LIKE WORKING ON THE PANTILES AND WHY? I’ve been on The Pantiles for 18 months and it is a lovely environment to work in.

The people in the bars and cafes are all so friendly. The summer is very buzzy with the Jazz Nights and lots of visitors. Our offices are light and spacious and in the summer we can lunch out the back on the balcony which is very civilised. It’s always nice to meet clients and take them for a coffee in the area.

WHAT ELSE INSPIRES YOU WHEN IT COMES TO INTERIOR DESIGN? Definitely travel: Architecture and colours always appeal when experiencing different places. I worked on a seaside apartment once after a holiday in the Caribbean and it was really inspirational. I like to visit trade shows and I regularly travel up to the design mecca at Chelsea Harbour to keep up to date with fabrics

THE PANTILES NEWS 

and products. It has a great atmosphere and is full of light and beautiful things.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR STYLE? I like light, airy spaces and architecture is very important to me. I see my work as a challenge to draw on the features of each property and also lead the client into a place they would not have gone to without my assistance. I guess I like taking them out of their comfort zone.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HOLD AND HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO INTERIOR DESIGN AS A CAREER? I have a BA Honours in furniture design with interiors. I have worked in this business for over 25 years. I think it is harder to get into now as there are many more people out there who are newly trained. I have taken on a graduate and she is very keen to learn and get involved in all aspects. I do think interior design is a very interesting and fun business to be in but you need to understand your client and their lifestyle and aspirations.

ARE THERE ANY PROPERTIES YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON IN THE LOCAL AREA? I have worked on Decimus Burton properties in Tunbridge Wells and I really love that period. I was also involved in the refurbishment of the Assembly Hall last year, so it would be nice to work on an unusual commercial building again.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL Caroline Pickering runs her own interiors business

DEBORAH RICHARDS is the owner of Maddisons Residential which helps people to buy and sell properties here and in Sussex. We find out why she decided to set up her successful estate agency on The Pantiles HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS? Just over three years. Prior to setting up Maddisons I worked for Coutts, the private bank. My love of property meant that during my banking career I also renovated many places for investment purposes “off the side of the desk”.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT? Working at Coutts showed me the meaning of truly exceptional service and my own renovations gave me some excellent insights into the estate agency industry, where I saw a real gap in the market.

WHAT DID YOU DETERMINE WAS LACKING IN THIS INDUSTRY? I felt there was a need for a far more proactive approach to selling property, combined with an understanding that for every buyer and seller the transaction has enormous financial implications with considerable emotion attached. Clients need to be treated with the utmost care and respect throughout the entire process.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? The biggest advantage to me is that if something is not working as I would like, I can change it immediately. I have a vision of what I feel the ultimate estate agency should deliver, and my team and I constantly review, monitor and adapt to ensure that we continue to meet – and exceed – that standard.

DO YOU HAVE A TYPICAL CUSTOMER OR DOES IT VARY? It depends on a number of factors including the type of property-style, price and geography. Generally speaking they are sellers who want to be engaged with an agent who gives exemplary service and commits to doing all they can to sell the property for the best price to the strongest buyer as quickly as possible. We are often instructed by sellers

who have been on the market unsuccessfully with other agents and so want to move to someone who gives honest advice and a commitment to get them moving.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE WORKING IN YOUR TEAM? Currently we have five staff but we are expanding all the time – so watch this space!

ARE THEY ALL LOCAL TO THE AREA? Yes. It is imperative that we all have a detailed understanding of the local area since this is often a very important factor to buyers who are looking to move to Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding villages.

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and restful and whenever I step outside, I feel like I am on holiday. There is such a lovely community spirit between the traders, who are all passionate about the area and making it a destination of choice for local residents and tourists alike. And if I’m having a really bad day, there are plenty of great cake options!

MOVING WITH THE TIMES Deborah Richards owner of Maddisons Residential

ANY NEGATIVES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON? It’s really, really hard work: I often refer to Maddisons as my third child! If you are going to start your business, make sure it’s something that you love. It’s hard, exhausting, lonely and nervewracking but if you love what you do, your passion and energy will be infectious to others and carry you through to the time when you will look back and realise it was the best decision you ever made.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HOLD AND HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO THIS LINE OF WORK? It’s not difficult to enter this line of work if it’s something that interests you. You have to want to work hard, build strong relationships with people and be able to keep yourself motivated and positive during the many ups and downs of selling houses.

There are excellent career progression opportunities and plenty of professional qualifications that can be obtained to boost your promotion chances.

HOW DO YOU LIKE WORKING IN THE PANTILES, AND WHY? I love working here!

It is always so calm

Wednesday 20th April 2016

28  THE QUEEN’S 90TH BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

The day Queen Victoria rode the donkey down Church Road Tomorrow [Thursday] the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday, and across the United Kingdom 1,000 beacons will be lit in her honour. Here in Tunbridge Wells, one of only three towns in England to bear the title ‘Royal’ and a favourite of our second-longest reigning monarch, we look at our regal connections

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ANY local people will remember when Diana, the Princess of Wales, visited Tunbridge Wells to open Royal Victoria Place in October 1992. But no one will recall a young Princess Victoria riding her own donkey, apparently called Flower, along Church Road.

In her childhood Victoria came down with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, and would stay at Decimus Burton’s Mount Pleasant house on Crescent Road, which now houses the Hotel du Vin, and Boyne House on Mount Ephraim, enjoying her summer days playing in Calverley Grounds.

In 1835 the 16-year-old princess – who would become Queen two years later – attended the races on the Common and noted ‘numbers of beggars, itinerary musicians, actors etc of all sorts and kinds’ She added: “It was very amusing. The day was beautiful and we sat under a sort of covering of cloth decorated with flowers.”

Walking through the town later that week with her mother, she came across a man selling parrots.

“Amongst them was one dear little paroquet of a green colour with a pale brown head and so very tame that mamma took it on her finger and it would hardly leave her. It talks also, the man says. Mamma bought the DIANA, dear little thing... it is now in PRINCESS Mamma’s room.”

OF WALES

Wednesday 20th April 2016

PICTURES:www.theweald.org

FIT FOR A PRINCESS [Top] The young Victoria returns from a morning ride on her donkey; [above] she leaves the Royal Victoria and Sussex hotel in The Pantiles in 1834 with her mother the Duchess of Kent

The Royal Opera House in the centre of town and the Royal Victoria Hall in Southborough were opened to mark Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The latter was opened in 1900 but is set to be demolished in the coming months; the former, unveiled in 1902, has variously been reincarnated as a cinema, a bingo hall and a public house.

The royal patronage of the town began in 1630 with Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, after the birth of her son – the future Charles II. He also frequented the area, and in 1678 the Chapel of King Charles the Martyr was built near what came to be known as The Pantiles.

The town’s most famous landmark was developed following a visit by the future Queen Anne in 1698, when her son Prince William fell over on ‘The Walks’. She demanded that they should be repaved, but when she came back the following year the work had not been carried out and she vowed she would never come back.

More recently, the Queen Mother came to town for the Silver Jubilee in 1977, and for the Diamond event three years ago the Earl and Countess of Wessex were here, while Princess Anne attended Tunbridge Wells’ 400th anniversary a decade ago.

WITH THE

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Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

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

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Live like a Lord

Magnificent manor with pool, tennis court and cottage bracketts est.

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Mansion lies in gardens by Col Charles Grey

Live the good life with your horses, chicks and pigs

Spring on to a verandah with views near Seal

Wednesday 20th April 2016

 PROPERTY SECTION

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

In my view…

Your at-a-glance guide to CHURCH ROAD

Natasha Selbie, Associate Director, Savills Tunbridge Wells

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£585,000

Already we are able to look back at a strong and positive start to 2016. Much of this early market activity was centred around the changes to Stamp Duty in April for second home purchases and investment properties.

At this point in the year, demand appears to remain strongest for central Tunbridge Wells based properties, well placed for both the station and sought-after primary and secondary schools. Given the choice of schools and localities that spread across the town it is hard to pinpoint specific roads and areas of the town that are more popular than others but this serves to create a useful supply and demand issue in TN1, TN2 and TN4.

We are seeing good demand across the spectrum, but the 4-5 bedroom family home ranging from £700,000 - £950,000 is particularly popular. The apartment and housing market between £250,000 - £500,000 is seeing very good activity; although this is a sector of the market where there is more stock and choice in the town.

As we move into what is traditionally considered to be the best time of year to sell we are also expecting to see the country market come to life in the villages and rural areas that surround Tunbridge Wells, as gardens and grounds start to look their best.

Savills sees a wide variety of buyers; our applicants are looking to invest, upsize, downsize or make a financially lateral move to a new area. We are still seeing the continued migration from south west London, where we work closely with our cluster of offices there in the Wandsworth, Battersea, Fulham and Clapham areas. In addition, we are seeing more investment from further afield, having both sold and shown property to buyers based as far away as Bermuda, Beijing, Singapore, Perth and Dubai.

For further information please contact: Natasha Selbie, Associate Director, Tunbridge Wells 01892 507015 nselbie@savills.com

DANVERS ROAD, TONBRIDGE

£225,000-£250,000 UNDER £250,000

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Wednesday 20th April 2016

This very well-presented end of terrace house is situated close to Tonbridge mainline station and High Street. Ideal for a first-time buyer or a good investment, it has well-proportioned accommodation comprising a sitting room, dining

room, fitted kitchen, modern first floor bathroom and two bedrooms.

Outside there is a rear garden with side access. The property is being offered to the market with no forward chain.

CONTACT Bracketts Tonbridge 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

SALISBURY ROAD, TONBRIDGE

£325,000-£375,000 UNDER £375,000 An older style semi-detached property in a sought-after location in Tonbridge. The property requires some modernisation and upgrading, with accommodation comprising an entrance porch, hallway, living room, dining room

and kitchen on the ground floor as well as three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Outside the property benefits from parking to the side, a detached garage and a south-facing rear garden backing on to woodland.

CONTACT Bracketts Tonbridge 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

PROPERTY SECTION 

great properties by price range…

HUNTON ROAD, CHAINHURST

£445,000

UNDER £450,000 A delightful semi-detached cottage in the countryside which has been cleverly extended. The ground floor comprises an entrance hall, a study, sitting room, dining room, conservatory, kitchen, utility room and cloakroom, with four bedrooms (one en-suite) and a bathroom upstairs.

There is a beautiful rear garden which backs on to fields, and ample off-road parking to the front of the property.

CONTACT Firefly Properties 01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk

FURZEFIELD AVENUE, SPELDHURST

£775,000

UNDER £800,000 A detached contemporary home at the end of a no-through road in this popular village. The house boasts a stunning sitting room on the lower ground floor, which opens out to the garden through bifold doors. Also on this floor are a kitchen/dining room and cloakroom, with two bedrooms (one en-suite), a family bathroom and a dressing room on the upper ground floor. A third bedroom and en-suite are on the top floor. The property benefits from a drive, an integral garage and a garden of quarter of an acre.

CONTACT Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk YARDLEY PARK ROAD, TONBRIDGE

£875,000

CHURCH ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS

UNDER £900,000

£585,000 UNDER £600,000 Set on the second floor of a popular development, this spacious apartment is accessed by a passenger lift. The apartment features two double bedrooms situated to the rear of the building, each with ensuites and sharing a balcony. To the front is a well-appointed kitchen opening on to a dining area with balcony, as well as a large sitting room. The property

also benefits from allocated parking in the secure underground garage.

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

This modern detached family home is set in one of the town’s most sought-after roads and offers views over open parkland to the front. On the ground floor there is a porch, hallway, study, cloakroom, sitting room, dining room and a lovely kitchen open to a conservatory breakfast area. Upstairs there are four bedrooms (one en-suite) and a family bathroom. There is a gated driveway with a detached double garage. This property is being sold with the benefit of no chain.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Tonbridge 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

Wednesday 20th April 2016

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

MAYFIELD'

EAST SUSSEX

4 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + reception room + kitchen/ breakfast room + cellar + stunning views + private terrace + communal gardens + double garage + Council Tax=G + EPC=F

Sought after village location + 4 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + reception room + kitchen/breakfast room + rear garden + Council Tax=E + EPC=D

£2,500 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

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

KENT

3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + reception room + kitchen/breakfast room + single garage + allocated parking space + communal garden + Council Tax=G + EPC=B

Close to grammar schools + 2/3 bedrooms + bathroom + reception room + kitchen/breakfast room + private entrance and hallway + communal garden + Council Tax=C + EPC=D

£1,850 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee and other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

£1,600 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 o r early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished / unfurnished. For more details including example inventory fee, visit

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Moonlight Walk Remember • Celebrate • Donate

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TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

Principal portion of a period town house + extensively renovated + MLS about 0.5 miles + reception hall + sitting room + kitchen/dining room + 5 bedrooms + parking + 3,229 sq ft + EPC=D

Guide £1.55 million Freehold

LANGTON GREEN,

Contact: Liz Devall

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

KENT

Modern family house + 2 reception rooms + study + 4 bedrooms + conservatory + integral double garage + good-sized garden + 1,820 sq ft + about 0.24 acres + EPC=D

Central location + reception room + kitchen/breakfast room + 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + balcony + communal garden + secure covered parking space + 1 ,598 sq ft + EPC=C

Guide £840,000 Freehold

Guide £799,000 Leasehold

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Moonlight Walk Remember • Celebrate • Donate

Contact: Becky Card

Contact: Becky Card

EXCEPTIONAL QUEEN ANNE-STYLE COUNTRY HOUSE STONEGATE,

EAST SUSSEX

1.6 miles Stonegate mainline station + 5 reception rooms + bespoke kitchen/ breakfast room + master suite and 5 further bedrooms + leisure complex with games room, indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi + tennis court + outbuildings + walled garden + 8,731 sq ft + about 6 acres + EPC=D

Guide £4.5 million Freehold

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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 20th April 2016

Light and bright, ground floor apartment in a country mansion, on the outskirts of the village. Sitting room, dining room, kitchen and 2 double beds. 4.2 communal acres.

Matfield, ÂŁ1,350,000 -------..-

In 4.2 acres with further land available. The perfect competition yard. Unrivalled facilities include stables, manege, walker. 5 bedroom oast house, barn with planning permission.

A substantial, detached family home in the centre of the village. Totalling 5 bedrooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 3 receptions and a garden room. Off road parking and garaging.

Playden, Rye, ÂŁ1,399,000

7, 176 sq.ft Victorian country mansion in 2.2 acres. 6 bedroom family home with a north wing offering 2 bed staff accommodation and 1 bed cottage. Cellars, pool, views.

A secluded and private country home in 1.4 acres with more land available. Kitchen/ breakfast room with AGA, 4 receptions, 4 double bedrooms, study/bedroom 5.

Magnificent 21 st century country home, exuding luxury to the highest standard. 4.5 acres of grounds. Kitchen/breakfast room, 4 receptions and 5 double bedrooms.

Cranbrook, ÂŁ1,600,000

Tenterden, ÂŁ1,750,000

Newly converted, Grade 11 listed home in the Stroll to Tenterden Cinque Portl 5,000 sq.ft Cranbrook School Catchment Area. Totalling luxury family home. Light and spacious with 5 receptions, 5 bedrooms and offering a park like grounds. Boasts 5 receptions and 6 bedrooms. Garaging, sauna, pool, views. detached 1 bed cottage in approx 2 acres.

Victims of our own success, we are desperately 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

1ght Frank

South borough Charming Grade II Listed property overlooking the Common Comprising the major portion of a beautiful Georgian house. Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, cloakroom. Master bedroom with shower room, 3 further bedrooms, family room I bedroom 4, family bathroom, second floor study area. Integral garage with utility area.

Earls Road, Tunbridge Wells A large and attractive period townhouse in a prime location Entrance hall, drawing room, family room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, cloakroom. Master bedroom with dressing room, 2 further bedrooms, family shower room, family bathroom. On the 2nd Floor - 2 further bedrooms, bedroom 6 I office, further bathroom. Established rear garden. Cellar. EPC rating F.

New Home

small Big or

We understand what makes a property unique to the area and the market.

Combine this with our expert consultation and we’ll find you a buyer that fits perfectly. Fast.

To speak to your local Knight Frank team and arrange a free market appraisal call 01892 310997 or drop into our Tunbridge Wells office.

Guide price £1,125,000

Royal Wells Park, Tunbridge Wells Situated within a prestigious gated development in the heart of Tunbridge Wells 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, cinema / games room. Private garden. Allocated parking and garage. Full time Estate Manager. *CGI

@KF_TWells KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price £1,650,000

Mark Cross An attractive Victorian family house in 5.86 acres with huge potential Entrance hall, sitting room, study, dining room, conservatory, kitchen / breakfast room, utility room, office, cloakroom. Master bedroom suite, 4 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Double garage. Pool house. Heated swimming pool. Tennis court. Former stable. EPC rating G. Garden and land extending to approximately 5.86 acres.

small Big or

We understand what makes a property unique to the area and the market.

Combine this with our expert consultation and we’ll find you a buyer that fits perfectly. Fast.

To speak to your local Knight Frank team and arrange a free market appraisal call 01892 310997 or drop into our Tunbridge Wells office.

Guide price £435,000

Roedean Road, Tunbridge Wells A well-presented first floor apartment Situated on the first floor of this prestigious gated development. The property is very well appointed and enjoys views over the well maintained communal gardens. 2 bedrooms, 1 reception room, 2 bathrooms. Communal gardens.

Allocated parking. EPC rating B.

@KF_TWells KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price £1,250,000

Langton Green A beautifully appointed modern family home in a quiet village location Entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room, conservatory, kitchen / breakfast room, utility room, dining room, drawing room, study. Master bedroom with en suite bath / shower room, guest bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Double garage. Established gardens with pond. EPC rating C. In all about 0.37 acres.

� PROPERTY SECTION

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

Wing of an attractive Edwardian family house in Brenchley village

AT A GLANCE

H

IGH FIRS is a most attractive attached Edwardian house on the edge of Brenchley village. An impressive building dating back to 1904, it was divided into two in 1954. With plenty of character and fantastic family accommodation arranged over four floors, it also benefits from stunning mature gardens and grounds.

Accommodation on the ground floor comprises an entrance vestibule, entrance hall, cloakroom, sitting room, dining room, drawing room and beautiful kitchen/breakfast room. Steps lead down to the lower ground floor, currently arranged with an office, a utility room, playroom and two storerooms. The first floor features two generous bedrooms, a bedroom/study and a charming family bathroom, with a further three bedrooms and a bathroom on the top floor.

The property is approached through a pillared gated entrance over a gravel driveway which leads to a parking area and a detached double garage with a studio above.

The gardens lie mainly to the side and front of the property and include lawned areas, flower borders and mature trees and shrubs. There is a brick paved path leading to the front door and, to the rear, an enclosed paved courtyard. On the eastern boundary there is an attractively laid out fruit and vegetable garden with shed.

‘An impressive building with plenty of character and fantastic family accommodation’ Wednesday 20th April 2016

CROOK ROAD, BRENCHLEY n Wing of an impressive period building n Dating from 1904 n Character features n Arranged over four floors n Entrance hall n Cloakroom n Kitchen/breakfast room n Sitting room n Dining room n Drawing room n Office n Utility room n Playroom n Storerooms n Five bedrooms n Bedroom/study n Two family bathrooms n Detached double garage with studio over n Mature gardens and grounds of 0.84 of an acre

£1,250,000 For sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Brasted Chart, Nr Sevenoaks An attractive extended Edwardian family house in charming gardens Situated in the highly sought-after location of Brasted Chart. Entrance hall, sitting room, family room, playroom, open plan kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Detached double garage. Delightful landscaped south west facing gardens and grounds. EPC rating E. In all about 0.32 acre

Yalding A superbly presented family house in a delightful rural setting Entrance hall, sitting room, family room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, conservatory, cloakroom. Master bedroom suite, 2 double bedroom suites, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom. Detached double garage. Further garage. Parking for several cars. Outbuildings. Established gardens and grounds. EPC rating D. In all about 6.8 acres.

� PROPERTY SECTION

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

Enjoy being a lord or lady of the manor in prime period property F ORDCOMBE MANOR nestles in a highly desirable rural area between the villages of Fordcombe and Penshurst. It is a superb home originally dating from the 16th century, with additions from the early 17th century. The property has been well maintained by the present owners. The wealth of stunning character features include oak doors and other joinery with wrought iron furniture, leaded windows, inglenook fireplaces and beams providing a wonderful timbered interior.

In addition to the main house, there is a further attached three-bedroom cottage, a garage, stabling and two 17th-century barns – one thatched and providing further parking, the other

forming part of the swimming pool complex adjoining the hard tennis court.

In the main house, the ground floor comprises an entrance porch, lobby and hallway, drawing room with inglenook, sitting room with inglenook, cloakroom, dining room, study, kitchen, utility room and an impressive ‘hunter’s hall’, which has an inglenook fireplace with stone facing and a massive oak bressummer.

There is also a useful cellar.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom with en-suite shower, a second bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a first floor sitting room, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The second floor is currently divided into two large rooms

with an interconnecting area and bathroom.

The property is approached via a sweeping driveway which offers parking for several vehicles. The gardens surround the property and have lawns on varying levels, stocked with a wide variety of plants, shrubs and mature trees.

There is a tennis court and swimming pool complex, a newly thatched detached barn with parking and workshop, a separate attached cottage with three bedrooms and a Kentish barn converted into an entertaining area with bar.

Other points of note in the grounds include a paddock, ponds and further areas of pasture and orchard. The total area of land amounts to around 14 acres.

AT A GLANCE

SPRING HILL, FORDCOMBE n Imposing period manor house n Character features n Lovely setting n Entrance porch n Lobby and hallway n Drawing room n Sitting room n Cloakroom n Kitchen n Dining room n Study n Utility room n Hunter’s hall n Cellar n Master bedroom with en-suite n Second bedroom with en-suite n First floor sitting room n Two further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Second floor with two rooms, interconnecting area and bathroom n Detached barn with parking n Separate three-bed cottage n Tennis court n Swimming pool complex n Entertainment barn n Grounds, paddock and gardens n 14 acres in all

£2,350,000 For sale through Brooks Peacock 01892 531199 www.brookspeacock.com

‘The wealth of stunning character features include oak doors, wrought iron furniture, leaded windows, inglenook fireplaces and beams’ Wednesday 20th April 2016

T-"!:AMPTONS

Beyond your expectations

11

www.hamptons.co.uk

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THESUNDAYTIMES

INTERNATIONAL

THE . . . .TIMES

Leigh, Kent - £900,000 An exceptional three bedroom converted stables, in a rarely found elevated hamlet setting with far reaching rural views over Kent countryside, with gardens of a third of an acre and beautifully presented, bright accommodation. EPC: F

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St Mary's Platt, Kent - £865,000 Spacious detached 5 bedroom family home located in the popular village of St. Mary's Platt. Set off the main road, the house has generous entertaining space, swimming pool, garage and off street parking. EPC: D

Sevenoaks Office Sales. 01732 423127

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sevenoaks@hamptons-int.com

Dunton Green, Kent - £650,000 A stunning beautifully presented 5 bedroom new build semi-detached home in the Ryewood Development 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

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Edenbridge £1,1750,000 This exceptional detached 4 bedroom character house is believed to date from about 1908 and has been extensively renovated, extended and beautifully refurbished to an extremely high standard. EPC: E

Tunbridge Wells £875,000 A superbly and imaginatively renovated and extended beautifully presented 5 bedroom detached family house in a highly regarded location in the southern part of the town. EPC: D

Hartfield £870,000 Situated in an elevated position, off a no-through lane at the heart of this idyllic Sussex village, this detached former British Legion hall is now a light and spacious 4 bedroom family home with a stunning interior and high specification throughout. EPC: D

Bells Yew Green £795,000 This delightful 4 bedroom attached cottage occupies a superb semi-rural yet accessible location surrounded by fields on the edge of the small village with many period features throughout and just over 7 acres of gardens and grounds. EPC: E

Tunbridge Wells £699,950 A substantial 3 bedroom ground floor garden apartment in an attractive Victorian building, offering versatile and very well proportioned accommodation, located along a populartreelined road within a short distance of the town with 2 garages and a private garden. EPC: E

Mayfield £550,000 An enchanting Grade II listed 2 bedroom period village house with attractive courtyard garden situated in this delightful, picturesque village within easy walking distance of the village amenities

Tunbridge Wells Office Sales. 01892 597607 I tunbridgewells@hamptons-int.com

Langton Green £2,650,000 An outstanding detached family house of exceptional quality with 5 bedrooms all with en suites, 4 fine reception rooms, superb kitchen/breakfast room and many excellent features including a heated swimming pool, an all-weather tennis court set in gardens of about 0.75 acres on the village edge adjoining fields with views. EPC: C

• Beautifully appointed detached family home • Excellent location on edge of popular village • Close to Holmewood House School • Heated swimming pool • All-weather flood lit tennis court • Outstanding views across fields

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� PROPERTY SECTION

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

Arts and Crafts mansion lies amid gardens of historical importance AT A GLANCE STARVENDEN LANE, SISSINGHURST n Grade II listed mansion house n Idyllic private setting n Grade II listed gardens and grounds n Period features n Entrance hall n Reception hall n Drawing room n Dining room n Billiards room n Sitting room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Snug n Laundry room n Two cloakrooms n Workshop n Wine cellar n Master suite with bathroom and dressing room n Guest bedroom with en-suite n Four further first floor bedrooms n Two bath/shower rooms n Two studies n Six top floor bedrooms, two en-suite n Bathroom n Separate WC n Games room n Courtyard n Garaging n Long drive n Lake n Tennis court n Swimming pool n Paddocks and stables n Woodland n Gardens and grounds of around 21 acres

£3,350,000 For sale through Savills Cranbrook 01580 720161 www.savills.co.uk

H

ARTRIDGE HOUSE is a Grade II listed mansion of impressive proportions, set in the centre of its own very special grounds. Interestingly, the gardens and grounds came first, designed and laid out in 1907 by the notable horticulturalist and author Colonel Charles Grey. The house followed in 1913, and there is a possibility that it was designed by the renowned Arts and Crafts architect Sir Mervyn Edmund Macartney.

Period features include well-proportioned rooms with high ceilings, large windows with leaded light panes, period style radiators, picture

Wednesday 20th April 2016

rails and wood flooring to a number of rooms.

With flexible accommodation over three floors and its idyllic private setting, this splendid Sissinghurst home has plenty to offer.

Accommodation on the ground floor includes an entrance hall, large reception hall, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, a fine billiards room with two ante rooms, laundry room, a versatile office/snug and two cloakrooms. The lovely kitchen/breakfast room has exposed wood flooring and features a central island, larder cupboard and an oil-fired AGA. A turned oak staircase leads to the first floor

and a large landing. There are six bedrooms, including the master suite with bathroom and dressing room. Three bath/shower rooms (one en-suite to the guest bedroom) and two further bedrooms, both currently utilised as studies, complete this floor.

The second floor also comprises a total of six bedrooms, two with en-suite bathrooms, as well as a further bathroom, separate WC and an excellent games room.

Hartridge House is reached via a shared private road which in turn gives access to a long driveway flanked by mature trees. Arranged

around a gated courtyard area is garaging for four cars, a boiler room, log store and gardener’s WC. Further outbuildings include a wood shed, oil store and pool plant room.

The Grade II listed gardens and grounds have been designated by English Heritage within the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens for their special historic interest.

Features include sweeping lawns, a rockery, a lime tree walk, a lake and an area of ancient woodland. Additionally, there is a tennis court and heated swimming pool, as well as two paddocks and two stables.

we open doors for you ...

BarnesKingsnorth

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£280,000

GREAT GARDEN AND PARKING. A well-presented end-of-terrace house that has been updated by the current owners and offers good room proportions and parking to the rear. Entrance porch with storage, double-aspect sitting room with doors to the garden, double-aspect modern kitchen/dining room, 2 double bedrooms and modern bathroom with shower over the bath. Good-sized !awned garden to the rear with large patio and driveway parking within the gates. Potential for enlargement subject to the necessary consents. EPC: D Apply Pembury

NORTH TONBRIDGE

£875,000

SITUATED IN HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF TOWN CENTRE AND MAIN LINE STATION OVERLOOKING PARKLAND TO THE FRONT this detached family home offers 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, through living room, dining room, study, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast/family room, double garage and gardens and is being sold with the benefit of NO CHAIN. Early inspection is highly recommended. EPC: TBC Apply Tonbridge

BRENCHLEY

OIEO £600,000

COUNTRY LIVING. A semi-detached character home betwixt Brenchley and Horsmonden set within approximately 0.9 acres (tbv) of !awned gardens and woodland. Exposed timbers and inglenook fireplace with wood-burner and bread oven. Porch, sitting room opening to dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, garden room, utility room, ground-floor bathroom, first-floor shower room, 3 bedrooms. Gated parking and carport. Large timber outbuilding and log store. EPC: D Apply Pembury

Q} Primelocatior

Residential

t i'rightmove.co.uk Sales & !Lettings

Pembury: 01892 822880

Tonbridge: 01732 771616

Lettings: 01732 771616

e.pembury@bkea.co.uk

e.tonbridge@bkea.co.uk

e. Lettings@bkea.co.uk

www.l,kestatea1ents.com

 PROPERTY SECTION

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

Glorious Wealden views from a house with a fabulous kitchen

AT A GLANCE

S

PRING PLACE is set in an elevated position within the grounds of a private road in the pretty hamlet of Bitchet Green near Seal in the Sevenoaks area.

The stunning detached property benefits from superb views and lies in approximately three acres of secluded gardens. Beautifully presented throughout, it has well laid out features and spacious accommodation over two floors.

On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, cloakroom, TV room, living room and an exceptional, attractively fitted 43ft-kitchen/dining room which has a range of integrated appliances and a central island.

Adjoining this there is a boot room and a detached outbuilding serves as a utility room.

Upstairs there is a superb master suite with walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom, as well as a guest bedroom with en-suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe. Two further bedrooms and a family bathroom complete the accommodation.

The house is approached via a long private driveway with a parking and turning area as well as a double garage and a single garage.

There is a paved patio to the front of the house with access to a decked side veranda.

The rear gardens comprise lawns, woodland, a natural area, pond and a paddock. There are also stables, a chicken coup and a pigsty.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

BITCHET GREEN, SEAL ■ Attractive detached family home ■ Elevated semi-rural position ■ Entrance hall ■ Cloakroom ■ Living room ■ TV room ■ Boot room ■ Large kitchen/dining room ■ Master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom ■ Guest bedroom with en-suite shower ■ Two further bedrooms ■ Family bathroom ■ Decked veranda with views ■ Utility building ■ Double garage ■ Single garage ■ Long driveway and parking area ■ Stables and paddock ■ Gardens and grounds of around 3 acres

£1,600,000 For sale through Robinson Jackson 01732 757300 www.robinson-jackson.com

Tunbridge Wells £699,950 - £725,000 Detached family home, priced to allow for some cosmetic updating, situated in the St James' area, occupying the head of a cul-de-sac. 2 reception rooms, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. South facing garden, attached tandem length garage. No onward chain. EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells £499,950 - £515,000 Immaculately presented detached home, presented in excellent decorative order, situated in the popular St Peters' area. Reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, 3 bedrooms (one en suite), family bathroom. Low maintenance garden and parking area. EPC: C

Tunbridge Wells £399,950 - £419,950 Split level light and spacious maisonette, located in the heart of the St John's area. Large entrance hall, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, 3 bedrooms (one en suite), family bathroom. Allocated parking and drive. EPC: C

Tunbridge Wells £395,000 Well presented and spacious apartment, occupying the whole of the ground floor, located on the popular Mount Ephraim. Sitting room, kitchen/dining room, 2 double bedrooms, bathroom. Enclosed courtyard garden, car parking area. EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells Monthly Rental £1,350 Delightful and spacious 4 storey period town house, located in the heart of the 'village area'. 2 reception rooms, fully fitted kitchen, 3 bedrooms, family bathroom. Modernised yet retains many original features. Courtyard garden, permit parking. Available now. EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells Monthly Rental £1,200 Stunning and extremely spacious first floor apartment, excellent location within walking distance to The Pantiles. Large living room, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 double bedrooms, luxury bathroom. Permit parking. Early viewing essential. EPC: D

Godstone, Surrey

Guide Price ÂŁ4,500,000

Godstone 1 mile, Oxted 4 miles, Sevenoaks 13 miles, Central London 26 miles An increasingly rare opportunity to complete the renovation of an elegant and imposing period country house set in wonderful parkland gardens Hall I Rear hall I Front hall I Drawing room I Dining room I Sitting room I Front kitchen I Breakfast room I Chef's kitchen Engineering/technical room I 2 cloakrooms I Master bedroom suite with 2 bedrooms and 2 dressing rooms I 3 further bedroom suites I Study I Second floor with staff accommodation Technical rooms I Further ancillary rooms I Walled garden with Victorian green house I Estate yard I Further outbuildings and workshop I Substantial garage building I Landscaped gardens & grounds Lake Tennis court I Former practice golf course I In all approximately 23.93 acres

Sevenoaks 01732 807801

sevenoaks@struttandparker.corn

Sevenoaks, Kent

Guide Price ÂŁ1,695,000

Sevenoaks Station 1.5 miles, Sevenoaks 0.9 miles, Junction 5 M25 4.9 miles A charming characterful family home offering scope to update and situated in a delightful private road on the south side of Sevenoaks Reception hall I Dining room I Sitting room I Drawing room I Kitchen/breakfast room I Family room I Utility room I Two downstairs WC's I Integral double garage with wine store I Store room Master bedroom with en-suite I Four double bedrooms I One single bedroom I Shower room I Family bathroom I EPC rating D I In all about 0.38 acres

Sevenoaks 01732 807801

sevenoaks@struttandparker.corn

ďż˝ PROPERTY SECTION

Charming property in the heart of village could be good for business

W

EST HOUSE is a beautiful family home in the very heart of Goudhurst. Thought to originally date from the 16th century, the property is bursting with character and charm, offering well-proportioned accommodation over three floors. The current owners have renovated throughout and it is presented in excellent order.

With the added benefit of a pretty rear garden and off-road parking for at least three vehicles, West House is village living at its very best.

The house opens to an entrance hallway with a lovely original brick archway. The living accommodation comprises a sitting room with a large open fireplace, a dining room with log burner, a generous family room (which could be used as a work studio or business outlet if desired), and a wonderful 17ft-kitchen with Aga and separate walk-in pantry. A downstairs cloakroom, utility room and large boot room area complete the ground floor accommodation and there is a spacious storage cellar below.

The first floor consists of a master bedroom with a generous dressing room and en-suite, two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property also has a light and airy study on this level. The staircase continues to the second floor, where two more double bedrooms are located.

The south-facing rear garden is mostly laid to lawn with flower beds and mature shrubs, and is surrounded by the original walls. A raised patio area is perfect for al fresco entertaining and a spacious garden shed provides ample storage. There is a gravel area to the side of the property with off-road parking.

AT A GLANCE WEST ROAD, GOUDHURST n Period family home n Set in the heart of the village n Character features n Entrance hall with feature brick archway n Sitting room n Dining room n Family room n Kitchen n Pantry n Utility room n Boot room n Cloakroom n Cellar n Master suite with dressing room and shower room n Two further first floor bedrooms n Study n Family bathroom n Two top floor bedrooms n Off-road parking for three vehicles n Walled rear garden

ÂŁ1,125,000 For sale through Maddisons Residential 01892 514100 www.maddisonsresidential.co.uk

Wednesday 20th April 2016

TO PROMOTE YOUR PROPERTY CONTACT PATSY I<ELLY

PI<elly@markerstudy.com I 01892 714781

Andrews >

Tunbridge Wells andrewsonline.co.uk

London Road, TN2 5BF Guide £300,000-£325,000 Looking to live in the heart of the Pantiles? Two bedroom apartment with open plan living and views over the town's rooftops. Bathroom with free standing bath, separate shower room and several storage areas.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

Cavendish Drive, TN2 5DX Guide £350,000-£360,000 2 bedroom semi-detached chalet bungalow in need of modernisation. Entrance hall, living room, conservatory, kitchen, shower room, 2 bedrooms, converted loft space, gardens front & rear, parking, driveway. No chain.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

LANDLORDS WANTED

Reynolds Lane, TN4 9XJ £585,000 Modern 3/4 bedroom semi detached house with stylish open plan living space and bi-folding doors to the garden. Great garden leading to a three room home office/studio space. Parking to the front.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

in Tunbridge Wells

Are you a Landlord looking to rent out your property?

Or perhaps you already have tenants but want a professional and pro-active

Let Agreed - Otford Road £1350pcm

Let Agreed - The Goodwins £49Spcm

• Let Agreed - Dunstan House £57Spcm

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.

Let Agreed - York Road £850pcm

Let Agreed - Lansdowne Square £1400pcm

Let Agreed - Upper Grosvenor Road £1200pcm

For a FREE Rental Valuation or further details, please come in and speak to the lettings team 01892 525551 or

We've Succeeded - More are Needed!

Tunbridge Wells Sales 01892 515 11+'+ Tunbridge Wells Lettings 01892 525 551

Tunbridgewells.lets@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Call Carol @ Firefiy Properties 01892 838363 for details carol@fireflyproperties.co.uk

 PROPERTY SECTION

Designed to be modern, light AT A GLANCE ■ Contemporary detached home

■ Comms room

■ Stylish design

■ Master bedroom with balcony and shower room

■ High specification throughout ■ Built 2008 ■ Semi-rural location ■ Entrance hall ■ Open-plan reception room with living and dining areas

■ Utility room

■ Two en-suite bedrooms ■ Two further bedrooms ■ Family bathroom

■ Kitchen/breakfast room

■ Double garage/ workshop with studio/gym over

■ Family room/study

■ Driveway

■ Games room

■ Gardens of half an acre

■ Cloakroom

£1,600,000 For sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk

OAKWOOD COPT HALL ROAD, IGHTHAM

£1,600,000

O

AKWOOD is a highly individual property with a striking internal design, set in a lovely semirural position. Built in 2008, the house is presented to a very high standard and offers bright and airy open-plan accommodation totalling 3,150 sq ft. It has vaulted ceilings, an oak staircase with glass side panels, full height windows, bifold doors and apex windows – which all create light and space throughout the house. Plus it is wired with a Crestron audio/visual and lighting system throughout.

On the ground floor there is a vaulted reception hall

Wednesday 20th April 2016

and a main open-plan reception area offering sitting and dining areas – with the dining area featuring bifold doors to the rear terrace. There is also a separate family room/study and additional games room. The kitchen/ breakfast room is fitted with a range of bespoke units and includes an island unit with a breakfast bar, granite work surfaces and AEG integrated appliances. Double doors lead to the rear terrace. A cloakroom, comms room and utility room complete this floor.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom with fitted wardrobes, a stylish en-suite shower room and a balcony

overlooking the rear garden. There are four further bedrooms (one of which is currently being used as a dressing room). Two are served by en-suite shower rooms and there is a generous family bathroom.

The house is approached over a driveway which provides ample parking and leads to a detached double garage. A gym/home office on the first floor can be reached via a ladder. A large expanse of lawn extends to the rear with established planting to the boundary. There are decked and brick paved terraces with inset lighting, providing ideal areas for al fresco entertaining.

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

PROPERTY SECTION �

and airy

‘Vaulted ceilings, an oak staircase with glass side panels, full height windows and bifold doors create light and space’ Wednesday 20th April 2016

Your local independent Estate Agent ... contactable 7 days a week

1-kMJProperty

www.kmjproperty.co.uk 9':I

Find us on

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sales@kmjproperty.co.uk

Tonbridge 4 Bedroom Semi Detached House £1995 pcm+ Fees Apply

Tonbridge 3 Bedroom End of Terrace House £1,495 pcm+ Fees Apply

Walking distance to the station and High Street. Accommodation consists of kitchen/ breakfast room, living room, cloakroom, 3 double bedrooms, 2 en-suites, family bathroom

Brand new house with a well equipped kitchen, open plan lounge/dining area and downstairs cloakroom. Upstairs there are 2 double bedrooms, the master with an en-suite shower room,

and a further single bedroom. Garden and parking. EPC C

a further bedroom and a family bathroom. Garden and 2 parking spaces. Available now. EPC B

Tonbridge 3 Bedroom Semi Detached House £1,300 pcm+ Fees Apply

Tonbridge 2 Bedroom Semi Detached House £1,095 pcm+ Fees Apply

Conveniently located for the mainline train station, High Street and schools. The property has a

Accommodation comprising of a lounge, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor and 2

recently fitted kitchen, 2 reception rooms and cloakroom downstairs with 2 double bedrooms, a

double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. Good size rear garden and permit parking.

further bedroom and bathroom upstairs. Courtyard garden and permit parking. EPC D.

The property is available mid May. EPC D

Tonbridge 2 Bedroom Apartment £995 pcm+ Fees Apply

Tonbridge 2 Bedroom End of Terrace House £895 pcm+ Fees Apply

A spacious top floor apartment with a large open plan living area with a well equipped

Walking distance to the mainline station and High Street. This property has 2 reception

kitchen, two double bedrooms, the master with fitted wardrobes and en suite bathroom, and a

rooms, modern fitted kitchen and bathroom downstairs with 2 double bedrooms upstairs.

separate shower room. Allocated parking space. EPC B

Garden and permit parking. EPC D

••

~~

•

iJl1iFLY PROPERTIES

BY CAROL PRIER

Chartfield was built circa 1969 commanding a large plot with far reaching views. Accommodation comprising entrance hall, large sitting room, se parate dining room , 3 bedroom s, bathroom with se parate WC, kitchen/breakfast room and utility which has been put on as an addition in recent yea rs. EPC: E

Paygate Cottage stands in a large plot of undulating gardens offering the additional benefit of full planning to build a brand newdetached home within the grounds to provide a 1,200 sq ft family home of modern design. The planning permission provides for part of Paygate Cottage to remain for use as ancilliary accommodation to the newdwelling. Paygate currently offers 3 bedrooms, 2 receptions detached garage and studio. EPC: E

We ll-prese nted , 3 bedroom mid-terraced famil y home with secluded rear garden backing onto woodland s.

Accommodation comprises three bedroom s, master bedroom to include en-suite facilities, through lounge, dining room, fitted kitchen and cloakroom. Single garage.

NO CHAIN. EPC: D

Stable Cottage is perfectly located within the Parish of Brenchley accommodation and also benefitting from an additional extension in recent years.

Accommodation comprising 3/4 bedrooms, study/bedroom 4, large drawing room. Grau nd floor bathroom with first floor cloakroom. Farmhouse kitchen with bespoke fitted units, 2 double bedrooms to the first floor. Garage with utility area which leads off from the kitchen. South facing rear garden. EPC: E

Aspacious famil y home with accommodation comprising entrance hall, cloakroom, superb famil y kitchen/breakfast room , se parate dining room, both rooms offer far reaching views across orchards, large sitting room, master bedroom to first floor with en su ite and 2 further double bedrooms, famil y bathroom. To the second floor, guest bedroom suite with dressing room and en su ite showe r. EPC: C

Woolow offers a ve rsatile layout with 4 bedrooms (2 to the ground floor, 2 to the first floor), shower/cloakroom, utility room , large kitchen/dining room, spacious garden room. To the first floor, fabulou s sitting room with dual fuel stove and balcony taking full advantage of garden views, and family bathroom which accommodates the two bedrooms. EPC: C

Attached family home in the heart of Matfie ld offering stunning kitchen/family room, 5 bedrooms, set out over three floo rs with en-suite to master bedroom. Amp le off road parking and far reaching views overfields to the rear which offers a garden of circa 200ft. EPC C

lin kdetached family home with accommodation comprising entrance hall , cloakroom, spacious sitti ng/di ning room and kitchen.

To the first floor there are four bedrooms and a bathroom. The front and rear gardens are well stocked with mature shrubs and trees.

Off road parking and detached garage. No Chai n. EPC: D

Superb opportunity to own a house in a sought after area of Tonbridge. Built in 2010, this family home offers stylish accommodation with an attractive neutral colour scheme throughout. Approached from Yardley Park Road via a private driveway it is so cleverly tucked away that you could easily be unaware of its existence.Accommodation comprises 5 double bedrooms with en suites, 4 receptions, kitchen/breakfast room, conservatory, utility room. EPC: B

Rea r photo shown. Moorside is a fabulous, detached family home which is set in grounds of approxi mate ly 1.5 acres offering in excess of 3,000 sq ft of accommodation, to incl ude large double garage with home office above. Offering a semi rural location with accommodation comprising 4/5 bedrooms, master with en-suite, further 4/5 reception rooms, ground floor cloakroomand large entrance hall with minstrel gallery. EPC: D

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

Extended character cottage lying in an acre of gardens

P

ARKERS GREEN COTTAGE is a pretty, unlisted 16th-century property set within delightful gardens. The characterful accommodation is arranged over three floors and enjoys far-reaching views over the adjoining countryside. It was extended by the current owners in 2007 and, subject to necessary planning consents, could offer ancillary accommodation. Points of note include exposed wall and ceiling timbers, wood-panelled doors, vaulted ceilings, attractive fireplaces and leaded light windows.

The impressive reception hall has a vaulted ceiling and stairs rise to a galleried landing. The spacious drawing room benefits from an attractive open fireplace and has double doors to the conservatory. There is also a bright sitting room with a wood-burning stove and double doors to the terrace, as well as a study and a

PROPERTY SECTION �

AT A GLANCE HADLOW ROAD EAST, TONBRIDGE n Character 16th-century property n Extended by current owners and offering more scope n Arranged over three floors n Reception hall

farmhouse style kitchen/breakfast room with fitted appliances and an Aga. Providing versatile guest accommodation is a ground floor bedroom and bathroom.

There are two well-proportioned bedrooms on the first floor, as well as a family bathroom and plenty of eaves storage. The striking master bedroom is arranged on the second floor and features a vaulted ceiling, far-reaching countryside views, built-in wardrobe and storage cupboards and a generous en-suite bathroom.

The property is approached via a driveway with an attractive lych gate and leads to a detached garage.

The charming gardens are predominantly laid to lawn with a paved terrace to the rear of the house.

There is a delightful summerhouse with a veranda, a generous workshop and a tennis court. The total plot amounts to approximately one acre.

n Drawing room n Sitting room n Study n Kitchen/breakfast room n Study n Conservatory n Four bedrooms n Two bathrooms n Garage and workshop n Summer house n Tennis courts n Gardens and grounds of one acre

£995,000 For sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk

Wednesday 20th April 2016

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

SOUTH BOROUGH

HEATHFIELD

TONBRIDGE

CROWBOROUGH

23 High Street, Tunbridge Wells KentTN11UT

124 London Road, Southborough Kent TN4 OPL Sales 01892 511311 Lettings 01892 528888 southborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk

27 High Street, Heathfield East Sussex, TN21 8JR Sales 01435 862211 Lettings 01435 868899 heat field@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 511211 , tunbridgewells@woodandpilcher CO !~k Letting & Management 01892 528888

Associated Park Lane London Office

woodandpilcher. co. uk

Sales

01892 665666 crowborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk Letting & Management 01892 664666 lettings@woodandpilcher.com

Tunbridge Wells • 4 Bed Semi Detached • WC, bathro om & En Suite t o Master • Good Entertaining Space

Tunbridge Wells • Beautiful 2 Bedroo m House • Small Prestigious Developm ent • Popular Locati on

Tunbridge Wells • 4 Bedroo m Town House • Popular South Sid e of Town • Kitchen/ Dining Room

£500,000 • Attractive Private Gard ens • Garage & ORP • Energy Efficiency Rating: C

£400,000 - £425,000 • En-Suite t o Master Bedroom • Off Road Parking • En ergy Efficiency Rating: C

South borough • Detached Family House • 3 Bedrooms • Some Updating Required

South borough • Character Peri od House • 4 Bedrooms & 2 Recepti on Rooms • We ll Presented

£499,950 South borough • No Onwa rd Chain • Garage and Driveway • En ergy Efficiency Rating: D

• First Fl oor Purpose Built Fl at • 2 Bedrooms • Popular Locati on

Tun bridge Wells Office 01892 511211 tun bridgewel ls @wooda ndpi lcher.co.u k Southborough Office 01892 511311 South boroug h@woodandpilcher.co.u k

NAEA

£600,000 • 0.408 Acre Pl ot • Driveway & Garage • En ergy Efficiency Rating: F

£600,000 - £625,000 • Ove rl oo king Southborough Co mm on • On Road Parking • En ergy Efficiency Rating: E

£205,000 - £215,000 • No Onwa rd Chain • Off Road Parking • En ergy Efficiency Rating: D

~ / \ The Property ~Ombudsman

(i)nTheMarket,om

woodandpilcher.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells • 2 Bedrooms • 2 Private Balco ni es • Garage En-Bl oc

£1,500 PCM • Ava ilabl e Now • En ergy Efficiency Rating: B • Age nt's Fees Apply

Tonbridge • 4 Bedrooms • 2 Recepti on Roo ms • Large Rear Garden

£1,600 PCM • Ava ilabl e Now • En ergy Efficiency Rating: D • Age nt's Fees Apply

Wadhurst • 4 Bedroo ms • Private Terrace • Detached Double Garage

£2,500 PCM • Ava ilabl e Now • En ergy Efficiency Rating: F • Agent's Fees Apply

Other offices in Crowborough, Heathfield, Tonbridge & associated London Branch

WITH THE

NEW HOMES AND LETTINGS A personal invite to brand new showroom

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

High Brooms to London in no time at all

Contemporary living thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practically perfect

Updated Hildenborough home that is handy for commuters Wednesday 20th April 2016

With its peaceful woodland ambience, you'd be forgiven for thinking Knights Wood was miles from anywhere. Not so. With two railway stations nearby and the M25 within easy reach, getting to work on time is a cinch.

Knights Wood offers a variety of exceptional new homes in a woodland setting in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Our marketing suite is open daily from 10am to 5pm, so come and visit us to see for yourself what makes Knights Wood so special. 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 Journey times are approximate

. . Knight ~Frank

dandara new homes

The Showhome at Church Mews, Sissinghurst is open for appointments... we're looking forward to seeing you there

1

You re invited to be one of the first to see our new showhome at Church Mews, Sissinghurst Church Mews is a select development of just 9 mews houses and 3 school house conversions. The three bedroom mews houses are on sale from £509,995 or £457,996* with Help to Buy. We are open Saturday and Sunday from 1Oam to 5pm.

Alternatively you can book an appointment to view on any day by visiting our website or calling 07889 810482

CHURCH MEWS - SISSINGHURST The Street, Sissinghurst [ TNl7

2JG )

www.pentlandhomes.co.uk · Selected plots only. Terms & conditions apply.

Subject to status.

I

� PROPERTY SECTION

Refurbished semi to let has flexible accommodation

FELLOWES WAY, HILDENBOROUGH

£2,400 PER MONTH

H

ILDENBOROUGH is much sought after with its great commuter links, and this property is in immaculate condition having been recently renovated to a high standard.

Now offering open-plan space that is ideal for modern family living, this semi-detached house also provides flexible accommodation with a ground floor bedroom and bathroom.

The house opens to a porch with marble-tiled flooring, which leads into a sitting room and through to a modern kitchen/dining/family room. This open-plan living area is bright and spacious, with a newly fitted kitchen divided from

Wednesday 20th April 2016

the rest of the room by a breakfast bar. It has integrated appliances, double doors to the rear garden and two roof lights to flood the room with natural light.

An inner hall off the kitchen leads through to a personal door to the integral garage and to a ground floor shower room and a bedroom with a door to the garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

The rear garden is laid to lawn with a terrace and external lighting. To the front is a brick paved drive providing parking.

This house is ready to move into and is available to let from the end of May, unfurnished.

‘The open-plan living area is bright and spacious, with a newly fitted kitchen divided from the rest of the room by a breakfast bar’

In association with EJ FINANCIAL LTD

Impartial Investment, Pension and Tax Planning

• Call 01892 655973 today for a FREE appointment

PROPERTY SECTION �

AT A GLANCE n Popular Hildenborough location n Semi-detached family home n Recently renovated n Versatile accommodation n Very well presented n Entrance porch n Sitting room n Open-plan kitchen/family/dining room n Ground floor bedroom n Shower room n Three first floor bedrooms n Family bathroom n Integral garage n Driveway n Rear garden and terrace n To let unfurnished

£2,400 per month To let through Hamptons Lettings Sevenoaks 01732 280800 www. hamptons.co.uk

Wednesday 20th April 2016

•

Image of a typical Millwood interior

PERFECTLY PLACED FOR MODERN LIVING HOME 14, WOODLANDS VIEW WOODLANDS WAY, THE RIDGE, HASTINGS TN34 2RY This 4 bedroom detached home is ideal for both entertaining and family living.

Priced at £485,000

Fo ll ow us for updates:

'tj# @Mill woodDHom es

mill woo ddh o m es ~ Mill wo odDH o m es

THE QUEEN’S 90TH BIRTHDAY SPECIAL �

WHY IS IT CALLED ‘ROYAL’ TUNBRIDGE WELLS? The designation ‘Royal’ is a rare and prestigious title, with Tunbridge Wells one of only three towns to be so recognised in England. It shared the honour with Leamington Spa for 100 years, until the third award was granted to Wootton Bassett five years ago. There are some boroughs with the ‘Royal’ prefix but only three towns. n Tunbridge Wells received its royal appointment in 1909 from King Edward VII because of his mother Queen Victoria’s patronage of the spa in the town – Leamington had previously been conferred the title by Victoria in 1858. n The reigning monarch decides who should receive the royal accolade in response to petitions received from the Prime Minister or the Cabinet. They act upon applications from towns and cities, but it can also come from boroughs, hospitals and businesses. The change of name is legally valid on the day when the sovereign signs and seals a Letters Patent. n Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire became the first town to be designated ‘Royal’ in 100 years in March 2011. It received the accolade after residents had begun lining the streets over the preceding four years as a mark of respect for armed forces personnel who died in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. n The dead were driven through the town when they were repatriated to the nearby RAF base at Lyneham. Local people started the tribute of their own accord, prompted by the local Royal British Legion. The honour was bestowed as a mark of ‘gratitude’, according to David Cameron. n The London Borough of Greenwich is the most recent beneficiary of the title, awarded in 2012 in honour of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. n

77

ROYAL WARRANTS

There are two companies in the area that have been issued with Royal Warrants by the Queen, the jewellers G Collins & Sons on the High Street and Connolly Brothers, ‘curriers’ or leather workers in Cranbrook.

The warrants are ‘granted’ permission and responsibility to display the Royal Arms, and there are around 800 in total. These include giants such as Waitrose and Xerox, but the majority are from more specialist suppliers to the households of the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales.

G COLLINS & SONS The honour has been bestowed by the Lord Chamberlain since the 15th century, when traders vied for the attentions and at the Ritz and Dorchester hotels. They of the itinerant monarchy. also furnished the first Rolls-Royce, Bentley, The Connolly Brothers’ leather work would Jaguar, Ferrari and Aston Martin cars. fit comfortably into luxurious surroundings.

Harry Collins’ renowned jewellers can boast Established in 1878, they have covered an even more intimate relationship to the the benches of the Houses of Lords and royals. His family business was appointed Commons and the seating on the liners personal jeweller to the Queen in 2000 and Queen Elizabeth, Mary and QE2, in Concorde then Crown Jeweller seven years later, which

CELEBRATION TIMELINE

APRIL 20

APRIL 21

MAY 12-15

TODAY: The Queen will visit the Royal Mail Windsor delivery office to mark the 500th anniversary of the postal service, and open a bandstand at Alexandra Gardens in Windsor.

TOMORROW: The Queen will unveil a four-mile Queen’s Walkway in Windsor and conduct a walkabout in the town. Then she will light the first of 1,000 beacons across the UK, which include one at Tonbridge Castle, at 7.30pm.

JUNE 10

JUNE 11

JUNE 12

A weekend of events to celebrate the Queen’s ‘Official Birthday’ begins with a service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, to be televised. It is also the Duke of Edinburgh’s 95th birthday on the same day.

Trooping the Colour, the official annual celebration of the Queen’s birthday, on Horse Guards Parade behind Whitehall, televised live by the BBC from 10am. She will then appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at 1pm to watch a fly-past.

The Patron’s Lunch. A street party on The Mall, with 10,000 guests eating a picnic lunch and being entertained by street performers and circus acts. The Queen will attend on a platform on the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Queen’s Birthday Celebration, a 90-minute pageant with 900 horses and 1,500 riders and performers; the Queen will attend on the final evening and ITV will screen the performance.

handed them responsibility for the upkeep of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London.

They care for the Queen’s private collection, which consists of more than 300 items worth around £35million. The company also create original items including pearshaped tanzanite and diamond pendant and earrings crafted to match the Duchess of Cambridge’s engagement ring.

In 2012 G Collins and Sons were honoured with the commission to recreate the crown of Henry VIII, which was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Using Tudor methods including hand-twisted gold wire, the crown was covered with 344 rubies, sapphires and pearls. The work is displayed at the king’s former palace at Hampton Court and bears the legend ‘Made by Harry Collins’.

DO YOU SHARE THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY? To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, the Royal Mint is issuing a commemorative £5 coin, designed by the artist and sculptor Christopher Hobbs. It features a garland of nine roses in recognition of her love of flowers. If you are celebrating your own 90th birthday on the same day, April 21, you can receive the coin as a free gift. You can be nominated by friends or relatives via the Royal Mint’s Facebook page.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

78 � ADVERTISING FEATURE

An inspiring place to work Offering quality serviced offices, virtual office services and meeting rooms right in the centre of Tunbridge Wells, The Pantiles Chambers provides invaluable resources for businesses to flourish in the local area. We find out how it’s lending a helping hand to a wealth of clients from around town.

Tell us a little about the background of The Pantiles Chambers…

Pantiles Chambers has been operating as a business centre in Tunbridge Wells for 30 years. Badly hit in the recession and in need of modernisation, it was taken over in 2011 by 25-year-old Fleur Record Smith, who saw the appeal of the prestigious location.

What are some of the main services you provide for businesses?

Our motivation is to help small companies and start-ups focus on their business by offering them office space on simple, affordable and flexible terms, as well as secretarial support in handling their calls and post. As an independent centre, our focus is on offering a personal service with a strong working relationship with all our customers.

What areas do you have on offer and in what ways do you set the spaces apart?

We have 20 offices of varying sizes, from one to 10-person offices, as well as the very popular shared offices (‘hot-desking’). As we’re located in a period building, no two offices are the same, so we’ve exploited the style and character of the building to offer unique office spaces, enhanced by our recent refurbishment. We really want to move away from the sterile office space environment and provide an inspiring place to work.

PERFECT SPOT Located in the heart of town, this is ideal for any business

Wednesday 20th April 2016

What’s included in the offices themselves?

The offices are fully equipped with stateof-the-art telephones, high-speed internet access and smart furniture. There’s also a communal kitchen and new chill-out zones with sofas on the landings. Our reception team offers a very personal and dedicated service to our clients, providing

support with call and post handling, as well as a range of secretarial services. If you’re lucky, you’ll get an office with stunning views over the High Street!

Do you tend to attract a range of different clients?

We certainly don’t have any lack of variety in our customer base, which is great for occupiers, who make invaluable business connections throughout their stay. Our clients range from solicitors, insurance brokers and IT providers, to communications agencies and perfumers.

which is less than five minutes’ walk to the train station, and surrounded by lively cafés and restaurants. For many of our clients who simply want to cut down their commute, the idea of walking to the office or having lunch on The Pantiles is very appealing.

Can temporary spaces be as beneficial as a permanent base?

There are several benefits of using temporary offices, the main ones being:  Acquiring affordable office space with-

out long-term financial commitments Is Tunbridge Wells a desirable location for them?

With fantastic transport links to London, Tunbridge Wells offers the advantages of a vibrant town centre, without the prohibitive costs of a London office. Our occupiers enjoy being in this part of town,

 Cost savings with simple contracts and

no legal fees  The opportunity to upsize or downsize

instantly into another office  Time-saving, as the monthly fee is fully

inclusive of bills, service charge, cleaning, waste etc.

PLUGGED-IN Fiona Carolan, one of the company’s Business Centre Assistants

ADVERTISING FEATURE n

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HOT DESK Clean and quiet spaces with all the amenities

How do your virtual offices benefit local businesses?

We act as an invaluable, cost-effective support for local businesses. Our virtual office services instantly give our clients a prestigious and credible business address, as well as a professional image, thanks to the personalised telephone answering service and access to meeting rooms, from £33 per month. For start-ups or small companies that need to focus on building their business, this extra support is highly valued.

Are start-ups a particularly big part of your client base?

Yes, especially for the virtual services, as we provide services for businesses in their very first steps, such as setting up a registered address or mailing address. Our meeting rooms A FRESH START Owner of The Pantiles Chambers, Fleur Record Smith

enable start-ups to meet clients in an office environment, which is coherent with their business address and image, and the shared office spaces are generally the first step that clients will take once they decide to move away from their home office. We do, however, have a large customer base of longstanding, established businesses, which we see growing year on year.

Why are these spaces so important for your customers?

So many thriving local businesses started with an office here, where we provide cost-effective, short or medium-term office space. For start-ups that can’t yet commit to long-term leases, or for small businesses looking for simple and flexible terms, serviced offices are ideal. We can also accommodate businesses for very short-term needs during their building refurbishments or between office moves.

Has the current economic climate affected the demand?

Demand has certainly changed over the past few years; as the recovery is still slow, we find that clients appreciate the flexibility of short to medium-term rentals, as they’re wary of committing to long-term arrangements. We’ve seen a great rise in the demand for smaller office space, and particularly shared office space,

which gives clients the opportunity to get out of the house and be in an office environment at very low cost. Our virtual services have grown strongly in the weaker climate, with many clients keen to start ventures, but running them from home until they feel confident enough to take up office space.

Where would you like to take The Pantiles Chambers going forward?

We aim to continue to provide vital support for start-ups and small businesses by offering a unique and inspiring workspace, capitalising on our prime location in the town. On the virtual office side of things, we’ll continue to focus on offering a highly personal and flexible service, so as to differentiate ourselves from automated services or impersonal call centres.

The Pantiles Chambers 85 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1XP 01892 506 960 www.pantileschambers.co.uk sales@pantileschambers.com

Wednesday 20th April 2016

80 � FOOD AND DRINK

Brothers bring a different approach to serving up gastronomic delights If you want a taste of first class international cuisine without having to travel far, then new restaurant One 60 is the perfect dining destination. Eileen Leahy spoke to its owner Roland Fernandes,, who runs the Tonbridge eaterie with his chef brother Roy, about their globally inspired menu and why a great meal should never be rushed…

DISHY DELIGHT Warm mango salad with toasted almonds and halloumi

GOAN curry, Kenyan sweet and spicy nuts, Greek halloumi mango salad and Japanese wasabi mash are not typical gastronomic delights you’d normally stumble across on Tonbridge High Street but thanks to brothers Roy and Roland Fernandes local foodies can now enjoy these, and all manner of other tempting bites, at their restaurant One 60.

Opened in August last year, the brothers knew right from the start that they wanted to offer discerning diners something different, so they took their cultural heritage as a culinary starting point.

Being part Kenyan and part Goan, Roy and Roland certainly have a good grounding when it comes to working with interesting flavours.

But add to the mix the fact Roy has lived in New Zealand for the past decade where he picked up plenty of tips from Australasian and Asian cuisine, and Roland ran his own boutique resort in Africa, you have the perfect recipe for a restaurant that offers fantastically diverse food and excellent attention-to-detail service.

So what brought the globetrotting brothers to Tonbridge?

SERVED WITH RELISH Lamb burger with gruyère and special tomato sauce

Wednesday 20th April 2016

“I owned a small boutique resort in Diani on the south coast of Kenya. It was entirely bespoke so you could wake up at whatever time you wanted and the chef would then meet you later on in the day to find out what you’d like for your dinner,” explains Roland.

‘We’re not into feeding a client then pushing them out of the door’ “Once the tourism started to slow down I decided to do something else. I visited a friend here in Tonbridge and really liked the area. My brother Roy had just moved back to the UK after ten years in New Zealand and we decided to work together for the first time.”

Once they had found their ideal spot on Tonbridge High Street they got to work.

“We had to redo the whole thing,” says Roland.

“The kitchen was in a total mess and we wanted to get rid of the dull paintwork and create something brighter.”

Once everything was shiny, new and up to scratch the brothers spearheaded the workload with Roy concentrating on the food and Roland looking after the front of house.

What were their initial aims when putting One 60 on the map?

“We wanted to bring something really unique to the town.

All the dishes on our menu have been created by Roy and he always adds something which

totally enhances the dish,” reveals Roland.

“Our lasagne, for example. It looks like a normal one but Roy puts something else in it – which has to remain as a trade secret I’m afraid – and that means that when you taste it you go ‘Mmmm, that’s different’. And that’s what we do with all our food. We call it classics with a global twist.”

The menu is ever evolving with Roy keen for his customers to try new and exciting flavours to perk up their palate.

“We update the menu regularly and if we put something on our specials board like chicken bombs with our signature sauce and it’s popular, then we add it to our main menu.”

Rather impressively, everything – apart from the brioche burger buns and ice cream – is made

by Roy on the premises and the pair are big fans of sourcing goods on their doorstep.

“We support all local suppliers and we will only buy from them,” says Roland.

“We use Ian Chatfield Butchers for our meat and Chapman’s in Sevenoaks for our fish, which we have fresh on our menu every day. We also serve local wines too. We trade with Ellis who have been in business for over 200 years. They supply us with exclusive bottles which you won’t get on the High Street or in any other restaurant in Tonbridge.”

As well as great tasting food and wine the brothers are determined to give their customers a really great time too.

“We’re not into feeding a client then pushing them out of the door,” Roland continues. “It’s about having a relaxed time, sitting and chatting.

If they want to stay for a few hours we don’t have a problem with that.”

Are there any One 60 delights that have become classics already?

THREE AND EASY Affogato with a choice of liqueur

“Our Goan cheesecake is incredibly popular.

It’s a recipe that was handed down from our grandmother and whatever Roland adds as his secret ingredient just makes people crave more!”

But Roy isn’t just slaving away in a hot kitchen all the time. He believes that a customer’s dining experience goes further than just good food.

“Roy makes a point of coming out after a customer has eaten and chatting with them. We try and communicate and get people’s feedback.

What we like is looking after people and for them to enjoy good food.”

Roland says he hopes more people will come and discover the unique cuisine and service that One 60 is all about.

“Hopefully we will become one of the restaurants in Tonbridge because we have good quality food and great service. We want people to come in and discover that we’re an international restaurant with a focus on pleasing the locals.”

One60 For more information visit www.one60.uk

On the menu at...

FOOD AND DRINK ď Ž

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Patatas bravas

Salt and chilli squid with dipping sauce

Mixed board

Balinese chicken satay with peanut sauce

Eggs benedict

Salmon chaat masala

Chorizo, pork belly and mixed bean stew Vegetable paella

The Trading Post Bar, 5 Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9SA | 01892 459867 | www.thetradingpostbar.co.uk

Wednesday 20th April 2016

82  TRAVEL

Zipping through Costa Rica to enjoy the wonderful wildlife

BIRDS GALORE Toucans are just one of 900 species here

By Shereen Low

I

T’S Saturday night and disco music is blaring out from a shed-turnednightclub in Tortuguero. But as villagers make their way to the hotspot to catch up with friends and have a drink, our group of ten skulk past in waterproof trousers and hiking shoes, armed with insect repellent and torches.

Letting our hair down is not the plan tonight. Instead, we’re hoping to see some nesting sea turtles who come to the Costa Rican coast every year.

Our patience pays off, and during a two-hour session we are rewarded with views of three green turtles.

Our guide, Jonathan Sequeira, tells us that Tortuguero (meaning Land of Turtles) is a favourite place for turtles to lay their eggs, with the endangered green species being the most popular here. Hatching season runs from July to October.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Our first glimpse is a turtle ambling back to the Caribbean Sea, after deciding the hole she has dug on the beach is not suitable for her nest. We then stumble across a turtle slowly walking on the path, so still I think she isn’t real.

But the best is yet to come. Our third and final turtle is laying her eggs – up to 100 in 30 minutes.

She then covers the eggs with sand, using her back flippers as a shovel, before leaving her babies and returning to the sea.

Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica is a paradise for animal lovers, and now it’s set to become even more popular thanks to direct flights: Thomson launched a route last November, and British Airways will run a service from May. The whole journey now takes roughly ten hours.

During my five-day visit, I see sloths (both the two and three-fingered types), iguanas, monkeys (cauchin, spider and howler species), as well as caymans and crocodiles.

On our first day, as we stop off for breakfast on our way to Tortuguero National Park, we spot a

TRAVEL 

sloth cradled in the branches of a tree, with algae growing on its fur.

The humid rainforests and cooler cloud forests in Central America are also home to creatures such as the anteater, Baird’s tapir, kinkajou and various lizards. The country boasts 900 bird species, including six different toucans, macaws, hummingbirds and the red and green quetzals, considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

Wild cats such as jaguars, pumas and cougars also live here, although sightings are very rare, with only ten jaguars recorded on cameras in the past year.

Staying in the heart of the rainforest at the four-star Evergreen Lodge, in a spacious rustic cabin, I have never felt closer to nature. Barking howler monkeys wake me up in the morning, while the gentle pattering of rain lulls me to sleep at night.

From Tortuguero, we make our way to Monteverde in the north-west part of the country, where the humid and tropical weather is replaced by a cooler climate.

Whizzing through the cloud forest on the zip line

canopy tour at Selvatura Park is the most fun way to experience Monteverde, although on my first attempt, I’m far too busy freaking out to admire the scenery.

There are 13 cables in total – and one measures one kilometre!

Braver souls can opt for the Superman zip line, where you ‘fly’ through the forest with a Tarzan swing at the end of the course.

The cooler weather makes it the perfect spot to grow coffee, as I discover on a trip to the Don Juan coffee plantation.

Our witty tour guide, Junior Ramirez Vindas, who describes himself as a ‘Don Juan Harry Potter’ due to his ability to concoct creative blends, tells us only Arabica coffee is grown in the country.

Even though I’ve been buzzing on caffeine all afternoon, I find it easy to drift off to sleep at Hotel Ficus, a mountain retreat not far from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The rooms offer a breathtaking view of the surrounding area.

I lie in bed dreaming about coffee, chocolate and capuchin monkeys. It’s no wonder Costa Rica is one

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of the happiest countries in the world. (According to the UN-affiliated 2015 World Happiness Report, it ranks 12th place.)

“We don’t think we are the happiest people in the world,” Jonathan says.

“But life is good for us, and we are lucky here.” I couldn’t agree more.

CANOPY TOUR Fly through the tree tops on a zipline

TRAVEL FACTS Shereen Low was a guest of Hayes & Jarvis (www.hayesandjarvis.com; 01293 735 831) who offer a seven-night ‘Highlights of Costa Rica’ holiday from £1,499 per person – saving up to £277 per person. The offer includes one night at the Hotel Balmoral in San Jose, two nights at the four-star Evergreen Lodge Hotel in Tortuguero, one night at Los Lagos hotel in Arenal, followed by a further night at Hotel Ficus in Monteverde and finally two nights at Casitas Eclipse Hotel in the Manuel Antonio National Park. Includes direct return international flights from London Gatwick to San Jose with British Airways.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

84 n LIFE AND STYLE PREMIUM PERSONAL TRAINING COMES TO THE AREA Southborough is about to become fitter and healthier after the launch of SixForty Studios Personal Training. The spacious and private studio opens with the ultimate goal of enhancing lives and remedying aches and pains.

The appeal is obvious, within the studio are trainers and medical practitioners catering every physiological need. Whether you require a plan to grow stronger or lose fat, personal training has you covered. If it’s knots and stress you’re needing to relieve, sports massage and osteopathy takes care of that. Injured?

Physiotherapy is what you’re after.

“We’ve taken great care and pride in selecting professionals you can trust with your fitness, and share our knowledge and passion” said Gareth Stead, director and personal trainer at SixForty Studios. “The launch was a great opportunity to share our excitement and raise awareness. We’re here to help people understand their bodies.”

“The studio is very professional and well equipped,”said client Emma Pamplin. “The sessions are excellent and the atmosphere is great.”

Another client, Juliet Batchelder, commented, “The personal training is challenging and fun. I love how private it is.” With most people needing a fitness push, SixForty Studios carries a tremendous pull. www.sixfortystudios.co.uk | 07969 066866 40 Holden Park Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 0ER

RAZZAMATAZ Razzamataz Performing Arts Schools are highly ranked for both quality of teaching and affordability by The Stage newspaper.

Classes consist of Dance, Drama and Singing covering performing arts, from classic West End musical theatre to commercial dance and pop singing for students 2 -18 yrs.

NO-ONE TRI-ES HARDER! Another great success at the 42nd Sevenoaks Triathlon as George Berry, Knight Frank Sevenoaks Office Head, was delighted to be able to present one of his colleagues, Tom Wade, with the winner’s trophy for a second year in a row. Quite an achievement! Tom successfully defended his title in a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes and 15 seconds. He said, “It was certainly a bigger build up for me to this increasingly competitive, early season triathlon, that is incredibly well run and in such a beautiful setting. It was great to come away with the win but the real bonus was the fantastic weather”.

Also taking part on this perfect bright and sunny Sunday morning, with an improved time from last year, were Edward Rook and Tilly Wilson, who are based in the Sevenoaks office, and formed the Knight Frank All-Stars relay team as well as local girl Kate Horton, who competed individually to shave over 4 minutes off her previous record. No mean feat over an 800m swim, 25km bike ride and 8km run in the hilly Kent countryside.

THE LANGUAGE CLUB AT BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS Making English easy and enjoyable to learn Bright Young Things Tuition Centre has teamed up with Fable Languages to bring regular, flexible and expert English as a foreign language (EFL) classes to Tunbridge Wells.

If you wish to improve your English, as a beginner or at a more advanced level, we have morning and evening classes that fit around your work and family commitments.

Whether it is a need to boost your English for the workplace, assisting towards your job search or simply to help in feeling a part of Tunbridge Wells life, The Language Club offers a relaxed, friendly and stimulating environment in which you can learn and improve.

Our Member’s Voucher offers lessons at £9 for an hour’s class.

Book now by visiting us at 3 Calverley Street, TN1 2BZ Email us: tunbridgewells@brightyoungthings.co.uk Call us: 01892 800492

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Knight Frank also presented a prize to the fastest local athletes, with Kirandeep Marsh just winning the fasted local female by a whisker (0.18 of a second) in a time of 1 hour, 45 minutes and 48 seconds and Hugh Gibbs winning the fastest local male event in a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 8 seconds.

Hannah Ewens, who is a member of Crystal Palace Tri-Club, rose to the challenge by winning the women’s event in the commendable time of 1 hour, 34 minutes and 37 seconds.

Congratulations, also, to all at the Sevenoaks Tri-Club who organise and run this very popular event, where the places sell out within hours of entries opening, with great efficiency each year to make it a great success for all the competitors who take part.

Principal Dave Mac with 40 years’ experience says: “Razzamataz Tonbridge is dedicated to making performance training accessible to all young people. As well as improving health and fitness, participation in theatre arts benefits children in many different areas as they acquire life and performance skills.

It is with immense pride that we hold our classes at the illustrious Hayebrook school with top quality and safe facilities. And it’s so important to us that our students enjoy Razzamataz and learn while having FUN FUN FUN!!!”

Razzamataz Tonbridge students again entertained crowds at Tonbridge Christmas Lights and Mind Charity event. They are performing at many events this summer including Penshurst Place, Tonbridge Food Festival, Southborough Fun Day and Full Production Show at the Stag Theatre. Dave and Teachers have also been featured and interviewed on local commercial radio and BBC Radio Kent.

Students have enjoyed specialist workshops such at ‘Spooky Stage makeup’, ‘Coming Alive’ and ‘Wicked’ based workshop by a West End Performer, great events including a day at a radio station where they even recorded voice-overs for adverts and competitions.

You can see many of these on their Facebook page.

To register for your FREE taster session please call Dave on 01732 364859 or email tonbridge@razzamataz.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE �

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AY 2016

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Wednesday 20th April 2016

86  PUZZLES DOUBLE CROSSWORD

month (6) 14. Does it mean the rest of the week is dull? (6) 15. Really beat pudding mixture (6) 17. Stop being a nuisance during temporary sacking (3-3) 18. Listen to half a cry of approval (4) 19. Agree to make reductions?

(8)

21. Another final move for the officer (6,4) 22. It throws light on 1’s substitute tail (4) Down 2. Nevertheless lacking variety (3,3,4) 3. The pair of them take trouble without hesitation (4) 4. Secure home for animal (6) 5. Brides cleared up the mess (6) 6. Fly on car used in hawking (8) 7. A quadruped turns up in this synopsis (4) 11. The preserve of drivers?

(7,3) 13. Not disclosed - our litre is different (8) 16. Go back to surrender again (6) QUICK CLUES: 17. Article in passenger ship of one dimension only (6) Across 18. He entertains a big crowd 1. Catalogue (4) (4) 8. Emphasise (10) 20. Film of dance? (4) 9. Dissemble (8) Scribble pad 10. Identical (4) 12. Diminish (6) 14. Rumpus (6) 15. Way (6) 17. Larder (6) 18. Equipment (4) 19. Bloodsucker (8) 21. Light (10) 22. Pit (4)

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Wednesday 20th April 2016

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Down 2. Burn (10) 3. Taste (4) 4. Deed (6) 5. Except (6) 6. Interrogate (8) 7. Small valley (4) 11. Temperance (10) 13. Resonant (8) 16. Mend (6) 17. Gate (6) 18. Walk (4) 20. Stalk (4)

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1. Polish 9. Not any 2. Money reserve 10. Every 3. Import tax 11. Sacred 4. Legendary beast 12. Scream 5. Religious image 13. Regard 6. Immediately after 14. Leg joint 7. Amphibian 15. Engrave 8. Daybreak 16. Brave man Keyword clue: A girl’s name

SUDOKU

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1. Which Irish actor and comedian recently featured in the BBC2 show My Family at War? 2. Michael Crawford recently returned as Frank Spencer for a Sport Relief special of which classic sitcom, with cameos from Andy Murray and Sir Paul McCartney?

3. Made in the Manor is the title of the latest album from which British grime MC? 4. Michael Shannon and Kirsten Dunst are among the stars of which new film based on a music video by the French band M83?

5. Which New York police lieutenant has been played on television by Telly Savalas and Ving Rhames?

6. What is the title of the latest single from British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding?

7. Which 1992 film starred Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as a pair of rivals who drink a magic potion promising eternal youth?

8. Which comedian recently went on a Hell

of a Walk for Sport Relief?

9. Sandstorm and Walkaway were hits of the 1990s for which Liverpool band?

10. Which new film stars Dev Patel as the real-life Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan?

SOLUTIONS

11. Who completes the trio of hosts of the Channel 4 comedy talk show The Last Leg, alongside Alex Brooker and Adam Hills?

12. What was the title of late British singer Alma Cogan’s only Number One hit, in July 1955?

13. Which 1979 film was loosely based on a rock opera of the same name by The Who, and starred Phil Daniels as London Mod Jimmy Cooper?

14. Which US country star was the subject of the recent BBC4 Arena documentary Still a Mountain Girl?

15. Which cover of a song

by The Judds was a Number One hit for Cher, Chrissie Hynde & Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton in March 1995?

Keyword: DOROTHY CODEWORD: 1=V, 2=Y, 3=X, 4=N, 5=I, 6=D, 7=A, 8=L, 9=R, 10=W, 11=Q, 12=T, 13=M, 14=H, 15=U, 16=K, 17=B, 18=F, 19=C, 20=O, 21=E, 22=P, 23=J, 24=G, 25=Z, 26=S ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ: 1 Brendan O’Carroll; 2 Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em; 3 Kano; 4 Midnight Special; 5 Kojak; 6 Something in the Way You Move; 7 Death Becomes Her; 8 Jo Brand; 9 Cast; 10 The Man Who Knew Infinity; 11 Josh Widdicombe; 12 Dreamboat; 13 Quadrophenia; 14 Loretta Lynn; 15 Love Can Build a Bridge SUDOKU:

Codeword is the crossword puzzle with no clues. The number in each square corresponds to a letter. Work out the words in the grid using the letters provided. Fill in these known letters first, then use skill and judgement to work out the others.

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ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ

CODEWORD

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Starting from 1, fill in the grid clockwise with four-letter words. The last letter of each word becomes the first letter of the next to reveal the key word in the shaded boxes.

DOUBLE CROSSWORD: Cryptic: Across: 1 Lamb; 8 On the radio; 9 At the bar; 10 City; 12 Jejune; 14 Sunday; 15 Batter; 17 Lay-off; 18 Hear; 19 Contract; 21 Second mate; 22 Lamp. Down: 2 All the same; 3 Both; 4 Stable; 5 Debris; 6 Falconry; 7 Pony; 11 Traffic jam; 13 Ulterior; 16 Recede; 17 Linear; 18 Host; 20 Reel.

Quick: Across: 1 List; 8 Accentuate; 9 Disguise; 10 Same; 12 Lessen; 14 Shindy; 15 Manner; 17 Pantry; 18 Gear; 19 Parasite; 21 Illuminate; 22 Mine. Down: 2 Incinerate; 3 Tang; 4 Action; 5 Unless; 6 Question; 7 Dene; 11 Moderation; 13 Sonorous; 16 Repair; 17 Portal; 18 Gait; 20 Stem.

WORD SPIRAL: 1 Buff; 2 Fund; 3 Duty; 4 Yeti; 5 Icon; 6 Next; 7 Toad; 8 Dawn; 9 None; 10 Each; 11 Holy; 12 Yell; 13 Look; 14 Knee; 15 Etch; 16 Hero.

CRYPTIC CLUES: Across 1. The French doctor who wrote essays (4) 8. Broadcasting, so to speak (2,3,5) 9. Where to get a drink when practising law? (2,3,3) 10. The place Vera needed to go to get the truth (4) 12. Boring beginning and end of the month, and the whole

WORD SPIRAL

WITH THE

THE TOWN’S TOP MOTORING GUIDE – FROM EVERYDAY DRIVES TO LUXURY SUPERCARS

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

FIRST DRIVE

DS 3 PERFORMANCE

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: from £20,495

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 143mph, 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds

ENGINE: 1.6-litre turbo-charged petrol producing 205bhp and 221lb/ft

ECONOMY: 52.3mpg

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual front-wheel drive

By Matt Kimberley WHAT’S NEW? Unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the DS 3 Performance is at the hot and pointy end of the range. A new 1.6-litre turbo-charged engine and a new gearbox are supported by new springs and dampers, the latest Michelin sports tyres and huggy new seats, plus, of course, all the interface revisions of the common-or-garden DS 3.

There are two body styles; hatchback and semiconvertible. The latter has an electrically sliding and folding canvas panel with a heated glass rear screen, and is just 25kg heavier than the hatchback.

LOOKS AND IMAGE Sitting lower and wider than standard on its black wheels, the Performance is a beefy and potentlooking little car. Good colour choices have been added to the palette. Even from a distance it looks more purposeful than the standard car, which is no bad thing. Just watch those rims on kerbs – they sit well proud of the tyre sidewall.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY This was never a DS strong suit. The boot here is actually fine for the class, at 285 litres, but there’s barely any legroom in the back. On the other hand,

if you can happily pretend the rear seats aren’t there, there are some useful touches in the cabin.

There’s a large, open-faced bin at the base of the centre console, a slim ledge a few inches above it and spacious door pockets. That said, pick the pace up a bit and the door pockets will be the last place you want to leave anything solid.

BEHIND THE WHEEL A Torsen limited-slip differential and a widened track, especially at the front, give the DS 3’s nose a real sense of purpose and capability. It’s not the fastest hatch in the world, but it has plenty of poke for punching out of corners, with no sign of traction issues on the warm French Tarmac of the test route.

The Michelin tyres are a bit unforgiving over bumps, adding a hard edge to the much-improved damping. It stays super-composed and flat even when attacking tight bends, as long as the road is reasonably smooth, but let’s just say you’ll know when you hit a pothole.

The new gearbox is a vast improvement, delivering crisp shifts with minimal resistance through the crucial second-to-third action.

Powering out of corners tends to lead to a bit of squirming at the wheel because the mechanical limited-slip diff activates as the turbo kicks in, but keep your foot down and ride it out – the chassis can cope.

EMISSIONS: 125g/km

VALUE FOR MONEY

THIS CAR SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE WORD:

DS has priced its spicy new baby more or less in line with its turbo-charged European rivals, and the fact it’s tangibly better to drive than its Citroënbadged predecessor makes it better value. It has a bagfull of talent on all sorts of roads and you don’t need three world championships under your belt to make use of it. This is a car that finally makes a strong case for itself.

Chunky.

IF THIS CAR WAS A... boxer it would be a hard-punching lightweight with a bright future ahead of him.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? Hot hatchbacks come in two tiers these days; the relatively sensible 200bhp-or-so end and the lobotomyspec 300bhp-plus brigade. The DS 3 Performance, as part of the former group, makes sense as a daily driver for someone looking for excitement without wanting to sacrifice their wallets to oil and insurance companies.

Younger buyers will inevitably go for the looks and the power.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Our premises are lacated at Kingstanding Way Business Park in Tunbridge Wells.

We invite all new and seasoned enthusiasts to visit us today to find out more about our classic car restoration services.

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MOTORING �

89

Model shown Jeep Renegade 2.0 MULTIJET 140hp Longitude 4WD at £24,495 including Special Pastel Paint at £600. OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RENEGADE RANGE MPG [L/lOOKM) : EXTRA URBAN 47.9 [5.9) - 70.6 [4.0). URBAN 32.5[8.7) - 55.4[5.1). COMBINED 40.9 [6.9) - 64.2[4.4). C02EMISSIONS: 160 - 115 G/KM. Fu el co nsumptionand CD, figures areobtainedfor co mparative purposes in acco rd ance with ECdirect ives/regulati ons and may not bereprese ntative of rea l-lifedriving conditions. 'Customer deposit is £5,845. Jee p Deposit is £1,500. Total Deposit £7,345. Optional Final Payment is £11,573. Co ntract Term is 14 months. Promoti on ava ilable onJee pRenega de1.0 MultiJet 14Dhp Longitude 4W Oat £14,495 including Special Pastel Paint registered between 1st April and 30th June 101 6. Jee p Deposit Contribution only ava ilable in conjuncti onwith Jeep Horizo n PCP. With Jee p Horizon you have th eoptionto return th eve hicleand not pay th efin al payment. subject toth eve hicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage [a charge of 9p per milefor exceeding 10,000 miles per annum in thi s exa mple] and being in good co ndition. Finance subject tostatu s. Guarantees may berequired. Term s and Co nditions apply. Jeep Financial Services. PO Box 4465, Slough, Sll ORW. Jeep@is a registeredtrademark of FCA USLLC.

Model shown is NewAlfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp at £18,975 OTR incl. Stromboli Grey Special Paint at £525. Range of official fuel consumption figures for the Alfa Giulietta range: Urban 29.7 - 60.1 mpg (9.5 - 4.7 lj100km) ; Extra Urban 54.3-88.3 mpg (5.2 - 3.2 l/100km); Combined 41.5 - 74.3 mpg (6.8 - 3.31/100km). C0 2 emissions 157- 99 g/ km. Fuel consumption and CO, figures are obtained for comparativepurposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and maynot be representative of real -life driving conditions. ' Customer deposit is £1,559. Optional Final Payment is £5,593. Contract Term is 48 months. Promotion available on New Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp at £18,975 OTR registered between 1st April and 30th June 2016. Alfa Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Alfa Romeo Preferenza PCP. With Alfa Romeo Preferenza you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 6p per mile for exceeding 6,000 miles per annum in this example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. At participating Dealers only. Alfa Romeo Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL! ORW. We work with a number of creditors including Alfa Romeo Financial Services.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

90 ■ MOTORING

In-car tech oils the Disrupted sleep can be wheels of industry as bad as no sleep at all IN-CAR gadgets have made British workers around a third more productive, suggests new research conducted by Skoda.

Skoda asked 600 company car drivers to name the single piece of equipment they “couldn’t work without.”

Smartphone connectivity systems lead the way with 14% of the vote, while a tenth each went to cruise control and satnavs.

The latter pairing also listed among the most-used technologies in the survey respondents’ cars.

Saving time (42%) and making navigation easier (37%) were cited as the chief benefits for bosses, letting their staff get their jobs done all the quicker and allowing for them to do more.

Saving money won 31% of the votes.

Skoda’s research shows an average 33% increase in

completed workload for each person, attributable to the advantages of in-car tech.

With 17% of full-time workers driving a company car, with an average salary of £27,600, Skoda says that each individual is effectively adding a third of that salary (£9,200) to the economy.

Henry Williams, head of fleet at Skoda UK, said: “At Skoda we know that in-car technology is hugely important to company car drivers and their employers, to help save time and money.

“We regularly investigate which gadgets are most effective in improving business productivity and safety to make sure our cars, particularly the SE Business range, are kitted out with the most up-to-date and desirable products.”

AN INTRIGUING study involving triplets has found that driving after a night of disrupted sleep as dangerous as driving on no sleep at all.

This is bad news for millions of parents of young children, for whom disrupted sleep is a fact of life.

The study, commissioned by online bed retailer Time4Sleep.co.uk, involved male triplets, aged 27 and from Essex.

One, Robert, had a full night’s sleep, while his brother Steven had a night broken up by a (very realistic) robotic baby and a third triplet Patrick had zero sleep all night, verified by researchers attached to the project.

The following day, they were asked to complete a 90-minute motorway driving simulation at the

Another triumph for Mc Guinness JOHN McGuinness has been awarded the prestigious Segrave Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club, in recognition of his motorcycling prowess and consistent triumphs on the Isle of Man. The friendly 43-year-old from Lancashire known affectionately as the Morecambe Missile - attended a star-studded luncheon at the Royal Automobile Club’s impressive premises on Pall Mall in Central London.

Also in attendance was Sir Stirling Moss, who is a previous winner of the Segrave Trophy.

The Segrave Trophy is awarded roughly once every

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Transport Research Laboratory in London. Their task was simply to drive at 60mph in lane one, rating their own drowsiness from 1-9 every five minutes.

They also had to flash their headlights in response to a red bar that appeared above the motorway at random intervals for 1.5 seconds But Steven’s disrupted night of sleep meant he missed the bar’s presence entirely 10 times, compared to five for sleepless Patrick.

Steven’s reaction times were also the slowest in the test, and he spent the most time either over or underspeeding, despite having had some sleep.

The figures suggest that disrupted sleep could be, in some ways at least, as bad as or worse than going without sleep altogether.

year by the Royal Automobile Club to someone who demonstrates “outstanding skill and courage, on land, sea or in the air”.

Since its introduction in 1930 by Lady Segrave, in memory of her husband Sir Henry Segrave, following his untimely death breaking the water speed record on Lake Windermere, there have been many years in which the trophy was not considered to have been earned.

John McGuinness particularly impressed the Royal Automobile Club with his Isle of Man average speed of 132mph. He has won the TT race 23 times.

MOTORING �

91

INVICTA HONDA Tunbridge Well s Business Park , Dowding Way, Tunbridge Well s, Kent TN2 3DS Call 01892 598875 or visit www.tunbridgewell s-honda.co.uk Fuel consumption figures for the CR-V SE 1.6 i-DTEC 2WD Manual mpg (11100km): Urban 61.4 (4.6), Extra Urban 67.3 (4.2), Combined 64.2 (4.4). C0 2 emissions: 115g/km.

Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experience.

Model Shown: CR-V SE 1.6 i-DTEC 2WD Manual in Lunar Silver Metallic at £26,610 On The Road (OTR). Term s and Condition s: New retail CR-Vordered from 01 April 2016 to 30 June 2016 and registered by 30 June 2016. Subject to model and colour availability. Offers applicable at participating dealers and are at the promoter's absolute discretion . Not to be used along with any other offers currently available. *Honda Deposit c ontribution: £3,000 Honda deposit contribution on CR-V models purchased through Honda Aspirations. Hond a Aspiration s (PCP): Minimum customer deposit 0%, maximum customer deposit 30% . You do not have to pay the Final Payment if you return the car at the end of the agreement and you have paid all other amounts due, the vehicle is in good condition and has been serviced in accordance with the Honda service book and the maximum annual mileage has not been exceeded . Indemnities may be required in certain circumstances . Finance is only available to persons aged '18 or over, subject to status. All figures are correct at time of publication but may be subject to change. lnvicta Motors (Maid ston e) Limited are c redit brokers, not lenders. Credit provided by Honda Finance Europe Pie. Cain Road , Bracknell, Berkshire RG'12 '1 HL. Honda Finance Europe pie is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Services Register number 3'1254'1 . **5 Ye ars ' Servi c ing inc ludes: All scheduled servicing, as detailed in the vehicle's service book, will be covered for 5 years or 62,500 miles, whichever comes first. 5 Years' Servicing is optional. It is being offered for £555 including VAT (usual value £'1,430 including VAT, resulting in a £875 saving for the customer) and is available to finance or non-finance customers . Please note, should you sell the vehicle during the period of cover, the package remains with the vehicle.

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Wednesday 20th April 2016

92 n MOTORING

THAMES MOTOR GROUP TUNBRIDGE WELLS, LONGFIELD ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT TN2 3EY. TEL: 01892 549766 WWW.THAMESMOTORGROUP.CO.UK Fuel consumption figures for new Fiat 500 range in mpg (11100km): Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 68.9 (4.1); Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) - 94.2 (3.0); Combined 60.1 (4.7) - 83.1 (3.4). C0 2 emissions 110 - 88 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO, figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. â&#x20AC;˘uconnect'" LIVE systems, where available, require a data enabled smartphone to use. Promotion available on new Fiat 500 Lounge 1.2 Series 4 models registered by 30th June 2016. Fiat Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Fiat i-Deal PCP. With Fiat i-Deal you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 6p per mile for exceeding 6,000 miles per annum in thi s example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to statu s. Guarantees may be required . Terms and Conditions apply. At participating dealers only.

Fiat Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL1 ORW. We work with a number of creditors including Fiat Financial Services.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

ONE WARWICK PARK HOTEL

An exciting new addition to Tunbridge Wells,

One Warwick Park is set to open this summer!

Having undergone an extensive redevelopment this contemporary venue promises to be Royal Tunbridge Wells' most luxurious hotel.

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You could be ONE of the first to stay at One Warwick Park Hotel Not only will you stay overnight in one of our beautiful, individually styled suites, but the prize also includes an evening meal for two in our brand new restaurant, L'AMORE, a bottle of our house champagne Louis Roederer, a delicious cooked breakfast the following morning plus Temple Spa amenities .

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I) Like us on Facebook & share this post 2) Follow us on Twitter & #Onewarwickparkcompetition 3) Follow us on lnstagram 4) Subscribe to our website - www.onewarwickpark.co.uk 5) Email info@onewarwickpark.co.uk with the following reference #TOTWCompetition Ts & Cs apply We must be able to see you have liked and shared our page to be entered into the draw. The winner will be picked at random on the 30th June 2016.

Contact us on: 0 I 892 552 590 I info@onewarwickpark.co.uk www.onewarwickpark.co.uk

94  WHAT’S ON SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy

Local events ART WORKS Leon Morocco’s river painting

>> WEDNESDAY Leon Morocco’s latest exhibition What The River Knew is now showing at Mascalls Gallery in Paddock Wood until June 25. The artist’s work is usually inspired by sunnier climes but this show focuses on what he observed while working on a small island on the Thames. Entrance is free: www.mascallsgallery.org Tonight at Trinity Theatre there will be a screening of Mavis, a biopic of the legendary soul singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples. The film, which charts her career from gospel choir singer to influential icon, includes hit songs such as I’ll Take You There. It starts at 8pm: www.trinitytheatre.net >> THURSDAY The Queen celebrates her 90th birthday today and there will be many celebratory events in the area.

One of the biggest will be in Tonbridge where a beacon will be lit at the top of the castle this evening at 8.30pm.

Woods on The Pantiles is hosting an evening of fine food and musical song in aid of the Hospice in the Weald. Tickets to Five Voices, One Show! cost £25 and include food and a glass of wine. The event starts at 7pm with tickets available to purchase from the venue.

This evening at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge you can enjoy a live National Theatre broadcast of the Olivier Award-winning Hangman. Written by Martin McDonagh and starring David Morrissey, Andy Nyman and Johnny Flynn, it is a darkly humorous play with a plotline that twists and turns around the abolishment of hanging. Tickets cost £14 (£12 concessions) from the EM Forster Box Office: www. tonbridgearts.com

Wednesday 20th April 2016

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

>> FRIDAY Pashley Manor’s annual Tulip Festival begins today.

Boasting over 100 different varieties of this beautiful bloom, the gardens, which are located in Ticehurst, are a glorious riot of colour during spring. Celebrating its 22nd year, the event runs until Saturday May 7 and visitors will have the chance to chat to experts and order bulbs for delivery in the autumn: www.pashleymanorgardens. com The curtain goes up tonight on Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular at the Oast House Theatre in Tonbridge. Directed by Phil Porter and running until April 30, it follows the fortunes of three social-climbing couples who meet every Christmas Eve for three consecutive years with eyebrow-raising and entertaining consequences.

Ticket prices vary so for more information visit: www.oasttheatre.com Comedian Julian Clary is performing at the Assembly Hall this evening from 8pm. Tickets cost £23 and are available from the box office or www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk World famous pianist Ji Liu performs as part of the Lamberhurst Music Festival this evening at St Mary’s Church from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £20 and are available from www.lamberhurstmusic.co.uk >> SATURDAY If you’re a keen runner then you’ll be familiar with the growing trend for Park Runs. Dunorlan celebrates the second anniversary of its run today so why not jog along at 8.45am and complete its 5k course at a pace that suits you. There is also a park run at Tonbridge, Castle Road: at 9am, www.parkrun.org.uk

Pure Superclub in Tonbridge will be hosting Baby Loves Disco today. The event, which starts at 1pm, gives toddlers and pre-schoolers the chance to go ‘clubbing’ with DJs spinning some child-friendly pop tunes. There’s also a ‘chillout’ room, lots of crafting activities and face painting. www.babylovesdisco.co.uk.

The Kino cinema in Hawkhurst celebrates Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary tonight with a live-streamed performance from the RSC. The two-hour special, which starts at 8.15pm is presented by David Tennant and includes performances by Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen.

At the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks you can catch a performance of King of Pop: The Legend Continues. Led by Navi, the world’s premier Michael Jackson tribute artist, the show’s classic pop tunes such as Billie Jean and Smooth Criminal will have you rocking in the aisles. Ticket prices start at £18. www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk >> SUNDAY At 9.30am today Gloria Hunniford will officially open Sevenoaks first Sunday Farmers’ Market, which will be hosted on Vine Gardens and boasts over 20 stalls of goodies from the area’s food and drink producers.

If the weather is warm then why not take a scenic boat trip from Tonbridge along the River Medway?

Launched last year, Tonbridge River Trips now runs cruises every weekend, every hour, from 11am: www. tonbridgerivertrips.co.uk This evening there will be a quiz night at the Mount Edgecumbe in Tunbridge Wells. Entry costs £2 per person and teams can be made up of six people. For more information visit www.themountedgcumbe.com >> MONDAY Tonight at 7.15pm the Odeon cinema in Tunbridge Wells will be screening a live version of Donizetti’s tragedy Lucia Di Lammermoor. Directed by Katie Mitchell, the story sees the main character, Lucia, under pressure to find a suitable husband, but much to her brother’s horror she falls in love with his arch enemy.

At the Olde Chequers Inn, Tonbridge, there will be another evening of traditional folk music led by Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer from 8pm.

>> TUESDAY The Assembly Hall hosts the Tunbridge Wells Operatic and Dramatic Society (TWODS) production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel from this evening. The classic show, which dates back to 1945, runs until next Saturday, April 30.

Also starting tonight and finishing on Saturday is Yasmin Reza’s God Of Carnage, which is on at Trinity.

This highly satirical play about the trials of modern parenting is a must for anyone who has children.

WORTH A TRIP…

Firle Place, Lewes, South Downs

This weekend The Garden Show in Spring takes place in the majestic surroundings of Firle Place in Lewes. Keen gardeners can expect a wealth of horticultural inspiration and will enjoy looking around the country park’s newly replanted herb garden and chatting to the expert growers and producers present. There will also be lots of stalls selling artisan homewares and gifting ideas as well as plenty of treats for foodies too. For ticket prices and further information visit www.thegarden showonline.com or call 01243 538456

PICK OF THE WEEK Festival of Bluebells at Riverhill Himalayan Gardens Why not pop along to the picturesque Riverhill Himalayan Gardens this week and enjoy their Festival of Bluebells, which runs until Sunday April 24? As well as having the opportunity to admire the spectacular swathes of bluebells, there is also an art exhibition and crafting sessions inspired by the beautiful blue blooms. For more information visit: www.riverhillgardens.co.uk

WHAT’S ON 

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

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

Live music

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk THURSDAY – Get Inuit, WAX, Young Apollo FRIDAY – The Standard Lamps + The Gallerys + The Ackerleys

PHOTO: Chris Pope

There is a fantastic selection of gigs to be enjoyed once again this week. My top picks are as follows: The Cabaret Open Mic takes place this Wednesday evening at the Scallywag Café. All singers and musicians welcome!

Popular local rockers The Standard Lamps launch their eagerly awaited new album this Friday at The Forum with a live performance of the new record.

Support from The Gallerys and The Ackerleys.

For jazz/blues enthusiasts, I highly recommend Steelyard Blues at The Cross Keys Pub and The Volare Trio at The Grey Lady, both performing this Friday night.

The popular Local & Live Sessions take place this Saturday night at Trinity Theatre and feature two popular local foot-stomping alternative folk/bluegrass/Americana groups: Noble Jacks and The Orange Circus Band.

For classical fans, the RTWCS with The Salomon Orchestra perform A Sea Symphony this Saturday evening. Featuring Julie Cooper (soprano) and Andrew Mayor (baritone), is conducted by Rebecca Miller at the Assembly Hall.

SATURDAY – Boogie Nights WEDNESDAY – Tarot Rats (EP Launch): Tarot Rats + Burn Marilyn + Sean de Burca + Blackshot 21 THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles, Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk WEDNESDAY – Abi Hudson, James Medhurst, Ryan Weeks, Jack Leon Mackey FRIDAY – Volare Trio SATURDAY – Hard Lines (Ian Rae) SUNDAY – Teri Bradley, Milly McCarron, Joanne Louise Parker, Cracks In The Land TUESDAY – MusicStation Presents, Sam Cork,

95

Robert Bearsby, Marie White WEDNESDAY – Alex Beharrell, Emily Izen Row, Ant & Fie, Kyla and Nat THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street, Open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm till late SATURDAY – Sean Fennessey & Friends – St George’s Day Party!

SUNDAY – Sunday Night Sessions – Acoustic Atlas NO.9 SMOKEHOUSE 9 Nevill Street, Open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm till late FRIDAY – The Delta Sones

Noble Jacks

THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road, Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards SATURDAY – Cut Above MONDAY – Open Mic/Jam Session

The Standard Lamps

THE CROSS KEYS St John’s Road, Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, website www. crosskeystw.co.uk WEDNESDAY – Sonny’s Jazz: Steve Gable & Jane Tuft THURSDAY – Cross Keys Open Mic FRIDAY – Blues with Bottle Club: Steelyard Blues MONDAY – TWURPS: Ukulele Practice WEDNESDAY – Sonny’s Jazz: Derek Nash & Dave Colton THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road, Show times & ticket prices vary, visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

for more details THURSDAY – Soul Legends SATURDAY – RTWCS– A Sea Symphony CASSIDY’S SPORTS BAR Castle Street Open all day, free entry, music from 9pm till late FRIDAY – Wayne Bridle SCALLYWAG 45 Mount Ephraim, Open all day, music from 7.30pm, entry charge for music may apply WEDNESDAY – Cabaret Open Mic Night FRIDAY – Ed Watts Jazz Piano TRINITY THEATRE Church Road, Show times and ticket information at www.trinitytheatre.net SATURDAY – Local & Live Sessions: Noble Jacks + The Orange Circus + The Paul Dunton Orchestra THE BEAU NASH INN Mount Ephraim, Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late SATURDAY – Grosvenor Road

Wednesday 20th April 2016

96 � ARTS & CULTURE

Mayfield hits a high note world famous music and This Sunday Mayfield village will become a hive of cultural activity as it launches its two week classical music event. It promises a fortnight of superb choral recitals and orchestral treats but also plenty of jazz, theatre, film and folk performances. Eileen Leahy spoke to its organiser Kate Sanday about why three thousand visitors enjoy this biennial occasion so much…

HOW MANY YEARS HAS THE MAYFIELD FESTIVAL OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS BEEN RUNNING? The first festival took place in the village in 1970 and has been running every other year since then.

WHO STARTED IT AND WHY? It began as part of an attempt to raise funds for the building of St Dunstan’s church hall. The guiding spirit was the vicar, Canon Donald Carter, who, along with the parish church organist, Kenneth Pont, organised a series of events to fill a fortnight. Even though the hall was never built the festival has continued ever since.

WHAT ARE THIS YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS? There are many, but I would say the two choral

concerts at St Dunstan’s Church are a must.

The Mayfield Festival Choir will be performing Brahms’ Requiem with the London Primavera Orchestra to launch the festival, then closing it with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth with Mayfield School’s Schola Cantorum and the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra.

MAKING MUSIC The Southbank Sinfonia

WHO ELSE IS ON THE BILL? We have Radio 3’s former controller and director of the Proms Roger Wright in conversation on Monday April 25, the Jubliee String Quartet playing the following evening, and the highly energetic Carnival Band on May 4. Lutist Liz Kenny and counter tenor Robin Blaze will perform a musical medley inspired by Shakespeare’s work on May 6, and the following

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS The Carnival Band

evening is dedicated to specialist musical films.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Jonathan Lemalu, composer Wayne Marshall and pianist Christina Ortiz. She is one of this year’s judges in the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition.

ARE MOST OF THE VISITORS LOCAL OR DOES THE FESTIVAL ATTRACT PEOPLE FROM FAR AND WIDE? Our main audience is usually within a 20-mile radius of Mayfield, but when we have international artists performing such as pianist Yuri Didenko and recorder player Michala Petri they will attract audiences from all over the world.

People see it as one of the UK’s premier classical events.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS COMPETITION? The competition started in 1979 and has played an important role in the early careers of several internationally celebrated musicians. Past winners include piano virtuoso Paul Lewis, now the competition’s President; opera stars Anne Sofie von Otter and Patricia Rozario; great Spanish clarinettist Joan Enric Lluna; Russian pianist Yuri Didenko, and flautist Michael Cox, currently Principal Flute of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

WHO ELSE HAS PERFORMED OVER THE YEARS? We have hosted artists including baritone

WHEN DOES IT TAKE PLACE? It starts at 2.30pm on Wednesday April 27 and the first round will continue over three days

ARTS & CULTURE �

on return of arts festival with morning, afternoon and evening sessions.

The semi-finals are held on Saturday April 30 with the final on Sunday afternoon.

DO YOU FEEL THE EVENT IS SOMETHING THAT UNITES THE VILLAGE OF MAYFIELD? One of our key priorities is to involve the village wherever possible. For example, the two churches, St Dunstan’s and St Thomas’s, are used as venues and Mayfield School provides another three locations.

ARE THE LOCALS SUPPORTIVE? Yes very much so. Residents and organisations put, banners up on their property publicising performances and the village newsletter publishes a special table of events. Local pubs do kindly support us with things like providing

an early dinner option for the duration of the festival.

DO YOU HAVE MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS HELPING OUT ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS? We are fortunate that so many people get involved and we are enormously grateful. We have help with everything from putting up the staging to transporting chairs. The Festival Choir take brochures and posters around local villages to help advertise it and our helpline, photography, first aid and publicity are managed by volunteers.

The Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts runs from Sunday April 24 – Sunday May 8.

For further information and ticket details please visit www.mayfieldfestival.co.uk. or call 0333 666 3366 for tickets.

GIRL POWER Jubilee string Quartet

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Visitors to the Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts will be treated to 15 days of glorious performances ranging from choral and orchestral recitals to jazz, folk, film and theatre productions. Here’s our guide to what’s on when…

Sunday April 24 10am St George’s Day Eucharist, St Dunstan’s Church Mayfield’s Scout and Guides will parade from the hut to St Dunstan’s where they will be joined by the Mayfield Band for a special service celebrating St George’s Day. Entrance is free

service, directed by organist Andrew Benians. Some of Palestrina’s extensive array of liturgical works will be sung as well as Gustav Holst’s Nightfall.

Entrance is free Thursday April 28 – Sunday May 1 Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition at Mayfield Festival

7.30pm Mayfield Festival Choir St Dunstan’s Church Perform Brahms, Requiem Tickets cost £25

Monday May 2 7.30pm Oxford Baroque, St Dunstan’s Church This evening Jeremy Summerly will be conducting these musicians from Oxford through a programme of works by 17thcentury German composer Heinrich Schutz.

Tickets cost £12 and £20

Monday April 25 8pm An Evening With Roger Wright CBE, St Thomas of Canterbury RC Church The former controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director of the Proms, Roger Wright, will be in conversation this evening with the festival’s Artistic Director Jeremy Summerly about his life in music.

Tickets cost £14 Tuesday April 26 8pm Jubilee String Quartet, Mayfield School Chapel Tereza, Julia, Stephanie and Lauren all perform a concert of works by the three most influential composers of string quartets: Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

Tickets cost £14

Tuesday May 3 7.30pm Syrinx: The Sweet Month of May, Mayfield School Chapel This ensemble is dedicated to the performance of historical wind music. The Sweet Month of May is a celebration of spring as seen through the eyes of medieval and renaissance lovers.

Tickets cost £15

Wednesday May 4 7.30pm The Carnival Band – That Sweet Enemy, Mayfield School Chapel This is an entertaining portrayal in music and song of the infamous and fractious relationship between France and England throughout the ages. Prepare to be amused!

Tickets cost £18 Saturday May 7 7.30pm Julian Bliss and the King of Swing, St Dunstan’s Church This is evening is a tribute to Benny Goodman, King of American Swing and promises to recreate the exhilarating energy and talent of his musical legacy.

Tickets cost £12 and £20 Sunday May 8 7.30pm Orchestral and Choral Concert Southbank Sinfonia, St Dunstan’s Church To finish the festival, Britain’s youngest professional orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Ninth, deemed to be one of classical music’s greatest symphonies.

Tickets cost £18 and £30

Wednesday April 27 8pm Choral Vespers by candlelight, Mayfield School Chapel This promises to be a beautiful

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102 ■ THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Kent Barker Country matters

Spraying good news?

S

O, a major battle won or a hollow victory? It depends on who you talk to. The result was welcomed by both sides - industry bodies lobbying to keep the ‘vital’ farm chemical and environmentalists fighting to get it banned as a major threat to health. The National Farmers Union said it was “very welcome”, while the Soil Association hailed it as a “dramatic blow to the pesticides industry”.

You mean it’s a compromise that everyone is happy with… impossible surely? And furthermore it’s a European Parliament decision that everyone seems to welcome. Extraordinary!

Let’s rewind. Attentive readers will remember I’ve been banging on about a World Health Organisation report which concluded that Glyphosate was a ‘probable’ human carcinogen.

Moreover the Institute of Science in Society had shown links between glyphosate and coeliac disease, autism, diabetes, birth defects, increased levels of aluminum in the brain and arsenic in the kidneys and called for a total ban of the chemical.

Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Roundup - a herbicide that is so ubiquitous that its manufacturer, Monsanto, makes more than a billion dollars a year from it (along with its associated GM seed business). In fact it’s the most widely used weed-killer in the world, which has led to an all but total reliance on it by

Wednesday 20th April 2016

farmers. The NFU, calls it “fundamental” for the agricultural sector.

So if you’ve got the Big Farmer and the Big ‘Pharma’ lobbies working together, many would conclude that there is not much hope for environmental or health campaigners. Which is why the recent vote in the European parliament was so significant.

GLYPHOSATE A good thing or a bad thing

Many believed that the re-licensing process would be a formality and that a further 15 years use would be rubber-stamped by the EU. But in March the Parliament’s environment committee voted not to re-license it at all – or at least not until more research had been done into whether it does, indeed, cause cancer. So when the full Parliament met recently to debate the issue, it seemed there might be at least some opposition.

Now you may ask why is this important to you.

Well it’s important to me because I am surrounded by arable land, and I can see, smell, and in some cases feel the chemical droplets as they’re sprayed over a vast acreage two or three times a year. But even if you don’t live in the countryside you are likely to be getting a fair dose of Glyphosate too.

To start with most councils use it liberally in parks, open spaces and roadsides. You might well use it on your own garden - it’s by far and away the most common domestic weed-killer. But, most insidiously, you’re likely to be literally eating the

stuff. Many farmers spray it as a ‘desiccant’ just before harvest to accelerate ripening and facilitate harvesting, a practice, according to MEPs, that leads to increased human exposure with it going directly into the food chain.

So, showdown. 701 members of the European Parliament vote by a sizable majority for the Commission to introduce significant restrictions.

First they want the re-licensing period halved to seven years, then they say it should not be approved for use close to, or in, public parks, playgrounds and gardens. And finally they condemn its use as a desiccant as “unacceptable”.

Equally important, Parliament questioned the scientific evidence of the European Food Safety Authority - which had concluded Glyphosate was ‘unlikely’ to pose a hazard to humans - and demanded an overall review of toxicity and carcinogenicity and possible endocrine-disruptive properties of the herbicide.

So, even if not achieving an outright ban, a pretty good victory for the opponents then? But if so, why was the farming lobby welcoming it? Well, here’s a clue. The NFU said afterwards it showed that MEPs are aware of the importance of glyphosate for farming. “We hope it sends a clear signal to the Commission that glyphosate must have a place in the plant protection toolbox of growers for many years to come”. In other words they’ll go on lobbying and fighting for its use when the final decision is taken by the EU Commission. And, you can bet your bottom dollar, Monsanto will too.

But then so will the opponents: “The science shows that glyphosate is a threat for public health and must be banned outright. A ban in cities and gardens would not prevent large-scale contamination of food, water, soil and air,” says Greenpeace.

So now we wait to see whether the European Commission will adopt the Parliament’s recommendations – or whether, as many fear, they’re too much in thrall to the power of the pharmaceutical companies. Watch this space.

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