Times of Tunbridge Wells Issue 4, March 25th 2015

timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk @timesoftw

All the news that matters

Local, National and International

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

YOUR

FREE PAPER

HAPPY AS A PIG IN MUD Pages 50&51

DASH OF STYLE TO THE SKODA FABIA

ECONOMY ‘NEEDS MORE WORK’

Pages 58-59

ENJOY THE STUNNING SOUTH

Page 14

Pages 62&63

ADVERTISING FEATURE

THINKING OF MOVING HOME THIS SPRING? 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.

By Deborah Miller.

GET YOUR MORTGAGE actual faults in the property. For AGREED FIRST many, a Home Buyer’s Report, Although borrowing from banks which will expose problems such and building societies has improved as damp, dry rot and subsidence, recently, it is not a given. So to is adequate but if you are buying avoid disappointment, check you an older house or unusual home a can get the mortgage you need full structural survey will be a wise before starting the process. You investment. can get a mortgage agreement You wouldn’t buy a car without in principle secured first, but the knowledge of a service history, remember that this so why would you is an indication run this financial and not a legal when buying You wouldn’t buy risk agreement. a house?

a car without the knowledge of a service history, so why would you run this financial risk when buying a house?

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

REMEMBER TO FACTOR IN THE TRUE COST OF MOVING. Mortgage arrangement fees, survey fees, legal costs and removal costs are all substantial costs of moving.

However, the often overlooked but most expensive cost is Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) which varies dependent on the value of the property purchased.

If you purchase a property above CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

see inside for more legal help & support PROBATE CHOOSE YOUR CONVEYANCING SOLICITORS WITH CARE

INSIDE BACK PAGE

MATRIMONIAL WHY SEPARATION AND DIVORCE CAN BE A CIVILISED AFFAIR

INSIDE

WHO WE ARE HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST...

BACK PAGE

MAX BARFORD & CO 16 MOUNT PLEASANT ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN1 1QU TELEPHONE 01892 539379 FAX: 01892 521874 WWW.MAXBARFORD.CO.UK

2 � ADVERTISMENT ADVERTISING FEATURE FREE HOME BUYERS GUIDE

For a copy of the Kent Guide to Buying and Selling Your Home telephone 01892 539 379 or email times@maxbarford.co.uk

£125,000 SDLT becomes payable. Recent changes to SDLT have been introduced to try to make the tax fairer. Under the old regime the SDLT percentage rates increased at various thresholds. Under the old rules SDLT was payable at a single rate on the whole transaction value. From 4 December 2014, SDLT is payable on a sliding scale depending on the portion of the purchase price that falls within each rate band. Where contracts have been exchanged on or before 3 December 2014, and the transaction is completed on 4 December or later, you can choose whether to use the old or the new rules.

There is no doubt that the SDLT changes will be of benefit to many home buyers.

For example, under the old regime, Stamp Duty Land Tax payable on a purchase price of £350,000 would be £10,500 and under the new regime it would be £7,500 representing a saving of £3,000.

CHOOSE YOUR CONVEYANCING SOLICITORS WITH CARE If you take the risk of buying without the support and guidance of an expertly trained legal conveyancer, you run the risk of walking into a financial booby trap which

can seriously hamper your progression up the property ladder. You should also make sure you know who you are instructing and that the firm is registered with a regulatory body such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There are bogus law firms out there who will take your money and then close up shop which means you lose the money and your dream home. That is why it is essential that you get the advice and guidance you need every step of the way from a known reputable law firm. They are there to help you avoid the pitfalls of what can be a murky area.

The cheapest option may not always prove to be the best. Remember, this may well be the biggest purchase you’ll make and you want to be sure that you know what you are buying. You should be able to contact your conveyancer and fully understand what is happening at each step of the move. If you are not sure, ask! One further point to bear

in mind is that your conveyancer 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.

REMEMBER TO ARRANGE BUILDING INSURANCE FROM THE DATE OF THE EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS. From exchange of contract 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 FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO REQUEST A COPY OF OUR FREE HOME BUYERS GUIDE CUT OUT THE COUPON AND POST IT TO THE ADDRESS BELOW ALTERNATIVELY CALL 01892 539379 OR EMAIL times@maxbarford.co.uk TODAY QUOTING REFERENCE TTWPO104 NAME ADDRESS

TEL.NO

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MAX BARFORD & CO

16 MOUNT PLEASANT ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN1 1QU | TELEPHONE 01892 539 379 | FAX: 01892 521874 | DX: 3918 TUNBRIDGE WELLS | WWW.MAXBARFORD.CO.UK | TIMES@MAXBARFORD.CO.UK

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Max Barford is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority no. 71480

timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk @timesoftw

All the news that matters

Local, National and International

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

YOUR

FREE PAPER

HAPPY AS A PIG IN MUD Pages 50&51

DASH OF STYLE TO THE SKODA FABIA Pages 58-59

ECONOMY ‘NEEDS MORE WORK’

ENJOY THE STUNNING SOUTH

Page 14

Gatwick expansion could ‘blight’ property prices

Pages 62&63

INSIDE THEATRE

Couple’s West End musical dream

Extra noise caused by a super highway could have ‘serious financial implications’ PAGE 3

HEALTH

Late HIV diagnoses soar

PAGE 5

POLITICS

Exclusive interview with Nigel Farage

• By David Jarvis A SECOND Gatwick Airport runway is set to send noise levels soaring and house prices tumbling, it was warned this week.

Critics also say a so-called ‘super highway’ air corridor could concentrate aircraft sound levels, blighting property values in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas.

Dominic Nevill of the Crowborough-based pressure group East Sussex Communities for Control of Air Noise said: “If the super highway is put in place, it will wipe tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of pounds off property values.

“Why should people sacrifice their quality of life and the value of their properties, so Gatwick can make bigger and bigger profits?”

A local estate agent said the financial implications for house prices could be serious, while one academic claims top end home-owners could experience a 15 per cent drop in house prices.

A Gatwick Airport spokesman said: “Gatwick delivers a huge boost for the local economy, including thousands of jobs and opportunities for local businesses.

Expansion of the airport will also deliver jobs and prosperity to the region for years to come.

“Gatwick is doing as much as possible to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on local residents. If chosen for expansion, we will work with local authorities to maximise the benefit and minimise, mitigate against, or compensate for, a second runway.” Airport bosses have been accused of covering up the true scale of aircraft noise over Kent which, if made public, would destroy plans for a second runway.

A senior figure at Hever Castle claims a noise report commissioned by Gatwick is ‘extremely misleading’ and paints a false picture – a claim the airport’s management disputes.

See pages 6&7 for full story and analysis.

‘Why should people sacrifice their quality of life and the value of their properties, so Gatwick can make bigger and bigger profits?’

PAGE 8&9

IMAGE MAKERS Find your inner peace in Tunbridge Wells

PAGE 24

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2 � NEWS

WEATHER THE WEEK IN VIEW

WEDNESDAY SUNNY SPELLS WITH SHOWERS MARCH 25 2015

TUNBRIDGE WELLS

7C O

Pollution: Low Sunrise: 05.51am

Visibility: V Good Wind: 9

Humidity: 57% Sunset: 18.20pm

THURSDAY

8OC

FRIDAY

9OC

SATURDAY

10OC

SUNDAY

11OC

MONDAY

12OC 13OC

TUESDAY

Two options on the table for the future of Royal Victoria Hall Public to be consulted on planned new Southborough community hub

• By Eleanor Jones THE people of Southborough will have a say in deciding the future of the Royal Victoria Hall, those behind the regeneration plans have promised.

Members of Southborough Town Council and the public were last Thursday given a presentation on the two options for the proposed new community hub. Both include a theatre, library, football pavilion and café – and possibly a medical centre – but while one retains the current building, the other features a replacement.

Kent County Council project co-ordinator Jonathan White explained that the three landowners involved, KCC, STC and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, are set to sign a document setting out the requirements and governance of the scheme, as well as a legally binding agreement, after which each will invest further in the project, and public

consultation on the two options will begin.

He said: “We’re building trust and letting the public have a voice.

“We want to involve the community because this is a big change for Southborough and it’s important to get it right.

“The hub needs to meet the needs and aspirations of local people and deliver a viable wellused and well supported facility.”

Mr White said a representative of each council would sit on a project board, supported by officers, that decisions would be made as a result of a majority vote and that other interested parties may be allowed to sit in on project meetings.

Tim Irons, of consultants Pick Everard, explained that both options would be part-funded by building 50 to 60 homes, or fewer if possible, on part of the site to be sold to developers, and feature the same facilities.

He said: “We love both of them RETENTION One option is to keep the existing building

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 EDITOR SIMON FINLAY simon@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576042 DEPUTY EDITOR ELEANOR JONES eleanor@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 HEAD OF SALES JOE STONER jstoner@markerstudy.com | 01892 779624 GENERAL INQUIRIES newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timesoftunbridgewells timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timesoftw IF YOU HAVE A STORY WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. Contact details above 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times of Tunbridge Wells we strive to deliver, fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we don’t meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections.

If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor, 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

PRINTED BY NEWBURY NEWS LTD Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire. RG14 2DW

JUST TEASING… CHECK OUT OUR CROSSWORDS, PUZZLES AND QUIZ ON PAGE 53.

TO WHET YOUR APPETITE HERE’S A COUPLE OF CRYPTIC CLUES. • Cuts off the ends of the weeds (5) • The money that is needed for a golf club (7)

Wednesday 25th March 2015

REPLACEMENT A new building could include all the same facilities

and think both offer a great opportunity for Southborough, both have pros and cons.

“From our experience of this process, the joint steering group is really committed and we’re really hopeful we can push this through.”

Jason Reeves, vice-chairman of the Friends of the Royal Victoria Hall, described the project as “very exciting”.

He added: “I am concerned about the hall but as a resident, I see this is a historic opportunity and I hope you find a way forward. But before you sign, please consider the risks and make sure the proper safeguards are in place.”

Mr White explained that the options agreement ensured that should the hub fail to come about within five years, the appropriate shares of the land would be returned to STC and TWBC. STC is due to sign the agreements tomorrow, Thursday, at a full council meeting. Assuming TWBC and KCC follow suit, on

April 16 and 21 respectively, the consultation is due to start in May. A planning application is likely to be submitted in June, with a decision expected by September, and the 12-month construction work should start by November.

‘We want to involve the community because this is a big change for Southborough and it’s important to get it right’

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Starting a new job can be daunting EVEN after 30 years in the business and recently qualified to buy Saga products, it is always hard to leave the familiarity of a company and old friends to try something new.

For contractual reasons I won’t bore you with, I was unable to be here for the launch of the Times of Tunbridge Wells which is, arguably, an exciting phase of any new publishing venture.

But miss it I did.

On the flip side for me, I had much of the heavy lifting done for me by my new colleagues long before I arrived in Lonsdale Gardens last week. Not to have suffered any of the pain did make me feel rather guilty.

The lure of being offered the job of editor of the Times was just too enticing.

As a newspaperman and a reporter by trade, especially at a time when there is so much emphasis on the internet in publishing circles, the idea of concentrating solely on a quality print product seemed a dream job to me.

The publication of a new newspaper has been well-received in journalistic circles with the Times’ bright, modern presentation and

considered, well-researched content.

Better still, the reaction has been almost overwhelmingly positive from the most important people to pick up the town’s newest title – you.

I know that my colleagues here have been pleased – and sometimes rather touched – by the positivity of the feedback from our new family of readers. Judging by the number of letters and emails we’re receiving already, it is hitting home.

In the future, we aim to provide a weekly digest of local news, stand up for business big and small, publish in-depth coverage of the big issues, celebrate the lives of local people and, where necessary, carry out investigations into what is really going on in this area.

Our journalists will do it in an even-handed way, without fear or favour.

As we rapidly approach the general and local elections, the Times will aim to be there to tell you where the candidates stand on the big issues in the constituency.

This newspaper has no party allegiances and nor does it seek to have any. An esteemed Irish

BBC political correspondent once observed that a journalist treats a politician as a dog treats a lamp post.

Maybe it has to be that way sometimes.

This week Dave Jarvis investigates in some detail the possible impact of an air ‘super highway’ for Gatwick and what it might do to property prices in the affected areas.

And we have secured an exclusive interview with Ukip leader Nigel Farage, whose unique take on immigration benefits to Tunbridge Wells residents might raise a smile as well as eyebrows.

As always, there is much, much more besides.

And it’s free for everyone at the dozens of outlets across the district.

In four short weeks we have started to put down roots in the local area and are enjoying being accepted by the community. But it’s only just the start of a long journey.

We cannot do it without you, the reader. We want to hear from you – tell us your stories, let us fight your corner and share in your triumphs each week.

Keep in touch.

Simon Finlay, editor

LOCAL NEWS �

Pair’s war tribute musical heads to the West End

NEWS ROUND-UP

Better remembrance service for veterans BETTER trains will run to London on Remembrance Sunday this year, in response to complaints from war veterans.

In a meeting with the managing director of Southeastern, MP Greg Clark received confirmation that trains from Hastings to London this Remembrance Sunday will have eight rather than four carriages. He was also assured that trains will run to Charing Cross – the mustering point for many veterans taking part in the Remembrance Day parade in Whitehall.

Last year, veterans on Southeastern trains suffered “extreme overcrowding” from Tunbridge Wells to London, while the Royal British Legion had been told that all trains from Hastings were diverted from Charing Cross to Cannon Street, increasing the length and difficulty of the journey for many veterans.

Mr Clark said: “It is extremely important that we make it as easy and as comfortable as possible for veterans travelling up to London to take part in the Remembrance Sunday parade. I am delighted that Southeastern has confirmed that trains will definitely be running to Charing Cross and that they will also be eight carriages long.”

The Dreamers set to have a two-week London theatre run • Julie Rae A CREATIVE duo’s musical production is set to be performed on the West End stage, having been snapped up by a theatrical aristocrat.

The First World War production that brought “audiences to their feet and moved many to tears” was spotted by a theatre director during its four-performance run at the Assembly Hall.

Now The Dreamers, written and composed by Tunbridge Wells duo James Beeny and Gina Georgio, will have a two-week run at London’s St James Theatre, where Lady Jane French is director.

The pair came up with the idea for their musical while trying to write lyrics for a new song for their band Virgin Soldiers. And “by accident”, the lyrics turned into a full musical production about a local war hero.

Mr Beeny, 29, said: “We didn’t set out to write a musical. And we didn’t specifically set out to write about a First World War hero. But when we started researching for the song lyrics, we came across local hero Captain David ‘Reggie’ Salomons.”

Captain Salomons, the son of wealthy Tunbridge Wells baronet

Sean Lock gig sold out within an hour FANS desperate to see comedian Sean Lock crashed the Trinity Theatre website yesterday.

Tickets went on general sale at 10am and although fans were unable to buy tickets online, as the theatre’s website crashed, the show still sold out in under an hour.

The Brit comedian will perform his practice stand-up performance as a warm-up for his future tour. The booking page on Trinity Theatre warns theatre goers that Sean Lock may be “performing from notes”.

Lock is a British Comedy Award Winner and team captain on the Channel 4 show Eight out of Ten Cats. He has also appeared on Live at the Apollo, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI and 15 Storeys High.

Sir David Lionel Salomons, led his men to the battlefields of Gallipoli in 1915 aboard HMS Hythe but 15 minutes from the coast, 128 Tunbridge Wells and Southborough men died when their ship hit a much bigger Navy ship in the dark and sank. In an act of selfless valour, Capt Salomons sacrificed his own life, even giving his life jacket to a colleague who could not swim – despite the fact he could not swim either.

The couple’s musical, based on Capt Salomon’s service and heroism, attracted big name narrators including Sir Tim Rice, Amanda Redman and Philip Glenister.

And having watched a matinee performance in Tunbridge Wells, with 100 senior citizens and 700 local schoolchildren, Lady Lucy French and fellow director Robert Mackintosh offered the creative couple the chance to put on their musical in London.

Miss Georgio, 24, said: “Knowing they were at the matinee terrified us as we’d no idea how the production would be received.

“But we needn’t have worried.

During the anthem at the end, the senior citizens were on their feet

3

CREATIVE: James Beeny and Gina Georgio wanted to commemorate the First World War

singing along and waving scarves. The children were on their feet stamping along to the music.”

“We were really touched to receive letters from the schoolchildren. They told us it made them cry.”

Mr Beeny added: “It doesn’t sound like it but the show is actually quite uplifting despite the dark issues it deals with. It doesn’t have a political

bias, we wanted it to be more of a commemoration of the war.

“We can’t wait to perform our musical in the West End. We can only hope it is well received and goes on to do a long run in a huge London theatre.”

The Dreamers will run at St James Theatre from June 30 to July 11. To book tickets, visit www.stjamestheatre. co.uk or call 0844 264 2140.

‘Summer party’ festival is coming to Eridge A NEW music festival for the south promising a “summer party piled high with artists” will take place this August.

Forgotten Fields 2015 has been unveiled by the team behind Kendal Calling as a new festival to be held in Eridge Deer Park on the weekend of August 7 to 9.

The first wave of headline acts will be announced at 7pm today, Wednesday, and tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday.

Kendal Calling promoter Andy Smith said: “I spent a bit of time on the south coast and really enjoyed it.

I started wandering around looking at fields and venues and came across Eridge Park and it just seemed ideal, then I started considering what we could do there.

I thought it would be a good place for a little sister to Kendal.

“I think it will be somewhat tailored to its

location, but there will be a lot of crossover.

We’ll be taking what we’ve learned works, and what audiences enjoy. But, we’re very conscious that down south it might be a very different gig.”

The inaugural Forgotten Fields, a week after Kendal Calling, will cater for 4,000 people and feature festival favourites with sing-a-long back catalogues, world food, art, games, fancy dress, boutique stalls and camp fires. Organisers promise a “fresh new summer party piled high with favourite artists”.

Prices start at £90 for early bird weekend tickets.

Kendal Calling, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, has headliners Elbow, Snoop Dogg, Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines and James. It is already sold out for 2015.

To register for Forgotten Fields tickets, visit www.ticketline.co.uk/pre-registration/ forgotten-fields/index.php

Jamie’s Trattoria opens in Tunbridge Wells THE third trattoria in the Jamie Oliver restaurant ‘family’ opened in Tunbridge Wells this week.

Jamie’s Trattoria attracted positive feedback from residents, who had been able to take advantage of a week of half-price food before the official launch.

Dr Chris Haan tweeted: “Fabulous meal @JamiesTrattoria’s new restaurant in Tunbridge Wells tonight. Good to have another quality restaurant in the town.”

The High Street venue is open all day serving dishes from the menu of the Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain.

Managed by James Watson, it will open every day from 10am, for coffee and pastries, until 11pm Monday to Saturday, 10.30pm on Sundays. For more information, visit www.jamieoliver.com

Man arrested over reported sat-nav thefts POLICE have made one arrest over the reported thefts of sat-navs from the Freight Transport Association in Tunbridge Wells.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on March 19, on suspicion of theft, in relation to crimes said to have occurred between September 2014 and February this year.

He was released on bail, pending further enquiries, until May 7.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

4 � INTERVIEW

Meet the candidate

WITH the General Election approaching, the Times met Graham Naismith, who is standing as an independent.

• By Eleanor Jones NAME: Graham Naismith AGE: 44 LIVES: Langton Green DAY JOB: IT consultant HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN POLITICS AND WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED? I’m not a politician and never had any political aspirations – when I was a child, I wanted to be a spaceman. I’ve voted differently at different elections and the only engagement we had was when my brother joined the Young Liberals because they had a snooker table and he fancied the barmaid!

The catalyst for this is my 13-year-old daughter Hannah. She’s very politically aware and active – we had a tour of Parliament last year and it’s changed her.

She asks questions like “how do you become an MP?” and “How do you change things?”

Hannah asked “Where’s my voice?” and the answer was “You haven’t got one”, the same as all minorities, your vote counts for so little. This isn’t a social experiment about educating my children but that was a factor.

I said we can’t and won’t win but as Hannah pointed out, every vote an independent gets, someone somewhere will GENERAL ELECTION 2010: TUNBRIDGE WELLS PARTY CANDIDATE Votes

% +/-%

� CONSERVATIVE

Greg Clark

28,302

56.2

+5.5

� LIBERAL Democrat

David Hallas

12,726

25.3

+0

� LABOUR

Gary Heather

5,448

10.8

−9.6

� UKIP

Victor Webb

2,054

4.1

+0.6

� GREEN

Hazel Dawe

914

1.8

+1.8

� BNP

Andrew McBride

704

1.4

+1.4

� INDEPENDENT

Farel Bradbury

172

0.3

+0.3

MAJORITY 15,576 31

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

69.8 +3.9

ask “Why did he get that?”

I think the green policies we’re getting now are a direct result of the votes the Greens got in the 1980s and 90s, it’s kingmaker stuff.

I think the policies of the two main parties have never been closer together. Thirty years ago, it was the rich against the working party, now there’s a grey area and I think policies I’ve got could challenge them.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH? I don’t think it’s the cinema site.

It doesn’t affect people’s lives, the biggest issues I think are those that affect you all the time. We’ve got thousands more planes over us every hour, keeping people awake – and all of a sudden, we’ve been chosen to have lots more. That affects people’s lives.

Then the borough council doesn’t collect glass for recycling, which just about everywhere else does. My council tax is £2,500 per year but I’d pay more if they picked up my bottles.

We’re very privileged to live here but it’s these things which affect people daily. One that gets me is low-level crime, like throwing litter from cars or anti-social behaviour, which are outside police resources and we shouldn’t have to put up with.

I think we should police ourselves to an extent – I’m suggesting a system where you could take a picture of someone littering, for example, and send in it and the person responsible gets fined. Or people parking on a pedestrian crossing where it’s not safe. I’ve reported it to the police but nothing changes – we should be able to report that directly and get the drivers fined.

I also think there should be a proper scheme of safe cycle paths, that traffic’s an issue and that if I pay £34 for a return train ticket to London, I shouldn’t have to stand up – I think privatising rail was a mistake.

WHY SHOULD TUNBRIDGE WELLS PEOPLE VOTE INDEPENDENT? If there’s anything on my manifesto, at grahamnaismithmp.co.uk, they like, then vote for me as that’s the only way the mainstream parties will change, they’ll want to grab those votes. That’s what changes things, not me getting voted in as that won’t

happen. It’s like Ukip. Their level of support shows people’s concerns and although Farage won’t be PM, if they get 1,000 votes here, people will ask why they got them.

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE VOTE FOR YOU PERSONALLY? I’m not a politician, I don’t have an interest in politics and I’m not a member of any political party. I live in the town and I’m going to stay. I’m not a megalomaniac, I don’t want power. When I was a policeman, someone joked, if you asked 20 officers who’d like to be in the firearms squad and one put his hand up, he wouldn’t be the right one. I don’t want to be a politician but I think it’s similar.

I think Greg Clark could walk around naked, wearing swastika armbands, and still get in. That’s the political climate and I accept it but I think he needs a warning. I disagree with a lot of his policies. He’s the most available MP I’ve ever known – but he’s at the beck and call of a national party.

ARE YOU HOPEFUL OF VICTORY? No, even if the naked Nazi incident happened! But it depends what you mean by victory. I had to pay £500 to stand and if I get five per cent of the vote, I get that back but it’s not about that. If I got more than 1,000 votes, two per cent, that would be absolutely phenomenal - enough to make people say “Hang on a minute”. That’s the figure I think would have an impact.

WHAT REACTION HAVE YOU HAD ON THE DOORSTEPS? I don’t equate knocking on doors with meeting the public as you meet a set and small number who are in and who give you time – I don’t think that’s a fair cross-section of society but we’ll be out in town.

The reception on Twitter and email has been surprisingly positive, lots of support, especially on policing and the environment.

Whatever happens, it will have been worth it, definitely. It doesn’t affect me whether I get 10,000 votes or ten, I think it’s brilliant this country allows you to do this sort of thing. It’s the thing about “I don’t agree with what you’re saying but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it”. You can go out and have a chance to make a difference.

IT WILL BE A GOOD DAY TO DYE AT PENSHURST PLACE HUNDREDS of people are expected to dye at Penshurst Place and Gardens this summer.

The 14th century manor house and its 48-acre grounds are to host Run or Dye, “the world’s most colourful 5km”, on Sunday, July 5.

All participants are encouraged to “get head to toe covered in colour” during the race, by running or walking through four “dye zones”, each of which blasts different coloured safe, plantbased dye powders.

A spokesman for Run or Dye said: “Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly be more colourful, you’ll cross the finish line and find yourself in the middle of a colourstorm at our Finish Festival. You’ll jam with our awesome MCs as they count down to the moment when YOU get to tie-dye the sky and open your free colour packet to share a bit of the rainbow with everyone else around you. The result is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that many people tell us is the most fun they’ve ever had exercising.”

Ben Thomas, general manager of Penshurst Place, added: “We are thrilled to be hosting Run or Dye. It will be an exciting addition to our full calendar of events and the route through the historic parkland and woods, with the stunning backdrop of Penshurst Place itself, will be a wonderful kaleidoscope of colour. I encourage everyone to sign up, regardless of age or ability, and be a part of the rainbow!”

For more information and to register, visit www.runordye.co.uk

TRUE COLOURS: Runners are encouraged to get covered in dye

LOCAL NEWS �

5

Late diagnosis HIV ‘epidemic’ levels Tunbridge Wells Number of cases almost doubles in four years, figures show

• By Julie Rae THE number of new cases of late diagnosed HIV has rocketed in Tunbridge Wells, with figures almost 20 per cent higher than the rest of England.

New figures also show that late diagnoses of the virus have more than doubled in the borough in the past four years, with most cases seen in ‘older’ heterosexual males.

Public Health England figures show that in 2009, just 37.5 per cent of Tunbridge Wells people who tested positive for HIV were diagnosed with the virus in its later stages. In 2013, the most recent year for which there are statistics, that figure soared to 63.6 per cent.

What is HIV

Figures for England fell from almost 50 per cent to just 45 per cent in the same period.

Cary James, head of health improvement at Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “It is vital that people with HIV are diagnosed at the earliest possible opportunity. Once people are diagnosed, they can access lifesaving treatment that will keep them fit and well.

“People who are on treatment are also far less likely to pass HIV on unwittingly. Reducing undiagnosed HIV is the most important step we can take in our efforts to halt the spread of the epidemic.”

The increasing number has raised fears as late diagnosis of HIV is one

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is a virus that attacks the immune system which is the body’s defence against diseases. When someone is described as having HIV, it means they have the HIV virus in their body. Without medication, people with HIV can develop Aids, acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

A person is said to have Aids if they have HIV and at least one of a specific list of ‘Aids-defining’ diseases including tuberculosis, pneumonia or some types of cancer. With advances in HIV treatment, many people can recover from Aids, though they will still have HIV. There is no cure for HIV but treatment can keep the virus under control and keep immune systems

AGAINST THE CLOCK Junior club member Oscar tries out the trail

of the biggest ‘contributing factors to illness and death for people with the disease’.

And when people do not know they have the virus there is a higher risk of them passing it on.

Kent County Council public health consultant Faiza Khan said: “The number of cases of HIV in Kent is rising and we know that part of the reason is because of late diagnosis.

Simply put, people with HIV are more likely to pass it on and infect someone else if they are unaware they themselves are infected.

“Early diagnosis is, therefore, vital if we are to control the spread of the infection and to give those living with HIV the best quality of life possible.

“The highest group where we see

healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life.

However, if HIV is diagnosed late, treatment is likely to be less effective.

What is Late Diagnosis?

Public Health England defines late diagnosis as having a CD4 count less than 350 cells per mm3 and below within 91 days of diagnosis.

CD4 is a measure of immune function. By measuring someone’s CD4 levels doctors can see how HIV has affected their immune system, showing the progression of the virus.

Most people in the UK start treatment when their CD4 count is at 350.

late diagnosis is the heterosexual community, particularly older men.

And this is most prevalent in a number of Kent’s larger towns.”

According to Dr Stephen O’Connor of Canterbury Christ Church University, which has also carried out research, the variety of people affected by HIV has changed dramatically since the virus was first discovered.

He said: “More heterosexuals were diagnosed with HIV in Kent and Medway than men who have sex with men. But more worrying is heterosexuals, both males and females, are more likely to be diagnosed later with HIV than members of the ‘better informed’ gay community. Often because they still associate HIV with gay men, intravenous drug users and sex workers.

“These are outdated and misinformed assumptions.”

In Kent and Medway, 80 people

‘most cases seen in “older” heterosexual males’ aged between 15 and 59 were diagnosed with HIV in 2013, 56 of them live in Tunbridge Wells and of that number, seven received positive late HIV diagnoses.

Public Health England defines late diagnosis as having a CD4 count ‘less than 350 cells per mm3 and below’ within 91 days of diagnosis.

HIV testing is available at all genitourinary medicine (Gum) clinics and contraception and sexual health clinics (Cash) throughout Kent as well as all GP surgeries.

CAKE RUN ON OFFER FOR MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDERS

Northern soul comes to town

Fiveways traffic ban

MOUNTAIN bikers of all ages are invited to join two ‘cake runs’ this weekend and over Easter..

The Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club has arranged the events, this Sunday and on Saturday, April 4, to allow guests to meet existing members and find out what the club offers. Riders will have a chance to try out the Cake Run against the clock for a donation to club funds.

A spokesman for BFCC said: “The Cake Run is the last section of the red route mountain bike trail at at Bedgebury and offers riders a real challenge with its twists and turns. It’s called the Cake Run because it’s the last blast down the trail before you get to the cafe for coffee and cake.” The event runs from 10am to 3pm on both days. For more information, visit www.boarsonbikes.co.uk

THE Camden Quarter will be transformed into a northern soul club this Saturday.

Guest DJ ‘Scootering’s’ Mark ‘Sarge’ Sargeant will join resident DJs Kim Styles, Paul Byford and Simon Penfold to spin some northern soul classics as well as some rarities. The club night is brought to Tunbridge Wells by the Across the Street soul club.

The club night kicks off at 7pm upstairs at the Camden Quarter on the town’s Camden Road and goes on until late.

Admission £5 on the door on Saturday March, 28.

For more information visit www.camdenquarter.co.uk

IN A bid to reduce traffic travelling through Fiveways and make it safer for town centre pedestrians, Grosvenor Road will closed to all traffic but buses for part of each day from the end of next month.

When the improvement works at Fiveways are finished, expected to be by the end of April, cars will be banned from Mount Pleasant Road and Grosvenor Road, between Monson and Goods Station roads, between 9am and 6pm, seven days a week.

The road will also become a restricted parking zone with waiting and loading restrictions.

An independent day school for boys and girls aged 2-13.

For more information, please contact Clare Harrison: admissions@theprep.org.uk 01732 762336 www.theprep.org.uk

CHALL ENGE • CREATIVITY • COMMUN ITY Wednesday 25th March 2015

6 � LOCAL NEWS

Gatwick ‘super highway’ in sky will crush property prices

Campaigners and experts claim house values will tumble as the airport’s profits soar • By David Jarvis A TICKING ‘property time bomb’ will crush house prices if Gatwick Airport gets a second runway, it is feared.

Protestors say new plans for a ‘super highway’ in the sky will send noise levels soaring and house prices plunging.

The new narrow corridor would replace the existing 12-mile-wide skyway which means current aircraft noise is far less concentrated.

Tests have already been carried out and those living under the 500 metres wide test corridor were devastated by a dramatic increase in noise.

Dominic Nevill, spokesman for the Crowboroughbased pressure group East Sussex Communities for Control of Air Noise (ESCCAN) said the narrowing of the flight path will have a profound impact on property prices in Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas.

He pointed out that the test was only for departing flights and that flight traffic will increase dramatically from from 290,000 to 560,000 flights a year if the second runway is approved.

He said: “If the super highway is put in place it will wipe off tens of thousands and even hundreds

of thousands of pounds of property values.

“There is clear research and precedent to show this would be the case.

“Those of us unlucky enough to live under this new super highway will be the sacrificial lambs for Gatwick to make more money.

“When they tested out the new route last summer the impact was felt immediately in Buxted, Crowborough, Langton Green, Penshurst and Chiddingstone.

“And that was departing flights only. No arriving flights used the narrow test route and of course we don’t yet have a second runway which would vastly increase traffic increasing noise levels yet further.

“Why should people sacrifice their quality of life and the the value of their property so that Gatwick can make bigger and bigger profits?

“It really is a property price time bomb.

“Those of us who live relatively close to Gatwick Airport have historically speaking accepted the Gatwick noise factor to some degree.

“But this is something else. This is off the scale.

Not only will the noise levels ruin quality of life with a potential impact on health they will cause property blight.

“It is unacceptable.”

Gatwick Airport has admitted some communities

would suffer much higher volumes of aircraft under the super highway scheme, but says overall far more people would experience less noise.

No decision has yet been made on what route the new corridor would take.

It is Government policy to implement what has been dubbed ‘GPS for planes’ at all UK airports by 2020.

This means that even if a second runway doesn’t get the go ahead, a super highway will still be created, though flight volumes will be far lower than if there were two runways.

A six month trial period on departing flights at Gatwick ended last August (2014) and following anger at increased noise levels Gatwick and the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) deferred a decision on implementing new routes.

But Gatwick has stressed the deferment is only delaying the inevitable.

A Gatwick spokesman said: “The Civil Aviation Authority’s Future Airspace Strategy requires that changes to local airspace are implemented by 2020, so this decision is a deferral or an extension of the timeline, not a cancelation of the process altogether.

“The additional time will allow Gatwick to do as much as possible to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on local residents.

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‘Those of us unlucky enough to live under this new super highway will be sacrificial lambs’ DOMINIC NEVILL Campaigner

“We are taking more time to review the flight change options we have consulted on in order to further consider all the feedback received before making any airspace change proposals.

“It is clear that airspace change is a sensitive issue.”

Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, is considering options for airport expansion at either Gatwick or Heathrow and his report is due to be published in the summer.

After that the Government will make its decision.

Estate agents in Tunbridge Wells have already seen prices in areas such Penshurst, Lingfield, Chiddingstone and Hever, which are on the existing flight paths, being affected.

Rupert Connell, a partner at estate agent Knight Frank in Tunbridge Wells, said the financial implications for the area are huge with the average asking price of properties in his office around the £1.25million mark.

He said: “Tunbridge Wells is not really affected price-wise at moment by noise from Gatwick.

“But areas to the north such as Penshurst, Lingfield, Chiddingstone and Hever are.

“If you are on the existing flight path it reduces the value but it is impossible to say by how much in my experience.

“It is a subtle process whereby there will be slightly less demand because of the flight path and that does force prices down.

“An average property will be severely handicapped whereas a substantial home with beautiful features can sometimes offset the fears over noise.

“Having said that two years ago I had an offer on a £1.5million home in Hever and when the buyers went back for a weekend viewing they pulled out because of the aircraft noise.

“It can be swings and roundabouts.”

Research shows a clear relationship between aircraft noise and falling property values with top end properties hit hardest - some by as much as 15 per cent.

Professor Alan Collins, head of economics at Portsmouth University, said his research had shown drops of eight per cent in values which could be extrapolated to up to 15 per cent with increasing noise.

He said: “The relationship between property values and aircraft noise can be complex but what we have seen is that the most expensive detached properties can be hit hardest price wise.

“However it is the smaller less valuable properties which tend to be closest to airports and so are most commonly affected.”

His research paper Aircraft Noise and Residential Property Values showed more noise caused prices to drop by up to eight per cent depending on the type of property and level of noise.

As the volume of air traffic and noise increased values were projected to drop by up to 15 per cent, according to his report.

In 1992 homeowners blighted by the Stansted Airport expansion to international status received compensation of up to 15 per cent of their property value.

7

Airport accused of traffic noise report cover-up GATWICK Airport has been accused of covering up the true scale of aircraft noise over Kent which if made public could destroy controversial plans for a second runway.

Officials at historic Hever Castle say a noise report commissioned

by Gatwick is ‘extremely misleading’ and paints a false picture.

Hever Castle chief executive Duncan Leslie, a key figure in the fight against Gatwick expansion, claims there are major omissions from the study which if included would show noise levels are far worse than claimed by Gatwick.

The report into noise at Hever, now a battle ground for campaigners opposing Gatwick expansion, failed to include noise levels from noisy summer months, even though they were recorded, he claims.

Mr Leslie also says the report, conducted over a 15-month period from April 2013 to June 2014, fails to disclose the full scale of peak noise levels preferring to use ‘average’ figures which conceal how bad noise levels really are.

Gatwick has denied the claims but Mr Leslie says chronic noise levels are already impacting on Hever Castle as a tourist attraction and he fears extra noise from the proposed second runway could put the historic Castle, which was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, out of business altogether.

He said: “I am very suspicious of this report for a number of reasons.

“Firstly it was conducted by Gatwick and with the best will in the world they are not going

to scupper their own plans to expand the airport.

“More significantly it omits key summer months of July and August last year (2014) when we believe noise levels were higher because of increased traffic and weather conditions.

“Also, although it does record astonishingly high readings, it doesn’t say how many times noise reached these levels, preferring to continually quote average figures which are pretty meaningless.”

The castle near Edenbridge is one of England’s most treasured Tudor attractions and a scene from the hit BBC drama series Wolf Hall in which Thomas Cromwell meets Anne Boleyn was filmed there.

About 70 per cent of the flights arriving at Gatwick approach from the direction of the castle and 70 per cent of those fly directly over it - one aircraft per minute at the height of the holiday season.

Last week the Times revealed the same report into aircraft noise levels above Hever Castle are high enough to cause heart attacks, high blood pressure and dementia.

Detailed analysis shows Gatwick Airport flights cause ear-splitting noise levels of 89 decibels - that is the same as a freight train, motorbike or a food blender in your living room.

Research shows ‘average’ night-time aircraft noise above 55 decibels can result in increased heart attack risk.

And ‘average’ night-time noise above 45 decibels can result in increased risk of high blood pressure and this can

in turn lead to strokes and dementia.

Even the night-time average over Hever was 47 decibels - two decibels above World Health Organisation guidelines.

Mr Leslie believes key figures for the summer months were left out because higher summer time traffic and a prevailing westerly wind - which has the effect of making planes landing more noisy - were left out to skew the figures in Gatwick’s favour.

The noise monitor used to record the data is still in place at Hever Castle and those months not detailed in the study were recorded.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said no attempt had been made to conceal details of the findings.

He said: “The longer time period the noise data covers, the more reliable the final analysis of noise will be.

“Gatwick had additional noise data available and used it to help generate a more accurate picture of the impact of noise around Hever Castle.

One 89 decibel level was recorded but single noise events like this cannot be relied on to create an accurate picture of the impact of aircraft noise.

“The average noise energy levels over a particular time period is the internationally recognised standard for measuring noise and the regulator requires us and all UK airports to follow this globally recognised standard. Therefore it is only appropriate that this is the measurement that we use in our reporting.”

GATWICK NOISE HAS RUINED MY HEALTH RETIRED chartered surveyor David Baron claims Gatwick noise has shattered his health and caused the value of his home to plummet.

Mr Baron, 77, told how what he believes are stress-related heart problems led to him needing a pacemaker five years ago.

And since moving to Hever 15 years ago he has seen the value of his stunning 17th century Grade ll listed home fall by 20 per cent, he said.

Mr Barron, who lives with his wife Anne, 68, at the Old Farmhouse, a five-bedroomed detached home with oak beams and beautiful gardens, has been a leading campaigner against Gatwick noise and founded the Gatwick Anti-Noise Group.

He said: “It is my opinion that the stress from the constant noise has destroyed my health.

“I didn’t used to have heart problems but as the flights dramatically increased after we moved here and the battle with Gatwick

intensified my health went downhill.”

Mr Baron, who also takes tablets for high blood pressure, said owners of a neighbouring property had faced a struggle to sell their home because of the blight caused by noise.

He said a neighbouring house had been advertised at £1.5million but only sold for £1.2million after being on the market for over a year, “They had to drop the price substantially because buyer after buyer was put off by the noise and it was only when it was reduced to way below its true market value that it finally sold,” Mr Baron added.

“We are in the same boat. We don’t want to sell because our home is idyllic - if it wasn’t for the noise - and it is where we want to be.

“But the current noise levels have to be addressed as it has got far worse over the years.

“On top of that the thought of a second runway is simply horrifying.”

Wednesday 25th March 2015

8 � GENERAL ELECTION

Immigration will mean a cheap nanny, gardener and driver says Farage

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Most voters think more about their own material situation and less of the common good

TUNBRIDGE Wells may have benefited from large-scale immigration, according to the Ukip leader – as it could have meant “cheaper nannies, gardeners and chauffeurs”.

In an exclusive interview with the Times of Tunbridge Wells, Nigel Farage dismissed the notion that Ukip has little to offer local residents, thanks to low unemployment figures and minimal problems caused by immigration (two of his party’s biggest campaign points) in this area. Mr Farage believes that even if Tunbridge Wells locals are content with the status quo, they should vote Ukip ‘for the common good of society.’

While promoting his new book The Purple Revolution, the party leader discussed the motives of local voters.

He said: “Not everybody in Britain votes because ‘I’m all right Jack’. There are actually people out there with principles, believe it or not, who even if they are comparatively wealthy themselves, genuinely care about other people – they do exist! However most voters do think more about their own material situation and less of the common good of society.”

Farage, who was born and brought up in west Kent, conceded that a lack of control over immigration – which his party promises to reverse – may in fact benefit Tunbridge Wells residents. He said: “Large parts of Tunbridge Wells are comparatively wealthy, the stock market in 2014 was great, and they all have their own properties, so you could argue that the richer you are, the better open-door immigration has been for you; it means cheaper nannies, cheaper gardeners and cheaper chauffeurs.”

GENERAL ELECTION �

However, the Thanet South candidate predicts immigration could still have an adverse effect on the area in future. He said: “One of the essential requirements of any country is that you control your borders – like the 200 other countries around the world that do so. Those countries make decisions about who is suitable and who is not to come into their country. We are also going through a level of population growth that means that areas like Tunbridge Wells are going to have to build tens of thousands of new houses, which they won’t like very much at all!”

His view is that people enjoying a comfortable living standard should consider those worse off when aligning their political loyalties, citing former Conservative Treasurer Lord Hesketh, who defected to Ukip in 2011, as an example. “For someone like him, whose family have been Tories for the past 200 years, in the House of Lords for generations, to join Ukip, it was a big thing. I said ‘Alexander, what was the thing that made you in the end join Ukip?’ and he answered ‘I think working class people in Britain have been betrayed’. There you have somebody who cares about other people.”

Farage emphasised the rapidly expanding UK population as a problematic issue.

You could argue that the richer you are, the better open-door immigration has been for you; it means cheaper nannies, cheaper gardeners and cheaper chauffeurs

9

Former councillor’s embarrassment over colleague’s suspension

LOCAL BOY Farage with TW Ukip candidate Colin Nicholson He said: “The direct effect of immigration has been on working families. People on the minimum wage; they have really paid the price, and the benefactors have been big capital, giant agri-business, and the very well-off. But now we have a population heading up towards 70 to 80million, and corresponding with that will be a decline in our quality of life.”

The Ukip leader expressed deep concern that official records of UK residents are less than accurate.

He said: “We don’t know the exact figure within the nearest two million people.

Now, every single sheep in Britain is microchipped; we know where each one is within 10 metres at any given moment.

That is hugely ironic.” When questioned if he was implying that people should also be microchipped to increase census accuracy, he laughed: “Not at all, because I’m a small state libertarian.”

When not fighting his cause in the Houses of Parliament, Farage enjoys returning to Downe, near Sevenoaks, where he was raised. “The area gives me a sense of normality: I meet people, or go to the pub, and no-one treats me any differently”, he said. That’s great. I’m pleased to say I keep in touch with a lot of my old friends. I feel like I belong to that community - unlike going anywhere else, where if you have become a well-known person, half the room is going to like you and half the room hate you!” he said. Reluctant to reveal whether his local pub keeps a “Nigel” tankard behind the bar, the famously pint-loving Farage did concede that “there may be one or two pieces of evidence that I go there occasionally…ha ha!”

Another of the politician’s favourite pastimes is gambling, although he insisted it is “now only an occasional thing - it is horribly addictive.” But Farage will not be betting on the outcome of May’s General Election.

He said: “I nearly, nearly had a massive bet. When Paddy Power would pay two and a half for every seat Ukip won, I considered

putting on £20,000 and taking a real punt, but then decided it was a conflict of interest.

Regardless, it would not be a seemly thing for me to do.”

“On May 7, I hope to win enough seats to make a difference, and that is the point of the book [The Purple Revolution] because I’ve set out explicitly the terms of engagement that we would see after the election. This is the most uncertain election for 100 years; the SNP have completely turned things upside down, and in large parts of England and Wales, Ukip has done the same thing. We are at an extraordinary juncture, and in six weeks’ time, a huge amount could change.

We are going to win seats, but how many, I just don’t know,” he said.

The short campaign trail is a crucial method of swaying public opinion, but Farage is unconcerned by some Ukip candidates’ recent highly-publicised mishaps. These include Caerphilly candidate Sam Gould, who wrote “We Love Nige” in sand on Margate beach, only to become stranded by the tide and subsequently hauled to safety by Ukip’s press spokesman.

“The photos of him being dragged up the sea were brilliant!” laughed Farage. “It was natural enthusiasm that went slightly wrong. No-one gets told off for that; I don’t want politics to be boring, or politicians to be cardboard cut-outs, dull as ditch water – we want personality, people who have different opinions who push the boundaries of debate.” Claiming unfair judgement by the press, he also said: “We get some people [party members/ supporters] who genuinely say ridiculous or dangerous things, but all parties get that, it just receives more exposure when it’s Ukip. I want us to be a party of free spirits, but any time anyone displays an ounce of individualism, it’s written up in the Daily Mail as a ‘story’. But I thought that beach incident was delightful!” newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

FORMER Ukip councillor Piers Wauchope has described as “deeply embarrassing” the expenses scandal which has engulfed his party in the past few days.

Mr Wauchope, who represented Rusthall at the borough council from 2012, said he hopes the incident will not blight the general election campaign which is now just six weeks away.

Ukip expeeled southeast MEP Janice Atkinson on Monday from all roles after national newspaper allegations a party official tried to falsify an expenses claim by inflating an invoice for a drinks reception.

Mrs Atkinson had been the parliamentary candidate in Folkestone and Hythe, a seat Ukip felt it could win despite the sitting Tory’s 10,000-plus majority.

Former Conservative Mr Wauchope, a married father of one, told the Times: “Without a doubt it’s deeply embarrassing. I don’t know the details and it is not clear what her (Janice Atkinson’s) involvement is.

“Perhaps it was a rogue incident. It’s been a rocky road for Janice in that part of Kent.”

Mr Atkinson found herself embroiled in controversy when she described a Thai-born Ukip supporter in Ramsgate as a ‘ting tong from somewhere’.

During her Euro election campaign, she gave a onefingered salute to a group of opponents in Ashford.

Mr Wauchope announced his resignation as a ward councillor last week after moving to Birchington in Thanet.

He said that he is finding it ‘quite impossible’ to commute from east Kent to Tunbridge Wells to attend meetings.

A by-election will be held on May 7, to coincide with the general election.

Mr Wauchope added: “I knew that there would be a great public expense if I resigned immediately. So I talked it over with the (council) chief executive and decided I would resign in March so that the by-election can be held on May 7 to minimise the cost to the tax-payer.”

Mr Wauchope fought two unsuccessful general election campaigns in Scotland in 1997 and in Hampstead in 2005.

EMBARRASSED Piers Wauchope with party leader Nigel Farage

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10 � NATIONAL NEWS

Woman jailed for water scald attack A WOMAN who poured scalding water over her husband after he failed to satisfy her “unrealistic” financial demands has been jailed for four years.

Ken Gregory, 65, suffered first and second degree burns to 14 per cent of his body in the assault at his bungalow in Peterborough.

Pictures of the injuries show painful blistering stretching from his scalp to his lower back. The scars remain almost a year on and some may never fade.

Former special constable Teresa Gilbertson, 60, from Peterborough, appeared at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday for sentencing, having been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Judge Peter Murphy described it as a “very sad case” but he said he saw “no trace of remorse” in her.

“He told you he wanted a divorce and feelings were running high,” the judge said.

“The pouring of hot water is the use of a weapon and you clearly intended to injure him but mercifully his injuries were not more serious.

“He has obviously suffered trauma and I think you both regret that the relationship has ended in this way.”

As well as jailing her, the judge made Gilbertson subject

to a seven-year restraining order preventing her approaching Mr Gregory.

Prosecutor Thomas Brown told the court the attack had been a “very deliberate attempt to boil her husband”.

He added: “The marriage had become extremely strained and there were underlying difficulties concerning money, the conduct of Teresa Gilbertson and her unrealistic expectation of what he could provide.

“She was demanding money for doing housework and to buy cars.”

Describing the attack, Mr Brown said: “He was suddenly aware of excruciating pain. Mrs Gilbertson did not offer assistance or help in any

shape or form. His trust has been destroyed and it has caused depression.”

Roger Harrison, mitigating, said Gilbertson had been provoked by Mr Gregory saying: “That’s it, we’re getting divorced.”

He said his client continued to claim the incident was an accident but any decision to pour water over her husband was spontaneous.

Mr Gregory decided to speak after the conviction, saying it was important to challenge the stigma surrounding men who are victims of abuse.

The retired BT manager said: “I had never imagined something like this would happen to me. As a man who is a bit older and isn’t exactly small, there is a perception that you can’t be a victim of domestic violence. But it should be the same message they put out for women many years ago: don’t be frightened, you don’t have to put up with it.”

On the day of the attack in April last year, the couple had argued before Gilbertson offered to make a cup of tea.

Mr Gregory, who has limited mobility due to arthritis, turned down the offer but his wife left the room and returned with a two-litre jug of freshly boiled water.

The couple are in the process of getting divorced.

Animals ‘can predict earthquakes’ ANIMALS appear to predict earthquakes by sensing electricity in the air, a new study has shown.

Camera traps revealed an “amazing” drop in the number of animals spotted up to 23 days before a major quake hit their rainforest home at Yanachaga National Park in Peru.

For five of the seven days leading up to the 2011 quake, no animal movements were recorded. This was totally unexpected in a region normally teeming with wildlife.

Lead scientist Dr Rachel Grant from Anglia Ruskin University said: “The park was 320km from the epicentre and I thought there was not much

Wednesday 25th March 2015

going to be happening. But I researchers claim. was totally shocked.”

Dr Grant added: “I don’t think Other evidence suggested that animals have evolved an ability prior to the earthquake, the to predict earthquakes. What’s air around the site was filled more plausible is that animals with positive ions - electrically in general will tend to move charged molecules that can away from unpleasant stimuli. be generated when rocks are It’s a simple avoidance from a placed under stress. chemical they don’t like.”

Scientists believe the animals were made to feel uncomfortable by the ions, leading them to avoid the area.

Positive ions - unlike “feelgood” negative ions - have been known to trigger headaches and effects such as agitation, hyperactivity and confusion in humans as well as animals.

The findings may help CAUGHT ON CAMERA: A razor-billed experts develop better shortcurassow at the national park term seismic forecasts, the

PM defends ‘no third term’ remark

• By Andrew Woodcock and David Hughes DAVID Cameron has insisted he is “taking absolutely nothing for granted” about the general election result and predicted voters would see his decision to rule out a third term as Prime Minister as “a very reasonable, sensible thing to say”.

Asked if he regretted stating his intent not to continue beyond 2020 - which critics have warned undermines his authority and distracts from the Tory general election campaign - he said people should “just focus on the issue” of who they wanted running the country.

The PM dismissed calls for him to set out how the Tory leadership succession would work as “endless games ” in which the public would not be interested.

Mr Cameron was grilled over his shock statement, in a BBC interview broadcast on Monday night, after he addressed an Age UK summit in central London.

He said: “My entire focus is on the next 44 days and the election, which will decide which team runs this country for the next five years. I want that to be me and my team but the alternative is Ed Miliband and his team, that’s the focus I have. I gave a very straight answer to a very straight question and I think people will understand that - that saying you want to serve a full second term for a full five years is a very reasonable, sensible thing to say. I think we should focus on issues at the election about who you want to run the country for the next five years.”

Mr Cameron shocked Westminster when

PRAISE CHEESES POPE Francis, who recently lamented being unable to slip out and get a pizza like he used to, finally got a pie - handdelivered to his Popemobile.

Pizza maker Enzo Cacialli had a pie on hand as Francis sped by the Naples waterfront during his one-day visit to the city famous for its pizza. In a video

he revealed he would serve a full second term if he remained PM but would not “go for a third term”.

He fuelled speculation about a future leadership battle by naming three colleagues - Home Secretary Theresa May, Chancellor George Osborne and London mayor Boris Johnson - as possible successors.

Aides later briefed that no decisions had been made on whether Mr Cameron would fight the 2020 election or hand over leadership in advance.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the PM was “spectacularly self-indulgent, presumptuous and arrogant” for giving the impression of taking victory for granted. Former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell said the remark was “a potential disaster” for the Tories, who could find their election campaign dominated by speculation over a future leader.

But Mr Cameron hit back: “I want to serve the full second term. But it’s not my choice, it is all of your choices, the British public’s choice. In 44 days’ time they get to decide whether I am prime minister for the next five years or whether Ed Miliband is prime minister for the next five years.

“I am going to fight with everything I have got to win that election because we have a long-term economic plan that is working, we are putting the country back to work, we have turned the economy around, we have provided, I believe, the dignity and security that elderly people deserve in their old age. That is the fight that I am going to have.”

made by a colleague at the Don Ernesto pizzeria, Mr Cacialli is seen getting close enough to the Popemobile to make the delivery, as the crowd behind him cheers.

Mr Cacialli, whose father made pizza for visiting US president Bill Clinton in 1994, told Naples’ Il Mattino that he used yellow tomatoes rather than red to reflect the colours of the Holy See. He said he was “full of joy that he accepted a pizza straight from my hands”.

SPORT �

Plans won’t block stars •

Football

DANNY Mills insists plans to limit the number of foreign players in English football are designed to encourage the development of home grown talent, not prevent the world’s best players from plying their trade in the Barclays Premier League.

The Football Association’s stricter work permit rules, approved by the Home Office on Friday, will come into force from May 1 ahead of next season and intend to reduce the number of nonEU players in the Premier League, who are seen as blocking English talent.

FA chairman Greg Dyke also wants to persuade the Premier League to drop the number of non-home grown players allowed

in a 25-man squad from 17 to 13 and to adjust the definition of ‘home grown’ so that players only qualify if they are registered for three years prior to turning 18, rather than 21.

The Premier League is understood to have serious reservations about both changes to the home grown players rule but Mills, a member of the FA commission created in 2013 to improve the fortunes of the national team, insists the rule changes will not stop the world’s best footballers from playing in England’s top flight.

“We don’t want to stop elite players coming over - the likes of (Dennis) Bergkamp, (Gianfranco) Zola, (Thierry) Henry,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“We want as many top players in the Premier League as possible.

“What we don’t want is those non-EU players

BLACK CAPS REACH WORLD CUP FINAL NEW Zealand reached their first ever Cricket World Cup final after securing a thrilling fourwicket Duckworth-Lewis victory over South Africa in the first semi-final in Auckland on Tuesday.

Faf du Plessis (82), AB de Villiers (65 not out) and 49 from 18 balls from David Miller helped South Africa amass 281 for five after a two-hour rain delay reduced the Eden Park encounter to 43 overs per side.

Brendon McCullum (59), Corey Anderson (58) and Grant Elliott (84 not out) kept New Zealand competitive in their chase of 298 runs and, needing 12 off the final over, Elliott hit Dale Steyn for six off the penultimate ball of the match to send the Black Caps into Sunday’s final.

New Zealand will face either fellow co-hosts Australia or India in the tournament showpiece in

Melbourne in five days’ time.

South Africa went in to bat after winning the toss but were left ruing their decision after in-form seamer Trent Boult accounted for Hashim Amla (10) and Quinton de Kock (14) inside eight overs.

Du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw (39) shared 83 runs for the third wicket before the latter edged Anderson to backward point where Martin Guptill made a spectacular one-handed catch to depart for 39.

Kane Williamson put down a difficult chance to dismiss De Villiers on 38 and was punished as the captain hit the next three balls for a combined 14 runs to bring up his 50 off 32 balls.

De Villiers’ and Du Plessis’ century partnership was then brought up off 71 deliveries before rain forced the players off after 38 overs.

11

who filter down to the Championship and even League Two. No disrespect but they are not the elite and they are stifling home grown talent.

“The emphasis is on the clubs to produce better home grown players, to coach them better. It is too easy at the moment to dip into the foreign market and pick up a cheap foreign import.”

Dyke used Tottenham striker Harry Kane’s rise to prominence this season - he is currently the Premier League’s joint top scorer with 19 goals - as an example of the reward that can be enjoyed by clubs which choose to nurture British talent.

“We will go round (the clubs) and try to convince them. We will ask: ‘Are you sure you haven’t got a Harry Kane playing in your youth side?’,” Dyke said.

CAVENDISH IS READY FOR RIDELONDON MARK Cavendish is among the leading riders to compete in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic this August.

Organisers announced the 2011 world champion and 25-time Tour de France stage winner’s participation on Tuesday.

Prudential RideLondon will take place on August 1 to 2, with over 95,000 riders expected to participate in five events.

Cavendish, who rides for Etixx-Quick Step, will take part in the 200-kilometres elite one-day race on August 2, having missed out in 2014 after a crash which ended his Tour de France and resulted in shoulder surgery. “I can’t wait to ride this year,” Cavendish said.

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12 � NEWS

Paramedic’s shopping and haircut trips while patients waited in his ambulance A LONDON paramedic who went shopping and had his hair cut while his patients waited anxiously in an ambulance should be banned from returning to work, a tribunal has heard.

Dominic Colella twice forced colleagues to wait until his return so that seriously ill patients could be taken to hospital, the Health And Care Professions Council (HCPC) was told.

Mr Colella, who has since resigned from the London Ambulance Service, is facing two counts of misconduct.

In the first incident, an elderly man who collapsed from severe blood poisoning was forced to wait for 20 minutes in the back of an ambulance with his anxious wife before being taken to hospital while Colella went shopping.

Two weeks later, in March 2013, while responding to another potentially life threatening 999 call, he delayed a patient with a head injury from being taken to hospital so he could have his hair cut.

Solicitor, Sophie Lister, representing the HCPC, said: “On both occasions a risk was caused to the health and well-being of the patient because of Mr Colella’s actions.

“Both incidents have a very public element

to them and have the ability to undermine public confidence in a paramedic.

“I suggest each incident is undoubtedly serious enough to amount to misconduct and impairs Mr Colella’s fitness to practice.”

The panel heard a recorded phone conversation, between Miss Lister and Mr Colella, who has not attended the hearing.

Mr Colella said he was suffering health problems at the time of the incidents and he had not been given adequate support and was overworked.

Miss Lister said the paramedic admitted ‘terrible things’ had happened while he was on duty.

She told the hearing: “He also said on the telephone ‘I haven’t refuted this, what I did was wrong, I’ve never done anything like that before’.

“In his own words he said, ‘I’m very regrettable I’ve done this’.”

But Miss Lister told the panel of three that Mr Colella had not raised any health concerns with his managers and colleagues found him ‘jovial’.

Mr Colella has not attended the hearing.

The panel has retired to consider its verdict.

‘Dominic Colella twice forced colleagues to wait until his return so that seriously ill patients could be taken to hospital’

Nine in ten have cash for luxury tiems NEARLY nine in 10 people have enough money left over each month to spend on luxuries as the pressure of living costs continues to ease, research has found.

Some 87 per cent of people surveyed for website VoucherCodes.co.uk said they have some spare cash left over each month, with the average disposable income given as £242.32.

Holidays topped the list of goals people were saving towards with their spare cash, with 45 per cent of people surveyed saying they are looking forward to a getaway in 2015.

People in London had the most leftover cash typically, at nearly £278 a month, while those in Wales had the least, at just under £199.

Nearly half (44 per cent) of those with some spare money said the bulk of it goes on eating out. Those living in London were found to spend the most on eating out each month, at £97 on average.

Meanwhile, people living in Newcastle use more cash to keep up with fashion trends than any other region, spending £53 a month typically on clothes, according to the research.

Ex-Labour woman is new UKIP candidate for Folkestone and Hythe

NIGEL Farage has unveiled Ukip’s new Folkestone and Hythe general election candidate following the expulsion of Janice Atkinson over allegations of an inflated expenses claim.

Ex-Labour NEC chairwoman Harriet Yeo will replace Ms Atkinson, an MEP for the South East who was thrown out of the Eurosceptic party along with her assistant Christine Hewitt by a disciplinary panel.

Ms Hewitt was filmed by The Sun allegedly obtaining an invoice from a restaurant for a sum more than three times the cost of an event, apparently with the intention of claiming it back from Brussels funds.

The footage is being reviewed by the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate after officers received a report of fraud.

Ms Yeo will battle for the Folkestone and Hythe seat where Conservativ Damian Collins is defending a majority of 10,122.

Speaking at the Grand Hotel in Folkestone, Ms Yeo said: “I’m so proud to be able to represent Folkestone and Hythe for Ukip.

“I was born in Kent, I live in Kent and work in Kent. This county needs a party that will put the people of Kent first.

“We don’t have that at the moment. The Conservatives take us for granted, the Labour Party ignore us and it’s about time that we had a voice that this part of the country needs.”

Mr Farage said he hoped the unveiling of Ms Yeo would turn a “bad situation into a good situation”.

He said whenever things had gone wrong within Ukip, the party had acted “absolutely ruthlessly” and “swiftly”.

Earlier, Ms Atkinson said she was “deeply disappointed” by the decision to expel her and intends to appeal. She also signalled her intent to continue as an elected UK representative in the European Parliament.

“I was elected to represent the constituents of the South East of England and I will continue to work tirelessly on their behalf and for the best interests of our country,” she said.

A party spokesman said: “Janice Atkinson MEP and Christine Hewitt have been found to have brought the party into disrepute.

“As a result they have been expelled from UK Independence Party. They have 14 days to appeal.”

Ms Yeo’s selection as general election candidate prompted concerns among rank-andfile members, including from Hod Birkby, about the process.

He said: “I don’t know how (the selection) was done but certainly the local branch wasn’t consulted.”

Asked about the general mood among local members over the selection process, he said: “Not particularly happy.

“She might be a good candidate but we don’t know her. She’s a Kent girl and so that helps but, as I say, we weren’t consulted.

“I suppose headquarters wanted to get someone in there pretty quickly and they have done that. We have just got to roll with it.”

Can Corden crack the US like Cowell et al?

NEW US chat-show host James Corden will be hoping to join a list of British stars who went on to enjoy success in the US following their television debuts. Here are some British stars of the small screen who have cracked America.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Simon Cowell The straight-talking TV judge first made his name with US audiences on American Idol and went on to launch US versions of the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.But the US X Factor was axed after three series, following a drop in ratings.

Piers Morgan Morgan joined CBS to take over the prime-time slot from veteran host Larry King in 2011. His show, Piers Morgan Live, was cancelled last year following plummeting ratings and he later announced he had left the US network.

Ricky Gervais The British comedian was embraced by the US following the success of The Office, which led to a US spin-off. He has hosted three Golden Globe ceremonies, surviving with his career intact despite insulting a host of film stars.

Gordon Ramsay The fiery Scottish chef is now an even bigger name in the US than he is in the UK. While Kitchen Nightmares has ended after a decade-long run, Ramsay still enjoys success across the pond with the likes of Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS �

13

148 feared dead in Alps passenger plane crash • FRANCE ALMOST 150 people are feared to have died in a passenger plane crash in the French Alps.

The crash, which followed the pilots’ sending of a distress signal, involved an Airbus A320 plane being operated by lowfare carrier Germanwings, a subsidiary of German airline Lufthansa.

Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said: “If our fears are confirmed, this is a dark day for Lufthansa. We hope to find suBut French President Francois Hollande said it was unlikely anyone had survived the crash near Digne.

The plane, flight number 4U 9525 and believed to be carrying 142 passengers and six crew, had left Barcelona just after 10am local time and had been due to arrive in Dusseldorf at 11.49am local time.

USA

French Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said debris had been located and that the plane had crashed at around 6,500ft (1,980m) up in the Alps.

He said the plane had sent out a distress signal at 10.45am.

President Hollande said: “An aeroplane of the Germanwings company has just crashed near to Digne.

“I want to express all my solidarity with the families of the victims. A counselling unit will be established to provide psychological support” The area where the plane went down is near a popular ski resort.

The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation was sending three people to France to join the investigation, while French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was heading to the crash site.

Antonio San Jose, a spokesman for Spanish airport authority AENA, said: “It would be a miracle if there were survivors but hopefully there will be. We do not know the causes, simply that it lost contact.”

It is thought that many of those on board were Germans.

France’s transport minister told the Europe 1 radio station that the Airbus A320 gave out a distress signal at a ‘worrying’ altitude before crashing.

Alain Vidalies said: “What we know at this stage is that this plane, which was travelling on the Barcelona-Dusseldorf route, gave out a distress signal at 10.47 at a moment where it was already at a worrying altitude of 5,000ft.

“This plane then crashed near the Prads commune. It crashed in a place that is inaccessible by road.”

FALKLANDS

Utah lifers face the firing squads

Falklands bolsters its defences

UTAH has become the only US state to allow firing squad executions when no lethal injection drugs are available.

Governor Gary Herbert signed a law approving the method for use, even though he has called it ‘a little bit gruesome’.

The Republican governor has said Utah is a capital punishment state and needs a back-up execution method in case a shortage of the drugs persists.

BRITAIN is to bolster the defences of the Falklands amid renewed fears that Argentina could mount a fresh invasion of the islands.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said land, sea and air defences were being upgraded in the face of a ‘very live threat’ from the government in Buenos Aires.

The move comes amid reports that Russia is working on an agreement to lease 12 long-

“We regret anyone ever commits the heinous crime of aggravated murder to merit the death penalty and we prefer to use our primary method of lethal injection when such a sentence is issued,” Mr Herbert’s spokesman Marty Carpenter said.

“However, when a jury makes the decision and a judge signs a death warrant, enforcing that lawful decision is the obligation of the executive branch.”

range bombers to Argentina which could be used to support a renewed attack.

Mr Fallon, who is due to set out the Government’s plans in a Commons statement later today, said the deal was unconfirmed but that Britain hadto take account of any future possiblethreat.

He told Radio 4: “The threat remains.

It is a very live threat.

ANGELINA: WHY I OPTED FOR CANCER SURGERY

•

USA

HOLLYWOOD star Angelina Jolie’s has told how she decided to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to lessen her chances of developing ovarian cancer.

The Hollywood star revealed that she underwent the preventative surgery last week, two years after having a double mastectomy.

The actress carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene meaning she had a 50 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer, which

killed her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, in 2007.

Jolie has been praised in the past for opening up discussions around women’s health and sparked a doubling in referrals for genetic breast cancer tests in the UK last year, in what doctors dubbed the ‘Angelina effect’.

More than half of women with ovarian cancer die within five years of diagnosis and those who are not diagnosed until a more advanced stage have a poorer survival rate.

Writing in The New York Times, the actress said: “In my case, the eastern and western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because, on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer.

“My doctors indicated I should have preventive surgery about a decade before the earliest onset of cancer in my female relatives.

“My mother’s ovarian cancer was diagnosed when she was 49.

I’m 39. “It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer.

“I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system.

I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family.”

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14 � BUSINESS NEWS Cut diesel prices by 4p a litre –RAC BRITISH businesses are being ‘taken for a ride’ by fuel retailers, according to the RAC. The wholesale price of diesel is 1p a litre more than for petrol, yet diesel is nearly 6p more than petrol at the pumps, the RAC said.

There is scope for a fuel price cut of around 4p a litre ‘to restore some parity to the market’, the RAC added.

The RAC’s comments came as it highlighted recent Government figures which showed total fuel sales were up 3.5 per cent in February compared with the same month last year.

Diesel sales last month, at 2.42 billion litres, represented the fifth highest monthly total since 1990 and were 4.5 per cent up on February last year.

Petrol sales were up 2 per cent last month but this was the eighth lowest total since 1990.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “It’s hard not to think that business is being taken for a ride by the fuel retailers.

“Traditionally, business runs on diesel, and with sales of diesel at an alltime high the retailers have maintained a higher margin on diesel, perhaps to subsidise petrol sales.”

Economy still needs ‘a lot more work,’ says George Osborne

BRITAIN’S economy still faces significant problems which will take a ‘lot more work’ to repair, Chancellor George Osborne has warned.

Mr Osborne said that the continuing low interest rates was a sign of the ‘difficult’ situation.

Taking questions from a studio audience on Sky News, he said that while the economy had been improving there was no room for complacency.

He said: “Although our economy is recovering and although we grew faster than almost any other major country in the world last year and although we have got a lot of people in work now, it is still a very difficult economic situation out there.

“That is why interest rates are so much lower than they have been in other times in our nation’s recent history.

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“So let’s not think the problems are over. Not for one second do I think problems in the British economy are fixed. There’s lots more work to do. The job isn’t finished.”

Mr Osborne said low interest rates were a problem for savers saying that was the reason he had made a cut in the savings tax the centrepiece of his Budget last week.

During the Sky News event, Mr Osborne insisted that the Tory plan to renegotiate the UK’s terms of membership of the European Union before an in/out referendum was not damaging business.

Critics have warned that the plan to hold a vote by the end of 2017 on whether to sever ties with Brussels would cause uncertainty for investors.

Mr Osborne said: “I think we’ll achieve that reform, we will get a better deal for Britain in Europe. It’s not damaging business now because we are getting more investment in to Britain than any other European country.

“So businesses are still voting with their jobs and their investment in to the UK.” Mr Osborne rejected cutting VAT for the tourism sector, saying that long-term measures he had taken such as funding improvements for the A303 to the South West were a better use of the money.

“I have never said to anyone there are short-term fixes for Britain,” he said.

“I have always said to people fixing what went wrong, making sure Britain is better prepared for the future, that is a long-term job.”

Asked whether Britain should be investing in the HS2 rail link or superfast broadband connections, Mr Balls said: “We need both. We need the highest-quality transport network that we can get, but also we can’t compete unless we complete the broadband challenge, and we are not there and we are behind on getting to 100 per cent broadband.”

Mr Balls said that he ‘didn’t come into politics to levy a mansion tax’, but insisted that Labour’s proposed tax on properties worth £2 million or more was needed to help fund the NHS. He insisted that there was ‘no question of anybody being forced out of their homes’ by the mansion tax, but said: “In the end, at a time when the deficit is huge and the NHS is in real need, we’ve got to ask those people with the broadest shoulders to make a bit more of a contribution.

“So many of these homes - not all of them - are owned by international investors who’ve come in from abroad. I think they should pay a fair share of tax so we can save our NHS.”

‘Why was there only one prosecution over HSBC tax evasion?’, asks former tax official A FORMER senior tax official has expressed ‘surprise’ that just one prosecution been brought by UK authorities in relation to alleged tax evasion by clients of HSBC’s Swiss banking arm.

Dave Hartnett, who was head of tax at HM Revenue & Customs, said that there needed to be ‘a really good look’ at how the disclosures about HSBC Suisse were dealt with.

Details of some 30,000 accounts at the Genevabased private bank were leaked to the French authorities by a whistleblower, Herve Falciani, in 2007.

The French subsequently passed on details covering 3,600 UK account holders to their British counterparts.

Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, Mr Hartnett, who left HMRC in 2012, said he had always expected there would be more criminal prosecutions than the single case which had been brought.

He said: “I would like to understand - and I don’t as I sit here - why there weren’t more criminal prosecutions. I had always expected there to be more.

“I am three years out of it so I don’t have that information. I would like to understand what difference would have been made had more resources been applied to the Falciani data.

“If you look round the world, I think only Ireland and the UK have prosecuted anyone from the

Falciani list. That looks like a fairly miserable result.

Someone should have a really good look at whether any of that could be done differently.”

His comments were rejected by the current HMRC tax assurance commissioner Edward Troup who insisted that they had been ‘diligent’ in pursuing the information which they had received from the French.

Mr Troup said: “I was quite surprised to hear him make that statement. I don’t think there is anything there which suggests that we have not been diligent.

“We have collected £135 million. We believe we have collected all the tax, all the interest, and a significant amount of penalties. I don’t quite see where that statement Mr Hartnett came from.”

Mr Hartnett defended his decision to take a job with HSBC after he left HMRC, despite knowing of the difficulties at the bank.

“I was approached to join a committee that was looking to make the bank secure for the future after its difficulties in Mexico and in Switzerland,” he said.

“I have to say the idea of helping make a huge bank secure for the future appealed a lot to me.”

He said that he had followed the rules for former senior officials on taking appointments outside the Civil Service “to the letter”.

“Colleagues checked it, the Cabinet Office checked it, the committee checked it, it went to the Prime Minister, and the Financial Conduct Authority also had to approve my appointment,” he said.

Zero inflation could plunge further –ONS INFLATION fell to zero last month setting the UK on course for a period of falling prices for the first time in half a century.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation dropped after recording 0.3 per cent in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It was a sharper than expected fall and sets a new record low for CPI since comparable records began in 1989.

Inflation is expected to dip further in coming months. An experimental model created by the ONS suggests the last time it was negative was in March 1960, at minus 0.6 per cent.

The surprise scale of February’s fall is likely to push back the expected timing of an interest rates hike, currently pencilled in for 2016, putting downward pressure on the pound.

Rates have been held at 0.5 per cent for six years but Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has said that in the light of low inflation the next move was as likely to be a cut as a hike.

Low inflation benefits consumers because it means their wages go further, but policy makers fear a prolonged period of negative CPI could have damaging effects.

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16 � BUSINESS NEWS

STRUGGLE: Graphic designer Bonnita Moaby fears losing business Late payment makes small firms struggle to make ends meet as business owners are forced to take wage cuts and live from overdrafts • By Steve Hemsley PROBLEMS with late payment are forcing some small business owners to take wage cuts and live off their overdrafts so they can pay staff and keep cash inside their companies, according to a new report.

Research by the bank-owned industry body Bacs Payment Schemes reveals that small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) employing fewer than 250 people are owed a massive £32.4bn.

More than three-quarters of all companies (76 per cent) have to wait at least one month beyond their contract terms before getting the money they are owed.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) are using overdrafts to make ends meet and many are struggling to pay staff on time and settle regular bills.

“The knock-on effect of late payment is that business owners must take difficult decisions to make it through the month,” said Phil Orford, chief executive of the Forum of Private Business, the SME support group. “Some 20 per cent of directors in companies that experience late payments have taken a cut in salary to keep cash inside their businesses.”

The average late payment burden shouldered by SMEs now stands at £31,901. This puts many small companies perilously close to bankruptcy, with £50,000 being the maximum SMEs in the Bacs survey said they could bear before going to the wall.

A quarter of SMEs said £20,000 or less is enough to jeopardise their business prospects.

Some 23 per cent of all companies claim the late payment situation is forcing them to pay their own suppliers late.

Mr Orford added: “Alarmingly, this culture of late payment has a ripple effect down the whole supply chain with many small firms admitting to paying their suppliers late due to business liquidity issues created by outstanding payments.”

Andrew Sillitoe, managing director of Tunbridge Wells-based business The Strategic Team Coach, works with people across Europe, the Middle East and the USA. He said clients can leave him waiting more than 120 days for his money.

“We have paid for flights, transfers and accommodation and on certain projects we have spent more than £60,000, but we will not see that money in our account for months.

The credit card will only stretch so far,” he said.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

CASE STUDY: Tunbridge Wells freelance graphic designer and mother of two Bonnita Moaby says late payment can mean a financial struggle for her family.

“My husband works but as a family it is important for us to have two regular incomes. Being a freelancer, sometimes working with very large businesses, it can be a struggle to get my payments in on time,” she said.

Mrs Moaby, who has more than six years’ design experience, added that smaller businesses are more willing to pay on time, and even before a project is finished.

“Some larger businesses have accounting days and only pay invoices once a month,” she said.

“I have had to wait up to four months for payments to be made, which is very frustrating when you have finished the job and they are already making money off the back of your designs.”

“The problem is getting finance against invoices. In our first year we had debt, and banks will not lend to you even if you can demonstrate that the money is coming in. I can understand the tightening of the rules since the 2008 financial crisis but it is crippling for small businesses like ours.”

He said another challenge is paying the freelance associates that work for him. “Our policy is that they get paid when we get paid and for a freelancer this can be a real issue. We try to keep this to within two months wherever possible.”

The public sector has been criticised for late payment but the government issued guidelines in February insisting that local authorities and other public bodies must pay contractors and subcontractors within 30 days.

There have also been changes to

BONNITA MOABY On time payments can be an issue

She fears losing business if she charges late payers interest on outstanding invoices. “I do not feel that as a freelancer this is something that clients would feel is acceptable. There does

need to be more protection for small business because the legal costs of chasing invoices/ payments can be very high and sometimes cost more than the payment is worth.”

the Prompt Payment Code, launched within the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills and supported by the banks. Companies which sign up to the code agree to pay suppliers within the terms of the contract, communicate payment procedures clearly and encourage best practice.

The code now insists on a 60day maximum payment term but signatories are being urged to enshrine 30 days as the norm.

Emma Liddiard, chairman of the Kent brand of the Institute of Directors, claimed two-thirds of the institute’s SME members have suffered from late payments, with half blaming bureaucracy at large companies for the delay.

“For too long SMEs have been squeezed as companies delay paying their invoices and stretch payment terms. Tightening up the voluntary Prompt Payment Code will help to

address this,” she said. “A longterm solution requires a culture change, and this is something heavy-handed regulation cannot address. Many big businesses will need to reform the way they pay suppliers.”

Late payment will be on the agenda during the General Election campaign, with Labour calling for more action to help small businesses on late payment. It wants to outlaw the practice of “pay to stay” where large firms force suppliers to pay to remain on their lists.

“We are beginning to see progress in highlighting poor payment practices with the Government, opposition parties and big business recognising that something has to give,” said FSB national chairman John Allan.

TOP 10 TIPS TO AVOID LATE PAYMENT PROBLEMS

1 Be very clear about your own payment terms when you agree to do a job 2 Send out your invoices promptly 3 Be proactive. Chase early with a polite call or email 4 Do a credit check on new suppliers. Has the company had financial problems?

5 Be clear about all your clients’ payment terms 6 Don’t get a reputation as a late payer yourself. Word gets around and your brand and business will suffer 7 Get paid electronically so you are not waiting for cheques to clear

8 Consider offering an incentive, perhaps a five per cent discount if a client pays you on time or early 9 Build a closer relationship with your clients’ accounts payable department 10 Demand interest on late payments. You are entitled to do so. County court is another option

Pop-up shop was ‘a success’ THE owner of a craft business who used an online service to open a temporary pop-up shop in Tunbridge Wells is urging other artists to do the same to boost sales and raise their profile.

Kate Tompsett, owner of gift and home shop Happy & Glorious, opened her pop-up shop in the Corn Exchange for one week last month through a website called Appearhere.co.uk, which rents out empty retail units by the day, week or month.

“It was a success for me but hard work because many of these retail units are empty for a reason, usually because there is a lack of shoppers coming by,” said Miss Tompsett. “So I promoted my business using social media and word soon spread. I would like to do it again.”

She set up Happy & Glorious (www. happyglorious.co.uk) selling Britishmade gifts in 2012.

Appearhere.co.uk rents out more than 600 sites nationwide and manages the whole payment and legal process for retailers. In Tunbridge Wells, a small business can open a pop-up shop in the Corn Exchange from £35 per day or in Camden Road from £55 per day.

Miss Tompsett says other Tunbridge Wells artists and craft-makers should consider opening a temporary shop.

She added: “Running an online retailer can be a very insular experience.”

First finance awards open  FINANCIAL

services professionals who have helped to improve their companies’ customer service can now enter the first UK Financial Experience Awards.

Anyone working in banking, accountancy or insurance can apply if they have introduced a product, service or marketing campaign that has helped to attract or retain customers.

The awards, organised by specialist awards programme business Awards International, are designed to share best practice in an industry which has suffered an image problem since the financial crisis.

There are awards for best communication via social media, product innovation, good call centre service, best new product, team of the year and customer experience professional of the year.

The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday, April 24 and the winners will be announced at a ceremony at The Grand Connaught Rooms, London, on Wednesday, July 8.

BUSINESS NEWS �

Nursery could close if planning permission withdrawn

17

ONLINE SERVICE EXPANDS TO MEET DEMAND

THE John Lewis At Home store in Tunbridge Wells is to expand its click and collect service to meet local demand.

The shop will celebrate its fifth birthday in November and branch manager Nigel Davis said the click and collect service was proving popular so the space available for it is to be increased.

Nationwide, the John Lewis Partnership is investing in logistics and IT to make more deliveries via click and collect than to customers’ homes.

Mr Davis said other improvements planned for the Tunbridge Wells store this spring include the revamping of the furniture department so customers will see a broader range of products. This follows the opening of the new floor-covering department and the refurbishment of its furnishing and fabrics in 2014.

Its 145 staff, known as partners, will benefit from John Lewis Partnership’s strong financial performance over the past year.

All 93,800 partners across the group are set to receive a bonus of 11 per cent. This is equivalent to nearly six weeks’ pay after the company increased gross sales by 9.2 per cent to £4.43bn and operating profit by 10.8 per cent to £250.5m for the year to the end of January.

“As co-owners in our business, all our partners have a vested interest in making sure every single experience for our customers is a special one,” said Mr Davis.

CONCERNED Emma and Monty Davies fear the business could close if their planning application is rejected

Owners want to convert glasshouse to a year-round restaurant

• By Steve Hemsley AN HISTORIC plant nursery which has one of the most impressive collections of original Victorian glasshouses in the country could close if it fails to get permission to turn one of them into a restaurant, the owners have warned.

Husband and wife team Emma and Monty Davies bought The Walled Nursery, Hawkhurst, in 2010. They want Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to allow them to convert one of their 13 listed glasshouses into a year-round restaurant to ensure the business remains viable.

Since they acquired the nursery, Mr and Mrs Davies have increased sales by £70,000 per year and boosted the average spend per customer from £3.50 to £35.00. But they say the business is not sustainable without a restaurant, which would bring in revenue throughout the year.

There is currently a self-service refreshments hut in the grounds between April and October.

“The nursery is set within a Victorian walled garden and our collection of original glasshouses is one of the top ten in the UK,” said Mrs Davies. “We now grow 90 per cent of what we sell but we cannot survive on plant sales alone.

“We need to create a full-time restaurant to help us in the winter as well as the summer.

The only option is to convert an old 49m glass vinery or to construct a building, but that would be too expensive.”

The couple have been talking to TWBC for about a year but have yet to submit a planning application. They want to use modern materials such as powder-coated aluminium to save money and improve safety but this is proving a sticking point. The first of the glasshouses was

built in the mid to late 1800s.

Mrs Davies said: “We have worked our socks off and completely redesigned the nursery. This is a competitive market. Tesco has just opened in Hawkhurst and even they are selling plants.”

Mrs Davies is confident that if they get permission, they could secure a Lottery grant of up to £100,000 towards the restaurant. She also hopes to raise money from crowdfunding and is applying to The Times of Tunbridge Wells Investment Fund, which was launched this month to help local businesses expand.

“If we get permission for the restaurant, the business will be sustainable,” said Mrs Davies.

“People love what we are doing here. We have 2,500 followers on Twitter but they ask us why we don’t have a restaurant. I hope TWBC can see the business benefits.”

A TWBC spokesman said its head conservation officer had met the owners to discuss repairs and maintenance to the vinery, and in particular, materials used for any renovation.

Mrs Davies said: “At that meeting, the officer was supportive of the facility being used for another use as long as the character of the building is not affected. He mentioned there would be difficulties in relation to the alterations. The principle one would be the change of material from timber to aluminium.”

The council said another issue would be the provision of extra ventilation to the vine house, which would require altering its structure.

“This could be overcome with some careful thought. This needs listed building consent which, to our knowledge, has not been applied for,” said the spokesman. newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

18 � LETTERS twitter.com/timesoftw

And another thing…

The Times of Tunbridge Wells always wants to hear your feedback, whether on reports we have printed or any other issues you think we should know about. Write to or email us using the contact details on page 2, or search for us on Facebook and Twitter.

MANY thanks for producing a wonderful paper for TW which seems to cover everything in depth. It appears to shake up the local press.

Keep it up.

Cllr David Scott believes that electric driverless pods, like those at Heathrow Airport, would be the ideal solution to the traffic problems on Pembury Road. I would be interested in your take on the issue and what the other councillors think of the idea. The company website can be found at www.ultraglobalprt.com. Cllr Scott has done an in-depth analysis so I hope we will get some facts.

Graham Salmon Via e-mail

FIRST may I congratulate you on your newspaper which is certainly different, in a good way. I would also like to raise the issue of the buggy brigade using local restaurants. There has been much media space devoted to mums breastfeeding in public and I think most people these days would not be too upset. But in my opinion something much more annoying, if that’s the right word, is mothers who allow their babies to scream loudly.

We were having lunch in Fenwicks this week and in the corner was the usual group of young mums. Sadly, one of the youngsters was distressed, he or she cried for 20 minutes. If a child cries for such along period, he or she needs attention. If it continues the right thing, surely, is take him out; not to stay annoying everyone, most who would never say a word for fear of being seen as un-PC. Paul Winterton Via email

I REFER to the article on Nicky Blanchard (Town can compete with Bluewater, March 18). Here is my

point why I think Bluewater has the edge. I live in Pembury and can get to Bluewater in 35 minutes at 8.30am.

It will take the same time to get to Tunbridge Wells. The pollution to Tunbridge Wells will be more because of starting and stopping in bad traffic. The cost in fuel to Bluewater is less than ten hours’ parking in Tunbridge Wells and for that I can get breakfast, lunch, dinner and a show at Bluewater. Parking at Tunbridge Wells is a nightmare, you pay for your ticket then watch the clock and as for the new idea at the Great Hall car park to pay only by debit or credit card, I like many other people In Tunbridge Wells am a pensioner, we do not want to pay by card for a small amount ie £2 and risk our cards being compromised. I think the scammers will find it very easy to get at the car park machines. Waiting to see this published in your very good new newspaper or at least an answer.

A Russell, Pembury

THERE has been much talk lately about the state of verges and lay-bys on main roads in Kent.

Anyone who has been on the lower reaches of the M2 and the M20 will know what a mess it is, there has been little effort to clear it after Operation Stack was on, weeks ago. But closer to Tunbridge Wells, it is not a lot better.

The A267 is terrible but any number other roads are an embarrassment.

It is a matter of simple civic pride to ensure local authorities pull their fingers out to make sure the gateways to our towns and villages are not strewn with filth.

Casual fly-tipping also seems to be on the increase. I am not talking about dumping the contents of a building site on the side of the road but bags of garden rubbish and the like. Do the readers of your newspaper agree?

I have no idea which council this falls under but somebody has to do it, fast.

More to the point I do not want to hear any nonsense from these authorities complaining of cutbacks as a reason for not maintaining standards. That simply won’t do.

Kim Elder Via email

IT WAS interesting to read Hannah’s letter about the rigours of the 11+ exam (And another thing, March 18).

I wholeheartedly agree with her sentiments that the test can be unfair, and that tutoring gives an advantage to those fortunate enough to come from families that can afford it.

But this is the system that we have and we have to work within in.

To that end, we have recently launched a new initiative to help ‘level the playing field’ when it comes to tutoring.

Aim – Achieve, Inspire, Motivate – is providing 11+ preparation classes to those who would not normally have access to them. In partnership with the Number One Community Trust, which is based in Showfields, we are offering weekly 11+ classes for year 5 pupils who show that they have the ability to work at 11+ standard. We have limited places in this our launch year, but would be interested to hear from parents who would like to have their children considered for the scheme.

There is no cost to attend Aim classes, as we have been funds by a grant from Town and Country Housing Association.

For more details please email zoebrowne@hotmail.com.

Kate Murphy

FIRSTLY, may I say I am pleased that you have brought such a refreshing new paper before the readership of

TW. Two articles, in particular, were of great interest to me: “Motorist writes off £800 deposit on used car” and “Parking wars” (March 18).

The former was a reminder to us thinking of buying a second-hand car, to get a clear understanding (in writing) of the conditions relating to a deposit, before paying out any sum of money. A similar incident happened to me recently and it’s an expensive lesson learnt.

I have considerable sympathy for the residents of Molyneux Park roads.

There are many residential roads in proximity to the town centre which do not have any protection for residents, or their visitors, regarding parking.

So what all too frequently happens is the mass taking of any space, from morning to night, by, presumably town workers, who wish to avoid paying for car parking! This is a blight on such residents who, surely, must have some ability to park close to their home. After all, they presumably pay their council tax. In my road the same ‘blight’ occurs and, despite serving a petition to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on behalf of residents, no consideration has been forthcoming!

Perhaps, if all like-minded residents combine and make reasonable demands of TWBC to improve the situation, eventually, something will be done. All residential roads within a 20-minute walk of the town centre should be entitled to a partial residents only or limited hours parking scheme. To balance this, why not give concessions to town workers to park in car parks (until a park and ride scheme is introduced)?

If fairness and common sense are to be championed, perhaps TWBC will respond to those they are supposed to serve, before matters degenerate further. I for one will place these issues before Greg Clark MP and I would advise others to add their weight also.

Martin Dawes Via email

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615

EDITOR SIMON FINLAY simon@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576042

DEPUTY EDITOR ELEANOR JONES eleanor@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037

16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU facebook.com/timesoftunbridgewells timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timesoftw newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

La Roche @LaRocheTW Check us up in the @ timesoftw today! Love the serious reporting.

Fabulous Malibu @ fabulousmalibu @timesoftw really enjoyed that read, thank you! X Chris Haan @tw_people @timesoftw good to see so many familiar faces contributing to the paper.

MrsP @Love_TunWells Nice front page piece @ timesoftw @Metro_Bank joeyizzy @joeyizzy Great to see @GreigAlex of @FugglesBeerCafe featured in this weeks @timesoftw !

Royal Victoria Place @Royal_Shopper What better than a relaxing afternoon with friends @ Royal_Shopper and a read of the latest edition of @ timesoftw Flamingo trends @FlamingoTrends @timesoftw fab read..after all my years in editorial, to find an excellent local publication Tunbridge Wells folk should be proud.

Happy and Glorious @HappyGlorious Just been interviewed again by @timesoftw about our #Pantiles #popup. Can’t wait for the next issue! X Seeds Design @SeedsDesignUK Our ad for @sjdprojects in excellent @timesoftw paper this morning No6 Clinic & Shop @no6clinic Check us out in @timesoftw this week! Thank you @ stevehemsley

facebook.com/ timesoftunbridgewells Country Lifestyle Fairs Great opportunity for any Kent based Limited company out there. Great assistance, funding, mentoring and PR, what more could you ask for. {about investment fund} Kathy Morgan Got mine. Chuffed with it. Latest news cover & so much more. Enjoyable enlightening read.

EDUCATION �

19

What is it that makes each school so special?

Tunbridge Wells school heads tell us their Unique selling points USP: A “high value” Catholic school with strong pastoral care and sporting prowess, allowing students to develop morally, spiritually and socially, with 72 per cent achieving five or more A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent). A year seven football academy and specialist status in maths and computing. The U15 girls’ football team won the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Secondary School Team of the Year award, the U19 boys’ team runners-up.

The following schools were kind enough to take part in a Times of Tunbridge Wells survey telling us what is special about them and about their most notable achievements for the 2013 – 2014 academic year:

TONBRIDGE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

• By Sarah Bond BRICKLEHURST MANOR SCHOOL

Head: Mrs Christine Flowers Type: Independent prep Established: 1959 Pupils: 122 pupils, aged 3 to 11, mixed Website: www.bricklehurst.co.uk Unique selling point (USP): Family atmosphere, excellent academic record, individual care, small classes, specialist teachers and a stimulating, thorough education with the attention on the basics, including good manners.

Fees: £2,700-£3,600 per term; Kindergarten sessional.

HILDEN OAKS SCHOOL & NURSERY

Head: Susan Webb Type: Preparatory, pre-prep, pre-school and nursery Established: 1919 Pupils: 210, aged three months to 11 years, mixed.

Website: www.hildenoaks.co.uk USP: Exceptional, affordable independent education, family environment, flexible daycare in nursery, small classes, every child treated as an individual, excellent academic results.

Fees: £3,125-£3,700 per term, and from £330 per four-hour session for under-twos

THE JUDD SCHOOL

Head: Robert Masters Type: Voluntary aided grammar school Established: 1888 Pupils: 1,040 rising to 1,125 – age 11 to 16: 690 rising to 775 (boys); age 16-18: 350 (mixed) Website: judd.kent.sch.uk USP: Pursuit of excellence with national reputation for academic, sporting, musical and cultural pursuits, and Judd instils a social conscience, leadership skills and a desire to make a difference. KCC has commissioned additional places for permanent five-form entry. New dining room, science suite and playing fields are planned. 1896 “school room” for theatre and concerts. The Combined Cadet Force unit has

FIRED UP St Gregory’s pupils in the science lab Army and RAF sections and there is a thriving Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. Notable 2013/14 and 2014/15 achievements include 85 per cent A*-B A levels, top school in Kent for AAB A levels or better, 26 offers for Oxbridge and 122 going to Russell Group universities, Matilda Lloyd winning BBC Young Musician of the Year (brass), Jack Costello starring in the West End’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, maths and chemistry gold medals and a host of sporting titles.

KENT COLLEGE PEMBURY

Head: Sally-Anne Huang Type: Independent day and boarding school for girls Established: 1886 Pupils: 640, age 3 to 18, girls Website: www.kent-college.co.uk USP: A caring home-from-home for boarders, with 20 per cent discount for HM Forces. The Christian ethos gives a moral framework, and manners, discipline and respect are important.

High academic standards and excellence in performing arts and sport, competing at national level, with three students going to Oxbridge and 37 to Russell Group universities.

Facilities include library and arts centre theatre, music school, dance studio, outdoor adventure course, swimming pool, and a sports hall is under construction. There are school exchanges with Australia, Europe and America, international sport, music and drama tours,the college has sponsored Kent College Junior School, Nepal, for nine years, which students

have visited.

Fees: Day £2,720-£6,515 per term; Boarding £7,408-£9,633 per term

THE SKINNERS’ KENT ACADEMY

Head: Sian Carr Type: All-ability academy Established: 2009 Pupils: 675, age 11 to18, mixed Website: www.skinnerskentacademy.org.uk USP: A Skinners’ Company School in a stateof-the-art new building affording a secondary education tailored to individual needs, including academic excellence, technological innovation and community engagement. The first nonselective school in England to become an authorised International Baccalaureate World School for the Middle Years Programme. The innovative curriculum inspires high standards and aspirations. GCSE results have improved significantly, with 48 per cent achieving five or more A*-C GCSEs (or equivalents). Student progress for middle to high attainers in English and maths outstrips national data, and 98 per cent of pupils gain qualifications. The academy has a new sixth form and is leading the new Skinners’ Kent Primary School, opening in September.

ST GREGORY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Head: Mr Stephen Adamson Type: Catholic comprehensive school Established: 1966 (converted to academy 2014) Pupils: 1200, Age 11-18, mixed Website: www.sgschool.org.uk

Head: Rosemary Joyce Type: Grammar academy Established: 1905 Pupils: 1,077 – age 11 to16: 809 (girls); Age 16 to18: 268 (mixed) Website: www.tgs.kent.sch.uk USP: Current Sunday Times State Secondary School of the Year and International Baccalaureate School of the Year. The curriculum is founded on the IB Middle Years Programme. The school promotes fairness, respect, responsibility and intellectual generosity, and students are encouraged to contribute to the community. In 2014, 13 per cent of students gained ten or more A* GCSE grades, 51.4 per cent ten or more A*-A and 97 per cent five A*-C grades. Overall, 88.6 per cent of all GCSE results were grade A or better. In iGCSE, 96 per cent gained A*-A mathematics and 95 per cent A*-A English language. There were also high grades in science and modern foreign languages.

The sixth form is focused on the International Baccalaureate, with four students achieving the maximum score in the IB Diploma in 2014, an accolade held by only 146 students worldwide that year. Fifteen students went to Oxbridge and 87 to Russell Group universities.

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Headmaster: Tim Haynes Type: Independent boarding and day school Established: 1553 Pupils: 789, Age 13 to 18, boys Website: www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/home USP: Known for excellent academic results and strong sporting performances, with training in world-class facilities and innovative plans to improve the campus. Parents cite pastoral care as one of the school’s greatest strengths. Boarding allows increased time for co-curricular – almost half the students play an instrument, and recent senior plays sold out the 400-seat EM Forster Theatre each night. Students also help in the community. Students should have the knowledge and self-belief to fulfil their own potential and an appreciation and understanding of the views of others. GCSE results: 94 per cent A*-A and 100 per cent A*-C. A Levels: 75 per cent A*-A and 98 per cent A*-C. 27 students went to Oxbridge and 134 to Russell Group Universities.

Fees: Day £8,790 per term; boarding £11,721 per term

TRADITIONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY, CENTRED AROUND SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE We help children to become curious learnerswho want to go beyond the textbook and challenge themselves to maximise their potential.

Tel: 01892 800 492 | tunbridgewells@brightyoungthings.co.uk | 3 Calverley Street, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2BZ Book online now to reserve your place: www.brightyoungthings.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

20 � HOTELS

IMPRESSION The artist’s view

“Work is progressing well and we’re confident that when the hotel is finished it will prove itself to be a tremendous asset to the area” NICK MOORE One Warwick Park

FIRST IMPRESSIONS What guests will see

ROOM WITH A VIEW Inside one of the 38 bedrooms

Wednesday 25th March 2015

LOOKING UP The atrium

STYLISH Inside the hotel bar area

HOTELS �

UNUSUAL The tunnel under Cumberland Walk connecting the different buildings

21

MODERN The hotel offers a range of facilities

CONTEMPORARY Marble finish bathroom

Sneak preview of town’s newest four-star hotel One Warwick Park is ‘great news’ for the southern end of Tunbridge Wells THE newest four-star hotel in Tunbridge Wells has opened its doors to the cameras after a multimillion-pound redevelopment of the building.

These pictures show a sneak preview of One Warwick Park, formerly the Brew House, which will welcome its first guests in summer 2016. It has 38 bedrooms.

The group behind the project says the new hotel will create more than 60 full-time jobs and that it ‘represents a huge investment in the local economy’.

Nick Moore, group commercial director, said: “One Warwick Park will be the most luxurious hotel in Tunbridge Wells. Offering a fivestar level of service, it will deliver a

STYLISH The first bedroom

“Having a glamorous hotel, plus a great restaurant and a decent place to drink is only going to draw people in” ROBERT JACOBS Savills

luxury experience to a discerning market and promises to have the wow factor in spades.”

Work started in August 2013 to combine the existing Brew House Hotel with the Old School House, neighbouring buildings and a new complex. A tunnel runs underneath Cumberland Walk to connect the different elements.

Robert Jacobs, head of residential at Savills estate agents said One Warwick Park was ‘great news for the southern end of town.’

He added: “Having a glamorous hotel, plus a great restaurant and a decent place to drink is only going to draw people in – and who knows, hotel guests from London may even fall in love with the town and decide to relocate here.”

The hotel will offer function rooms, meeting spaces, wedding facilities and a restaurant, which will be open to the public as well as guests.

A test bedroom has already been completed, while building work continues.

Mr Moore added: “We are working very hard to ensure this phase of building does not impact unnecessarily on our residential and business neighbours. It has been a real feat of engineering to get the sub-basement level constructed, and we thank everyone for their patience.

Work is progressing well and we’re confident that when the hotel is finished it will prove itself to be a tremendous asset to the area, benefiting residents, businesses and visitors alike.”

The redevelopment has not been without its critics. Local residents opposed initial plans to construct an overhead walkway linking the

AL FRESCO A bedroom balcony

buildings. The idea was rejected by the borough council and the tunnel was created instead. Also during building work water running into the famous dipping well on The Pantiles slowed to a trickle for a while and some pointed fingers at the hotel construction as interrupting the flow. The suggestion was robustly rejected by the developers.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

22 � FASHION, HEALTH AND BEAUTY

GO WITH THE FLOW FLOW’S TOP TIPS � Stop and breathe – and consciously breathe. We have a saying here – “conscious breathing is my anchor”. It’s a really important thing to have in your awareness. � Recognise how you are feeling rather than just doing. Reflection is good. � As much as you might think you’re fine, stop and take a check. � Life is so busy and there’s so much going on. It’s really important that people have that time to chill out, and “find themselves”, without being too hippy about it!

developing an interest in his neighbour’s career, and Lucy practising yoga when university life became stressful.

“I practised yoga when I was happy, fit and healthy in London, I practised yoga when I was pregnant and when my husband was dying,” Lucy says. “There’s always been a time I’ve needed yoga for something, it’s like a friend.”

As well as yoga and osteopathy, the new centre offers acupuncture, massage, shiatsu and holistic therapies. Although some people might think of the treatments as luxuries, in recent years there’s been a spike in demand, something Lucy puts down to better awareness.

“There’s a huge rise in people generally concerned about their wellness,” she says. “Part of that process is ongoing self-maintenance – it could be through yoga or massage, which is actually a very healing nurturing thing to do and you will feel a lot better after it, but people tend to see it as a luxury.”

The couple hoped that by creating a space where multiple therapies are offered, customers who were unsure about what they were looking for would be able to be referred for the right treatment.

“The advantage of the way we’ve set it up is there’s lots of ways in, they’ll either come with a specific problem or it’s something they’ve wanted to do for a long time,” says Ben. “Once you’re through the door you know where to go and have someone to guide you. We work as a team just to work out what might be useful. It provides a bit of a safety net.”

Charlie Bond visits new Tunbridge Wells Yoga and treatment studio Flow to find her inner chi…

• By Charlie Bond FLOW has only been open a matter of weeks when I visit the studio and meet its creators Lucy McNeill and Ben Parker, both 42. For the past four years, Lucy has been running Pantiles Yoga in the town, while Ben practiced osteopathy in Groombridge, but now the pair have teamed up and created the new facility in their back garden.

Both Lucy and Ben have been passionate about their fields since they were young, with Ben deciding to become an osteopath after

atman clinic

call us on 01892 544783 or visit www.atmanclinic.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

THE FLOW EXPERIENCE FLOW already welcomes more than 100 visitors a week and today I’m one of them. Having never done yoga or visited an osteopath before I’m not sure what to expect, although I know that I’m embarrassingly inflexible, so touching my toes will be an impossible task.

“People think if they’re not flexible they shouldn’t come to yoga, but sometimes the more flexible people are the ones who have to work harder to build their strength,” says Lucy, reassuring me (slightly) before the hour-long class.

I find a mat at the front of the room and lie down with my eyes closed as Lucy repeats a mantra.

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart,” she recites as we’re asked to focus

structural and cranial osteopathy for the whole family

on our breathing. Yoga is based around the idea of “conscious breathing”, being aware and in control of every breath you take. It takes me a while to get used to this concept – I often find when running or exercising I forget to breathe, so being asked to focus on every breath takes some getting used to.

Then, while trying to remember to remember to breathe, Lucy instructs us to move into a variety of positions, which all have names like “the cat” and “the backwards fish”. There is some attempted toe-touching which I fail at miserably, but overall I quite enjoy the experience, even if I do feel (and look) like an absolute novice in a room of bendy, calmly breathing women.

Next, it’s off to see Ben for an osteopathy appointment. As soon as I sit down, he tells me he can see I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders.

We discuss my medical history then Ben assesses my posture. He checks the curvature of my spine by asking me to touch my toes (still impossible) and notes that rather than my spine being misaligned from the vertical, it’s the “side to side” of my back which is causing issues.

As he assesses me, he tells me I’m pushing my head forward rather than holding it up and that when I stand I’m pushing my lower back out, which is creating tension and tightness in my upper back and shoulders.

Ben works on some of the knots in my back and neck, then asks me to stand and move my neck again. There’s definitely more movement than there was before (sadly, I still can’t touch my toes). Ben tells me that if I was coming for treatment, he would suggest core exercises for me. He recommends standing with my pelvis forward, to help me align better, and to imagine someone is pulling my head upwards to stop me pushing my neck forwards.

VERDICT I’m not really a calm, relaxed person and tend to rush around trying to multi-task, so spending a morning attempting to “anchor into myself” has been an experience. Ben’s advice on my posture, along with Lucy’s breathing and relaxation advice leaves me feeling much more serene and self-aware. Although I don’t think I’ve “found myself”, I’ve definitely found out how inflexible I am, so perhaps yoga is the answer…

atmanclinic

MOVE

THE TOWN’S NEW PROPERTY GUIDE – A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING TO BUY, LET OR SELL IN ASSOCIATION WITH

WITH THE

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

STATELY HOME

Part of this stunning former stately home, with views over the Bayham Abbey ruins, could be yours. It is one of a broad selection of the best homes to buy and rent across the district, featured on the following pages.

For details, turn to page 29.

Savills Tunbridge Wells 53 High Street Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XU Sales: 01892 507000 Lettings: 01892 507050

savills.co.uk SA81835 Tunbridge Wells Times Easter Strip.indd 1

This Easter, who better to hunt with than Savills?

Buying, selling, renting or letting, talk to Savills.

Wednesday 25th20/03/2015 March 2015 16:25

24 � PROPERTY

Luxurious Victorian villa situated in prestigious private park position

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

In my view…

George Berry PARTNER/ OFFICE HEAD KNIGHT FRANK SEVENOAKS

Here’s where we take a look at what’s happening in the property market. This week we hear from George Berry at Knight Frank Sevenoaks SPRING is most definitely in the air and as the flowers start budding, the property market is gathering a pace.

Now is the time when the agent/vendor partnership has to be closer than ever. As agents, it is important to be honest about issues such as price and presentation, as these are key in any market. However, in a year with a General Election buyers may be more hesitant and therefore more price sensitive. It is essential that vendors remain realistic and listen to sound advice rather than be seduced by head-turning values.

I always stand by the fact that although I am an agent, I too am a vendor and try not to lose sight of this, as I feel it is very important to treat clients how I would want to be treated if I were selling.

Now more than ever, it is vital to remain positive and deliver a solid, honest service. That way, successful sales are still very achievable.

There is now a realisation the London prices cannot continue to rise at the rates they have been and now maybe the perfect time to capitalise and move out to superb commuter towns, like Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. In getting better value for money further out and links to good schools there is an increase of families from the capital looking to be settled for the summer. My advice would be to spring into action and look to sell now making the most of the demand.

AT A GLANCE

8 NEVILL PARK, TUNBRIDGE WELLS Elegant refurbished Victorian villa Private park setting Arranged over four floors Versatile and generous accommodation Two sitting rooms Kitchen/breakfast room Family room Study Cloakroom Gym Cinema room Wine cellar Lower ground floor utility room and shower room Master bedroom with en-suite Guest bedroom with dressing area Three further bedrooms, all en-suite and two with dressing areas Large level garden Heated swimming pool Parking and detached garage £2,500,000 For sale through Knight Frank 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Please call us at Knight Frank if you would like to discuss your property plans.

ARRANGED over four floors and set within the exclusive Nevill Park, this attached Victorian villa has been thoughtfully refurbished to create a bright, spacious and luxurious modern family home.

The generously proportioned accommodation boasts an abundance of character features and to top it off, the rooms on the top floor have vaulted ceilings for a truly dramatic effect.

Step inside, and the property flows beautifully around a central hall area. Decorated in stylish, neutral colours and with high ceilings and tall sash windows, this home is flooded with light.

On the ground floor there

are two large sitting rooms, a generous study, a cloakroom and a family room, as well as a beautifully fitted kitchen with a range, butler’s sink and an island unit. Stairs lead down to the lower ground floor which is currently arranged as a gym, a cinema room, a utility room, a wine cellar and a shower room but with its own entrance, it could easily be adapted as separate guest accommodation or even as a self-contained flat, subject to the necessary permission.

On the first floor there is a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a guest bedroom with dressing area and an elegant

family bathroom. The top floor boasts a further three bedroom, all en-suite and two with dressing areas.

The property occupies an elevated position within the park and has exceptional views to the front. Located up a driveway which is accessed by a set of automated gates, there is a large parking and turning area and a detached garage. With generous gardens to both the front and rear, there are plenty of places to relax on a sun lounger during warm weather, not least being beside the property’s own heated swimming pool.

01732 744477 KnightFrank.co.uk/sevenoaks

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

PROPERTY �

25

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

A six-bedroom family home on the popular northern side of Royal Tunbridge Wells AT A GLANCE 19 QUEENS ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS Detached doublefronted Victorian home Recently extended and updated Stylish, contemporary finish Drawing room Family room Sitting room Play room Kitchen/dining room Large master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite Three double bedrooms on the first floor Family bathroom Laundry room Mezzanine study with access from the first floor Two double bedrooms on the second floor Shower room Off-road parking Landscaped garden £1,350,000 For sale through Savills 01892 507000 www.savills.com

THIS classic double-fronted Victorian property located in the popular Queens Road has been sympathetically updated to provide a large and stylish modern home. With great kerb appeal, six bedrooms and that all-important parking, it is bound to attract much attention.

The home has recently undergone a loft conversion and the fittings throughout give it a striking contemporary feel without detracting from its original features. With high ceilings, large partly glazed doors and bay and sash windows, the natural light is able to show off this great space to full effect. Dado rails, picture rails,

decorative coving, folding window shutters and fireplaces add to the air of timeless elegance. Original floorboards on the ground floor have been brought back to life and the kitchen and bathroom fittings have been tastefully selected to complement their surroundings.

Owing to the double front, the rooms are all generously proportioned and, at the front of the house at least, are mirrored on the opposite side.

The ground floor comprises a large entrance hall with a family room, with windows to the front on one side and a drawing room to the other. To the rear of the house is a large kitchen/

dining room with doors to the garden and a similar room opposite which has been divided to provide a comfortable sitting room and a play room. A rear porch with downstairs cloakroom and storage also lead out to the neat garden. There is also access to a cellar with several useful storage areas.

On the first floor there are two large bedrooms to the front of the property, one with a dressing room and ensuite bathroom, while the rear has two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom as well as a laundry room and a fabulous mezzanine study accessed from this floor. The bay windows of the two larger bedrooms

have been recently replaced with acoustic double glazing.

Another staircase leads to the newly converted attic rooms which now provide two light and airy double bedrooms and a shower room.

There is a smart garden with a lawn and deck providing outdoor seating areas, and it is all enclosed with fencing, mature borders and trees.

Only a mile from the centre of town and the station, the north side of Tunbridge Wells is particularly popular with families with children attending the local grammar schools, as all three are within easy walking distance of this property.

AT A GLANCE 1 YEW TREE COTTAGES, GLEBE LANE, FRANT

A cottage with paddock in an enviable rural location A SEMI-DETACHED country cottage with stunning views and rural setting, 1 Yew Tree Cottages is an attractive property which is being offered for sale along with a paddock of 1.75 acres. Between Frant and Wadhurst, its location is peaceful and private without it being too far from shops, amenities and Frant’s mainline station.

Although it is attached to its neighbouring property, the cottage and its gardens are arranged to afford a great deal of privacy, with a generous parking area, a heritage garage with matching log store, a large workshop and a well-stocked L-shaped garden.

On the ground floor a stable-style front door under an attractive storm porch leads to the entrance hall and through to the kitchen. With natural wood units, a butler’s sink and integral appliances, plus plenty of work surfaces, this modern kitchen is the heart of the home and is well-proportioned. From here the inner hall and stairs are accessed, as well as a downstairs bathroom, sitting room with dining room off it and large conservatory.

With a feature fireplace with a natural timber bresummer, or load-bearing beam, over and log store, the beamed sitting room is full of character.

Semi-detached country cottage Character property Gardens and paddock of 1.75 acres Modern kitchen with integrated appliances Sitting room with feature fireplace Dining room Conservatory Downstairs bathroom Master bedroom with en-suite shower room Two further bedrooms Upstairs study with access to two loft rooms Heritage garage and matching log store Workshop Greenhouse Gazebo £650,000 For sale through Bracketts 01892 512201 www.bracketts.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

26 � PROPERTY AT A GLANCE

ASHURST MILL, MILLSTREAM CLOSE, ASHURST Converted mill Character beams, timber staircase and vaulted ceilings Versatile accommodation Three double bedrooms with en-suites Kitchen Utility room Sitting room with modern wood burning stove Landing/study Integral double garage Gated driveway Courtyard garden £595,000 For sale through Savills 01892 323042 www.savills.com

A converted mill in the wellconnected village of Ashurst ASHURST Mill was converted into a private house in the 1980s, and at the same time, the small development of Millstream Close was built around it. The current owners of this charming family home have lived in it for 20 years and have continuously updated it to create a modern and bright home with great deal of character.

The versatile accommodation on the ground floor includes an entrance hall, cloakroom, kitchen with separate utility room and sitting room with a character beamed ceiling, French doors to the garden and a striking contemporary wood-burning stove. There is also a dining room which leads to a downstairs bedroom with en-suite shower room.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams and built-in wardrobes, as well as an en-suite bathroom. A further double bedroom with en-suite shower room and a large landing used as a study complete the accommodation.

Outside, the courtyard garden, which is designed to be low maintenance, comprises a large central paved area ideal for outdoor entertaining with specimen planting to the periphery and a hot tub.

Steps lead from the terrace to a path linking the front door and the brick driveway.

Access from Millstream Close is via automated wrought iron gates and there is space for parking just inside the entrance and in front of the double garage.

AN EXTENDED DETACHED HOUSE IN A CUL-DE-SAC SETTING AT A GLANCE

4, FORSTALL, LANGTON GREEN

THE village of Langton Green, only two miles from the centre of Tunbridge Wells, is a much soughtafter area with a good primary school and although it is a quiet residential area with just a handful of shops, the amenities of nearby Rusthall are on your doorstep.

This family home, set in a peaceful cul-de-sac, has been imaginatively extended to offer spacious accommodation and planning consent has also been granted for a further two-storey extension.

The reception hall opens to a large double-aspect sitting room with bay window to the front and doors

Wednesday 25th March 2015

to the rear garden, and a feature fireplace with a raised hearth and wood burning stove adds to the charm of this room. As well as a study on this floor, there is a family room, cloakroom, utility and access into the integral garage.

But without doubt it is the kitchen/dining room that gives this property the ‘wow factor’. Fitted with a range of units and with an L-shaped work surface, island and integrated appliances, this space is perfect for modern family living and has been designed with Velux windows and double doors to the rear to allow the maximum amount of light into

the room.

Upstairs there is a large dual-aspect principle bedroom with en-suite bathroom, three further bedrooms and a family bathroom.

To the front of the property there is a brick paved driveway which provides parking for several cars and a brick pathway to the front door. The rear garden has paved seating areas, three tiers of level lawns and a brick built garden room/office with light and power. This attractive property’s garden has mature hedge boundaries which afford a great deal of privacy.

Extended detached property Spacious accommodation Planning consent for further extension Garage and driveway Sitting room Study Family room Utility room Large kitchen/dining room with family area Master bedroom with en-suite bathroom Three further bedrooms Family bathroom Private gardens Garden room/office £725,000 For sale through Bracketts 01892 512201 www.bracketts.co.uk

PROPERTY �

27

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BAYHAM ABBEY �The ancient abbey which was the first building on this estate, now a ruin managed

by English Heritage, is said to have been founded by the Praemonstratensian canons during the reign of Richard I and as such the abbey and its surrounding land have been of importance for some 800 years. It was in use until the dissolution in the 16th century but the surviving ruins were slightly modified during the late 18th century to provide a better landscape feature during the creation of the new Bayham Abbey mansion.

The foundation for this new stately home, which the Marquis of Camden had commissioned as a family home, was laid in 1869 and the first stone of the plinth laid by his wife in January the following year.

As well as grand rooms with high ceilings and architecture which harked back to the mansions of the early 17th century, it included separate quarters for servants, offices, stabling and coach houses.

Part of a Grade II listed former stately home with views of Abbey ruins ONCE one of the most significant stately homes in the wider Tunbridge Wells area, Bayham Abbey mansion is a Grade II listed building dating from 1870 and now split into separate family homes.

The Bell House, which makes up a large part of the building, is an impressive five-bedroom property offering all the comforts of modern living within this historic piece of grand architecture.

Originally built for the Marquis of Camden within view of the ancient ruins of the old abbey, this house has been thoughtfully separated to offer a number of large, wellproportioned rooms. And, as if driving up to a stately home didn’t create enough of a good impression, the attractive black and white tiled private reception hall and long inner hall are aweinspiring.

Similarly, the dining hall is a

magnificent room with a double height ceiling and imposing staircase. The drawing room is elegant, with a marble fireplace and stunning views over the grounds, and it leads to a library area.

The kitchen/breakfast room is fitted with a contemporary kitchen, with granite work surfaces and integrated appliances, and there is plenty of room for a family kitchen table. A study, a separate sitting room and a cloakroom complete the accommodation downstairs.

Upstairs, the Bell House has a principal bedroom suite with an adjoining bathroom and dressing room. There are four more bedrooms, a beautifully fitted family bathroom and a linen store and ironing room on this floor.

Throughout the property, there are character features such as internal wooden shutters to some of the windows, attractive period plaster

mouldings, cornices and dado rails, encased radiators and of course the bell tower itself, which rises from the roof.

To the rear of the house is a courtyard with a stone outbuilding, accessed through the dining hall.

The rest of the gardens are set away from the house, and include a wonderful sunken deck with wide steps leading to an upper decked terrace, summer house and store. There are long shrub beds and sweeping lawns, as well as fine views over the surrounding countryside and the abbey ruins.

The Bell House, situated on the Kent and Sussex border, is approached by a long driveway through attractive countryside. The popular village of Lamberhurst with its good local shops, primary school and pubs is a little over two miles away, as is Bells Yew Green for Frant mainline station.

AT A GLANCE THE BELL HOUSE, BAYHAM ABBEY, LAMBERHURST Part of an historic former stately home Period features including wooden shutters, attractive plaster mouldings and feature fireplaces Spacious rooms with high ceilings Magnificent entrance hall and inner hall Drawing room Library Study Sitting Room Kitchen/breakfast room Cloakroom Impressive dining hall with double height ceiling Master suite with dressing room and bathroom Four further bedrooms Family bathroom Linen store and ironing room Bell tower Attractive gardens within the grounds of Bayham Abbey £1,350,000 For sale through Hamptons 01892 323034 | www.hamptons.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Savills Tunbridge Wells 53 High Street Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XU

01892 507050 tunbridgewells@savills.com

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

FRANT, kent

CROWBOROUGH, east sussex

4 bedroom stable conversion ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 reception rooms ø utility room and larder ø 3 bathrooms ø courtyard garden ø EPC=D £2,250 pcm + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

5 bedroom detached house ø 4 reception rooms ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 bathrooms ø double garage ø EPC rating = D £2,450 pcm + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

BRENCHLEY, kent

HEATHFIELD, east sussex

Contact: Katrin Olander

Contact: Katrin Olander

5 bedroom detached house ø 4 reception rooms ø 3 bathrooms ø off road parking ø gardens Set within a private country estate ø detached five bedroom oast ø three reception rooms ø ø EPC=E three bathrooms ø off road parking ø EPC=E £2,600 pcm + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* £2,750 pcm + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Contact: Katrin Olander

Contact: Katrin Olander

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

This Easter, who better to hunt with than Savills?

Buying, selling, renting or letting, talk to Savills.

Savills Tunbridge Wells 53 High Street Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XU

01892 507000 tunbridgewells@savills.com

savills.co.uk

WADHURST, east sussex

MATFIELD, kent

Newly built with warranty ø MLS under 1 mile ø 2 receptions ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 5 bedrooms ø 4 bathrooms ø double garage ø about 0.44 acres ø 3,181 sq ft ø EPC=B

Edge of village ø MLS 2.2 miles ø 3 receptions ø conservatory ø 4 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø studio over double garage ø about 0.75 acres ø 1,879 sq ft ø EPC=F

Guide £1.25 million Freehold

Guide £825,000 Freehold

Contact: Amanda Wyatt

Contact: Charlotte Melrose-Cantouris

MAYFIELD, east sussex

LANGTON GREEN, kent

Character home with versatile accommodation ø edge of village ø countryside views ø 4 reception rooms ø 5 bedrooms ø 2,284 sq ft ø about 0.30 acres ø EPC=D

Character period cottage ø double reception room ø 2 double bedrooms ø Planning Permission for a single storey extension ø garden ø rural views ø 607 sq ft ø EPC=D

Guide £825,000 Freehold

Guide £375,000 Freehold

Contact: Liz Devall

This Easter, who better to hunt with than Savills?

Buying or selling, talk to Savills.

Contact: Charlotte Melrose-Cantouris

Guide price: ÂŁ1,650,000

Goudhurst A beautiful Grade II Listed farmhouse in a rural position on the edge of the pretty village Entrance hall, drawing room, family room, dining room, study, kitchen / breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom. Master bedroom with en suite dressing room and bathroom, 5 further bedrooms (1 en suite), family bathroom. Detached double garage with shower room and annexe above. Mature gardens and grounds. Swimming pool. Orchard. Paddock. In all about 3.9 acres.

Guide price ÂŁ1,750,000

Felbridge A delightful family house and substantial outbuilding, designed by Edwin Lutyens Reception hall, sitting room, family room, dining room, kitchen / breakfast room, cloakroom. Master bedroom with en suite, guest bedroom with en suite, 3 further bedrooms, family bathroom.

Substantial L-shaped outbuilding divided into living space, office accommodation and storage. Substantial Atcost barn. Open-bay garden store. Tennis court. Gardens and paddocks. EPC rating E. In all about 18 acres.

GLOBALLY KNOWN LOCALLY DRIVEN To find out how we can help you please contact us KnightFrank.co.uk/tunbridge-wells tunwells@knightfrank.com 01892 310269

Guide price: £585,000

Guide price: £725,000

Norfolk Road, Tunbridge Wells

Rock Villa Road, Tunbridge Wells

A Victorian family house

Exceptional penthouse apartment

Situated in the heart of the desirable ‘Village’ area. Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen. 3 bedrooms, family bathroom. Private courtyard garden. EPC rating E.

Drawing room, dining room, kitchen / breakfast room. Master bedroom suite, 2 further bedrooms, family shower room.

2 balconies. Garage parking for 2 cars. Far reaching views.

EPC rating C.

Guide price: £985,000

@KF_TWells KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £649,000 - £699,000

Wadhurst

Wadhurst

A beautifully presented family house in an exclusive development

Exclusive new build family homes close to the popular village

Entrance hall, cloakroom, kitchen / breakfast room, utility room, drawing room, study, dining room, family room. Master bedroom suite, 4 further bedrooms (1 en suite), family bathroom.

Gardens and grounds. Double garage. EPC rating E. In all about 0.42 acres.

Brand new 4 bedroom homes with exceptional views across the countryside. Stylish interiors and spacious accommodation close to the village centre and its excellent amenities and travel links to London. EPC rating pending.

LeGrys Tunbridge Wells 66 London Road Tunbridge Wells TN4 0PR twells@LeGrys.com Call FREE on 0800 320 2012 or 01892 529448 LeGrys.com

Vicarage Road, Southborough

Freehold

Guide Price £1,400,000 To £1,600,000 • Victorian Villa Set In Beautiful Grounds • Five Double Bedrooms With The Master En-Suite Plus A Generous Single Bedroom • Seven Reception Rooms • Packed With Period Features Throughout • Beautiful Sunny Garden With A Heated Swimming Pool • Private Road With Fabulous Country Walks Nearby • Walking Distance To All Local Amenities, Primary, Secondary And Grammar Schools • Off-Road Parking For Up To Five Cars • Seven Minute Drive To Mainline Train Station

Vicarage Road, Southborough

Freehold

Priced At £1,450,000 • Spectacular Family Home • Six Double Bedrooms • Situated In A Private, No Through Road • Excellent Catchment Areas For Some Of Kent • Excellent Catchment Areas For Some Of Kent’s Most Highly Regarded Schools • Three Reception Rooms • Breath-taking Countryside Views • Packed With Character Features Throughout • The Property Has Undergone Extensive Renovation Throughout • Seven Minute Drive to Main Line Train Station

Tunbridge Wells | Edenbridge | Rotherfield | Lewes | Associated London Office

In 2011, LeGrys opened its first office in Tunbridge Wells and has since gone on to open three further offices. LeGrys offer comprehensive Sales, Lettings & Property Management Services.

• Our Offices Are Open 7 Days A Week, maximising Viewing Potential • Free Professional EPC, Floor Plans and Photography on Sales Properties • No Tie-In Contracts • Highly Experienced Team of Staff

Taylor Street, Southborough

Freehold

Offers In Excess Of £250,000 • Fantastic Investment Opportunity • Three Double Bedrooms And One Single Bedroom • Open-Plan Kitchen/Dining Area • Recently Converted & Renovated • Brand New Kitchen & Bathroom • Light & Airy Throughout

London Road, Southborough

• Extremely Competitive Fees • Members of The Registered Landlords Association & The Property Ombudsman • Offering Landlords Fully Managed, Let Only or Rent Collection Services

Lady’s Gift Road, Southborough

Freehold

Offers In Excess Of £275,000 • Currently Tenanted-Making A Fabulous Investment Opportunity • Offered As An Investment Opportunity, Or Vacant Possession • Walking Distance To Local Amenities, Schools and Mainline Station • Chain-Free

Leasehold

Guide Price £165,000 To £180,000 • Two Double Bedroom Apartment • Perfect For Buy to Let Investors/ First Time Buyers • Modern Open-Plan Kitchen/Lounge/Diner • Currently Let On An AST Agreement Making A Great Investment Possibility

• Customer Service Led – Offering Totally Transparent Service

• Large Family House in Need of Modernisation • Two Double Bedrooms and One Large Single Bedroom • Large Light and Airy Living Room • Good Sized Kitchen with Adjoining Dining Room

Hill Crest, Southborough

• Utility Space With Separate WC And Storage Area • Beautiful Well Maintained Rear Garden • Walking Distance to Primary/Secondary Schools • Close By To Local Amenities • Seven Minute Drive to High Brooms & Tonbridge Mainline Train Stations

Freehold

Guide Price £420,000-£450,000 • Light and Airy Throughout • Stone’s Throw from Local Amenities • 15 Minute Walk to Mainline Train Station • Lengthy Lease • CHAIN-FREE

• Detached Family Home • Three Double Bedrooms • Upstairs Bathroom/WC & Downstairs Cloakroom • Large Open-Plan Living/Dining Area • Integral Garage

• Large South-Facing Garden • In Need Of Modernisation • Superb Location For Local Parks, Amenities & Primary/Secondary/Grammar Schools • Ten Minute Walk to Main Line Train Station • Off-Road Parking For Four Cars

Louise Mcallen, Connells Tunbridge Wells Letting’s manager has over 15 years’ experience in the letting s industry and an in depth knowledge of the local property market.

Louise and Lara Ovenden, Senior lettings Negotiator have been responsible for the letting department since June 2014 and the business has been steadily growing since this date. Louise and Lara strive to offer excellent customer service along with a professional and efficient approach in everything they do and always endeavour to exceed their customer’s expectations.

“We know how stressful it can be when letting your property , whether you are a first time landlord or an existing landlord. Louise and Lara aim to take that stress away and make the lettings process as enjoyable as possible”

“We found the Connells letting team – Louise and Lara – to be very helpful, friendly and efficient.

Louise has long experience in the letting sector and knowledge of the Tunbridge Wells market in particular which she uses to good effect. Lara did an excellent job overseeing the viewings and keeping us informed of developments. We feel we are in safe hands and recommend the Connells letting team without hesitation.”

“I assumed that the process of letting my flat to tenants was going to be daunting and complicated.

I chose Connells because they were my estate agents when I originally purchased the flat, and I am very thankful I did. Louise and Lara have been nothing but efficient, reliable, kind and supportive.

I am very impressed with their professionalism and it made the experience not only easy, but also enjoyable. I would certainly recommend Connells to any person who is looking into have their property rented.”

bracketts est. 1828

When experience counts...

Tunbridge Wells – Price Range: £265,000 - £289,950

· A 3 bedroom mid-terraced Victorian home · In need of modernisation · 24ft garden · EPC: E

Tunbridge Wells – Monthly Rental of £1,700

· A well presented 4 bedroom town house · Central position · Secure gated development · EPC: F

Frant – Guide Price: £650,000

· An appealing character 4 bedroom cottage · 2 useful attic rooms · Heritage garage and parking · EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells – Monthly Rental of £2,400

· A luxuriously appointed duplex apartment · 2 bedrooms / 2 en suites · Overlooking the Common · EPC: F

Langton Green – Guide Price: £725,000

· An imaginatively extended detached house · Generous 4 bedroom accommodation · PP granted for two storey extension · EPC: C

Langton Green – Guide Price: £325,000

· A modern 3 bedroom end of terraced town house · Immaculate condition · Landscaped rear garden & off road parking · EPC: C

Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 tunbridgewells@bracketts.co.uk

bracketts.co.uk

Village Living WADHURST £685,000

An attractive, well-built and spacious family house... ...at the end of a small, quiet cul-de-sac, yet within easy access of the High Street and schools and only a mile from the station. Offering five bedrooms (2 with ensuites) and a family bathroom, three reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and a detached double garage. NO CHAIN

CENTRAL WADHURST £650,000 An exceptionally rare opportunity to purchase and build your own ‘Grand Design’ in a tucked away plot within the middle of Wadhurst, just yards from the High Street and local Primary School. Planning permission has been granted to replace the existing 1950s chalet style bungalow with a substantial 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom, 3 reception room Sussex Barn style detached family home of approximately 3,500 sq.ft

CENTRAL MAYFIELD £440,000 An attractive Period Cottage, right in the heart of Mayfield, providing characterful accommodation with Period features, fireplaces and completed with a modern kitchen extension, south facing gardens and a lovely view to the South towards the Rother Valley.

FIVE ASHES £525,000 A deceptively spacious detached chalet style house with flexible family accommodation providing three/four reception rooms, Kitchen/ Breakfast Room and three/four bedrooms and an en-suite shower room, en-suite bathroom and a further family bathroom, all set within good size gardens with off road parking for several vehicles.

CENTRAL MAYFIELD £275,000 CENTRAL WADHURST £265,000 An immaculate and much improved modern mid-terraced property in the middle of Mayfield, with new kitchen, bathroom and decor throughout, inlaid wood doors and ground floor WC, courtyard garden and off road parking space. NO CHAIN

An older grade II listed terraced village house in need of modernisation with 2 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms and garden within a short walk of High Street. NO CHAIN.

www.burnetts-ea-com Mayfield Office 3 Church View House, High Street, Mayfield, East Sussex. TN20 6AB mayfield@burnetts-ea.com 01435 874450

Wadhurst Office The Clock House, High Street, Wadhurst, East Sussex. TN5 6AA wadhurst@burnetts-ea.com 01892 782287

Lettings Department lettings@burnetts-ea.com 0845 873 7493 Associated London Office Park Lane, London W1K 7AG 020 74098371

At KMJ Property you will find an honest and realistic approach to selling your property and good old fashioned customer service coupled with modern technology to sell your home.

Based in Rusthall, we are family owned and run and have sold houses in Tunbridge Wells centre and many of the surrounding villages including in our office location of Rusthall, where we consider ourselves part of the community. Having lived locally all our lives we immerse ourselves in the community and support local events throughout Tunbridge Wells, whether through advertising them, helping at them, donating to them or our children ‘K’, ‘M’ and ‘J’ being there on duty with St John Ambulance.

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

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

www.kmjproperty.co.uk

Meet The Team From left to right

Sarah Cameron, Suzanne Johnson, David Johnson, Sarah Piper

01892 515188

sales@kmjproperty.co.uk

Coming soon to Royal Tunbridge Wells...

A collection of 3 & 4 bedroom luxury homes St James Court is a collection of three and four bedroom homes set within a private courtyard in the sought after town of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

• Custom designed German kitchens with integrated appliances • Allocated private parking • Landscaped rear private gardens • 10 year LABC warranty • Great transport links Prices from £475,000

Register your interest now!

01892 507005 savills.co.uk

Computer generated image

tunbridgewellsrds@savills.com

Wednesday 25th March 2015

www.purelake.co.uk

Homes of Character

01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk www.rightmove.co.uk e. carol@fireflyproperties.co.uk

MATFIELD £595,000 GRADE II LISTED Weirleigh Cottage is an exquisite Victorian Grade II listed attached family home steeped in local history. If you are looking for an abundance of charm yet within a 2 miles distance of Paddock Wood mainline station and shopping facilities this beautiful house could be just what you are looking for!

Accommodation comprising, three receptions, fitted kitchen, utility room, ground floor cloak/shower room. To the first floor four excellent size bedrooms and beautiful family bathroom.

The property has a mature south facing garden, enclosed rear courtyard, coalhole/storage and large cellar with multiple rooms.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS £269,995 Fabulous first floor two bedroom Victorian apartment nestled within walking distance to Tunbridge Wells town centre and main line station. Beautiful Victorian building with gated allocated car parking space to the rear.

Accommodation comprising large sitting/dining room, main bedroom, further single bedroom, shower room and kitchen/breakfast room. Potential to extend into the loft to provide a further bedroom subject to building regs.

VIEWING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. No Chain.

PEMBURY £550,000 Beautifully presented five bedroom detached family home taking full advantage of backing onto Pembury woods.

1600 sq ft of accommodation comprising entrance hall, cloak/shower room, large sitting/dining room, study, kitchen breakfast room and bedroom five. To the first floor, master bedroom with en-suite, three further bedrooms of good size and family bathroom. Large garden to rear and ample off road parking. EPC C

BRENCHLEY £1,200,000 Moncktons is a beautifully presented detached family home which sits proudly on Windmill Hill in the sought after village of Brenchley. Spacious entrance hall, three/four receptions, large family kitchen opening out onto conservatory, separate large utility room. To the first floor, master bedroom suite with dressing room and en-suite, two further spacious double bedrooms and two family bathrooms. Bedroom four/study to the ground floor. Outside, detached double garage, fabulous plot of landscaped gardens offering a south-west facing orientation. EPC D

PADDOCK WOOD £349,995 Extended four bedroom semi detached family home set out over three floors with accommodation comprising, entrance porch, entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen/ dining room, three bedrooms and family bathroom to first floor and master bedroom with en-suite to second floor. Extensive garden to the rear and attached one & half garage with footings to take a second storey subject to planning permission. EPC D

TUNBRIDGE WELLS £275,000 This older style semi-detached house has lots of character with attractive fireplaces and high ceilings but it also has all the present day conveniences of gas fired central heating, double glazed replacement windows, a fitted kitchen and a modern bathroom. All three bedrooms are a good size and there is a very spacious feel about the accommodation. To the rear is a privately enclosed garden with an all weather surface for easy maintenance. EPC E

PADDOCK WOOD £315,000 IN NEED OF REFURBISHMENT 3 Bedroom detached in quiet cul de sac - walking distance mainline station and shopping facilities. NO CHAIN. EPC E

MATFIELD £410,000 A charming Victorian cottage situated on a large plot offering a beautiful garden and rural views. The well presented accommodation comprises entrance hall with cloakroom, sitting room with attractive log burner, fitted kitchen/dining room, 3 bedrooms and a luxury bath/shower room. Outside is a large garage and enough room to park 2 cars on the drive. Fabulous large rear garden backing fields. EPC E

BRENCHLEY £975,000 Longbrooks Farmhouse is a Grade II listed 5 bedroom detached home set in a semi rural location. The property has been fully renovated over the last couple of years and is presented in immaculate order throughout. Charming interior with beautiful mellow beams and oak flooring, fabulous inglenook fireplaces with wood burning stoves. The property has been completely refurbished to a high standard and provides a blend of period features and contemporary fittings. The current owners have had the roof replaced, new windows, central heating system, new plumbing and re-wiring. Set in a stunning rural location with far reaching views. Possible 2-3 acres by separate negotiation

BRENCHLEY £795,000 Exceptional five bedroom detached family home in the sought after village of Brenchley, two en-suite facilities, three receptions, garden to rear and detached double garage, lovely garden to rear, walking distance primary school. EPC D

Knowledge is power...

We have learnt a thing or two, over the last 45 years.

The independent buying agency covering the South East.

Colin Mackenzie Ltd T. (01435) 866988 info@cmproperty.co.uk www.cmproperty.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells £139,995

Tunbridge Wells £625 PCM

• 2 Bedroom flat for the over 60’S • Residents Lounge • Vacant Possession, No Chain • Residents Parking • Communal Gardens, Balcony • Energy Efficiency Rating: B

• 1 Bedroom • Modern Kitchen • Close To Town Centre

Wadhurst £155,000 • Recently converted 1 Bed Flat • Brand New Kitchen & Bathroom • Private Ground Floor Entrance • Residents Parking • GFCH, Double Glazing • Energy Efficiency Rating: C

Tunbridge Wells £599,995 • 4 Bed Detached Split Level Home • Large Rear Garden • Hawkenbury Location • Split Level Landing, Bar Area

Tonbridge £1,550 PCM • Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Off Road Parking & Garage • Potential to Extend STPP • Energy Efficiency Rating: D

• 3 Bedrooms • Brand New Home • En-Suite Shower Room • Decked Rear Garden

• River Views • Close To Town & Station • Energy Efficiency Rating: B • Agent’s Fees Apply

Tunbridge Wells £329,950 • Superb Top Floor 2 Bed Flat • Popular South Side of Town • Approx. ½ Mile from Station

Southborough £950,000 • Character Style Detached Property • Five Bedrooms • Bidborough/Southborough Borders • Sitting Room with Open Fireplace

• Kitchen/Breakfast Room • Large Rear Gardens • Garage & Off Road Parking • Energy Efficiency Rating: E

• Refitted Kitchen & Bathroom • Free Residents Parking • Energy Efficiency Rating: D

Southborough £345,000 • Semi Detached House • 3 Bedrooms • Lounge/Dining Room

• Cul De Sac Location • Garage En Bloc • Energy Efficiency Rating: C

Tunbridge Wells £1,400 PCM • 3 Bedrooms • Newly Refurbished • Private Roof Terrace • Close To Mainline Station

• Popular Location • Gas Central Heating • Energy Efficiency Rating: C • Agent’s Fees Apply

woodandpilcher.co.uk Tunbridge Wells Office 01892 511211 tunbridgewells@woodandpilcher.co.uk Letting & Management 01892 528888 lettings@woodandpilcher.com Southborough Office 01892 511311 southborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk OTHER OFFICES Tonbridge Office 01732 351135 tonbridge@woodandpilcher.co.uk Crowborough Office 01892 665666 crowborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk Heathfield Office 01435 862211 heathfield@woodandpilcher.co.uk

Southborough £325,000 • Open House Sat 28th March 11-12pm • Semi-Detached Town House • 2 Double Bedrooms - 1 Single • Good Sized Sitting Room

Westminster £375 PW • Kitchen/Dining Room • Utility/Cloakroom • No Onward Chain • Energy Efficiency Rating: D

• 1 Bedroom • Open Plan Living • Private Balcony • Concierge Service

• Fully Furnished • Great Commuter Links • Energy Efficiency Rating: C • Agent’s Fees Apply

• Close To High Brooms Station • Energy Efficiency Rating: D • Agent’s Fees Apply

MOVING WITH THE TIMES TO PROMOTE YOUR PROPERTY CONTACT US advertising@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779650 O F TUNBR IDGE WEL LS

ellis

bracl<eifs

Batcheller Monkhouse

ESTATE AGENTS& CHARTERED SURVEYORS

and co

--------

Howard

Cundey

____,ft,____ WOOD & PILCHER

BROOKS PEACOCK Town & Country Properties

EST1900

Lambert & Foster PART OF THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE

~MJProperty

"Knight WFrank

savills

Agents' Mutual Limited - A company limited by guarantee. Company No: 8381 458. Registered in England & Wales. OnTheMarket.com and the associated logo are registered trademarks of Agents' Mutual Limited.

Registered Office: 3rd Floor Connaught House, 1-3 Mount Street , London W1 K 3NB, England.

Savills Tunbridge Wells 53 High Street Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XU

01892 507000 tunbridgewells@savills.com

savills.co.uk

FRENCH INSPIRED ELEGANCE WADHURST, east sussex

Rural outskirts of popular village with southerly views ø 4 reception rooms ø study ø open plan kitchen/breakfast/family room ø 5 double bedrooms ø MLS under 2 miles ø natural swimming pool ø alfresco dining terrace ø tennis court ø lake ø 614 sq ft garage and further outbuildings ø about 3.92 acres ø 5,978 sq ft ø EPC=C Guide £3 million Freehold

Contact: Amanda Wyatt

This Easter, who better to hunt with than Savills?

Buying or selling, talk to Savills.

Savills Tunbridge Wells 53 High Street Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XU

01892 507000 tunbridgewells@savills.com

savills.co.uk

TRANQUIL FOREST SETTING HARTFIELD, east sussex

Unique and contemporary design ø surrounded by the Ashdown Forest ø main house and cottage ø extensive outbuildings ø excellent transport links ø in all about 2.7 acres ø house: 4,327 sq ft ø cottage: 1,948 sq ft ø also available in 2 lots ø house and cottage: EPCs =D Guide £2.6 million Freehold

Contact: Amanda Wyatt

This Easter, who better to hunt with than Savills?

Buying or selling, talk to Savills.

Fashion Carpets at Fashion Carpets

Where you will find one of the largest selections of quality carpets, quick step laminates, amtico and structured wood from woodpecker all at lower prices during our sale period. We promise to help you make the right choice to suit your home and your budget, with professional fitting and advice.

Please telephone for a free measue and estimate.

Appointments got home selection available.

42 High Street Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent, TN11 1XF Tel: 01892 528676 Also At Sidcup, Bromley And Welling

www.fashioncarpets.co.uk

WE’RE LOOKING TO RECRUIT THE NEXT GENERATION OF BRIGHT, EXPERIENCED AND AMBITIOUS

SOLICITORS

TO JOIN OUR BUSINESS WHERE THERE ARE NO GLASS CEILINGS AND YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP YOUR FULL POTENTIAL AND TO REALISE YOUR PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS. SO, IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW CHALLENGE IN

PRIVATE CLIENT, FAMILY OR PROPERTY AND THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES THEN SEND YOUR CV BY EMAIL TO nigel.harper@parfittcresswell.com AND WE’LL BE IN TOUCH STRAIGHT AWAY

MAX BARFORD & CO

JEVONS RILEY & POPE

PARFITT CRESSWELL

KEENE MARSLAND

Keene Marsland, Max Barford & Co and Jevons Riley & Pope are trading names of Parfitt Cresswell Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority no. 71480

Wednesday 25th March 2015

FASHION, HEALTH AND BEAUTY �

47

Consider your overall ‘packaging’ Cool culottes are perfect for work when planning your own style

LAST week, as I descended at Charing Cross station, a well groomed man standing in front of me on the train was wearing a perfectly fitted dark navy suit, his shirt was crisp white, his tie was a sophisticated shade of blue, and his cufflinks and shoes had just the right amount of shine. As most people would, I thought, “He’s well dressed, he looks dapper, he knows what he’s doing”.

And then, there it was: the dishevelled man bag, in a slightly washed-out brown colour, with threads hanging out from the seams, in a worn-out shape. He obviously didn’t think it mattered (after all he was wearing a great suit), but turning up to a client lunch or meeting with his peers, people might think differently. The man bag might be interpreted as a weakness, a lack of attention to detail or even sloppiness. My point here is that while you take important steps to define your own personal brand through your personal image, it’s important that you consider your overall ‘packaging’ and bear in mind that small details, such as accessories, shouldn’t be ignored. By simply investing in a leather satchel or laptop bag, this man would have polished off his look perfectly and the first impression he was aiming to achieve would have been a positive one.

Whether it’s a mobile phone, a perfume or a car, every product has its own packaging that defines the brand. And likewise for you, as individuals who are putting yourselves out into a brutally competitive environment, defining your personal brand starts by

defining your personal packaging, which defines who you are.

As a stylist, I am constantly being judged on what I wear. My own personal packaging?

It’s relaxed, chic, colourful, yet understated. I love comfort but I also love beautiful designs, with either intricate detailing or interesting colour combos. So for me, and because of the job I do, it’s important that my look is comfortable (running around shops in heels is a no-no) yet I also want to inject some key pieces, like a pair of silver brogues, or a big faux fur scarf to my outfit, something that stands out, that is unique to me and to what I like. I also need to reassure my clients (after all they are investing in me to help them with their own style), so while I wear what I want, I need to be approachable, inspire confidence through my own style and show them that I am in touch with the world of fashion.

Whether you work in a relaxed or more formal environment, the key is to find your personal look that packages you the way you want -- a pattern of clothing that matches and compliments what you are all about.

Let’s come back to the details of an outfit for example. If a woman wears a beautifully flattering, fitted dress to a meeting (think Claire in House of Cards), by throwing a tired cardigan over it, she will undo the impact of the dress and the overall impression risks changing from powerful, assured woman to someone who is keeping it safe and may lack confidence. And while women need to keep warm, especially in air-conditioned environments, a well-cut cropped jacket can do the job perfectly.

And finally, remember that less is more.

You want people to pay attention to you, not to your many accessories, so go for one bold item per outfit. If you are wearing a bold scarf, that should be the defining piece of your outfit that day. If you layer too many things all at once, your brand will feel confusing. www.stylepourmoi.com

Barbara Casasola

Margaret Howell

Catherine de Crevecoeur Image Consultant

WITH designers’ new take on what used to be quite an unflattering garment, culottes are an increasingly growing trend on the catwalk and a perfect addition to your work wardrobe. New designs and cuts mean these cropped trousers are a fantastic alternative to skirts and a useful staple for those days when you need to spice up your signature office uniform.

Look for fabrics that have some weight – canvas, duchesse satin and leather or synthetic leather can all work well. The right pair should slim your waist, flatten your tummy and fall well below the knee. Get them right and they will look primly hip with silk shirts or a sleek, slim sweater.

American Vintage £90

Hobbs, £85

House of Fraser £79

Topshop £45

‘Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’

George Bernard Shaw

Wednesday 25th March 2015

48 ďż˝ RECRUITMENT

RECRUITMENT MAKE THE CHANGE Working in partnership with jobsinkent.com, The Times of Tunbridge Wells recruitment team is proud to work with local businesses and agencies alike to bring you your next career move

Dor2Dor.net are a Kent based innovative Direct Marketing Company specialising in Door to Door delivery of local advertising material including leaflets, newspapers, election and newsletters around Tunbridge Wells.

f po or l curr T st oca en he pe l t y op pe ly re are Tu The le anople cruit on nb T d he to b ing we We rid im lp d ecom tra ek dn in , in es in ge es elive e th day g wi an eir a r W of th d o nd w go su n Th el od pp lo ur ls c o s ra rt al da te is ar y s o p ea ea f p rov . F ch ay ide ull . d,

To find out more about becoming a postperson and getting paid to get fit, then call: 01233 820434 or call/text 07988 135136.

Applicants can also apply online: www.dor2dor.com/jobs Wednesday 25th March 2015

BORED AT WORK? LOST YOUR SP SPARK? NO LONGER FEELING CHALLENGED? LET US HELP...

Every week the Times of Tunbridge Wells is full of great local and national jobs, we can help find the right fit for you.

Andrew Frisby the MD of Dor2DorKent reports "Our postpeople include active retired people and people with spare time who want to deliver the marketing material so they can get fit and stay active. We are looking for very reliable people to help us get this great newspaper out in a quality and timely manner each week".

O F TUNBR IDGE WEL LS

To book a recruitment advert please contact Alice Harding: Recruitment Manager Tel: 01892 774 794 Mobile: 07917 090 668 Email: alice@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

RECRUITMENT �

Distribution Supervisor

• Friendly, approachable personality

£9.50 ph Permanent Part-Time: Every Wednesday 5am – 2pm

• Honest and trustworthy

The role of Distribution Supervisor is integral to the success of the newspaper. The role requires you manage and oversee the delivery of the newspapers to our town centre storage unit every week at 5am onwards, ensure all collections by our distribution partners are achieved as agreed and oversee the management of our town centre team of 4 hawkers on a Wednesday.

• Hardworking and reliable

The ideal candidate for this role displays the following traits: • Friendly, approachable personality • Honest and trustworthy

BUNNY RUN CHILDCARE LTD

• Take pride in their work • Happy to work as part of a team or alone • Flexible and happy to accept additional hours if need be • Car driver preferred but not essential This role starts ASAP. For more details and to apply for this exciting role please contact: kawcock@markerstudy.com

Magazine Designer

• Hardworking and reliable • Happy to lead our small distribution team • Take pride in their work • Able to problem solve quickly and calmly • Happy to work as part of a team or alone • Flexible and happy to accept additional hours if need be • Car driver preferred but not essential This role starts ASAP full training given.

For more details and to apply for this exciting role please contact: kawcock@markerstudy.com

Distributor £7.50- £8.00 ph Permanent Part-Time: 11 days per month (22hrs per week) Due to continued growth across our five companies we now need recruit a permanent part-time promotion/distribution team of six friendly, outgoing and reliable people to help us promote our brands to the general public. As a frontline, customer facing member of our team, you will be interacting with the general public, handing out flyers, newspapers etc across the Borough of Tunbridge Wells and slightly further afield i.e. Sevenoaks, distributing our magazines and newspapers through residential letter boxes, attending gymnastic displays with our local gymnasts and offering samples from the menus of one of our restaurants. The role is varied and mostly outside, an element of walking will be required. Some of the regular projects require staff to be operation from 6am, so ‘morning’ people are essential.

The ideal candidate for this role displays the following traits:

49

These roles are to help with the design and page layout for a monthly regional lifestyle magazine based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

You should have good communication skills, be a flexible team player and happy to work under your own initiative when the department is busy on tight deadlines.

The role will include design and page layout, creating and amending adverts, preparing files for press and supporting the design and production team.

We are looking for candidates who have: • 5 + years in magazine design • A high level of experience in a publishing environment • Excellent InDesign & strong Photoshop and Illustrator skills

• A keen eye on trends and designs and have an idea of what the competition is doing • Confidence and excellent attention to detail and typography

Are currently seeking two individuals passionate about early years childcare

SENIOR NURSERY NURSE The successful candidate will be experienced in early years childcare and committed to providing a high standard of care and education. They must be able to plan and ensure the EYFS is implemented to support children’s uniqueness and help them meet their full personal potential.

Salary dependant on qualification and experience TRAINEE NURSERY NURSE The successful candidate will be focused on both their personal development and that of the children who attend our setting.

Good literacy and communication skills are key to this position.

We have great opportunities for progression and an excellent support package available.

Continued employment is subject to relevant checks and a successful probationary period.

Please send a copy of your CV to info@eridgenursery.co.uk

• Experience of preparing, proofing and artworking files for press • The ability to manage your workload so that deadlines are met while maintaining good, clean working practices under pressure Previous experience working on magazines would be a distinct advantage for this role, as would any experience of page layout and repro for print.

Please send PDF examples of your work to: rcremer-price@markerstudy.com

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

HR Administrator, Tonbridge/ Tunbridge Wells c.£25,000

Legal Assistant, Sevenoaks £24,000 – £28,000 This multifaceted, entrepreneurial group is renowned for it’s staff reward and recognition, and are in The Times Top 100 Companies to work for. They are currently recruiting for a Legal Assistant to provide legal support to all the Group’s companies. Covering all aspects of legal work including, but not limited to, Contracts, Terms of Business Agreements, Litigation work and general legal advice.

This outstanding opportunity will suit a paralegal or other suitably qualified candidate with company commercial legal experience, ideally gained in-house.

Accounts/Tax Senior, Tonbridge area c.£36,000 This friendly, well established accounting firm prides itself on its modern approach to professional, staffing and technological issues. An additional qualified (or close to) accountant is required in a client facing role to offer a range of accounting and tax advisory services. The firm has an excellent and diverse mix of clients in Kent and London and offers a pleasant working environment with free parking.

To be considered for this opportunity you will have an accountancy practice background and a relevant skill set in accounts preparation and tax.

16 Lonsdale Gardens Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU jobs@gerrardwhite.com 01892 55 33 55

This company is a local success story operating in the specialist area of technology based building management.

This is a new, stand alone role, reporting to the Financial Controller. You will be responsible for organising all HR policies and procedures including, contracts of employment, grievances and disciplanaries, organisation structures, company car policies and many more.

A good degree of experience as well as common sense is required for the role working in a smaller/medium sized business.

NQ-3 year PQE Litigation Solicitor/ Experienced Legal Executive, Hastings £DOE Due to expansion, this well regarded Regional firm are currently seeking a Solicitor or experienced Legal Executive to join their friendly and professional team. The role will involve a large proportion of property litigation plus general civil litigation and will offer genuine career prospects and opportunities to develop.

Sales Negotiator, Heathfield £14,000 – 15,000 commission + car allowance A well established, independent Estate Agents are currently seeking a Sales Negotiator to join their busy office.

Ideally you will have at least 12 months prior experience of property sales or lettings, excellent communication skills and the wish to develop. Working alongside a very experienced Manager, training will be offered so that you can reach your full potential (including listing). A driving licence is crucial.

4 years+ PQE Commercial Property Solicitor, Maidstone £DOE A Legal 500 High Street firm are seeking an experienced Commercial Property Solicitor to join their team.

You will demonstrate strong business develop skills, a clear client focus and commercial awareness. Due to succession planning there are career opportunities for the right candidate.

You will be greeted by a full and varied case load of quality work.

Here at Times of Tunbridge Wells we believe it’s Never Too Late to Learn New Skills, Develop Yourself and Set Goals to Realise and Maximise Career and Life Potential.

Therefore on our growing recruitments pages we would like to invite advertisers from the local area to promote their services in the fields of: Adult Learning, Courses, MBA’s Online Learning Life Coaching Personal Development & Training Corporate Training Counselling Psychiatric Development Alternative Therapies If you offer a service that helps people raise employment prospects, develop their career, raise confidence or overcome personal issues.

Contact Amanda Morreale for preferential advertising rates. amorreale@markerstudy.com Office number 01892 779650 Mobile 07857 016276

Wednesday 25th March 2015

50 � FOOD AND DRINK

On the menu at...

La Dolce Vita School Hill, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8DQ 01892 890277 www.ladolcevita.uk.com

RINGUESPELIBUS SIMILLEST INCTIA DOLORE INCIIS

BRITISH SADDLEBACK PIGS

HOME-MADE Mr Davis built his own house

Best Indian Restaurant in the South East Region Kent Awarded by The BCA 2014 RINGS HILL | HILDENBOROUGH | KENT | TN11 8LX | 01732 832944 thecinnamonsquare.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

‘They have 150 chickens, about 20 pigs, orchards and acres upon acres of organic fruit and vegetables’

THE British saddleback is a rare breed of pig. According to the Rare Breed Survival Trust, they are “at risk”, meaning fewer than 500 breeding sows are registered in the UK. The British saddleback: • a large pig with lop ears • mainly black with a white band around the shoulders • an amalgamation of the Essex and Wessex saddlebacks • a hardy but docile pig • a good forager • has good mother skills The rare breed is a good dual-purpose pig for combined pork and bacon production. They grow more slowly than commercial breeds and taste better as a result.

FOOD AND DRINK �

51

‘I spend more time with my pigs than I do my wife’

AMAZING ANIMALS Jeremy Davis loves his pigs

Happy as a pig in mud at Lynne’s Organic Farm Shop WITH a view across the fields to the treecovered hills beyond, it is easy to understand why anyone would choose to give up a London lifestyle to live here.

But Jeremy Davis did not give up a London lifestyle. He used London as a stepping stone to his dream of escaping to green fields and trees where he could nurture his land, grow fruit and veg and raise animals. Working hard in a high-powered office job he hated, he squeezed every penny he could from the city and saved it. London was his means to an end.

Ten years ago, he fulfilled his dream. Well almost…because before he could even begin to start farming, he had to build a house and regenerate the land to arable.

The house he built by hand from local oak trees.

It stands atop the farm’s hill, eye to eye with the trees in the distance, a structure of windows and wood watching over the animals and slotted seamlessly into its surroundings.

Mr Davis and his wife Lynne are living the good life on a grand scale on their 35-acre self-sufficient organic smallholding in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the East Sussex/ Kent border. They have 150 chickens, about 20 pigs - although that number rises and falls throughout the year - orchards and acres upon acres of organic fruit and vegetables.

The 44-year-old farmer has never taken the easy road - he takes the traditional, tried and tested route he learned at the knees of his Northumberland relatives. The men who kept allotments, were pig workers and farmers who grew organic before it became a buzz word.

Like his relatives, Mr Davis works his land by hand. He makes everything on the farm (he recently re-roofed his barn over 18 months). He weeds, digs, picks, cuts, and trims. And he feeds every single rare pedigree pig and chicken by hand every single day only using his red tractor to move the animal shelters – which he built. All the electricity for the farm is supplied by a wind turbine and solar panels. And as a result of this dedication, his farm received Soil Association organic certification in 2007, two years after he took it over.

The loves of Mr Davis’ life are his British saddleback pedigree pigs, which live the best possible lives and have names including Dottie and Mrs T. They live outside but have cosy little arks dotted around the farm for shelter. They are rotated around the fields regularly to feed on natural vegetation in the farm’s forests, while some are put in the vegetable beds to hoover up the old veg and turn the soil.

Mr Davis said: “I spend more time with my pigs than I do my wife. They’re amazing animals, they clear whatever land they’re in, they make a bit of a mess but they’re doing what pigs naturally do, foraging for food in the forest and fields. And once they’re moved to another part of the farm, the weeds and brambles grow back. It’s nature’s natural cycle.”

The stud on the farm is Bruce. With excellent pedigree bloodlines, he is one of only six general saddlebacks in the UK. He is a big handsome strapping fella with perfect white shoulder markings. And at just two years old he’s fathered a fair few piglets.

Mr Davis, who has no children, affectionately calls him “my boy”.

He said: “It’s hard to have a pig farm and not get attached to them. They all have personalities, but needs must when you run an organic farm shop that sells pork. But Bruce is here to stay, he’s the farm’s big stud.”

Lynne’s Organic Farm Shop is the reason for the pigs and chickens as well as the fruit and veg. Named for his wife Lynne, who gave up her job as a paediatric nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital to live on the farm and who now works part-time as a project manager to help fund it, the shop stocks some of the best organic pork you’ll find in the area.

Mr Davis said: “Saddlebacks are naturally fatty and we let them get naturally fat. The fat on the pork from a saddleback is the most delicious you’ll ever eat.”

Both Mr and Mrs Davis clearly adore their farming life but they readily admit it is hard work and they will never get rich from it. They even admit that there are some days when even the view can’t stop them from wondering what on earth they were thinking.

“Late at night on Christmas Eve 2012, we were out in the fields rescuing pig arks that were being blown away by the wind. We’d just get one back up and another would fly away,’ said Mr Davis.

“Luckily some friends came and helped us or we’d never have got them secured for the pigs.”

But they would never change it and are even happy just meeting their costs. Because for the first time since his childhood in Northumberland, Mr Davis is as happy as a pig in mud.

LYNNE’S ORGANIC FARM SHOP

ALL the meat, fruit and veg sold in the shop or pre-ordered online is organic and either grown, laid or reared on the Soil Association-certified organic farm.

They sell eggs, fruit and all variations of pork from joints, chops and sausages to bacon and gammon. And it’s all available to order. Mr Davis will even deliver it himself. Pre-ordered pork is available either fresh or frozen. Pork purchased in the shop is always frozen.

For more information visit www. lynnesorganicfarm.org Or you can find the farm at Lynne’s Organic Farm, Limekiln Forest Road, Eridge, TN3 9LQ

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Enjoy a bowl of tasty smoked haddock and sweetcorn chowder Tunbridge Wells resident Gary Fox shares his recipe THIS is a wonderful, luscious soup to enjoy while we’re still having some cool evenings. There is an obligatory cliché when writing about soups like this, so I shall use it unashamedly: It’s a meal in itself.

Savoury, hearty, but with sweet notes from the corn, it’s an economical and delicious New England treat that we should all be enjoying in Old England.

I urge you to get the undyed variety of haddock if you can - but if you can’t, I doubt the yellow version will

do you much harm - the worst is, you’ll end up looking like one of the Simpsons.

The bacon is a little decadent but it does lend a lovely salty, crispy note to the dish.

RECIPE - SERVES 6 Price per portion: about £2 Preparation: 15 minutes, 30 - 45 minutes cooking time

tarragon, finely chopped 500ml whole milk 500ml good vegetable stock 50g butter, chilled and cubed Optional - 12 rashers smoked streaky bacon, finely sliced and fried (this can be done in advance) Cooking oil

low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft - try to avoid bringing the soup to a heavy boil INGREDIENTS: • Slightly mash the 750g un-dyed smoked mixture to break up the haddock, cut into chunks potatoes - this will thicken 3 large floury potatoes (e.g. the chowder Maris Piper or desiree), • Add the sweetcorn and peeled and cubed simmer for a further five 1 large leek, finely chopped METHOD: minutes, ten if you’re using 2 sticks celery, finely • Sweat the potatoes, leek, raw, fresh corn chopped onion and celery with • Add the haddock and Project2_Layout 1 11/07/2013 11:45 Page 1 the 1 onion, finely chopped bay leaf and peppercorns in tarragon and simmer for ten 1 large clove garlic, crushed a large heavy pan in a little more minutes Kernels cut from the sides of oil until the leek, onion and • Check the seasoning 4 fresh corn on the cobs or 2 celery are soft – about ten and add salt and pepper mugs of frozen sweetcorn minutes, covered, turning to taste Project2_Layout Page in 1 the cubes of 1 bay leaf occasionally1 11/07/2013 11:45 • Whisk 3 whole peppercorns • Add the garlic, milk and butter and serve, topped 1 small handful fresh stock. Simmer on a very with the bacon if using.

EASTER AT WOODS Fun filled activities throughout the Holidays!

KID’S ARTS & CRAFT SESSIONS* Mosaics, Knitting & Chocolate Making EASTER COLOURING COMPETITION* Win free SWIMMING LESSONS or A CHOCOLATE PARTY WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

CELEBRATE YOUR WEDDING PARTY AT WOODS KIDS EAT FREE*

A UNIQUE SETTING ON Teat HEFREE PANTILES THEadult TOWNmain OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS Two kids withINone meal ~ Sit down receptions for up to 60 guests ~ EASTER SUNDAY ROAST ~ Finger Buffet or evening For allreceptions the Familyfor up to 150 guests ~ ~ Seasonal menus sourced from local produce and *See our for full details and T&Cs ~ tailored to website suit your individual choices

CELEBRATE YOUR WEDDING PARTY AT WOODS

A UNIQUE SETTING ON THE PANTILES IN THE TOWN OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Wednesday 25th March 2015

~ Sit down receptions for up to 60 guests ~ ~ Finger Buffet or evening receptions for up to 150 guests ~ ~ Seasonal menus sourced from local produce and

Project2_Layout 1 11/07/2013 11:45 Project2_Layout 1 11/07/20

52 � FOOD AND DRINK

The Last Supper As Tunbridge Wells eatery Kitsu bids a sad farewell, we pick up our chopsticks for the last time…

• By Charlie Bond

WHEN Japanese restaurant Kitsu announced it was closing its doors, there was a sushi panic in the town. Ruby Au and Kai Ng, who have owned the eatery for six years, announced last month on their Facebook page that they were moving on, and while their page was flooded with well-wishers, there was an underlying feeling of ‘oh no, where will I get my maki-maki now?’

Embarrassingly, I hadn’t set foot in Kitsu before. It was one of those places I’d always meant to visit but never got round to. When my brother Jon and his girlfriend moved to Tunbridge Wells at the start of the year, he told me he was desperate to go. As they’d both lived in Japan, they’d been told the food was as authentic as you could get this side of the Pacific and were eager to try it out, so knowing our noodle days were numbered, we agreed to go and sample the delights before the owners called time.

When we enter the small restaurant, it’s packed. Clearly, everyone has had the same idea as us and is trying to make the most of the diner’s final days. We’re seated quickly at bright yellow tables, which my brother fondly comments are “just like the ones in Japan,” and set about choosing our food.

This proves difficult because there is so much choice. There are pages and pages of sushi options, along with noodle and curry dishes. We take such a long time deciding that the waitress comes over to check we understand what everything is.

We order our drinks and some edamame beans while we decide. We opt to spice things up with chilli garlic salt atop them, which is delicious but incredibly hot. As our eyes water, so do our mouths as our food begins arriving at the table. For me, the salmon skin avocado (£4) – six maki seaweed rolls with deep fried salmon skin inside, and the chicken chilli yaki (£8) – a

noodle dish with courgettes, peppers and cabbage in a spicy sauce.

Line, my brother’s girlfriend, is Norwegian and a big fan of salmon, so it’s no surprise that her dish of choice is the salmon lover set (£13.50), which is 13 pieces of salmon sushi, ranging from sake nigiri to sashimi.

My brother has never been good at decision-making, which is evident in his ample ordering – the agedashi tofu (£3.50) – fried and served with tempura dashi, spring onions and nori seaweed – the tempura sake avocado maki (£4.40) – six salmon and avocado seaweed rolls – the unagi avocado uramaki (£5.90) – rolls of grilled eel and avocado – and the cabbage salad (£2.80). He may have struggled to make his decisions but he confirms that all of them are good ones.

When I booked I was told we’d have a 90-minute slot due to the demand for tables, and we’re there the full time trying to make enough room to finish our delicious dishes. We leave full, but heavyhearted that we’ve only just discovered this gem. Jon and Line concur that the food is as good as authentic Japanese sushi. It’s just a shame we’ll have to fly to Tokyo to get our future fix!

‘Clearly, everyone has had the same idea as us and are trying to make the most of the diner’s final days’

PUZZLES �

DOUBLE CROSSWORD

11. Bully Enid More dreadfully (8) 13. Social institution where you’ll see one in a black suit (4) 14. See 19 Down.

16. One in the abbey is a cleric (8) 17. Post for a man, we hear (4) 20. Healthy noise (5) 21. They take shots at men at the wheel! (7)

22. Having come from the terrace, he sees to the consumers’ needs (7) 23. They once went round the necks of thugs, we hear! (5) Down 1. Notes are his forte - but not medical ones! (6,2,5) 2. There’s nothing in the bamboo craft (5) 3. See 10 Across.

4. Arts degree by Thomas results in anticlimax (6) 5. Four in unusual search for old records (8) 6. Pins inserted into joints (7) 7. Take part in the tourney put in the catalogues! (5,3) 12. He’s not admitted to the team in rearranged tour (8) 13. Wield the stick in time to get behaviour (7) 15. Needing more profound investigation by the QUICK CLUES: plumber! (6) Across 18 & 8 Ac. The time to say yes?

1. Unsuitable (5) (3,2,7) 19 & 14 Ac. Young hopefuls 4. Lurch (7) allowed among the big 8. Visionary (7) names in entertainment (8) 9. Spectacle (5) Scribble pad

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

R 14

15

11

12

13

24

25

26

O 16

17

18

19

20

21

Destiny (4) Dislike (8) Hypocrisy (4) Anxiety (4) Produce (8) Brink (4) Intellect (5) Outstanding (7) Limit (7) Squeeze (5)

1

2

3

9

10

14

15

8

11

4

16 13

12

7

Down 1. Tireless (13) 2. Proficient (5) 3. Domesticated (4) 4. Contend (6) 5. Against the current (8) 6. Delude (7) 7. Wide range (13) 12. Charm (8) 13. Touch (7) 15. Blow (6) 18. Elude (5) 19. Cry (4)

6

1. Baby’s carriage 2. Legend 3. Foot part 4. Young sheep 5. Prejudice 6. Painful 7. God of love 8. Unwell Keyword clue: A type of dog

5

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Retain Wan Compass point Defrost Cried Minor quarrel Movie Miserly

SUDOKU

22

23

1.

Which new BBC2 documentary series, hosted

by Steven Johnson, uncovers the unsung heroes who made the modern age possible?

8. Michael Gambon and Keeley Hawes are among the cast of which new BBC1 adaptation of a J. K. Rowling novel?

9. Which late British crooner’s hits of the 1950s and 60s included The Story of My Life and Starry Eyed?

10.Which new film comedy stars Vince Vaughn as Dan, whose business trip to Europe goes off the rails?

11.Which actor plays the titular burger tycoon in the BBC4 sitcom Bob Servant?

playing socialite 2. Which actress is Cynthia Coffin in the new Channel 4 drama Indian Summers?

12. What was the title of Feargal Sharkey’s only solo Number One single, in October 1985?

3. Which new single from DJ Fresh features the songstress Ella Eyre?

13. Who directed the classic 1968 science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey?

4. Which actor is playing real-life investigative reporter Gary Webb in the new film thriller Kill the Messenger?

14. Which new ITV1 reality show sees celebrities including Emilia Fox and Mike Tindall attempting to get by in the Costa Rican rainforest?

5. The 1970s/80s TV sitcom Mork & Mindy was a spin-off from which other popular sitcom?

SOLUTIONS

15. Which British songstress 6. Coming Up for Air is the second and had Top Ten current studio album from which Irish hits in the rock band?

1960s with the singles 7. Which actress played widow and World Secret Love War II spy Violette Szabo in the 1958 film and Let Me Go Lover!?

Carve Her Name with Pride?

CODEWORD: 1=D, 2=B, 3=U, 4=R, 5=Q, 6=N, 7=Z, 8=E, 9=F, 10=L, 11=P, 12=A, 13=W, 14=X, 15=J, 16=T, 17=H, 18=S, 19=Y, 20=O, 21=I, 22=C, 23=M, 24=G, 25=K, 26=V ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ: 1 How We Got to Now; 2 Julie Walters; 3 Gravity; 4 Jeremy Renner; 5 Happy Days; 6 Kodaline; 7 Virginia McKenna; 8 The Casual Vacancy; 9 Michael Holliday; 10 Unfinished Business; 11 Brian Cox; 12 A Good Heart; 13 Stanley Kubrick; 14 Bear Grylls: Mission Survive; 15 Kathy Kirby.

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.

2

10.

11.

13.

14.

16.

17.

20.

21.

22.

23.

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.

ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ

CODEWORD

1

WORD SPIRAL

DOUBLE CROSSWORD: Cryptic: Across: 1 Docks; 4 Brassie; 8 Consent; 9 Chest; 10 Over; 11 Domineer; 13 Club; 14 Lets; 16 Minister; 17 Mail; 20 Sound; 21 Potters; 22 Caterer; 23 Ruffs. Down: 1 Doctor of music; 2 Canoe; 3 Sees; 4 Bathos; 5 Archives; 6 Skewers; 7 Enter the lists; 12 Outsider; 13 Conduct; 15 Deeper; 18 Age of; 19 Star.

Quick: Across: 1 Inapt; 4 Stumble; 8 Dreamer; 9 Sight; 10 Fate; 11 Aversion; 13 Cant; 14 Care; 16 Generate; 17 Edge; 20 Brain; 21 Overdue; 22 Extreme; 23 Press.

Down: 1 Indefatigable; 2 Adept; 3 Tame; 4 Strive; 5 Upstream; 6 Beguile; 7 Extensiveness; 12 Entrance; 13 Contact; 15 Stroke; 18 Dodge; 19 Weep.

WORD SPIRAL: 1 Pram; 2 Myth; 3 Heel; 4 Lamb; 5 Bias; 6 Sore; 7 Eros; 8 Sick; 9 Keep; 10 Pale; 11 East; 12 Thaw; 13 Wept; 14 Tiff; 15 Film; 16 Mean.

Keyword: SPANIEL

CRYPTIC CLUES: Across 1. Cuts off the ends of the weeds (5) 4. The money that is needed for a golf club (7) 8. See 18 Down.

9. Part of the trunk for holding treasure (5) 10 & 3 Dn. The positions of bishops abroad, we hear! (8)

53

Wednesday 25th March 2015

54 � WHAT’S ON

Live music & events

Times

O F TUNBR IDGE WEL LS

Paul Dunton reveals his guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead…

PAUL’S GIG OF THE WEEK IS… Tomorrow, Thursday, evening - All Things Must Pass, live at Trinity Theatre.

This Fantastic ten-piece band will be performing music by George Harrison. Their stunning musicianship and exemplary live shows are not to be missed.

A wonderful tribute to the Beatles legend.

Tickets £12/£14 at www. trinitytheatre.net or on the door THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets at www. twforum.co.uk Friday - The Smyths Saturday - Kast Off Kinks and Tom Hunt THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £5/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk and www.thegreylady. co.uk Wednesday - Calafia, Aaron David Frith, Hannah Haynes, Kyla and Nat

MUSIC

THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Free entry, music from 8pm.

Thursday - Glenn Barnes

PAUL’S GIG OF THE WEEK: All Things Must Pass

Friday - (9.30pm till late) Salsa Camina Band Saturday - (closed for a private party) Sunday - The Alamo, Rebecca Jane, James Mcmaster, The Orange Circus Tuesday - Andy Evans, Peter Mercer, Kirsti Robinson, Ed Jones (acoustic) Wednesday - Simon O’Kelly, Georgia Lee, Quentin Holway, Ricky & The Hats TRINITY THEATRE Church Road Doors 7pm, ticket prices vary, event information and tickets at www. trinitytheatre.net or 01892 678678

Thursday - All Things Must Pass (George Harrison tribute) Saturday - The Local & Live Sessions (Tom Williams + The Breretons + Ant & Fie) Wednesday - ROH Cinema: The Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny THE ASSEMBLY HALLS Crescent Road Doors 7pm, event information and tickets at www.assemblyhalltheatre. co.uk or 01892 530613 Thursday - Glenn & Friends (Glenn Miller tribute) Friday - Dr Hook (featuring Ray Sawyer) Saturday - John Cooper Clarke

THE CROSS KEYS St Johns Road, Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Thursday - Sonny’s Jazz (Hot Club of Jupiter) Friday - Blues with Bottle Club (Nico ‘ZZ) Monday - TWURPS beginners’ ukulele jam session THE BEAU NASH Mount Ephraim Open all day, free entry, music from 9pm.

Saturday - John Whitehorn of The Varlies THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Saturday - The Harveys Sunday - (12pm) - Jazz lunch THE SCALLYWAG CAFÉ 45 Mount Ephraim Music from 6.30pm Friday - live piano from Chris Sargent 01892 779 650 newsdesk@ timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

SEVEN DAYS OF EVENTS AT A GLANCE DAVE Barnett makes a selection of events from around Tunbridge Wells during the next seven days. Full details of these and more than 700 other events are available from www.tunbridgewellsevents.co.uk/thisweek >> WEDNESDAY We like a bit of ‘am dram’ at Tunbridge Wells Events and today we have two shows.

The Sevenoaks Players are putting on Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks and the Oast Theatre in Tonbridge is performing When We Are Married by J B Priestley. Both are on until Saturday.

The Trinity film tonight is A Most Violent Year with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac. >> THURSDAY On the music front we have two diverse offerings in town tonight. At the Assembly Hall, we have a 40s vibe with a Glenn Miller tribute lead by the Barrisons Swing Band, Chattanooga Choo Choo anyone!

The Odeon and the Hawkhurst Kino, Mark Strong stars in the National Theatre production of A View From The Bridge. >> FRIDAY Today sees the return of John Godber’s Teechers to Trinity, a fast-paced and hilarious story of modern education performed by Blackeyed Theatre.

The Zed Music Cafe in Sevenoaks is putting on some good shows lately, tonight sees Harry Houseago, winner of the 2014 Mayor of London Big Busk Solo Artist award, performs. >> SATURDAY It’s farmers’ market week next to the museum where there is a workshop linked to

the current exhibition, Material Obsessions. A mixed media drawing class, it’s suitable for ages 11 to 18 and is led by Elisabeth Harbour.

At The Zed Music Cafe this evening, Tunbridge Wells local Alice Barnard performs with help from HeyZeus. >> SUNDAY Audience participation is required at Trinity this afternoon with Image Musical Theatre’s story for primary age children of Arthur and Merlin, The Sword in the Stone.

In the evening there is a chance to see a story of obsession with award winning film Whiplash.

Participation of a different sort will be evident in Paddock Wood as the half marathon runners get going, if you’re around give them your support.

There’s also a chance to catch up with Mark Strong and Maxine Peake as their current plays A View From The Bridge and Hamlet are reshown in Hawkhurst and the Odeon respectively. >> MONDAY Top class comedy comes to Trinity tonight Glasgow’s Kevin Bridges. As we come up to the Easter holidays, some out-of town venues are picking up that act with themed events. Check out The Hop Farm, Bewl, Penshurst Place and Bodiam Castle as all can give you a great day out. >> TUESDAY Showing in the Trinity Film season tonight is Love is Strange.

Spring has sprung at last – or has it?

WE CATCH UP WITH HEART KENT BREAKFAST PRESENTERS JAMES AND BECKY

WELL spring has finally sprung. Here we are, halfway through the first “official” week of spring and what a surprise, no one informed the weatherman that it’s here! Spring brings the promise of early morning sunshine, lambs appearing in the fields and lovely strolls as the sun sets on a warm, fresh evening. Instead, the reality at the minute is more about where you last put your scarf and there’s still that chill in the air. We can’t totally shake off winter yet!

Wednesday 25th March 2015

We have managed to hit the dizzy heights of double figures in terms of the temperatures once or twice though. There’s also been a glimpse of a blue sky, which we obviously take to mean that summer is here. As Brits, we jump on the bandwagon as fast as we can, trying to be the first to dust down the barbecue, dig out the flip-flops and wear all our summer wardrobes, while sitting outside insisting we really are not cold at all!

This was the catalyst of a hilarious phone-in where we asked: “What would you expect to see this week now spring is here?” Donna in Deal said she was looking forward to the

bees’ comeback, alongside all the lovely spring flowers, and blossom on the trees. However, not everyone had the same opinion… Dan in Sheerness said he was expecting to see all the nice pasty white legs appear again, after a season of hibernation… I have to admit, I do agree, when the legs re-appear having not caught a glimpse of the sun for months, why is it they are almost translucent?! Megan in Gillingham said she was looking forward to having a chat with the neighbours again over the back fence, as she hadn’t seen them since September. But I think my favourite

had to be James in Maidstone, who said it was a shame the temperature was going up and his family were starting to venture out into the garden, as that really meant it was time to clear away the Christmas tree he had dumped out there!

Speaking of a change in season, don’t forget the clocks go forward on Sunday. At 1am, we will all, unfortunately, lose an hour of precious sleep, and it’ll become 2am!

I always get a little nervous about the clocks changing because I get so confused as to whether the digital clock has changed automatically, then you ask yourself, did you change

your manual watch before you went to bed? Or did you forget? You suddenly wake up in a panic, wondering what the time is, and keep your fingers crossed you haven’t overslept!

Well whatever happens, James and I shall be here at 6am on Monday, as we shall each be setting about five different alarms! So why don’t you join us! We’ll give the correct time and will make you feel better about losing an hour of sleep!

Listen to James and Becky weekdays 6am – 10amFollow Heart Breakfast on Twitter: @heartkentradio Or find on Facebook: Heart Kent

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE �

55

AT WORK WITH NIGEL HARPER CEO OF PARFITT CRESSWELL SOLICITORS If you’re a lawyer and I asked whether you’d ever heard of Parfitt Cresswell in Tunbridge Wells you’d probably say no. But if I mentioned Max Barford & Co, Keene Marsland or Jevons Riley & Pope the chances are they’re familiar names to you WELL, did you know that Parfitt Cresswell are trading names of Max Barford & Co, Keene Marsland and Jevons Riley & Pope?

They have their head office in affluent London SW6 just a stone’s throw from Chelsea football ground along with offices in Berkshire.

And their expansion is ongoing with new offices opening in soon Reading.

We catch up with their CEO, Nigel Harper, to find out a little more about the firm’s growth and their plans for the future. “Parfitt Cresswell has been around since 1908 but my involvement goes back to 2007. Back then we were working out of one office in Fulham Broadway but even then the firm’s potential was clear and after mapping out our vision over the next twelve months our expansion plans have

been achieved year on year.”

Now that’s some achievement bearing in mind that for the past six years the recession has hit businesses hard and many law firms have struggled to survive let alone thrive and expand tenfold like this law firm. Nigel is clearly a man who knows how to manage a law firm. He’s a chartered accountant and has spent many years in industry and the legal profession and his passion shines through. So what is the biggest challenge to growing a law firm?

“A law firm is a business and managing cash flow is always a top priority with any business - but the real key to its success is finding the right staff.” Nigel face breaks into a grin as he continues. “Our focus on providing

an excellent services means that we’re not just looking for a lawyer who can deliver the legal advice; we want lawyers who deliver the legal advice, a great service and who understand the commercial realities of business life. Basically they have to want to stand out and be prepared to go the extra mile and they can then expect to be rewarded accordingly. If they don’t they’re simply not for us” he states without reservation.

We’ve heard a rumour that Parfitt Cresswell plan a further expansion in Tunbridge Wells. When asked Nigel confirms that they are actively recruiting and looking for solicitors, legal executives and licensed conveyancers to join them in their offices in Tunbridge Wells and at their Edenbridge office. We probe a little further and ask what is their ideal type of lawyer? His response is clear. “We’re a progressive law firm and are very clear on where our specialities are. We are experts in family law, private client and property work.

We focus on working with individual clients who want a personal service.

We are very good at what we do and the thing to remember when running a professional services firm is to focus on your strengths and find the right people to deliver it and that’s just what we do.”

So what would be the ideal candidate?

“We look for dynamic and self motivated lawyers who have good communication skills, commercial awareness along with sound technical knowledge and experience. They must be keen to develop and to want to reach their full potential. We offer the support and structure to foster and encourage

this approach to personal development.

At the moment we’re particularly looking for experienced family lawyers, private client lawyers and property lawyers for our various offices in Kent”.

So there you have it, a law firm that is well and truly leaving its footprint in the Tunbridge Wells area and definitely one you’ll be hearing a lot more about in the future.

If you would like further information about recruitment at Parfitt Cresswell please send your C.V and covering letter to nigel.harper@ parfittcresswell.com

SEPARATION AND DIVORCE

WHY SEPARATION AND DIVORCE CAN BE A CIVILISED AFFAIR If you are experiencing the anxiety and loss of a relationship ending and suffering sleepless nights worrying about the future, you are not alone Almost 50% of all marriages end in divorce and for many it can be the most traumatic time in their lives. Months and sometimes years are spent deciding whether to separate and then when the decision has been made it can take an age to pluck up the courage to take action. Emotions run high and delays are usually down to fear of the unknown and what life will be like after the separation, not to mention how you’ll cope fi nancially and what you’ll tell the kids.

The truth is there is no easy way out.

However, the actions you take now and the choices you make will have a big impact on your new life.

Your future is in your hands. You can choose to be reactive to your situation or you can be proactive, take the lead and put a stop to the fi ghting, anger and hurt.

Divorce and separation is a life changing event and mistakes can be costly both emotionally and fi nancially, you must be prepared to invest to secure your future.

To take control you need information and advice from an experienced and trusted advisor, which will allow you to make informed decisions about your future.

My dedicated team are handpicked for their experience working with people who are going through a relationship breakdown. They are all members of

Resolution, which means that they have the legal experience required to give you the best advice and are committed to solving your problem in a conciliatory way if possible – saving you the emotional drain of the legal court battle and the legal fees that go with it. They understand the emotional pressure and stress you are going through, they can help ease the pain and will work with you to achieve the best outcome possible for you to move on with your life.

Our service is confi dential, discreet and bespoke to each client and we will never disclose your information to others. Out of hours appointments are available.

For a limited period of time I am offering a selected number of potential clients the opportunity to meet with one of the family solicitors in my team for a free consultation to discuss the options available.

Due to high demand my team are only able to offer 20 appointments this month and I know that the appointments will book up very quickly.

Choosing the right legal team is key to your emotional and fi nancial future. So contact us today to see how we can help you achieve the outcome you want.

Max Barford & Co. is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. No. 71480

For further information and to apply for a free consultation just complete the coupon and post to the address below. Alternatively call or email us today quoting reference MBCT0403 Telephone 01892 539 379 or Email times@maxbarford.co.uk Name Address

Tel.No Email Max Barford & Co 16 Mount Pleasant Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1QU www.maxbarford.co.uk

Wednesday 25th March 2015

56 � YOUR TV

OUR PICK OF THE WEEK

TODAY

DCI BANKS

ITV, 9pm With Geoff now a marked man, he and daughter Evie are put under watch at a hotel while the search for Mullen is widened. However, when the suspect follows Evie’s boyfriend to the location and sets off the fire alarm, he draws Geoff and Evie outside. Meanwhile, Banks believes loan shark Hargreaves is behind the hit on Marcus, and manages to extend his stay in the cell, despite having very little evidence against him. The conclusion of the two-part case, starring Stephen Tompkinson.

INSIDE NO 9

BBC2, 10pm New series. The return of the anthology of darkly comic tales in which each episode explores the goings-on behind a door marked No 9. On board the overnight service from Paris to Bourg St Maurice, a motley collection of passengers tries to get a quiet night’s sleep as the train makes its way across France. But as the sleeping compartment fills up, the chances of that begin to look highly unlikely. Written by and starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, with Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton and Jack Whitehall.

THE MUSKETEERS

BBC1, 9pm Having uncovered Rochefort’s betrayal, the Musketeers risk everything to prove his treachery to the King. As d’Artagnan and Athos interrupt an execution, Porthos goes in search of the spymaster to whom the evil count is giving all the secrets from the French court. But with the Queen and Aramis both still in grave danger, the fugitive soldiers have a long way to go to save their friends, their country and the royal family from Rochefort’s treacherous plotting. Swashbuckling adventure, starring Marc Warren, Luke Pasqualino and Howard Charles. Last in the series.

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

Channel 5, 9.55pm Ex-con Jimmy Turelli is killed in a car accident and the investigators soon determine he had suffered previous trauma, with a trail of blood leading them to a shallow grave where he had been buried alive. Morgan discovers evidence that leads the CSIs to an exclusive club where Turelli worked before going to prison, and they find out he was involved in a new kind of pool game that is popular in Los Angeles. They speak to manager Elise Massey and learn there is more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. Guest starring Sharon Osbourne.

MR SELFRIDGE

ITV1, 9pm Harry locks horns with Loxley in a dramatic boardroom confrontation before he announces his engagement to Nancy, while it becomes clear to the future bride that the con may not last much longer as Princess Marie grows more suspicious about the Selfridge Estate project. Harry is later forced to face an unimaginable truth, while Gordon must make a big romantic decision and Mr Grove accepts the error of his ways, setting out to put things right. Jeremy Piven stars in the period drama. Last in the series.

THE ARK

BBC1, 8.30pm David Threlfall stars in this re-telling of the biblical story of Noah and the Ark. A farmer and boat-builder is visited by an angel who tells him of God’s intention to send a great flood, and how he and his family will be saved from the deluge if he builds a large ark in the middle of the desert.

What seems like a near-impossible task is made all the more difficult when his sons refuse to help, and as Noah continues his quest alone, he faces ridicule from both his family and the townsfolk. Joanne Whalley, Don Warrington, Ashley Walters and Nico Mirallegro co-star.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS

Channel 5, 9pm On Halloween, Pride and the team investigate the death of a woman found in a cemetery with what look like vampire bites on her neck and dressed to resemble Count Dracula’s first victim. When a second body turns up with all the signs of having been given post-mortem electric shocks by a modern-day Victor Frankenstein, they begin to wonder if they are dealing with a killer who has a penchant for classic horror novels. Meanwhile, Brody enjoys a flirtation with a psychiatrist.

BBC2, 6.35pm Summer has arrived at Kew and Raymond Blanc tries to protect his carrot crop to ensure he has a good supply for a stew, while Kate Humble learns how the vegetable was once used in medicine. At Hampton Court, food historian Marc Meltonville makes Kate a cup of hot chocolate as the Georgians would have prepared it, while Raymond prepares a vegetable bean chilli, complete with raw cacao.

THE BIG PAINTING CHALLENGE

BBC1, 6pm Una Stubbs and Richard Bacon travel to Dartmouth for the final of the art competition.

The four amateurs set up their easels at the Royal Naval College and are asked to capture a sense of Britain’s seafaring heritage – and with just three challenges left, one contestant takes a big risk to impress the judges. That’s followed by a quick sketch of a platoon of naval cadets marching on the parade ground, before the final painting of the competition.

HOUSE OF FOOLS

MONDAY

TUESDAY

BBC2, 9pm In the second documentary on health issues, Chris van Tulleken runs a series of experiments to get to the bottom of calories. He tests the real calorie content of randomly selected supermarket foods and examines the best way to burn them off. For this he gets three families to engage in different activities after a big fryup – from a tough workout at the gym to relaxing on the sofa. He also reveals a few kitchen secrets, managing to strip 360 calories out of steak, chips and a cream pudding without changing a single ingredient.

KEW ON A PLATE

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

BBC1, 9pm Documentary following the staff of the UK branch of KFC. A new restaurant is due to open in Oxley, Wolverhampton, so the managers begin a recruitment drive to find the 50 members of staff they need.

It’s business as usual in other stores as the workers begin the day by scraping away the fat and cleaning toilets before opening the doors to the public.

THE TRUTH ABOUT CALORIES

TOMORROW

FRIDAY

THE BILLION DOLLAR CHICKEN SHOP

NURSE

BBC2, 10pm Liz’s personal problems come to a head and she is a lot less sympathetic with her ex-husband than with her service users, while Billy notices that she isn’t sharing her chocolate. Former soldier Jack begins to build himself a dug-out in the back garden, Herbert confides that he would like some female company, and Graham manages to rise from his bed and walk.

Comedy, starring Paul Whitehouse and Esther Coles. Last in the series.

BBC2, 10pm Vic prepares for a big date with his ex-girlfriend Mary, but she has to cancel at the last minute so his friends set about concocting an ingenious plan to make sure he isn’t left disappointed. Julie’s disguise and Beef’s magical time-stopping whip ensure the rendezvous goes ahead, but when the truth is finally revealed, Vic’s reaction is not what anyone had expected. Comedy guest starring Sally Phillips, with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Last in the series.

ORDINARY LIES

BBC1, 9pm Office gossip Kathy appears to have it all – but her picture-perfect family life hides years of a sexless marriage that has forced her to seek out an online suitor. However, just as she finally arranges to meet up with her cyber-boyfriend, things go disastrously wrong when she witnesses a violent crime and has to decide whether to step forward with crucial evidence or protect her secret life. Sally Lindsay stars.

YOUR TV �

HILLARY CLINTON: THE POWER OF WOMEN

OAPS BEHAVING BADLY

Channel 5, 9pm New series. Documentary following British pensioners living the high life and refusing to grow old gracefully, from partyanimal grandmothers to ageing swingers and from adrenalinejunkie grandads to 70-year-old clubbers. Leapy Lee had a number two hit in 1969 with Little Arrows and the 75-year-old now lives in Majorca with his Danish girlfriend Bettina, who is 25 years his junior,. Former university professor Colin recently turned 70 and is currently dating six different women, while 73-year-old Raimondo attends a tantric sex session and joins a belly-dancing class. Part of the Brazen Britain season.

BBC2, 9pm Host John Humphrys asks the questions as he welcomes back six contestants to the famous black chair for the grand final of the quiz. The specialist subjects are the Falklands conflict, Renaissance noblewoman Caterina Sforza, Paul Scott’s novel sequence The Raj Quartet, 19th-century prime minister Lord Palmerston, the Ashes between 1964 and 1981 and the life of ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Last in the series.

CASUALTY

BBC1, 9pm News of Ross and Demelza’s marriage shocks the locals, although Charles’s reaction to the union is the most unexpected of all as his amusement at the situation brings on another heart attack. Verity befriends her cousin’s new bride and sets about teaching her the art of being a lady – something that will come in handy when the couple are invited to spend Christmas with the Trenwith Poldarks.

THE MAFIA WITH TREVOR MCDONALD

ITV, 9pm In Philadelphia, the broadcaster explores one of the bloodiest periods in the American Mafia’s long history, as he sits down with former crime boss Ralph Natale. In a revealing interview, the ex-godfather spells out just how ruthless he had to be to control the men under him. In New Jersey, Trevor seeks out one-time cop Ron Previte, who led a double life as a high-ranking gangster and paid FBI informant.

TEENS

Channel 4, 10pm Continuing the documentary following a group of friends over the year they turn 17. This week’s programme explores Harry’s new relationship with girlfriend Rebecca, from the awkward first meeting with her parents, to dreaded discussions about sex with his mother, and a few drunken phone calls that demonstrate the perils of young love. Plus, the story of Shauna, who puts her Christian faith before anything else in her life. However, her family and friends are far more interested in her love life – or lack of it.

FOREVER

Sky1, 9pm The murder of an art dealer uncovers a hoard of Nazi secrets. Henry issues a warning to Adam when he reveals he wants to visit Abe. Drama, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Judd Hirsch and Alana De La Garza, with Burn Gorman.

Channel 4, 8pm This final programme in Channel 4’s coverage of the reburial of Richard III provides highlights of the service from earlier today at Leicester Cathedral, alongside a live broadcast of a ceremony in which the king’s descendants, and those who led the campaign to find his remains, gather to bid him a final farewell. The Bosworth beacon, lit when Richard’s remains arrived back at the site of his death on Sunday morning, will be extinguished as the tombstone is revealed for the first time.

EURO 2016 QUALIFIER LIVE

ITV1, 7.15pm England v Lithuania (Kick-off 7.45pm). Mark Pougatch presents coverage of the Group E clash at Wembley Stadium. England boast a 100 per cent record during the qualification campaign so far, having recorded victories over Switzerland, Estonia, San Marino and Slovenia, and they will expect that run to continue this evening against the Lithuanians, who have won half their games so far, losing the other two. With analysis from Lee Dixon, Glenn Hoddle and Ian Wright.

BBC1, 9.05pm Zoe’s day begins with a video call from old friend Maggie, inviting her to work for the air ambulance.

However, it’s soon down to business as two major accidents enter the ER, although things turn weird when the consultant begins to suffer recurrent bad dreams – and see her experiencing the same events more than once in a Groundhog Day-like episode, giving her the chance to make up for her mistakes during a difficult shift. Sunetra Sarker stars, with Jamie Davis, Derek Thompson and Suzanne Packer.

POLDARK

Sky Living, 10pm An earthquake shakes the ground at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. While Maggie finds herself trapped in a lift, Meredith’s long streak of successful surgeries comes under threat. Owen is forced to give medical advice to a child over the phone.

RICHARD III: THE KING LAID TO REST

BBC2, 9pm James Freeman has vanished deep into the Bush and Sgt Timmins decides that following him would be futile and too dangerous for his men – while the convicts believe he has either been shot by the soldiers or sure to perish in the wilderness.

MASTERMIND

GREY’S ANATOMY

BBC2, 9pm In 1995, Hillary Clinton made a ground-breaking speech in Beijing, setting down a challenge to the world to treat women’s rights on a par with human rights. Twenty years on, this documentary examines whether anything has really changed for the world’s women and features interviews with Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright, as well as those who dared to take power into their own hands in Afghanistan, India, Egypt and Liberia.

BANISHED

STELLA

Sky1, 9pm Election day has arrived and Aunty Brenda can almost taste victory – until a new rival enters the race in the form of dodgy bookie Iwan Jenkins, who may have hit the campaign trail late but quickly becomes hot favourite. It’s left to Michael to give Brenda some unwelcome advice – can she turn round her campaign in record time?

Meanwhile, Ben takes Lily on a disastrous date, and a Paula finds a new direction in life.

LIVE ATP MASTERS TENNIS

COALITION

Channel 4, 9pm Feature-length political drama charting events in 2010 that led to Nick Clegg’s rise from rank outsider to the man who would decide the fate of the country.

Starring Bertie Carvel, Mark Gatiss, Richard Teverson, Donald Sumpter, Chris Larkin, Deborah Findlay and Sebastian Armesto.

Postponed from Thursday.

LOUIS THEROUX:

BY REASON OF INSANITY

BBC2, 9pm The journalist concludes his exploration of Ohio’s maximum security state psychiatric hospitals, spending time with patients whose personalities are so intertwined with their mental illnesses it makes them more difficult to treat. Louis examines the grey area between criminal actions and medical symptoms, and investigates how insanity is defined.

TRAVEL MAN: 48 HOURS IN BARCELONA

Channel 4, 8.30pm Offbeat tourism show in which Richard Ayoade is joined by celebrity guests to enjoy the most efficient weekend break possible. He begins in Barcelona with comedienne and actress Kathy Burke, experiencing the best of this popular holiday destination in just 48 hours. The pair sample adventurous cuisine, including potatoes coated in edible clay, and a cava tasting session quickly descends into disarray.

40 KIDS BY 20 WOMEN

Channel 5, 9pm Documentary following the lives of four men from different backgrounds who collectively have fathered more than 70 children with over 40 women. Mike, a 56-year-old former fairground operator, is a selfprofessed womaniser and sex addict and is dad to more than 40 children, one of whom he is trying to reconnect with, and mechanic Russian tries to make time for his 12 kids while coping with his heavy workload and maintaining a busy social life. Also featured are pub landlord Nick and unemployed Keith.

57

Sky Sports 3, 7pm The Miami Open.

Further coverage of the fourth day at the Tennis Centre at Crandon Park, where the second round is scheduled to conclude.

HANNIBAL

Sky Living, 10pm As the Chesapeake Ripper adds a core member of the team to his tally, Will is temporarily released to assess the monstrous crime scene first-hand. He gathers evidence to support his theory that the Ripper and the Copycat Killer are the same person, and the return of Abel Gideon gives Will hope he will back up his claims. However, the doctor has other ideas and plants a grisly notion in the troubled profiler’s mind about how to stop Hannibal once and for all.

MODERN FAMILY

Sky1, 8pm Phil takes it hard when Luke gives him the ‘teenage cold shoulder’ – a day he always knew was coming – so he goes in search of a stand-in son. A dilemma presents itself for Jay when Gloria suspects Joe is allergic to Stella.

SPORTING HEROES: GARY NEWBON INTERVIEWS JOEL GARNER

Sky Sports World Cup, 7pm The presenter speaks to the former West Indian cricketer, who was a member of the successful Test teams of the 1970s and 80s. The towering fast bowler also enjoyed a nine-year stint playing county cricket in England, turning out for Somerset.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

58 � MOTORS

The Fabia Estate is ‘the kind of purchase that needs no justification’ From behind the wheel, there’s very little to distinguish the estate from its hatchback sibling, which is a credit to Skoda’s efforts

BY MATT JOY

>> The new smart forfour passion the smart among the four seaters.

Only £149 deposit and £149 per month at Lookers smart.

Representative Finance Example for smart forfour passion 71bhp 5dr: Cash Price Deposit Amount of Credit Finance Charges Balance Payable Total Amount Payable

£10,154.51 £149.00 £10,005.51 £1,393.49 £11,399.00 £11,548.00

36 Monthly Payments of £149.00 Final Payment £5,800.00 Duration 36 months Representative 6.0% APR Annual Distance 7,000 Miles Excess Mileage Charge 6p per mile

smart of Maidstone Bircholt Road, Parkwood, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9YN 0844 6593307 smart of Tonbridge Vale Rise, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TB 0844 6593307 Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the new smart range: urban: 55.4(5.1)-58.9(4.8), extra-urban: 72.4(3.9)-76.4(3.7), combined: 65.7(4.3)-68.9(4.1). CO2 emissions: 99-93g/km. Official EU-regulated test data are provided for camparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Model featured the new smart forfour passion at £10,154 on-the-road (on-the-road price includes VAT, delievery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel). Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 2248457 and has its registered address at Tongwell, Milton Keynes, MK15 8BA. 57630

Wednesday 25th March 2015

MOTORS �

59

As you’d expect, the Fabia Estate is designed to be practical but a remarkable feat is just how spacious this small car is WHAT’S NEW? The Fabia itself is pretty much new from the ground up; the exterior is all-new, there’s a stack of new engines to choose from and the suspension is heavily revised. The estate version adds to this a substantial load area at the rear, which Skoda claims is the biggest in the class. It majors on the practicality front elsewhere too, with novel storage features like a rubbish bin in the door pocket and bottle holders on the inside shoulders of the front seats.

LOOKS AND IMAGE It’s not hard to distinguish the Fabia Estate from its hatchback cousin thanks to the significant changes at the rear. However the estate rear is sensibly integrated into the original shape.

The Fabia Estate is one of the most sensible cars money can buy, so it’s understandable that its image is pretty well grounded rather than flash. If you’re a bit

more adventurous with the options however, you can create a Fabia Estate with more than a dash of style.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY As you’d expect, the Fabia Estate is designed to be practical but a remarkable feat is just how spacious this small car is. With the seats up, there’s 530 litres of space on offer more than some estates from the class above - and with them folded, there’s a capacity of 1,395 litres. Passengers are looked after too, and although getting five adults on board might be a squeeze, it’s big enough for family duties.

BEHIND THE WHEEL From behind the wheel, there’s very little to distinguish the estate from its hatchback sibling, which is a credit to Skoda’s efforts.

There’s no noticeable increase in noise despite the extra space behind you, and it drives with the same assured composure

and comfort as the regular car.

Engine choice is slightly reduced compared to the hatch, which is sensible considering the extra loads it may have to carry. The 1.2 TSI petrol is arguably the pick of the bunch, offering a flexible 89bhp and generous torque, spinning sweetly and quietly in normal driving but happy to rev when required too. Although slightly larger and heavier, the Fabia Estate is very composed through corners, with the electric power steering providing a decent amount of feedback and the suspension remaining unfazed by road imperfections.

VALUE FOR MONEY The Fabia in third generation form is a little more expensive than before, but one thing it certainly doesn’t skimp on is equipment. All models come with Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio, electric front windows and heated door mirrors, height and reach adjustable steering column

and tyre pressure monitoring as standard.

The only significant omission here is air conditioning, which comes with SE spec along with alloy wheels and an upgraded audio system.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? Your sensible friend would queue round the block for a car like the Fabia Estate; it’s the kind of purchase that needs no justification, given that it is relatively inexpensive, is frugal with fuel and the amount of space it takes up on the road but never feels cheap or pared-down. It might not set your pulse racing but you’d never regret buying it either.

THIS CAR SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE WORD: Solid IF THIS CAR WAS A...: Dessert, it would be jelly and ice cream; simple and honest, but no less enjoyable for it.

FACTS AT A GLANCE SKODA FABIA ESTATE SE 1.2 TSI, £14,535 ENGINE 1.2-LITRE PETROL UNIT PRODUCING 89BHP AND 118LB/FT OF TORQUE

Classic Car

servicing & repair in Kent / Sussex

TRANSMISSION FIVE-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX DRIVING THE FRONT WHEELS PERFORMANCE TOP SPEED 115MPH, 0-62MPH IN 11 SECONDS ECONOMY 60.1MPG COMBINED EMISSIONS 107G/KM OF CO2

All makes and models catered for, main / intermediate servicing.

MOT preparation General repair Modification advice Quotations on request Fixed price servicing available Call our Service Dept on 01622 817938

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

Mercedes-Benz and smart of Tonbridge Mercedes-Benz and smart of Tonbridge ADvErTISIng FEATurE

2015 promises to be a very happy new year for continue with their work. There will also be an impressive selection of Mercedes-Benz and smart of Tonbridge customers, who can 75 Approved used Mercedes-Benz and smart cars to peruse whilst, behind-the-scenes, a new 14-bay workshop will utilise the latest look forward to fantastic, newto facilities their local retailer.

2015 promises be a atvery happy new year for continue with their work. There will also be an impressive selection of diagnostic technology for servicing, MOTs and repairs.

The Vale Rise operation is going to be of totally transformed as who Mercedes-Benz and smart Tonbridge customers, can 75 Approved used Mercedes-Benz and smart cars to peruse whilst, part of a major that got early this look redevelopment forward to fantastic, newunderway facilities at their local retailer. behind-the-scenes, a new 14-bay workshop will utilise the latest We would like to apologise in advance to you for any inconvenience that month andThe willVale provide antoenhanced Rise customers operation iswith going be totallyretail transformed as diagnostic technology for servicing, MOTs and repairs. may be caused during the transformation, valet parking is currently experience.part of a major redevelopment that got underway early this

available, please pull onto the site and our staff will park your vehicle We would like to apologise in advance to you for any inconvenience that may be caused during the transformation, valet parking is currently minimise disruption and when finished the new building will be entirely available, please pull onto the site and our staff will park your vehicle The transformation will be complete in March 2016 and the new eco friendly incorporating systems like greywater to minimise our for you.

The transformation is going to take place in 3 stages to help building will be opened by a celebrity. In the meantime thank you for impact on the environment. It will also feature rooftop fixing bays and minimise disruption and when finished the new building will be entirely your patience and for coming with us on a journey to an improved increased parking.

The transformation will be complete in March 2016 and the new eco friendly incorporating systems like greywater to minimise our Mercedes-Benz and smart of Tonbridge. building will be opened by a celebrity. In the meantime thank you for impact on the environment. It will also feature rooftop fixing bays and A contemporary showroom with a more spacious feel will showcase your patience and for coming with us on a journey to an improved increased parking.

18 cars and feature interactive, digital displays, comfortable customer Mercedes-Benz and smart of Tonbridge. waiting areas and a business lounge, where visitors can utilise Wi-Fi to A contemporary showroom with a more spacious feel will showcase 18 cars and feature interactive, digital displays, comfortable customer waiting areas and a business lounge, where visitors can utilise Wi-Fi to

month and will provide customers with an enhanced retail for you.

The transformation is going to take place in 3 stages to help experience.

57561

62 � TRAVEL TRAVEL FACTS  Shereen Low stayed as a guest of Mama Shelter Marseille, where rooms with

free WiFi start at 79 euros per night. For more information, visit www.mamashelter.com  She also stayed as a guest at La Bastide de Marie in Menerbes. Open from April 3 to November 15, prices start from 380 euros per night, based on two guests sharing a classic room including bed, breakfast and dinner.

Visit www.labastidedemarie.com for further information.  Tickets for Eurostar’s new year-round service from London St Pancras or Ashford to the South of France, stopping at Lyon, Avignon and Marseille, are on sale now. The service runs up to five times a week at peak season, with fares starting at £89 return in standard class and £189 in standard premier. Tickets are available from www.eurostar.com or 08432 186 186

2015

Cooper Tunbridge Wells

SO MAGAZINE BUSINESS GOLF CHARITY CHALLENGE IN ASSOCIATION WITH COOPER TUNBRIDGE WELLS BMW PROVIDING THE ULTIMATE DRIVE

WEDNESDAY 20TH MAY 2015 AT THE SUPERB HEVER CASTLE GOLF CLUB Join us for a day to remember with 18 holes of golf, the chance to win a new BMW4 Series Cabriolet, a dazzling dinner and charity auction in aid of Pickering CancerDrop-in Centre plus the opportunity for your business to win an impressive trophy

AN H

CE TO W

AC

BMW 4 Series Cabriolet

A IN

The event is a Stableford with full handicap and best 2 scores from 4 to count. The package costs just £240 inclusive of vat for a team of 4 and includes coffee and a bacon roll, the 18 hole challenge, a two course dinner, charity auction and presentation of prizes such as best team score, individual, nearest pin, longest drive.

The event will comprise 20 teams of four. Maximum handicap will be 28 for men and 36 for women. Places will be allocated strictly on a first come first served basis. There’s also the opportunity for non- playing guests to enjoy the day with a visit to Hever Castle itself, beginner golf lessons and attendance at the presentation dinner.

PLACES ARE LIMITED. PLEASE CALL CLAIRE JONES AT HEVER CASTLE GOLF CLUB ON 01732 701 003 TO BOOK IN YOUR TEAM.

You can also call Paul Harvey: 01892 779 650 or 07720 970 056

Wednesday 25th March 2015

A French fancy • By Shereen Low SEEN as the cooler, hipper, younger sister of Paris, Marseille is the second largest city in France and has serious culture and sports credentials - it was named the European Capital of Culture in 2013, and will host the UEFA Euro Cup in 2016.

And thanks to Eurostar’s new direct route, launching on May 1 to mark its 20th anniversary, it’s never been easier to get there. Just a six-anda-half-hour train journey from London St Pancras takes you to the gateway of Provence.

While culture vultures and foodies will find something to love in Marseille, from the Philippe Starck-designed Mama Shelter hotel and Zaha Hadid’s CMA CGM headquarters skyscraper, to the fougasse (a flat bread filled with olives, cheese or anchovies), the heart of Marseille remains the main port and the Mediterranean.

A daily market, often packed with shouting vendors and customers, sells fresh fish and seafood, while regattas and competitions take place during the summer.

We come to shore after a two-hour boat ride, exploring the nooks and crannies around the coast with skipper Yannick Long, a former doctor of genetics who swapped the science lab for the sea in 2004.

Dressed in the typically Breton uniform of striped jumper, white shorts and boat shoes, accompanied by deeply tanned skin and perfectly windswept hair, he decided to train as a marine captain, having been around boats his whole life.

“Having a boat and being at sea keeps me young,” he says, joking that he’s 75 (he looks at least 20 years younger). “I’ve now become a pirate - I grow my hair long, and my uniform is shorts, jumper and shoes.”

A small wooden boat can be hired from 300 euros per day, skippers included, while a bigger boat would cost about 1,500 euros. During the summer, the Calanques National Park is a popular attraction, with its hiking trails and diving spots, and tourists falling in love with these stunning rocky fjords.

The city received a facelift for its 2013 accolade, and these new additions, including the

pedestrianised Old Port, the Musee d’Histoire (history museum), contemporary art museum Frac Paca and Les Terrasses du Port shopping centre, sit happily beside the older buildings like the Fort Saint-Jean, the pink stone Saint-Laurent church and the City Hall.

There is enough to keep you occupied in Marseille, but for those who crave a bit of peace and calm, a 45-minute train ride away from the city (one stop on Eurostar), is the historical city of Avignon.

Referred to as the Pope’s Palace, the Palais des Papes was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995. One of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe, the papal residence - which frames the town’s main square - was the seat of western Christianity and was home to seven popes during the 14th century, between 1307 and 1377.

Today, it is home to the International Centre of Congress and mostly used as an exhibition and convention centre, with shows and the annual arts event, Festival d’Avignon, taking place in its gardens.

For a lovely spot of R and R, you can’t get more restful than La Bastide de Marie, which lies on the outskirts of Menerbes. A 45-minute drive from Avignon, this converted 18th century farmhouse is in the heart of the Luberon National Park and vineyards.

A family-owned boutique hotel, which also includes a six-sleeper villa and a gypsy-chic caravan for the true romantics, it’s ideally located for relaxing bicycle rides or long walks across the rolling countryside, with lavender fields, river and mountain backdrops, around the picturesque hilltop villages such as Bonnieux, Lacoste and Goult.

It’s easy to forget about the rest of the world when you’re at La Bastide, with its rustically French interior and exposed brickwork and beams, especially when you climb into the clawed roll-top bath adorned with Pure Altitude beauty products, or tuck into the freshly cooked dishes.

It’s hard to believe London is just a few hours away.

With an abundance of culture, culinary delights and character in Provence, there’s never been a better time to visit.

IDYLLIC La Bastide de Marie

TRAVEL �

in the beautiful south BREATHTAKING Calanques vue sur les iles

63

ideally located for relaxing bicycle rides or long walks across the rolling countryside, with lavender fields, river and mountain backdrops

STUNNING Catherdrale de la Major in Marseille

Your chance to win!

An evening with Simon Reeve

A beautiful 7 night holiday for two at Rendezvous, St Lucia!

‘Caribbean’

Listen to Simon Reeve talk about his new BBC series

Wed. 29th April - 7pm Salomons Estate Tunbridge Wells

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Simon Reeve travels around the edge of the Caribbean Sea for a stunning new three-part series!

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

64 � ARTS & CULTURE

The Stag remains at the heart of the community

THE STAG THEATRE FOUNDED 1937 ADDRESS London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1ZZ TWITTER @StagSevenoaks TEL 01732 450 175 WEB www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk EMAIL enquiries@stagsevenoaks.co.uk REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1137420 SEATING CAPACITY 450 STAFF 29 VOLUNTEERS 200 MONTHLY FOOTFALL 25,000 ADDITIONAL FACILITIES Two cinema screens, the Stag Plaza performance venue, the Stag Bar, the Stag Art Gallery Wall

OPEN FOR BUSINESS The theatre offers a full programme of events

THEATRE ADAPTS AND EVOLVES IN ORDER TO SUCCEED WHILE we have more than our fair share of theatre entertainment in Tunbridge Wells, you never have to go too far to discover even more.

Andrew Eyre and Lisa Whitbread, general manager and business development manager respectively of the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks, tell us how the venue has adapted to host a variety of events and why it remains at the heart of the town’s community.

• By Fred Latty

there and, more importantly, a wider variety of different companies.

Tell us about how you both got involved with the Stag Andrew: It closed in 2008 [owing to commercial failure]. I’m a town councillor here in Sevenoaks and we couldn’t afford to let the Stag close, so we started putting a business plan together and reopened in January 2009. It was a mad rush, there’s no question. I was chairman of trustees and about two and a half years ago, I took over as general manager.

Where do you get your funding?

Andrew: We’re 97 per cent grant-free, but the remaining 3 per cent is the grant we get from the town council. We create our own money and we do get sponsorship, but a lot of it isn’t real money - it’s benefit in kind and getting the word out there. We have to create money through the door, otherwise the place shuts down, and that’s what we’re doing successfully as part of our community ethos. I want people to be successful so they come back. There’s an increasing number of people coming back and our job is to keep doing that.

Lisa: I joined in 2013 to look at new ways of bringing in revenue. We’ve specifically targeted promoting ourselves much wider, so we’re now getting national companies coming in much more and people are hearing about us and booking with us. Because of the way we work, where people pay to hire the theatre, their return on the ticket sales is much higher, so lots of companies are booking and walking away with a much better profit, which is encouraging them to come back.

How has the theatre changed and developed?

Andrew: One of the things I changed was to look further afield in terms of marketing and where to get work. Historically, this place has been very much a local amateur theatre, and I very rapidly came to the conclusion that it couldn’t survive purely on amateur groups. It was a case of sorting the place and then getting Lisa in to start looking elsewhere. The last year has been really successful, we’ve got a wider variety of genres out

Wednesday 25th March 2015

Are you looking beyond theatre to bring in revenue?

Lisa: We’re having more corporate events now, with big companies hiring as a venue, which is a new way of looking at the Stag, but it’s bringing in different people and a different way of running the theatre – being able to promote ourselves in that way helps show how we’re moving forward and that we’re forward thinking. That’s why the Stag is on the up, because it’s evolving. It has to do that and it has to make use of everything we have. The facilities are great and the more people we get in, the more people see that.

How big a role do you play in the local community?

Lisa: We work very closely with local businesses – some of them will donate money and do fundraising, which helps pay for the various

parts of the building. Other organisations want to advertise or sponsor various events – they just want to become partners with the Stag. We’ve got some really good contacts now. It’s just growing that sense of the Stag being part of Sevenoaks and the wider area. It makes total sense to work with local businesses and to actually do what we can to help the local economy, because if people don’t come here, they won’t come to the Stag either.

The more people know about us, the more we’ll survive, we can’t exist on our own.

Andrew: It’s making Sevenoaks the centre of a night out and that’s one of the reasons the town council took it over – they have the lease and we run as a charity. Right at the beginning, we set out not to take national grant money and we’re making money, which we put back into the building. Although, we couldn’t have done it without the major grant we received to begin with. On top of the grants and donations we got, it needed about £15,000 of income, which we created, to make this project happen.

Is the Stag a profitable business?

Andrew: My commercial aim is to make a penny a year profit. We make between £3,000 and £5,000 profit a year, but that’s the basis of a not-for-profit organisation. It’s an 80-year-old building and a 30-year-old theatre, and it takes a lot of nudging along and improving to get to the position we’re in now. But it does mean we can offer a good service to people and we can make money. It’s a really good value venue and a successful show will make more money here than it will at other theatres.

ARTS & CULTURE �

65

SUCCESSFUL YEAR The Stag Theatre Lisa: It’s part of making the most of the services and facilities you’ve got. It’s important for us to be seen as lots of different things to different people, it’s our way of remaining current and topical with what people need. In the way that business as an industry is changing, we need to change to stay part of that. It widens the partners we work with and means we’re not just working with artists and musicians but with very different types of people who want that wow factor and something different. That’s why we’re different and why it’s quite exciting to see the Stag moving in that way.

Has the recession had an impact on the theatre?

Andrew: We reopened in 2009 and we’ve been increasing every year since then. People wanted to go out and enjoy themselves and they took the decision not to travel to London, but to go local. The first couple of years were really quite buoyant.

What are your biggest money-spinners?

Andrew: It varies so much, we’d love to see more

people come to every event. The money varies and it’s a different balance as to who’s on.

Is culture in the area thriving?

Lisa: We want all the shows to do well because that reflects well on us. Because culture’s so broad, that’s why we keep looking at the kind of show we put on and what different types of event we could put on, so we keep things fresh. People in this area are quite cultural and they do like to see different things, we need to respond to that.

Andrew: There is local culture, but there’s a problem that audiences don’t go and see it. High culture is such that it has survived historically on grants. As those grants fade away, the organisations putting on the culture have to reflect on how they’re going to continue. That involves getting their own grants, donations, members and cutting their cloth to fit. The audiences have to recognise that if they want to see stuff, they have to go and watch it. They can’t complain about nothing being on if, when it’s put on, they don’t go and see it.

Have you taken initiatives to achieve this?

Andrew: One of the things we did respond with was Stag Select. When I took the job, I committed to getting live transmission into the Stag. That’s another reflection of getting a different market because to go to the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne or the National Theatre, you have to get a train to London, get on the underground and then pay up to £200 a ticket. You can come here and see the same show live for £15. National Theatre goes down very well, which is why we know there’s a market for drama. The cinema will sell out to watch National Theatre and it’s getting people to look a bit broader.

Lisa: With the live broadcasts, you have that experience of watching a live show as if you were there and that means we’re starting to get people who would normally just go to live theatre going to the cinema.

What have been some of your biggest challenges?

Andrew: Part of our difficulty sometimes is to

get out that the Stag is here and the biggest challenge is getting the audience to know of the breadth of stuff we have. We have a challenge of getting out nationally to all the promoters and hirers. Part of our success is word of mouth, the parallel issue is the audience and getting people to know the Stag exists, that it’s a professional live cinema, a professional live theatre and a really nice place to go.

And your hopes for the future of the theatre?

Lisa: To keep going the way it’s going.

The figures are going up and we’ll never stop looking at how things are working and how we can improve. Seeing the building full when there’s a show on is really magical and just having as many people as we can walking out with smiles on their faces is hugely satisfying.

Andrew: There’s a huge buzz about the place. My intention is not to throw it all up in the air and make big changes, it’s step by step.

Wednesday 25th March 2015

66 � COUNTRY MATTERS FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

• By Eleanor Jones

Farming subsidies buy precious little protection

• By Kent Barker A BULLDOZER was in the field the other day near one of our regular dog-walking routes.

Above the insistent roar of the big diesel engine was the clang, clang, clang of the metal plate at the front, lowered to the ground, forcing all before it.

I knew what it was doing. Removing stumps and roots of trees. Trees that had been cut down more than a year before in what, round here, we dubbed the great Kentish Chainsaw Massacre.

It all started one lovely Sunday May morning.

The blossom was resplendent, bees were buzzing, and birds were singing in the warm sunshine. Then came that awful penetrating whine of two-stroke engines that just went on and on.

In the countryside, chainsaws are not uncommon. I use one myself quite frequently, but only in short bursts. You may fell a small tree and cut it up into lengths. But then you stop the engine and pile up the logs. Not so in this field. The noise just didn’t stop.

What could they be doing? It was a bit late to be pruning and, anyway, pruning with a chainsaw is rather radical. So I went to investigate.

I knew this was an orchard but, as they

Wednesday 25th March 2015

were hidden behind high hedges, I’d never actually seen the trees. And how magnificent they were. As we walked through the gate, we stared at the great old full-standard apples with boughs spreading outwards, probably planted in the 1940s or 50s. Possibly Bramleys or Coxes. And a whole field of them. Well, there had been a whole field of them. Now half were gone. Two men were systematically felling and sawing them up.

I asked, politely, if they had a licence and got a surprised response. Didn’t think we needed one. We’re only contractors. We’ll go and check with the farmer.

When I got home, I did some checking too.

The Forestry Commission’s website is clear: “You normally need permission from us to fell growing trees.” But a little later: “Felling carried out without a licence is an offence unless covered by an exemption.” And of course, you’ve guessed it, fruit trees in a garden or orchard are exempt. But how could they be? What possible logic is there?

Traditional orchards are fast vanishing.

A recent survey from Natural England and the National Trust found that almost twothirds of England’s ancient orchards have disappeared since 1950 – and the rest could go by the end of the century unless action is taken to save them.

So let’s take some action! I phone the council’s tree officer. Could you slap a tree protection order on those left in that orchard on my walk? Sorry, he tells me, it’s not that straightforward with commercial orchards.

Fruit trees are exempt from TPOs. A farmer has to be allowed to profit from his land.

So I write to my MP. She seems sympathetic and will forward my “case” to the Environment Secretary. A month or so later, she gets a reply from a junior minister, Richard Benyon: “I would like to assure Mr Barker that we value very highly the contribution that orchards make to

biodiversity. They support a wide range of wildlife, including an array of Nationally Rare and Nationally Scarce (his capitals) species.”

Excellent, I think, the government is behind me. Laws will change. Orchards will be saved.

I’ll get a knighthood or some other gong for my services to Saving the Trees. But then I read on: “The reason that orchards are excluded from the tree felling regulations in the Forestry Act 1967 is that fruit trees are not recognised as timber producing species. There are no plans to amend the legislation to include the felling of fruit trees.”

So that’s it then. The government recognises orchards are important and that they are disappearing. But they will do nothing to save them because fruit trees are not “timber producing”. What nonsense is this?

But the clue, I think, came from the council’s tree officer. “A farmer has to be allowed to profit from his land”. Hmm. I can still remember when the fields across the valley from my house were criss-crossed with hedgerows. A vitally important wildlife habitat, everyone agreed. But the hedges were systematically removed, as everlarger tractors and combined harvesters were employed. The little stream at the bottom of my garden used to have brown trout in abundance. Until pesticides and agrochemicals ran off the land and poisoned the water. We used to have hundreds of acres of traditional apple trees until they were grubbed up and replaced with easier-to-pick dwarf and bush varieties.

We pay something like £3 billion a year in subsidies to UK farmers. You might have hoped that would have bought us some environmental protection from their activities. Sadly it seems not.

Read more at KentCountryMatters.Blogspot.com

BY THE time Squirrel had been on box rest for a couple of weeks, it had become obvious she wasn’t happy.

She wasn’t as stressed as I’d feared, there was no calling to her friends as they went out in the field without her, no circling of her stable or refusing to eat (far from it). But I knew she was miserable.

Luckily, she’s not backwards in coming forwards where food is concerned so as long as she had plenty of hay, she’d stand calmly eating. I tried a range of other ways to keep her occupied, such as hanging vegetables on a string in her stable. The idea is that trying to catch and nibble the swinging swede will keep the horse entertained for hours – but Squirrel’s swedes lasted less than 25 minutes and the only time I tried it with a carrot, she swallowed the vegetable – and the string – in one gulp. Time to try something else.

Someone on Facebook suggested putting thin slices of apple in the water bucket, adding that “bobbing” for the pieces was good for a couple of hours’ engagement. Squirrel managed to fish most of hers out within minutes and although some remained, I could see her starting to wonder whether drinking all the water would help recover the apple.

Worried about colic, I didn’t try that one again.

I bought a stable mirror, which she did seem to like. The idea is that the horse thinks it’s got a friend and Squirrel did spend some time standing nose to nose with it, breathing on her reflection (above) – but as she always had another horse in the next stable anyway, it wasn’t lack of company that was getting her down.

Then I read something in a magazine about communicating with horses and with the air of one clutching at straws, decided to give it a go.

As instructed, I sat in the stable, imagining somewhere calm and peaceful. I breathed and envisaged and all that sort of thing and once in a suitable frame of mind, and again as instructed, I stood up and put a hand on Squirrel’s neck.

The magazine implied a silent and meaningful meeting of minds at this point but what actually happened is that, annoyed at being disturbed while eating her hay, Squirrel turned and bit me hard on the arm.

It’s fair to say I did communicate with her at that point. It’s also fair to say it wasn’t exactly what the magazine had in mind but then I had clearly got my message across – as had she.

And to be honest, I couldn’t blame her for biting. If I’d been stuck in the same room 24 hours a day, I think I’d have wanted to bite people too.

INDOORS & OUTDOORS �

67

Motorsports team hits a rut before season starts A MOTORSPORTS team from Tunbridge Wells has started pre-season testing this week ahead of exciting trips to tracks such as Le Mans – but they are already facing problems.

It hasn’t been plain sailing for Jota Sport, as Nick Yelloly is no longer part of their plans weeks after the team unveiled its driver line up for 2015.

It means Simon Dolan and Felipe Albuquerque will head to the South of France this week looking to clock up some mileage in the season-opening test session.

Dolan and Albuquerque will be on hand to drive the Jota Sport Gibson 015S-Nissan, having already tested at Estoril (twice) and Aragón this year.

The team, which is based in Frant, has made a name for itself in the motorsport world, having missed out on the European Le Mans Series title last year despite scoring three podiums including one win and four pole-positions. Jota Sport won the LM P2 division in last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, finishing an incredible fifth overall.

The two-day event at Paul Ricard is likely to feature almost all of the 34 full season entries. Indeed all of the 2015 LM P2 entries are expected to be present as drivers and teams prepare for the five-race series

that begins at Silverstone on April 11.

However Nick Yelloly will not be joining Dolan and Albuquerque at Paul Ricard, or indeed, at any time this season in the Gibson.

The British driver who was announced earlier this month will not now be a part of the team’s 2015 plans owing to other commitments.

An announcement concerning the third driver who will partner Dolan and Audi Sport ‘loanee’ Albuquerque in the 4 Hours of Silverstone is likely next week.

Speaking about the important test sessions and the departure of Yelloly, Sam Hignett, said: “Paul Ricard will enable us to amass further mileage on the revised Gibson and with every lap we are learning about the car.

“It’s also the first time that all of this year’s LM P2 competitors will be on the same track at the same time. So at the end of the two days, we’ll have a good idea on where we are in terms of competitiveness.

“Unfortunately Nick is not now part of Jota Sport’s 2015 plans. Since our announcement earlier this month, it transpires conflicting elements and commitments mean its best we go our separate ways with immediate effect.”

Get on your bike, public is urged THE Tunbridge Wells public is being urged to get on their bikes as Sky Ride returns to Kent this spring.

Getting more people cycling is the key to making Britain a cleaner, greener nation – and the return of Sky Ride big bike events is an opportunity to get involved.

That’s the message from Sir Chris Hoy, as he launched the 2015 programme of rides.

Back for a seventh year running, Sky Ride events take over town or city centres so lots of cyclists, of all ages and abilities, can get together and discover the joy of getting out on their bikes.

Since the first event in 2009, more than 850,000 people have enjoyed a fun family day out with Sky Ride, resulting

in more than 65,000 people deciding to commute by bike.

This equates to about 14,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved and is equivalent to 96 million bus rides and 26 million car journeys.

Olympic gold medal-winner and Sky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy is keen to see as many people get on their bikes.

He said: “Sky Ride is already making a real difference by showing people how great it is to get around by bike.

Our rides offer something for everyone, whatever their age or ability.

“If more of us are encouraged to get out of the car and on the bike for shorter journeys, we’d be a huge step closer to a healthier and

greener Britain.

Sky Ride is looking for groups to get out in the countryside around Tunbridge Wells and visit historic sites such as Hever Castle. Those interested are encouraged to get in touch with Sky Ride.

Together, British Cycling and Sky have inspired more than 1.5 million more people to get on their bikes since the partnership was formed in 2008.

According to the British Cycling Commuting Survey 2014, 71 per cent of commuters were recreational cyclists before they started to cycle to work.

To find out more about events in Tunbridge Wells, or to get involved, visit www. goskyride.com

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

ONE MAN, ONE MACHINE. G.P.M.H. GRAND PRIX DE MONACO HISTORIQUE CHRONO

ADVERTISMENT �

3

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Executors risk potential claims using diy probate applications Whenever we think of solicitors one of the first thoughts that springs to mind are expensive fees and processes that seem to go on forever. Perhaps this is the reason why some choose to take the DIY route when dealing with the Estate of a loved one. Although this route is not for everyone - the number of personal applications being made to the probate registry are on the increase. By Teresa Payne.

So what are the benefi ts and disadvantages of instructing a solicitor?

The most obvious benefit when dealing with the matter yourself is the saving on legal costs to the Estate. For many, this is the main reason for the Executors or personal representative (if the deceased died without a valid Will) making the probate application themselves.

The DIY route is fine for many if the Estate is a straightforward, non-taxable Estate. The downside for the DIY Executor/personal representative is that, firstly, the Executors are personally responsible to the Estate and beneficiaries, which means they must accept any liability if things go wrong. Secondly, they have to be willing to invest the time it takes to prepare the probate papers, possibly attend an interview at the probate registry to obtain

the grant of probate and then collect in all the more inheritance by instructing us than if they assets and distribute them in accordance with had done it themselves. In addition, they didn’t the Will or letters of administration. There is have the inconvenience and loss of their time in also a risk of not dealing with certain things dealing with it themselves. such as the income tax of the deceased with We also look to see that the Will is as tax HMRC and protecting the Estate by advertising efficient as possible at the time of death, even notices if required and minimising any tax though it may have been prepared many years payable. earlier. If it isn’t, we will look at options So it’s clear it is possible to complete the available to minimise the amount of tax paid. process yourself, but when should you consider This again often results in tax savings to the getting expert advice and instructing a solicitor, Estate which can be substantial and frequently rather than doing it yourself? amounts to tens of thousands of pounds saved There are a number which in turn is passed of reasons to instruct on to the beneficiaries. a solicitor. One of So when is it advisable We saved one of our the common reasons to instruct a solicitor? In is simply when you addition to the examples clients over £115,000 don’t feel able to do it set out above. You in tax, so even after the should always get legal yourself or if you’re not willing to accept the risk payment of our fees the advice if: if a mistake is made. bene ciaries received • The Estate is a However, there are also a taxable Estate number of lesser known more by instructing us • The terms of the Will reasons why instructing than if they had are not clear a solicitor is a good done it themselves.

• The person who died idea. Did you know that has left money or instructing a solicitor, TERESA PAYNE property in a trust who is a specialist in Senior Partner at Parfitt Cresswell.

• Part of the Estate is to Probate, taxation and pass to children under administering an Estate the age of 18 could actually save the • There is land or property abroad Estate money and on many occasions it can • There is a business even pay for itself and leave more in the Estate • Anyone is likely to dispute the Will. to be distributed.

Solicitors who are experts in this field, not Instructing a solicitor to deal with the only know the process of obtaining the grant Probate and administration of an Estate is an of Probate and administering the Estate, investment both emotionally and financially. they know when to challenge inheritance tax calculations. This ensures the minimum amount You need to make sure that the person you are instructing is an expert in this field and is of tax on the Estate is paid and the savings able to demonstrate to you that they offer a can be substantial - in a recent case we saved service that is tailored to your needs and that one of our clients over £115,000 in tax on the all tax implications are fully considered and Estate, so even after the payment of our legal challenges are made when appropriate. There fees the benefi ciaries of the Estate received

are many Probate services that offer low fixed fees and promise to turn your Probate and administration around in record time.

The real reason for instructing a solicitor to deal with the Probate is to ensure that the taxes that are paid by the Estate are kept to a minimum and that the Estate is protected from any future claims. It is not just about offering a conveyor belt Probate process.

My team of Probate lawyers are all qualified solicitors and legal executives with many years experience of dealing with not only the application process, but also with taxation issues, HMRC and other third party offices.

They fully consider the tax implications of the Will at the time of death and ensure that you are advised of any tax saving measures available which will provide a more tax efficient outcome for the Estate meaning that the beneficiaries may actually receive more.

So before you decide to instruct a solicitor or not, make sure you make an informed decision. The mistake could be a very expensive one and if you are the Executor/ personal representative, the beneficiaries would be entitled to pursue you for any loss to the Estate caused by unnecessary tax payment or failure to carry out a relevant step in the process. Just imagine if the Executors of the Estate that received the tax savings of over £115k had failed to get this benefit for the Estate. The beneficiaries could well be knocking on the door demanding payment!

Each month I offer a limited number of potential new clients an opportunity to apply for a free consultation with one of my expert Probate and administration team.

This month we have 10 free consultations available. If you wish to be considered for one of the consultations just complete the coupon and return it to me. Alternatively telephone: 01892 526442 or email times@ keenemarsland.co.uk quoting reference TTWE0104.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO APPLY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION JUST COMPLETE THE COUPON AND POST IT TO THE ADDRESS BELOW. ALTERNATIVELY CALL 01892 526442 OR EMAIL times@keenemarsland.co.uk TODAY QUOTING REFERENCE TTWPO104.

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Wednesday 25th March 2015

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