Times of Tunbridge Wells 3rd August 2022

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CANDIDATES Rishi Sunak on Friday and [inset] Liz Truss during her visit

By Richard Williams and Adrian Man FORMER Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak was in Tunbridge Wells last week to convince Conservative members he was the right person to replace Boris Johnson as PM and Tory leader.

Mr Sunak’s visit to the local Conservative Association on Friday (July 29) followed a similar visit by rival Liz Truss a week earlier.

The pair are the final two candidates in the race to replace Mr Johnson, who announced he was to resign last month after a series of scandals led to the mass resignation of ministers, including Mr Sunak.

Originally 11 Tory MPs were in the running to replace the PM, including Tom Tugendhat, who represents Tonbridge & Malling.

The former army officer was knocked out in an earlier round of voting when

there were just five MPs left.

The final two candidates are set to be chosen by Conservative Party members, of which there are believed to be around 180,000 in the country, although no official figures have been released on exactly how many Tory members there are.

‘I believe that I am the best person to make sure we win in places like Tunbridge Wells’ Mr Sunak arrived in a dark Range Rover to the Tunbridge Wells Constitutional Club on Sandrock Road on Friday at 2pm.

He was accompanied by a small team and met by local MP Greg Clark.

Before addressing the party faithful, the former Chancellor spoke to local

media, including the Times.

We asked him whether the party was losing its grip on traditional Conservative seats such as Tunbridge Wells, which recently saw the Council fall from Tory control to a Lib Dem led coalition.

Mr Sunak told the Times: “I believe that I am the best person to make sure we win in places like Tunbridge Wells.

“That’s what all the evidence shows, and I think our members ultimately will be focused on who’s best placed to win the next election, to win in councils like Tunbridge Wells.

“I’m confident I’m the person to do that. You know, for me – I’m from Southampton. Levelling up for me means that wherever you live in the United Kingdom, north or south or urban or rural that there are fantastic

Continued on page 2

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this week…

FLYING THE FLAG Town’s green spaces are once again awarded the coveted Green Flag status P6-7

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Sunak and Truss take contest to Tunbridge Wells Continued from front page

MEMBERS ONLY Greg Clark MP introducing Mr Sunak to Conservative Party members on Friday

opportunities for you, and you have phenomenal pride in the place that you call home.

“That’s what I want to deliver for Tunbridge Wells and Kent as I do across the United Kingdom.”

The MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, whose resignation as Chancellor sparked an exodus of resigning ministers last month, then spoke to members of the Tunbridge Wells and West Kent Conservative associations.

‘That’s what I want: to deliver for Tunbridge Wells and Kent as I do across the United Kingdom.’

ON YOUR BIKE St John’s based Logistics UK take part in 130-mile overnight cycle ride for charity P8

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who came to Tunbridge Wells on a similar visit on July 23, although the media wasn’t invited to that event.

So far, Ms Truss has stolen a march on Mr Sunak’s campaign by promising tax cuts.

The former Chancellor has also now vowed to

LIONESSES Tunbridge Wells’ Foresters hope the national side’s Euro success will inspire more to the girls’ game P11 ‘A HANDBAG!’ Changeling Theatre talks to the Times about their upcoming performance of The Importance of Being Earnest at Penshurst Place P22

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What did Conservative members think of the two PM candidates?

We asked two Conservative party members who heard from both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak in Tunbridge Wells and asked them for their thoughts on who impressed the local membership the most ...

CLLR PAUL ROBERTS sits on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and favours Liz Truss for the leader’s job.

“Rishi was minister for seven years, two as chancellor, and his speeches highlight he is a man of the people,” he said.

“When pushed on leading the country his experience as chancellor stands out.

“However, he falls short in many other areas with his overly safe and austere mantra; one wonders what could lie ahead under his leadership.”

He continued: “Liz similarly approaches her speeches as a woman of the people. Liz has far more experience in politics (12 years) and this comes across when answering questions though can’t match Rishi in the treasury arena.

“It does, however, feel like she is slightly more capable of leading with integrity, delegating and managing those around her with a tenacity to deliver for the people. She has an optimistic, reflective and progressive outlook and boy do we need that. For me these latter qualities swing it towards Liz.”

WEATHER & TRAVEL

DAVID SCOTT, a former councillor at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, was also at both meetings.

He told the Times: “Stimulating growth is clearly the answer [to the country’s problems] – everyone agrees.

Protecting the most vulnerable is also obvious.

“Rishi takes more cautious but innovative approaches. Liz is higher risk, with more money into the economy.

“In a complex society both are right, with the economy needing timely rebalancing. Too much money increases inflation risks, too little, risks slowing growth.

“Higher interest rates, with inflation built into them, converts inflation of values (house prices) into an immediate major cashflow issue of higher monthly mortgage repayments. Why can’t we adjust the outstanding balance instead?

“Who do I support – the one who can lead us through the problems with dynamic leadership, trust and confidence. I am a risk taker and an innovator. I also look for compassion and willingness to progress on our core values.”

Both PM hopefuls are touring the UK to take part in 12 hustings for Tory members who will vote for their next leader, with the result being announced later this year on September 5.

GOODBYE GIFT TO PM CAME FROM CHAPEL PLACE BOOKSHOP BORIS JOHNSON’S leaving gift from his Cabinet colleagues was a set of first edition Winston Churchill books that came from a local bookshop.

This rare and collectable set was sourced from Hall’s Bookshop in Chapel Place before being handed to the PM by colleagues following his last Cabinet meeting last month.

“Hall’s Bookshop in Chapel Place is one of the most famous in Britain – a treasure trove of rare and precious books,” said Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, who was at the cabinet meeting in his role as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

“When the Cabinet looked for a gift to mark a tumultuous three years of Boris Johnson’s premiership, they chose a set of first editions of Sir Winston Churchill’s books on the Second World War. “The Prime Minister is a biographer and prominent admirer of the wartime Leader.

“The right set of books was found at Hall’s in Tunbridge Wells and was presented to the Prime Minister at his final Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 19 – which was also the hottest day in British history, when temperatures reached over 40 degrees.”

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ON THE ROADS A21 Road closures for carriage way reconstruction both ways Vaunxhall Lane to Longfield junction carriageway. August 8 8pm to August 18 6am A26 Eridge Road (Sham Farm Road to Bunny Lane) Roadworks for carriageway repairs. Until 11 August 6am Barden Road Closure due to roadworks. Signed diversion. August 8-9 Bayhall Road Closure due to Roadworks. Delays likely.

August 9-10 Hadlow Down Road (Crowborough) In progress: Road closure, with diversion for new development works.

Until August 21 High Brooms Road Traffic control for footway reconstruction through to Yew Tree Road junction.

Until September 2 London Road diversion route due to Southern Water works. August 9-10 Penhurst Road (Bidborough) Roadworks for broadband (Openreach) with multi-way signals. Until August 7

Courtesy of the Met Office

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

scrap VAT on all domestic energy bills for the next year as well as promising income tax cuts, but his rival remains the bookmakers’ favourite for winning the contest and is leading in the polls.

Renolds Lane (St Johns) In progress: an approximately 11-week programme of gas works. Traffic control and road closures. Until September 1 Sandhurst Road Roadworks for broadband (Openreach) with two-way signals. Until August 5 Speldhurst Road Traffic control for gas works on Prospect Road junction until October 3 and Kibbles Lane junction. August 3-5 St. Johns Road Traffic control due to water works by Western Road juntion. August 7 Wadhurst Road Roadworks for carriageway repairs.

Delays likely. August 9-11

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF

Further rail strikes planned for August COMMUTERS are set to experience further disruption to rail services after train drivers’ union Aslef announce further industrial action across nine train companies, including Southeastern which provides services across the Southeast and London.

The strikes are a continuation of wage disputes between driver unions and train companies.

RMT and Aslef workers walked out last Wednesday (27 July) and Saturday (30 July) respectively in the latest round of strikes.

Now Aslef, who claim that due to the rate of inflation, drivers have experienced a real term pay cut, are set to walk out again on August 13.

Town centre pot plant COUNCIL chiefs had to remove a pot plant from a town centre display in Tunbridge Wells this week, after a member of the public spotted what he believed was cannabis growing among the greenery.

The illegal shrub was among a Council display near to the clock tower on the precinct.

Kent Police said they could not determine whether the plant was indeed cannabis – a banned class B drug – but advised the Council to remove it.

A statement from Tunbridge Wells Council said: “A member of the public reported what they described as a cannabis plant in a planter in the town centre. The plant has been removed.”

PCC’s VAWG report A REPORT which recommends stronger accountability for the criminal justice system and a new prevention programme in schools has been published by Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Scott.

It recommends publishing a twice-yearly audit of the progress made by all criminal justice agencies in supporting victims and holding perpetrators to account.

There will also be an independent victims’ satisfaction to monitor how victims feel their case has been handled.

On the release of his report, Mr Scott, said “These measures I am announcing today will provide transparency around criminal justice outcomes, enabling all agencies to be held to account better with the voice of victims at its heart.”

Baker backs Wales A FORMER Eurovision Song Contest winner has backed Cardiff’s bid to host next year’s competition following the announcement that the UK will hold the event instead of war-stricken Ukraine.

Cheryl Baker, who is from Tunbridge Wells, rose to fame after winning Eurovision with Bucks Fizz in 1981 with their hit ‘Making Your Mind Up’. She said: “It seems to me that there’s a consensus that it needs to be out of London..and therefore I think Cardiff definitely needs to be in the running as a major international venue.

Council ombudsman TUNBRIDGE WELLS Borough Council (TWBC) has been given a clean bill of health in an annual report by a Council watchdog.

In its yearly review, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said there were just two complaints investigated against TWBC that were upheld.

After recommendations, the service was satisfied that the Council had remedied the situations.

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LCF chief faces jail after spending £100,000 on holidays and a hot tub

By Richard Williams THE Chief Executive of the Tunbridge Wells minibond firm that collapsed owing more than £237million to thousands of investors, has been told he faces jail after spending nearly £95,000 seized by the courts on items including foreign holidays and a hot tub.

Michael Andrew Thomson, also known as ‘Andy Thomson’, was CEO of London Capital & Finance when it collapsed in 2019.

The Eridge Road based minibond firm went bust in January of that year after the city watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), froze its bank accounts because of its marketing practices.

Frozen Former Chief Executive Thomson, who lives in a converted barn in East Sussex, has admitted funnelling nearly £100,000 of restrained money frozen by the courts through his wife’s bank account.

The money had been earmarked to repay some of the 11,500 investors who lost money through the collapse of LCF. Investors who lost money were eventually compensated using taxpayer’s cash as the finance industry’s compensation scheme did not

cover unregulated minibonds.

The 49-year-old appeared in court last Thursday (July 28) charged with breaking the restraint order on his assets that had been in place since March 14, 2019.

Custodial He admitted contempt of court and spending £95,000 of restrained funds that potentially could have been used as compensation for victims but claimed it taking the money had been ‘unintentional’.

But according to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the breaches were ‘deliberate’ and he had used his wife’s bank account to funnel the funds for his use.

The SFO said the money went on a series of extravagant purchases including a £5,000 holiday in Italy, £3,000 spent at clothing shop Next, £4,000 on horse saddles, £4,000 on a hot tub and further money on hotels and a horsebox conversion.

Thomson has been warned that he now faces jail unless he can provide a good reason why he spent the money.

Her Honour Judge Taylor told him last week: “It is very much in your interests to provide the court with more information if you wish the court to consider a non-custodial outcome to

CONTEMPT Michael ‘Andy’ Thomson spent the seized cash this case”.

A hearing on Wednesday, September 6 will determine his sentence for contempt of court.

A spokesperson for the SFO said: “Where assets are restrained for potential compensation and confiscation, the SFO will not hesitate to take action against those who have misused them.”

INVESTIGATION INTO LCF ONGOING THE SFO has said the investigation into the collapse of LCF ‘is ongoing’, three years after it began.

While five men were arrested by fraud detectives following the collapse of the minibond firm in 2019, nobody has yet been charged.

The company was originally set up under a different name by Tunbridge Wells businessman and former local Conservative Association chairman, Simon Hume-Kendall.

Mr Hume-Kendall eventually stepped down from the company when it became LCF, but he went on to become its largest borrower of funds

FOUNDER Simon HumeKendall and wife Helen

through his business London Oil & Gas (LOG), which also collapsed into administration.

The scandal is currently the subject of a High Court action in which Mr Hume-Kendall and 12 others connected to LCF are being sued by the administrators for £178million over alleged fraud.

Also being sued is Mr Hume-Kendall’s wife, Helen Hume-Kendall, Equestrian businessman Spencer Golding of Crowborough, Hadlow Down businessman and former LOG director Elten Barker, as well as LCF CEO Andy Thomson (pictured above).

Plans are finally submitted for cinema site development

By Robert Forrester THE developers hoping to build 166 retirement homes on the site of the former ABC Cinema in Tunbridge Wells, has submitted its plans to the Council.

Retirement Villages Group (RVG), which is owned by AXA, has submitted a formal planning application to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for its proposals on Mount Pleasant Road, bringing the town centre location that has sat empty for more than 20 years one step closer to being built on.

PROPOSAL How the development will look if plans are approved and [below] the retail units

Courtyard RVG’s plans are for a new later living community, also features on-site amenities including a hydrotherapy pool, spa, or a gym, which will be open to the public on a membership basis.

A new public space is also proposed for the site, which includes a landscaped central courtyard for residents and the wider community.

RVG’s new development will also see the ground floor fronting Mount Pleasant Road and Church Road turned into nine retail units for local independent businesses.

The submission of the planning application follows consultation with the local community in Tunbridge Wells in the spring.

RVG’s proposed scheme has responded to the consultation feedback through design changes and enhancements to the façade at the Church Road/Mount Pleasant Road junction – these include a reduction in height and the inclusion of additional windows and articulation.

Caroline Keiller, Development Manager at

Retirement Villages Group, said: “We’re committed to bringing forward a development that is viable so that we can bring this longdormant site back to life and contribute long-term benefits to the town centre.

“Our scheme will provide an attractive housing option for older people who not only want to downsize, freeing up family-sized homes, but who also want to remain active in their community close to their network of family and friends.”

The proposal is set to go before the planning committee at Tunbridge Wells Boorugh Council by the autumn.

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Tunbridge Wells pair buy a village in France for £11,000

By Richard Williams A COUPLE from Tunbridge Wells who couldn’t afford to buy a home in the town due to sky high house prices have bought an entire village in France – for just €14,000.

Landscape gardeners Paul Mappley and Yip Ward, both 47, purchased the historic hamlet of La Busliere, Normandy in April last year.

Appearing on Channel 4's first episode of Help! We Bought a Village, which was broadcast last week, the couple describe how they have never owned so much as a studio flat in Britain, but plan to create a holiday destination in France.

Their village purchase consists of six cottages, two barns and a paddock plus a two-storey workshop, cider press and communal bread oven.

Caravan Before embarking on their exciting French adventure, the couple was living in a caravan in Tunbridge Wells.

Yip was then offered the chance to buy an

HAMLET The village of La Busliere

LANDLORDS Yip Ward and Paul Mappely in their Normandy village

end-of-terrace cottage by a friend in 2019 who had changed their mind about buying it, and at which point they realised they could buy the entire village for just €14,000 – around £11,000.

However, it was clear the rundown village would need extensive restoration.

The pair hope to eventually turn it into a holiday village.

“Something like this has so much history.

It's an amazing, amazing feeling, We're very lucky,” Paul said.

“I love all the history that goes in with it as well again, you know, how many loaves of bread have been cooked in that for the village over the years, it's just amazing.”

They told newspapers last week following the broadcast of the Channel 4 show that they could never afford to buy a property in Tunbridge Wells.

“In the area we were living before 2021 it was about £300,000 to buy a tiny place to live, and that was just never on the table for us.

“We had always rented and we were living in a – really lovely – static mobile caravan belonging to our friend. But when they looked to sell it, we began to worry.

“So it was incredibly exciting when we heard from a friend about La Busliere. We began to think: ‘This could really happen for us’.”

He continued: “It has been stressful at times, and we are short of money, but coming from only ever renting, we are so grateful to be here.

“It was like a squat when we moved in, but we’re quite comfortable now.

You can watch Paul and Yip on: channel4. com/programmes/help-we-bought-a-village/ on-demand/72146-001

Kent man killed in Mykonos ‘did not take selfie’ before helicopter tragedy

By Adrian Man A KENT man killed by a rear motor blade of a helicopter while on holiday in Greece was not taking ‘a selfie’ claims his sister, contrary to initial local reports.

Jack Fenton, a former student at Sutton Valance School in Maidstone, was returning from Mykonos at a private helipad in Greece after celebrating his 22nd birthday before he was fatally struck by the helicopter blade on Monday, July 25.

ACCIDENT Jack Fenton [inset] was struck by the rotor of a Bell helicopter

Blade Greek authorities had claimed that the Oxford Brookes graduate had been deliberately walking towards the blade in order to take a photo but this has since been dismissed by his sister.

Daisy Fenton, 20, told newspapers: “This was Jack’s first ever helicopter ride. So you can imagine how cautious and wary, if anything, he was.

“No one knows exactly what led him back [towards the tail rotor]. Perhaps he forgot something. But the line that he went back to take a selfie is rubbish. It’s a lie.”

Greek investigators now believe that Jack was in fact taking a phone call when he was struck in the head by the spinning blade, resulting in his immediate death.

The pilot and two airport officials were arrested and appeared before a prosecutor with a potential charge of negligence but have since

been released.

Jack is the son of Miguel Fenton who is head of marketing at The Hop Farm in Paddock Wood.

His mother, Victoria, speaking from her Tonbridge home last week said the family were ‘completely devasted’ by the loss of her son.

Speaking the day after the accident last week, she said “We only found out what happened at 10pm last night [Monday].

“We are completely devastated. He was the most wonderful boy. I think the pilot is in custody, but it was the most horrible of accidents by the looks of it.”

Jack had previously been a PE teacher at Smarden Primary School where he had once attended school himself. Coaching school children aged 5-11, he was described by staff as being ‘adored’ by the children he taught.

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

More bus routes will be cut by KCC to save £2million

By Lottie Bulmer BUS routes in and around Tunbridge Wells will be reduced again due to Kent County Council (KCC) cutbacks.

The plans will remove 38 KCC subsidised services over the next three months despite outcry by residents, councillors and local passengers.

The cuts are part of a plan to accommodate the council’s budget for highways and transport shrinking by £2.2million for the period of April 2022 to April 2023.

Opponents to the plan at County Hall have raised strong objections amid fears of worsening social isolation for people in rural areas, higher costs for families and further harm to the environment, with more car journeys and CO2 emissions.

But KCC Leader, Roger Gough, said: “We know the impact of removing the KCC subsidy from some of our Supported Bus services will have on those who currently use it.

“We have put measures in place to make sure the most vulnerable are protected from the impact of these withdrawals, by removing the Kent Karrier services from the list of routes due to have their subsidy removed.

“After these subsidies are removed, we will still be investing £4.5million in Supported Bus services as a council.

“We will ensure children and young people who are entitled to free travel to and from school have transport in place for the start of the school term

TUNBRIDGE WELLS ROUTES TO BE AXED: 6 Arriva service from East Peckham to Tunbridge Wells 255 Autocar from Benenden to Tunbridge Wells; withdrawal of three days a week 277 Arriva Henwood Green to Tunbridge Wells; withdrawal of one early morning journey.

292/299 Autocar from Tenterden.

293 Autocar from Rye. 296 Autocar from Paddock Wood.

TW9 Go Coach from Langton Green – withdrawal of school day only service. in September.”

A number of bus routes that were earmarked to be scrapped have recently been saved.

As previously reported in the Times, the 285 is to continue serving Hawkenbury after MP Greg Clark brokered a deal with local businesses whose employees use the service, KCC and the bus operators.

He told the Times: “It is of great importance that children can get to school safely and reliably using public transport. I met with the Leader and Deputy Leader of Kent County Council to discuss what can be done when commercial bus companies – that have not previously received any public subsidy – find that their service is no longer viable.

“My experience on several routes – including the 285 – is that officers of the County Council are willing to work in a pragmatic way to find solutions, and I will do this for all my constituents.”

The 230 route that serves rural Penshurst, has also just been saved following an agreement with KCC and provider Autocar, following intervention from local councillor Matthew Sankey (Alliance, Speldhurst & Bidborough).

He said: “I’m delighted that KCC & Autocar have come to an agreement to save the 230 route for at least the next academic year.”

But he added: “However, we must not become complacent, we have reached a funding cliff edge for an essential public service that will create transport deserts across our county if we do not resolve the fundamental issues.”

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Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Town’s parks continue to fly

TRANQUILITY Marnock’s Lake in Grosvenor and Hilbert Park

By Lottie Bulmer TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ green spaces have been honoured with global recognition.

Dunorlan Park, Calverley Grounds, Grosvenor & Hilbert Park, Woodbury Park Cemetery, St John’s Recreation Ground and The Grove have been awarded the Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces for the management Dunorlan Park and Grosvenor & Hilbert Park have also achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, for the management of its historic features.

The winners of the 2022 awards were announced on July 26 and the town’s parks join

a record-breaking 2,208 other winners across the UK. Tunbridge Wells MP, Greg Clark, added: “These Green Flag awards are thoroughly deserved, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council puts a lot of effort into maintaining these glorious open spaces and it is right that those efforts continue to be recognised.”

Contractors Cabinet member Councillor Wendy Fitzsimmons said: “How fantastic to have our parks recognised in this way once again. The Council team and contractors do a great job.

“These awards are also a credit to the Friends

‘Our parks are important, not only as the lungs of our town, but as places to find peace, walk our dogs and let our children run!’ of our beautiful parks. Together these groups do amazing things and I hope they will take huge satisfaction in having their work appreciated.

“Our parks are important, not only as the lungs of our town, but as places to find peace, walk our dogs and let our children run! They offer something for everyone as well as being

SUNSHINE Park lovers during the recent hot spell

beautiful green spaces.”

This is just another award to add to Tunbridge Wells’ list of horticultural trophies – most recently, the town won Gold in the Large Town category of South and South-East in Bloom in 2021.

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the flag for local green spaces BEAUTY The gardens in Calverley Grounds

BOATING In Dunorlan Park

THE PARKS GIVEN THE GREEN FLAG AWARD: THE GROVE The Grove is truly a park of the people. In 1803, the owner of the park – the Earl of Buckingham - ensured that the woodland would be preserved forever for the use of the town's residents.

Clare MacAdie, Chair for The Grove said: “The Grove is a vital green space for the residents living around this beautiful park.

"Retaining the Green Flag Award is testament to the endeavours of volunteers, the council and contractors who work together to maintain the character of the Grove."

The park was originally designed as a place for the people of Tunbridge Wells to rest in the shade while visiting the spa at Sion Hill.

However, over time the number of original oak trees have depleted, and more exotic species were planted during the restoration which was needed after the great storm of 1987.

Now, the park is a hub for the local community, hosting events including a woodland walk and has been home to a play park since 1899.

GROSVENOR AND HILBERT

One of Tunbridge Wells’ oldest parks, Grosvenor and Hilbert Park was designed by Victorian landscape artist Robert Marnock in 1889.

Some of the original features are still there today, including the Marnock Lake and the grottoes or ‘dripping wells’.

Carolyn Gray, Chair of Friends of Grosvenor and Hilbert Park shared how the group was feeling about the award: "We are really pleased the park gained a Green Flag again this year, as well as being awarded the Green Heritage Site accreditation for a second year.

“Our park is very focused on the local community, and we'd like to say a big thanks to both the staff at TWBC, at KHWP, and Tony Cheeseman (our park keeper, from Tivoli) for working alongside us to maintain high standards in the park."

The Park’s community focus has earned the attention of other national awards, and in 2020, Grosvenor and Hilbert was also one of the 135

recipients of a share from the £254 million ‘Parks for People’ restoration fund run by the The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Grosvenor and Hilbert also has its own historic bowling green, used by Grosvenor Bowls Club for over 100 years.

WILD Grosvenor and Hilbert

DUNORLAN PARK

The biggest and perhaps liveliest park in Tunbridge Wells, Dunorlan - like Grosvenor and Hilbert Park – was designed in the 1850s and 60s

by Victorian landscaper, Robert Marnock.

It was originally the private grounds of Henry Reed, who hailed from Yorkshire and made his fortune in Tasmania.

Today, Dunorlan is the outdoor venue for much of the town’s social calendar including Pub in the Park, Soapbox Race and Parkrun.

Dunorlan is the other of the town's parks (alongside Grosvenor and Hilbert) which achieved the Green Heritage Site Accreditation for the management of its historic features.

Peter Russell, Chair of the Friends of Dunorlan Park told the Times: “The Friends of Dunorlan Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year since its formation in 1997.

“The initial purpose of the Friends was to advise TWBC (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) on the application for Heritage Lottery Funding and, when this was successful, to help with the subsequent redesign of the park.

“Over the years, the Friends have worked closely with TWBC and we have often funded or part-funded project work which might not otherwise have been carried out.”

In 2003 to 2004 the park underwent a major restoration costing £2.8million, following a Heritage Lottery Fund award of £2.1million.

ST JOHN’S RECREATION GROUND

The land for St John’s Recreation Ground was acquired in 1899, making it a glimpse into the past for It has baseball courts, tennis courts, and a bowling club to attract users of all ages.

Alongside these, there is a water and sand play area for younger children, and a field with access to the woodland for dog walkers.

CALVERLEY GROUNDS

Nestled in the centre of Tunbridge Wells town sits Calverley Grounds.

The park is Grade 2 and Grade 2* listed and was originally part of the Decimus Burton development of Calverley New Town, exclusively for private residents.

It opened to the public in the 1920s and now, the park boasts a range of facilities including

three tennis courts, two netball courts, one basketball court, three croquet lawns, a café and an adventure play area.

Today, the park is a hive of activity throughout the year and plays host to a multitude of events including the Mela festival, Local and Live and the Ice Rink over the winter months.

Cllr Nicholas Pope, former Chair of the Friends of Calverley Grounds said of the award: "The Friends of Calverley Grounds is really pleased Calverley Grounds has, once again, been awarded a Green Flag.

“It is really important for the town centre park which is used by so many people, residents, visitors and people who work in the town.

“The Green Flag demonstrates the hard work that the council's parks department, contractors and the park's friends group put into looking after the park."

CALVERLEY GROUNDS CAFE We would like to clarify that Calverley Park Café, in Calverley Grounds café will remain open and will continue to serve park goers as normal, following the publication of the wrong picture in the Times earlier this month.

We incorrectly used a picture of the Café in a story about the Inside Café, also in Calverley Grounds, which is threatened with closure.

The Calverley Park Café has been run by Ian West for the last 33 years. He also operates a similar establishment in Dunorlan Park.

WOODBURY PARK CEMETERY Unlike the other Green Flag Award winners, Woodbury Park is a Grade II listed cemetery with graves dating back to the Victorian era.

It was opened in 1849 after the Trinity Church (now Trinity Theatre) ran out of space in its own churchyard.

It only took until the 1870s for the the new cemetery to reach capacity. From then on, only interments of people who had relatives in existing graves were allowed.

The final internment was in 1934 of Miss Maria Hake from Hanover who was a teacher at Hamilton House School in Amherst Road.

The cemetery was listed by the English Heritage in 2003.

Carolyn Auckland, who is a member of the Friends group that looks after the green space told the Times that Woodbury Park Cemetery was ‘a haven of tranquillity restored and maintained brilliantly by the Friends’.

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Logistics organisation participates in overnight cycle ride for cancer charity

By Adrian Man A NATIONAL trade organisation based in Tunbridge Wells has got on their bikes for charity with a 130-mile overnight cycle ride.

Staff from Logistics UK, previously known as the Freight Transport Association, rode from their regional office near Leamington Spa via London to their Hermes House HQ in St John’s Road last week.

The team of five included Ian Wright, Craig Foulkes, Mark Jones, Martin Candish and Ian Dunn from the trade organisation, one of the largest in the UK that campaigns for the industry that moves goods by road, rail, seas and air.

The group departed at 17:30 on Wednesday before arriving in Tunbridge Wells at 09:00 the following morning.

Training The charity cycle ride raised £2,600 for Logistic UK’s chosen charity Macmillan Cancer Support which offers free support for those suffering with cancer and their families.

To support the riders, staff at the Tunbridge Wells office hosted a Macmillan Coffee morning and virtual bike ride, matching the miles raising £150.00 for the charity.

Mr. Wright, who organised the ride, said “It was a very long and tiring night, but the whole team is proud to have had the opportunity to raise money for such a worthy cause.”

“Training has been a long process and it is lovely to see all the hard work pay off. The team all put in the hours and dedication to see this through and we are grateful for the encouragement we have received.”

Wright said that his highlights of the route

IN THE SADDLE Craig Foulkes, Ian Wright, Martin Candish, Ian Dunn, Mark Jones outside Hermes House Tunbridge Wells and [below] during the final leg in St John’s Road

A LAW firm, based in London and Tunbridge Wells, has secured a coveted place on Landsec’s property legal panel.

Cripps, whose office is on Mount Ephraim, was offered the place on the prestigious property investor and developer panel, after the FTSE 100 announced that it had completed a retender of the panel last month.

Landsec owns and manages more than 26.5 million sq ft of property, from shopping centres to offices, valued at £14.6billion. It’s panel advises the company on legal issues. It was last put to retender in 2016.

The review has sought to align Landsec’s legal services with the organisation’s new strategy – which has a particular focus on mixed-use urban neighbourhoods – while ensuring successful firms complemented the company’s ‘Build Well, Live Well, Act Well’ sustainability strategy.

Environment

included riding through sunset and into the night, passing key illuminated London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge, before riding through sunrise to be greeted by colleagues on arrival.

Values “The dedication of the team to this cause, and the support they have received from colleagues in both Tunbridge Wells and Leamington Spa has been incredible,” says Louisa Hollis, HR business partner at Logistics UK, “and is a true reflection of one of our key corporate values – togetherness. Ian and his team have been an inspiration to all of us: let’s hope they get a good rest now, and a lift back home!”

Law firm secures a Landsec place

‘Training has been a long process and it is lovely to see all the hard work pay off’

As a purpose-driven law firm, Cripps is committed to protecting the planet and using its collective skills and resources to help make a positive and lasting difference to the built environment, making it a perfect partner for Landsec.

Client Relationship Partner, Anna Favre, of Cripps said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to the property legal panel and to be working closely with Landsec to achieve its objectives for growth in the mixed use urban environment.”

She continued: “As a new strategic supplier to Landsec, we are also pleased to have the opportunity to act in partnership to improve how we operate as a responsible business, such as reducing our carbon emissions and improving diversity and inclusion. With Landsec as a client partner we will share the skills, resources and knowledge to tackle these real-world problems together.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

Licensing Act 2003

Application for the grant of a Premises Licence

An application has been made by: Rexaus Group LTD for the premises Two Penny Blue, 155 Silverdale Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9HT On the date 22nd July 2022 A summary of the proposed licensable activities and the proposed hours of opening: Sale of alcohol: Mon to Sat - 12:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-16:00 (On sales) UK Bank Holidays: 12:00-16:00 Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 08:00-18:0, Sun 10:00-16:00 Any person wishing to view details of an application can contact the licensing team on 01732 227004 Any person wishing to make representation about the proposals should make them in writing by 18th August 2022 to: Licensing Partnership, Council Offices, PO Box 182, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, Kent. TN13 1GP licensing@sevenoaks.gov.uk www.sevenoaks.gov.uk It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary of conviction for the offence is Unlimited.

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BID has its finger on the pulse by offering free first aid to firms

By Richard Williams POTENTIALLY lifesaving first aid training is being offered for free to businesses in the town centre by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District.

The BID organisation, which promotes businesses in the town centre area who all pay a levy each year to be part of the BID, is offering four Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) training days for 50 employees.

Incident The course, which usually cost £95 per attendee, includes certification for participants upon completion.

The Highfield Level 3 Award meets the HSE requirements for training emergency first aiders.

The syllabus covers aspects such as unconscious casualties, CPR, choking, bleeding, shock and more minor injuries.

BID Director Sarah-Jane Adams said: “It’s really important that town centre staff have the skills to help with any incident that may occur, as they are very likely to be first on the scene of accident or injury among the public in our restaurants, shops, salons and offices, as well as helping colleagues who may be in distress.”

The course has been welcomed by businesses as all of the spaces on offer have been filled and a waiting list is now in place.

Employees from Pitcher & Piano, Sankey’s and Imago are among those who have already taken part.

The RTW Together BID is a not-for-profit organisation funded by business in Tunbridge Wells to improve the economic environment,

DUMMY RUN Employees learn vital life saving skills promote businesses and drive footfall.

Spiking Previous free training sessions from the BID have taught over 200 town centre workers the basics of self-defence and future ones will include topics such as anti-drink spiking, what makes a great business website and improving the kerb appeal of premises.

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Historic landmark is teaching staff sign language HEVER Castle is endeavoring to make the historic landmark more accessible to the hearing impaired by teaching staff British Sign Language.

Built in 1270, the castle near Edenbridge, acted as a defensive stronghold and was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. Now, the attraction offers visitors a variety of activities across its 150 acres of grounds such as jousting reenactments, falconry displays and archery.

Staff have been learning British Sign Language and undergoing deaf awareness training in the hopes that they will be able to communicate better with visitors that are hearing-impaired.

The imitative comes as part of an ongoing effort to make Hever Castle more accessible to those with impairments and disabilities.

Harriet Waldron, Learning and Engagement Assistant, said: “We are always looking at ways to make Hever Castle more accessible especially as we have been told by people from the deaf community there is not many tailored BSL events outside of London.

“We hope that staff training coupled with more interpreted events will ensure those visiting with a hearing impairment get the most from their visit.”

Last summer saw the first of BSL interpreted jousting days followed by BSL interpreted and deaf led Christmas tours.

This summer, Hever Castle aims to build on this by hosting more BSL jousting on August 20 as well as BSL interpreted falconry displays.

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Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Bidborough schoolgirl wins design for Hospice’s medal

By Adrian Man THOSE who cross the finish line at this year’s Hospice in the Weald’s Hospice Run will be the recipient of a medal bearing the winning design by a Tunbridge Wells schoolgirl.

Pupils at Bidborough Church of England Primary School were invited to take part in the Hospice in the Weald’s Platinum Jubilee themed medal design competition earlier this summer.

Willlow Richards’ design was voted the best across Hospice in the Weald’s social media channels having been shortlisted from 135 designs.

Now Willow’s design has been made into the real thing and hundreds will receive the medal when they cross the finish line in this year’s run, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday September 18.

Jesse Ansbro-Brett, Hospice Relationship Fundraising Manager, said: “We were blown away by the number of pupils who put their creative skills to the test to take part in our Hospice Run medal design competition. Willow and the other children who were shortlisted should feel rightfully proud.”

Willow, her dad and many staff from Bidborough school have been inspired to take part in the Hospice Run themselves and the Hospice is encouraging others to take part.

Illness “There’s something for everyone, with a family-friendly 5k route and a 10k route for those who like a bigger challenge. Every penny raised will help Hospice in the Weald to provide life changing care and support to those facing terminal illness and their families” says Jesse.

Miss Latter, Bidborough Primary School teacher, said: “The Hospice holds a special place in all our hearts. How special to think that one of our lovely pupils has designed a medal for hundreds of

TRIUMPH Willow and her winning medal design [inset]

people to wear with pride whilst supporting and raising awareness for the Hospice.”

Hospice Run welcomes new faces and those who have taken part before. This includes Jo Paton running the 10k route for the second time, in memory of close friend and colleague Beth Ingram-Cordrey, who was cared for by the Hospice until her death in January 2020.

Jo, a mother of three and former teaching assistant at Radnor House, Sevenoaks, said: “Hospice Run was such a positive thing to do to remember Beth and process my grief. Beth was a tour de force. She loved life and was a bubbly and dedicated teacher. She inspired me to train to be a teacher. I remember her saying, ‘I believe in you, you can do this.’ I thought of Beth all the way.”

Those wanting to sign up to this year’s run can do so at hospiceintheweald.org.uk.

Schoolboys rocket to second place in international contest FOLLOWING their victory in the national competition, three students from Tonbridge School have come second after representing the UK in the International Rocketry Challenge final.

‘Team Traffic Cone’ competed with teams representing the USA, Japan and France at the Farnborough International Airshow.

It came after they had won the national competition last month, as reported in the Times (July 13).

The international competition required teams to design and model a rocket that could carry two raw eggs.

It launched to 835 feet and returned to the ground within 44 seconds, leading the Tonbridge School team to be named runners-up

with Japan finishing in first place, USA in second and France coming third.

As part of the international final, the teams also gave a presentation to a panel of judges on the design and building process reflecting on the challenges they faced during test phases as well as their experience of the International Rocketry Challenge.

Fighter

Team Traffic Cone said: “There was a great spirit of competition, and alongside the event, the team was treated to memorable visits to the various displays, with the highlight being an evening meal spent with fighter pilots from the American Air Force.”

The domestic part competition was organised by the ADS, a trade organisation that represents the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors.

Kevin Craven, chief executive of the ADS said “The UK Rocketry and International Rocketry Challenge continues to be a great example of how industry can support and encourage young people into exciting STEM hobbies and inspire them into a career in our industries.

Team Traffic Cones’ skills for their age are remarkable and I congratulate all of them on making OUT OF THIS WORLD Competitors from around the world it to the international finals.” including Team Traffic Cone (white shirts, right of picture)

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

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Tunbridge Wells’ own Lionesses hope Euro success will inspire more girls to the game forward to if they continue with football, he noted that the second women’s team now had a qualified female coach.

By Victoria Roberts & Adrian Man FOLLOWING the impressive victory by England women’s team at this year’s Euros, a local football club is hoping to grow the game for girls inspired by the new champions of Europe.

The Lionesses emerged victorious at Wembley against Germany on Sunday, winning the final of the football tournament 2-1 after extra time.

They will remain international champions of Europe until the next Women’s Euros which is due to take place in 2025 with the host country yet to be decided.

But Foresters FC, based in Tunbridge Wells, is hoping the success of England will spark a new generation of girls to take up football at a youth and grassroots level.

Running The club, founded in 1982, has 47 teams which ranges from under-7s teams to adult senior teams but only began its women’s senior team five years ago.

Their girls’ teams have been running for nearly 10 years and provide opportunities for over 140 girls to play for teams from under-10 to under-18.

Club chairman, Stuart Newman, believes the Lionessess’ Euros campaign has bolstered the reputation of women’s football.

“It’s now accepted for girls to play football and women to play football,” he said. “People are watching women’s football, and we as a club want to encourage them.”

The senior women’s team, dubbed the Fozzies, play in the South East Counties Football League.

Following a successful season which saw the team reach the semi-finals of the league cup,

Academy

FIRST XI One of the Forrester’s squads and [inset] in action on the pitch Foresters Women will play in the premier division next season.

“The second team plays in the same league, in the second division,” explained Stuart.

The latter team was set up last August and already has the makings of a ‘development team’ within it, bringing players up from true beginners to that B-team and second-division standard, he said.

The introduction of the two senior women’s teams allows the girls to carry on playing as they get older.

“This gives them (the junior players) the natural progression to step up into women’s football,” added Stuart.

“There are even a few women joining us who

Festival Theatre at HEVER CASTLE The

heverfestival.co.uk

played locally many years ago. We’ve also had a lot of women join when they moved to the area and didn’t know people.”

With all of this in place, he said, the only thing missing at the junior end is getting new coaches involved – ‘especially mums’.

He said: “They (the girls) need that figure to look up to.

“Everyone needs role models, and we’d love to see mums here. That’s our challenge.”

In a mark of what the junior girls have to look

The girls’ teams were given the opportunity to witness the Lionesses in action on a trip to Brighton to watch England beat Norway by 8 goals to nil in the group stages of the European competition earlier this month.

The club also facilitates the professional development of youth players with two girl players scouted for Brighton & Hove Albion over the past two years, while another girl is just about to start with Charlton Athletic Football club’s academy.

“We’re so proud we can develop players for the next level,” says Stuart.

Foresters FC is a Charter Standard Community Club. This accreditation certifies that the club provides a safe and inclusive environment and enables the club to receive funding for equipment and future investment. It also provides support for player pathways for continued participation.

The long-term ‘next step’ is getting a long lease from the Council to develop facilities. Foresters FC is a large club – 47 teams in total – but plays across a number of grounds in town.

“The main ground is Bayham Sports Ground, and we are currently trying to get a lease. As soon as we get that, we are looking to invest in facilities.”

The club is looking to recruit more girls from reception through to their U18 squads and want more women who used to be involved in football to return to the game.

For those interested visit the Foresters website: forestersfc.com

May - august 07379 488477

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

M u s i c « P l ay s « c o M e d y « o P e r a « F a M i ly « s P e a k e r s « F i l M s « j a z z

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Birthing centre celebrates 25 years of new arrivals

By Adrian Man A BIRTHING centre in Crowborough, one of the first to open in the UK, is celebrating a quarter of a century of new arrivals.

In an event hosted by the Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW), Miles Scott, 25 years of midwifery-led care was celebrated as well as the reopening of birthing centres across the county.

Deciated

Wealden, who was in attendance at the anniversary celebrations, said: “I was delighted to attend the celebration of 25 years of midwifery-led care in Crowborough.

“I am proud that we have this fantastic facility in Wealden, enabling safe out of hospital birth care for parents-to-be across East Sussex and Kent.

“I have been working with Richard Hallett and the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, and the Trust CEO Miles Scott to ensure that this vital service returns as soon as possible postpandemic, and I am pleased that it has now reopened.

“Many thanks to the Matron, Nicolette McCarthy and all the midwifes and medical staff for their superb work providing first class care.”

The Crowborough Birthing Centre was one of the first to open in the country and has since delivered over 4,000 babies.

It is a 24-hour a day service, run by a dedicated team of experienced midwives, offering complete antenatal and postnatal care, as well as many birth choices.

The Centre has two birthing rooms with birthing pools available, and three postnatal rooms, some with double beds, so that partners can also stay.

The celebration also marked the opening of the new kitchen and resting facilities for the medical staff, generously donated to the Birthing Centre by the Friends of Crowborough Hospital.

The anniversary follows the reopening of the birthing centre in April last year, after it was closed during the pandemic.

ANNIVERSARY Richard Hallett MBE, Nusrat Ghani MP, Matron Nusrat Ghani, MP for Nicolette McCarthy and Miles Scott, MTW CEO

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Local children create a buzz at bee workshop

SCHOOL children met with local beekeepers in Matfield who led an interactive class about bees, hives and the importance of protecting the insects.

Children in Years 5 and year 6 from Brenchley and Matfield Primary School were joined by two beekeepers from The Weald Branch of the British Beekeepers Association.

The session taught the children where honey comes from and what being a beekeeper involves. There was also an opportunity for the children to try on bee suits while they learned how to properly care for bees.

Jane Mallon, headteacher at Brenchley and Matfield Primary School, said: “This has been such a fascinating workshop for the children and they have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The

beekeepers were wonderfully engaging and the children learnt some very important facts about bees.”

Dedicated The session occurred just before national ‘Don’t Step on a Bee’ day which falls annually on July 10. To celebrate the day, the children created artwork which was displayed at Rosewood Place in Matfield.

The British Beekeeper Association is dedicated to making a difference by educating people about bees by organising interactive experiences, helping those who own beehives and teaching people how to create bee-friendly gardens.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Each month Thomson Snell & Passmore will be answering frequently asked questions from across the practice. If you have a legal question you would like featured in this monthly Q&A please submit it to info@ts-p.co.uk.

Buying and Owning a Listed Property: Sue Bowman, Partner in the Residential Conveyancing team at Thomson Snell & Passmore, answers common questions.

What is a Listed Property?

A listed property is one that is included in the National Heritage List for England.

Currently there are estimated to be 500,000 such buildings. You can search the Historic England list online if you wish to know more about them.

Listed buildings are divided into three tiers: Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Grade I buildings are rare and form only 2.5% of such buildings. Most buildings (91.7%) are Grade II which means they are of special interest, with Grade II* buildings being treated as most important of that nature.

How do they differ from other properties?

These properties are deemed to be historical assets. They are diverse and whilst they include older properties there are a number of modern structures and industrial or military buildings. This means that it may not be obvious that they are listed to the naked eye.

However, because they are special, they have protection under law, which makes them different from non-listed properties.

Whilst they can be changed (or even demolished in rare cases), owners will need special permission to do so. This is called Listed Building Consent. One can be prosecuted for demolishing or making alterations without that permission.

It is a common misapprehension that only the front of the building or a certain part (such as a bread oven) is listed. But once listed, the whole premises is protected and this may extend to external buildings and structures.

What are common issues?

The main issues tend to revolve around illegal alterations, where someone has deliberately or innocently destroyed a part of the property that made it special. This means the person responsible may be prosecuted (jailed or fined) and they (or the new owners) may be asked to put right the damage at their cost.

Because such buildings are special they can be costly to maintain (as correct materials have to be used) and to insure.

It also means they can be harder to sell if illegal works have been undertaken. When buying such a property, care needs to be taken to identify, as far as possible, what changes have been made and what has the appropriate consent.

How can I get help with a Listed Building?

There are a number of helpful sources.

To raise concerns about a building at risk or to nominate one for listing, Historic England can help. They also have some advisory services which are fee-based.

The Listed Property Owners Club is a national organisation with around 30,000 members. For a modest fee, it offers members access to a wealth of advice from their conservation officers, insurance and VAT specialists.. There is also access to legal advice.

The key is to always to use specialists when contemplating any work or changes and for any sale or purchase.

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

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Parents of Archie Battersbee lose last ditch appeal to stop life support being turned off THE parents of Archie Battersbee, the the 12-year-old boy who has been in a coma since he was found unconscious by his mother in April, last night lost a last ditch appeal to the courts to stop doctors turning off their son’s life support.

The 12-year-old has needed assistance breathing since April 7 and was being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.

DELAY Archie Battersbee’s life support was due to be turned off on Tuesday

Reviews His parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, were granted a Court of Appeal hearing on Monday after the Government asked judges to urgently consider a request from a UN committee to keep treating Archie while it reviews his case.

However, after considering the matter, three judges refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment beyond midday on Tuesday. They also refused to grant permission to appeal against their ruling at the Supreme Court.

But Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee filed an application directly with the Supreme Court yesterday (Tuesday) to get the court to order that his treatment should continue to allow the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) time to consider their complaint, made last week.

But as the Times went to press last night, the Supreme Court judges ruled against the parents.

Earlier, Ms Dance had told reporters that the couple were ‘having to battle over every decision with the hospital’.

She said: “There is nothing dignified in how we are being treated as a family in this situation. We do not understand what the rush is and why all of our wishes are being denied.

“I know Archie’s still with us. Archie’s showing very different signs to what the clinicians are actually putting over to the courts. He’s very much there, he’s progressing in so many ways.

“We pray for an encouraging response from the Supreme Court.”

But in a statement, the Supreme Court said last night: “While there was evidence that Archie was a child with religious beliefs, and was very close to his mother and would not have wished to leave her alone, those are only some of the factors which the courts have to consider in their evaluation of where Archie’s best interests lie.

“It was against that background that Mr Justice Hayden held that it would not be lawful to continue life-sustaining

treatment.

“The Court of Appeal upheld that judgment and this court refused permission further to appeal.

“Now the application is for a stay of the order authorising the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment to give time for the (UN) committee to consider Archie’s case, as the committee has requested.

Hospice “The panel is satisfied not only that the Court of Appeal has not erred in the sense mentioned above but that it made the correct decision.”

Archie was found unconscious at his home by his mother on April 7 and has not regained consciousness since. She believes he was taking part in an online challenge.

Family friends of the parents had said before the Supreme Court decision that if the latest bid to stop doctors turning off Archie’s life support failed, the parents want the 12-year-old to be moved to a hospice.

Liz Truss U-turns on £8.8billion plan to slash civil service wages PM CANDIDATE Liz Truss has abandoned a flagship policy to slash £8.8billion from public sector pay after furious warnings from senior Conservatives that it would be ‘levelling down’ the nation by leaving nurses, police officers and teachers poorer.

The Tory leadership frontrunner scrapped the plan to pay workers in cheaper regions less than their counterparts in London and the South East on Tuesday morning, a little over 12 hours after making the major announcement.

Pay A spokeswoman for the Foreign Secretary’s campaign claimed there had been ‘wilful misrepresentation’ of the proposal amid growing blue-on-blue attacks but made clear they would be dropping it and instead maintaining current levels of pay.

Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, who is backing Rishi Sunak, had said he had been left ‘actually speechless’ by Ms Truss’s pitch to party members choosing the next prime minister.

Ms Truss, widely seen as the frontrunner to take over in No 10, had announced the move on Monday night as part of a ‘war on Whitehall waste’ to make savings from the Civil Service.

But the Sunak campaign argued that the plan would slash the pay of nearly six million public sector workers, with nurses,

police and armed forces members facing £1,500 of cuts.

Announcing the U-turn, Ms Truss’s spokeswoman said: “Current levels of public sector pay will absolutely be maintained.

“Anything to suggest otherwise is simply wrong.

“Our hard-working frontline staff are the bedrock of society and there will be no proposal taken forward on regional pay boards for civil servants or public sector workers.”

Mr Sunak’s camp argued that the move was no mistake, saying that Ms Truss had called for the move when she was chief secretary to the Treasury in 2018.

“The lady is for turning,” a source said, mocking the Cabinet minister over comparisons she receives with former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Workers It was unclear how the Truss camp believed the policy had been misrepresented, with them clearly having stated that up to £8.8billion could be saved by extending the move for all public sector workers.

Labour said the current Foreign Secretary’s plan would slash £7.1billion from economies in the North of England, the Midlands and Yorkshire.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “If Liz Truss is handed the keys to Number 10, workers outside the M25 will see their pay levelled down as she kicks out the ladder.”

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

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Months of careful planning led to al Qaida chief’s killing

US HOUSE speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the self-ruled island that is claimed

by China in 25 years.

Ms Pelosi’s visit has triggered increased tensions between China and the United States.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary, and views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island’s sovereignty.

The government in Beijing had warned of “resolute and strong measures” if Ms Pelosi went ahead with the trip.

Incursions

Planner AIRSTRIKE President Biden announcing the news and [right] Ayman al-Zawahri pictured with Osama bin Laden probability of al-Zawahri’s presence, the scale mock-up and engineering studies of the building to evaluate the risk to people nearby, and the unanimous recommendation of Mr Biden’s advisers to go ahead with the strike.

Mr Biden called the evidence ‘clear and convincing’.

Measure “I authorised the precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield once and for all,” he said. “This measure was carefully planned, rigorously, to minimise the risk of harm to other civilians.”

Mr Biden ordered what officials called a ‘tailored airstrike’, designed so that the two

missiles would destroy only the balcony of the safe house where the terrorist leader was holed up for months, sparing occupants elsewhere in the building.

US officials believed the Taliban were trying to conceal the fact they had harboured al-Zawahri.

After last year’s troop withdrawal, the US was left with fewer bases in the region to collect intelligence and carry out strikes on terrorist targets.

It was not clear from where the drone carrying the missiles was launched or whether countries it flew over were aware of its presence.

The US official said no US personnel were on the ground in Kabul supporting the strike and the Taliban was provided with no forewarning of the attack.

Speculation has centred on threatening military exercises and possible incursions by Chinese planes and ships into areas under Taiwanese control.

The Biden administration did not explicitly urge her to call the visit off, while seeking to assure Beijing it would not signal any change in US policy on Taiwan.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Washington’s betrayal ‘on the Taiwan issue is bankrupting its national credibility’.

“Some American politicians are playing with fire on the issue of Taiwan,” Mr Wang said in a statement.

“This will definitely not have a good outcome … the exposure of America’s bullying face again shows it as the world’s biggest saboteur of peace.”

The plane carrying Ms Pelosi and her delegation left Malaysia earlier on Tuesday after a brief stop that included a working lunch with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei where the US House speaker was expected to stay amid heightened security.

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THE White House has revealed the painstaking efforts that went into planning the drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahri.

The al Qaida leader was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan on Sunday, the Whitehouse revealed yesterday (Tuesday), when two Hellfire missiles fired by a US drone ended al-Zawahri’s decade-long reign.

The counterterrorism operation that saw al-Zawahri killed as he stood on the balcony of his Kabul safe house was the result of many months of careful planning.

Years of efforts by US intelligence operatives under four presidents to track al-Zawahri and his associates paid dividends earlier this year, Mr Biden said, when they located Osama bin Laden’s longtime number two, a co-planner of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US and ultimate successor, at the house in Kabul.

Al-Zawahri’s family, supported by the Haqqani Taliban network, had taken up residence in the home after the Taliban regained control of the country last year, following the withdrawal of US forces after nearly 20 years of combat that had been intended, in part, to keep al Qaida from regaining a base of operations in Afghanistan.

Confirming al-Zawahri’s identity, devising a strike in a crowded city that would not recklessly endanger civilians, and ensuring the operation would not set back other US priorities took months.

It involved independent teams of analysts reaching similar conclusions about the

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EDUCATION Times

How children and parents can survive and thrive during the summer holidays

Leonora Langley, local author of the pioneering book ‘Let The Souls of Our Children Sing’, believes that being away from the pressures of daily school life provides a real opportunity for our children to be creative, imaginative and develop new skills…

NOW we’re well and truly into the summer holidays, there must be quite a few parents and carers who are still experiencing panicked flashbacks to lockdown, school closures and the prospect of ‘bored’ children, especially if they have to work and juggle running a house and keeping the kids entertained too. Every family will have a different perspective on school holidays this summer. Some will be jetting off to tropical climes for a couple of weeks, others might be having a staycation while many will not be

‘One of the greatest challenges parents face during the holidays is keeping their children away from the screen’

able to afford a holiday away at all.

Whatever plans parents and carers might have, they need to be aware that their children are better with some kind of structure and sticking to a predictable routine, especially those suffering from anxiety and stress. Breaking the six weeks down into manageable bite-size chunks, planning ahead with the use of a wall planner to highlight some of the fun activities and outings they have in store and creating a wall chart with stickers for tasks accomplished can all be inspiring and provide positive reinforcement. As part of

this, it might be useful for parents and carers to choose two or three positive behaviours in their children that they’d like to encourage and try to ignore as many of the negative ones as possible.

Inspiration In these days of the double-edged sword of social media, one of the greatest challenges parents and carers face is trying to keep their children away from the screen and outdoors, possibly going on a nature walk or experiencing forest bathing - a precious time for peace, reflection and inspiration.

Enrolling them into a sports school, a swimming course or a performing arts production are great for those who have the

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financial means. Otherwise, odd days out to the beach, maybe to a water park, a boat trip, swimming bath, having a picnic or visiting a farm or garden centre can also be stimulating.

Burning off energy in the safety of a garden can offer endless hours of fun for younger children and less financial outlay: creating an obstacle course, a pop-up play tunnel, providing a painting easel or whiteboard, a dressing up rail or fancy dress box, velcro tennis, a trampoline, a paddling pool, putting a sheet over the washing line to create a tent, having a sand pit or brick building table or setting up an impromptu shop or cafe. Older ones might prefer to improve their cooking skills or keep a journal of their holiday and develop photography

Education

NEWS

17

skills to illustrate it.

On an emotional level, we all know that the last two years have been traumatic and unsettling for everyone, so we need to be sensitive to mental health issues more than ever. It can be useful for parents and carers to be mindful of setting aside times for intentional conversations with their children, where they are actively listening to them and giving them an opportunity to reflect back how they are feeling. A huge part of being ‘a good enough parent’ is to be an emotional anchor for children so that they don’t feel rudderless.

Good ways of dealing with stress and anxiety are a simple stress ball, meditation, breathing and yoga techniques as well as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) which involves tapping on the body’s energy meridians to dampen down the amygdala and help children to get in touch with their inner thoughts and feelings, giving them an opportunity to feel like a human being rather than a human doing. Encouraging children to write down their worries and put them into a box, jar or envelope or create a specific calm jar, a homemade snowglobe using water and glitter can reduce anxiety. Shaking the jar and watching the glitter go to the bottom can be very calming. Younger children can also benefit from having a ‘worry doll’ to share their worries with. By placing it under their pillow before they go to sleep, by the morning the doll has helped them to overcome their worries.

‘Let The Souls of Our Children Sing’ by Leonora Langley is available in paperback, priced £8.99 and e-book from Amazon and Austin Macauley.

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NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Cllr Tom Dawlings

Conservative Council Leader for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Cllr Tom Dawlings has represented Benenden & Cranbrook at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) since 2014. Before entering local politics his career was spent with the Bank of England. He was previously Leader of the Council in 2021/2022 and is now leader of the Conservative group of councillors at TWBC.

A broken promise to engage with residents and business THE Lib Dem Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) promised his coalition with Labour and the Alliance was committed to more open and consultative local politics.

The coalition, however, determined that consultation was not necessary to increase car parking charges and remove the two hours of free parking available in some car parks.

Parking fees were proposed to be introduced at Dunloran, apparently without any discussion with the Friends of Dunloran.

Conservative councillors voted against these increases at the Finance & Governance Cabinet Advisory Board and spoke against them at the Cabinet meeting (joined notably by irate Cllrs from Paddock Wood and Southborough).

The Conservatives then called the Cabinet decision into the Overview & Scrutiny committee sighting, first, that there had been inadequate consultation with stakeholders prior to the decision and, secondly, the absence of adequate evidence on which to base a decision.

Consultation with the Parish and Town Councils in the Borough was not just a promise of the Liberal Democrat led coalition but forms a fundamental part of the agreement between TWBC and the Parish and Town Councils on how they should all work together in partnership.

As we recover from the Covid pandemic, there is

evidence that TWBC’s income is increasing – this notably from increased usage of car parks. There is increased footfall in the Town (the Amelia Scott is attracting an average of 925 visitors a day) and vacant retail premises are being filled.

Oversight At the Overview & Scrutiny meeting, Cllr Rutland stated on behalf of the Liberal Democrat led Cabinet that not having a public consultation was ‘a terrible & regrettable oversight’. She suggested that the coalition Cabinet is still on a ‘learning curve’ (this despite Council Leader Ben Chapelard being one of the Council’s longestserving Member) and the Cabinet did not believe car parking fees would impact on town centre economic activity – an assessment that councillors from Paddock Wood and Southborough certainly disagreed with.

Sadly only the Conservative members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered that the matters should be referred back to Cabinet to review their decision – presumably the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Tunbridge Wells Alliance councillors all considered that process followed

by Cabinet was adequate.

The Cabinet urgency in all this is because in the

SWING

DINNER + DANCE

local elections they have described the Council’s financial position as a shambles.

The inconvenient truth for the coalition is that the Conservative administration managed the Covid lockdown-affected years without drawing on reserves to balance the revenue budget.

The draft accounts to 31st March 2022 show that the Council had no borrowings, cash reserves of £32million and mainly property assets valued at £132million (an increase of £7million in the year).

At the Audit & Governance meeting on 26th July, both the Director of Finance and the External Auditors emphasised the soundness of TWBC’s finances noting that TWBC is in a far stronger financial position than most other councils.

In the current financial year, the Council’s revenue budget shortfall should be covered by higher than forecast income and the Council’s

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share of new business rates which is not included in the budget figures. In the medium-term steps have been taken to address the shortfall, notably through the co-working plans for the Town Hall and the reduction in the number of Councillors from 48 to 39 (determined by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England but opposed by all members of the coalition).

There are of course significant inflationary pressures for the Council and its costs are increasing by more than its income. Equally there are significant inflationary pressures on businesses and cost-of-living pressures on residents. The Conservatives will continue to oppose proposals to increase fees without first considering the impact on businesses and on residents already having to cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

Letters

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And another thing…

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

Coalition has now admitted lack of consulting was a ‘terrible oversight’

MP must act to safeguard finances I read Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark’s letter urging the Borough Partnership to reconsider its initial steps to safeguard Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s finances with great interest.

Let me take this opportunity to remind readers that it was the Conservatives who left TWBC with a deficit of £944,000 for this financial year and £2.6million next year.

By 2026 this will increase further to an eye-watering £3.5million a year, if left unmanaged. Our new administration is taking responsible action, clearing up the financial mess we have inherited after 24 years of Conservative rule and trying to protect council services.

As Boris Johnson’s new Secretary of State for Local Government, Mr Clark will be aware of the worsening financial situation which councils up and down the country are facing due to near 10 per cent inflation.

As a minister, Mr Clark has the power to raise the council tax cap from £5 to £10, to allow councils to charge more council tax on empty and second homes and to permit councils to pass on the true cost of processing planning applications to developers.

Over to you, Greg!

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

been sparked by the decision. There have been protests and even councillors belonging to the ruling coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour and Tunbridge Wells Alliance came to the meeting to speak against the plan.

Town council leaders from Paddock Wood and Southborough said they had been completely ignored in spite of The Tunbridge Wells Agreement with the borough to include them in discussions about decisions.

The coalition has shown contempt for residents’ difficulties in the cost-of-living crisis by refusing to consult them right from the start. They’ve also shoved aside the worries of local businesses, especially shops, who fear for their livelihoods if footfall drops because of higher parking charges Cllr Sean Holden (KCC/TWBC – Con) Cranbrook

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

NO SNIGGERING. The coalition of Lib Dems, Alliance and Labour now controls Tunbridge Wells’ Town Hall after booting out the Tories for failing to consult the public on the big issues. One of the coalition’s first big decisions was to axe free parking and increase prices where fees are already paid. Only problem is, yep you guessed it, they failed to consult the public. You couldn’t make it up.

Now after a huge backlash from the public (voters) they are to hold formal consultations.

Calverley warned months ago that the coalition would find it harder working on the inside than hurling abuse and criticism from the sidelines. And so the chickens…

MONKEYPOX. Embarrassing moment (far from the first) when Calverley popped over to Croatia for a break. One night (it matters not why but think plonk) he ended up sleeping outside on the patio. Next morning, he awoke to find his body covered with insect bites.

Lunchtime he walked into a local restaurant to meet friends when one of them screamed: “OMG he’s got Monkeypox”. Much attention he was paid by horrified waiters. It was only when a friendly GP who happened to be lunching, verified the lumps were insect bites that Calverley was eventually served – with a large glass of red.

WOMENS FOOTBALL. Those who are puzzled

PEPPY SAYS...

why the female form has taken off might pause and think about what’s missing from their game when compared to the men. For starters the women do not roll on the ground in agony when brushed against by another player, the women do not continually spit on the pitch and the women do not verbally abuse the referee. Let’s hope as the women’s game grows, it continues to be played in the same sporting fashion. Another difference between the genders is the pay gap. Men can get up to £500,000 a week. Top females earn around £30,000 a year.

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

Failing to consult residents about controversial proposed parking charge increases in Tunbridge Wells was a ‘terrible oversight’ a Liberal Democrat cabinet member in the borough council’s ruling coalition has admitted.

Cllr Justine Rutland apologised to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee last Wednesday (July 29) for the lack of communication with residents.

She said: “I can only say not talking to more people earlier was a terrible and regrettable oversight.”

Cllr Rutland says the coalition, which only won power in May, will do better next time.

A scheme to raise parking charges in the borough by 25 per cent or more was agreed by the Cabinet on July 20.

There had been no consultation. At least five petitions, signed by thousands of people, have

Should we be encouraging drivers?

In the face of the hottest year on record, despite two previous years of near total lockdown which might have given some respite, should we be giving petrol and diesel cars free parking?

Much of the argument so far has been about the effect on local businesses. Over 25 per cent of shopping is now done online, and ‘as more people have changed the way that they shop, their expectation of town centres has also changed. Many visitors to town centres are seeking an ‘experience’ that cannot be bought online, such as events and festivals. Evidence from other towns shows that better streets and pleasant public spaces can add to the visitor experience and therefore play a part in supporting town centre businesses.’ [TWBC Transport Strategy Review] – something Southborough and Tunbridge Wells have both encouraged.

It has been TWBC policy since 2019 to implement ‘fiscal measures to encourage a move to low emission vehicles (e.g. via parking charges)’. [Para 86].

Retaining incentives to burn fossil fuels is unacceptable now, even if it made sense five years ago.

For the time being, let’s give drivers one free hour of parking in Southborough and Paddock Wood, and charge £1 for the next hour, to ease the transition to zero emissions, but we need a massive switch to electric powered transport (including buses and taxis) to get people to their town centre shops, doctors and libraries. We owe it to our children.

Mrs Dariel Francis Southborough Town Councillor (Labour)

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH. Archaeologists are

being urged by gender activists not to label human remains as male or female. Why? Because no one knows how a person who died thousands of years ago might have self-identified. Really!!!

FINAL THOUGHT. Imagine if all the promises

being made by Rishi and Liz in the rush to become PM came true (remember manifestos) voters would be living in paradise. More likely cloud cuckoo land.

Chin, chin dear reader…

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

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Life&Times

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

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See The Importance of Being Earnest at Penshurst Place on August 12 P22

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Wednesday August 3 | 2022

“Penshurst Place has been inspiring writers for centuries” On August 12 Changeling Theatre brings its performance of The Importance of Being Earnest to Penshurst Place.

Eileen Leahy discovers how the troupe will interpret this classic 19th century play by the great Oscar Wilde…

F

ollowing the success of the performance of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor at Penshurst Place last month, August 12 sees Changeling Theatre bring The Importance of Being Earnest to the stately home.

The location for the alfresco show will once again be Penshurst Place’s glorious South Lawn which overlooks the historic country pile’s Italian gardens.

Satirical

named Ernest, Jack and Algy create alter egos called Ernest to win their hearts. In a struggle to keep up with their own stories, they quickly become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and hysterical misadventure. The cast features children’s TV star Noah Marullo of Tracey Beaker fame as part of its talented group of actors.

Ben Thomas, General Manager at Penshurst Place, told the Times: “Last year’s outdoor theatre at Penshurst Place proved so popular that we are delighted to be able to offer it again. It is a lovely way to enjoy a long summer evening outside

Performed by Changeling Theatre and directed by Robert Forknall, The Importance of Being Earnest, follows the story of two eligible bachelors, Jack and Algy in Oscar Wilde’s satirical masterpiece.

In love with two women who conveniently claim to only love men

‘August 12 sees the Changeling Theatre bring The Importance of Being Earnest to the stately home’

TV STAR Noah Marullo of Tracey Beaker fame

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and especially nice to have the opportunity to see the gardens at dusk after we shut to the public. There is a real sense of tranquillity and peace as the day moves into early evening here, an almost magical time and a perfect setting to enjoy a picnic on the grass while being entertained.

“Penshurst Place has long been associated with literary excellence so it seems particularly apt to welcome back these this exceptional touring company to perform here once again”, adds Ben.

23

WILDE BUNCH The cast of Importance of Being Earnest

Perfect setting “Penshurst Place has been inspiring writers for centuries. Celebrated Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney was born and lived here, and a few years ago we staged the first public performance of his niece’s play ‘Love’s Victory’

by Lady Mary Wroth. Ben Johnson also dedicated a poem to the house in his famous eulogy ‘To Penshurst’ as did Elizabeth Barret Browning in ‘The Picture Gallery at Penshurst.”

Changeling Theatre is a professional touring theatre company serving community audiences across South East England. It was founded in 1997 to produce high quality, entertaining theatre in non-traditional locations for community audiences across the region.

It is best known for its hugely successful open air tour every summer which takes theatre

TICKET OFFER Tickets for the performance are priced at £26.88 each and are on sale now at www. penshurstplace.com Each ticket allows exclusive private entry to the listed gardens after they close to the public. Doors open at 5.30pm for access at dusk for a ‘golden hour’ amble before the performance, which begins at 7pm and lasts two hours excluding a brief intermission.

beyond the stage, creating site-specific performances in public locations such as Chatham Dockyard, Dover Castle, Maidstone Football Ground and Boughton Monchelsea Place, as well as community parks, private homes and gardens.

Changeling also has a talent lab, which

provides a critical springboard for emerging talent from all disciplines and backgrounds.

Picnics Ben finishes by saying that visitors coming to see The Importance of Being Earnest may bring

their own picnics to enjoy at the show, along with blankets, cushions and folding chairs as these will not be provided.

A licensed bar will be open for drinks and snacks prior to each performance and a light supper menu will be on offer in the nearby Garden Room.

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Books

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

The bookcase…

Here are some reads to inspire you this week …

You Can Do It by Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven

by Juno Dawson

Published in paperback by Macmillan Children’s Books, priced £9.99 (ebook £5.99). Available now

Published in hardback by HarperVoyager, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

A follow-up to You Are A Champion, children will undoubtedly find You Can Do It hugely inspiring. In it, Marcus Rashford shares some deeply personal stories – such as what was going through his head when he missed the penalty in the Euro 2020 final, as well as what happened afterwards – all giving teachable moments on how to be a better you. It covers everything from the importance of taking care of yourself and how to be a better ally, to why we should celebrate our differences. The language is clear, inclusive, not at all patronising, and will resonate with any child, and the illustrations give the book extra vibrancy. It’s perfect for any young person who’s looking to make a difference in the world, but doesn’t quite know how to go about it.

Juno Dawson might be best known for YA novels, but now she’s launching her first adult series – and it has a supernatural spin.

This is a fun and adventurous novel, drawing together fantasy and contemporary politics with great gusto and imagination.

It tells the story of an ancient coven of witches, who are facing the same challenges as contemporary governments and individuals are today – but in an even more explosively dangerous way. Carefully crafted characters come together in this world that is so close to being ours, but still a step away from what we know, with magic and romance front and centre.

Despite being a bit sickly sweet and gimmicky in places, this novel succeeds in drawing attention to vital conversations we all should be having, while also telling a brilliant story.

9/10

Review by Prudence Wade

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

8/10

Review by Imy Brighty-Potts

Published in hardback by Bantam Press, priced £14.99 (ebook £5.99). Available now Fans of The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley might very well enjoy The Retreat. It’s also a thriller set in an isolated location – in this case Reaper’s Rock, a creepy island that’s been reinvented as an Instagramfriendly health and wellness spa. And very lovely it would be too, if it wasn’t for a vicious serial killer bumping off the guests one by one. Sent to investigate is DS Elin Warner, whose boyfriend happens to be the retreat’s architect, and who has plenty of demons of her own. In fact, pretty much everyone in the book is hiding a dark secret or a dodgy past, making guess-the-killer a serious challenge. With its short chapters, each one ending on a cliffhanger, The Retreat is designed to keep you guessing to the very end. A great one to read on holiday – provided you’re not visiting a creepy island, of course…

7/10

Review by Jackie Kingsley

How to turn your child into a bookworm this summer

Despite tempting them with every type of book, is your youngster a reluctant reader? Former primary school teacher Emma Shingleton of education resource company PlanBee shares some great tips to get kids reading this summer holiday…

T

he long summer holidays are an ideal time to work with your youngster.

Hopefully, they’ll soon be ditching their screens and curling up with an engrossing story book instead.

We all understand the importance of reading in a child’s development, and with Ofsted hot on schools’ heels to improve language development and comprehension, teachers are always looking for ways to engage children in reading. If you can redouble their efforts at home, that just might make all the difference.

Reading for pleasure is an important part of encouraging a love of reading in children. So let’s get started: Create a reading den Every home should have a reading corner or den; a place that is inviting and excites children.

Choose a quiet spot and add some pillows, bean bags or cushions to curl up on. Perhaps you could put up some posters to get them in the mood for imaginative thinking.

What about: • Under the sea • Rainbows • Castles • Transport • In the jungle Try to provide as broad a range of reading materials as possible. This includes everything from recipe books to graphic novels, blogs and instructions as well as traditional books. It

matters far less what your child reads than whether they read: if a hoover manual is what they enjoy, that’s fine. Once they’re reading for pleasure, they’ll move on to more traditional reading material.

Children enjoy reading about characters that they can relate to. Make sure to include picture books, and those that depict children from different family structures, cultures, religions and also physical abilities.

Friends and family may have books their children have enjoyed that they will be glad to

pass on to you. Charity shops are a fantastic source of reading material. And of course borrow from your local library so that the selection keeps changing every few weeks Get the whole family involved Children take great pleasure in reading with younger or older children and this can have a great impact on children’s progress. So if you have more than one child, encourage siblings to get involved.

And why not enjoy a book yourself? Leading by example and enjoying a book yourself will

encourage your child to do the same.

Different ways to read and listen to stories Reading doesn’t have to be the traditional reading of a book in silence.

Why not record yourself reading a story? Think of it as CBBC bedtime stories. Persuade other local parents to do the same and share videos with one another.

You could also use your phone to film yourself reading a story and send in the video to your child’s teacher when term starts again. If other parents do the same, the whole class can enjoy a story read by someone other than their teacher.

Children can also listen to stories on different forms of technology depending on what you have available: a tablet, iPad and CD player are all options. If you have the budget and are feeling fancy, there are some fabulous story telling devices such as a Toniebox or Yoto player.

These are really child friendly and great for a range of ages.

Discuss what you read When you read to your child, encourage them to think about characters and how they might be feeling, or how they would react in a certain situation. Bring characters to life by asking questions throughout the day about how the children think a character would react. For example, when resolving a sibling dispute, you could ask how they think the wicked witch would solve the problem.

Other fun activities include: • Put your child’s favourite programmes on without sound but with subtitles. Can they read along and understand what is happening?

• Host karaoke sessions where children are challenged to read and sing lyrics on the screen.

• Why not learn a topical poem alongside your child: find one about holidays, the weather, or beaches to fit the season!

• Host a book ‘cafe’ play day at home: put a range of books and reading materials on a table and encourage children to sample them and then discuss with one another.

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Going Out

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Take That to Julius Caesar it’s all happening at Hever HEVER Festival Theatre is returning with over 40 shows this summer and, for the first time, performances are continuing into September with Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of Julius Caesar (Sep 21-22).

The vibrant and varied programme this year includes opera, plays, films, jazz, classical music, speakers, comedy, musical tribute nights and family favourites The events take place in three spectacular locations in the award-winning gardens of Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, one of Kent’s top tourist attractions.

The Loggia in the tranquil Italian Garden with the magnificent lake view, Anne Boleyn’s Woodland Walk is the perfect setting to enjoy some shows including The Crow House (Aug 17) and a retro caravan with a mind of its own in The Wagon of Dreams, which starts tomorrow (Aug 4), and the Two Sisters Theatre, the original heart of the festival, where the outdoor seating is tiered and under cover or you can choose to sit where you like on the lawn and enjoy the vista from your own chairs or blanket, in the sunshine or under the stars.

It is 500 years since Anne Boleyn’s first appearance in English court and the Festival Theatre is celebrating with the critically acclaimed play Anne Boleyn by Howard Brenton (Aug 18-20).

Hever Castle Historians Dr. Owen Emerson and Kate McCaffrey also discuss their new book Becoming Anne charting her formative years (Aug 10).

Musical Tribute nights sparkle across the programme: including Take That (Aug 26), Sinatra (Aug 6), Joni Mitchell (Aug 12) and Just Floyd (Aug 25).

Other musical highlights include The Music of James Bond introduced by former Bond Girl Madeleine Smith (Aug 5).

Festival favourites Opera Brava with Carmen (Aug 13) and La Traviata (Aug 14), Charles Court Opera with Mikado (Aug 29), Ronnie Scott’s All Stars (Aug 21) and The Last Night of the Hever Proms (Aug 28) complete the programme.

Tickets for the longest Hever Festival Theatre Season ever are available at heverfestival.co.uk or through the Box Office 07379 488 477.

An afternoon of wartime letters between actress Celia Johnson and her husband Peter Fleming read by daughter, Lucy, and Simon Williams heads to Hever Festival on August 3. The touching and amusing letters tell of Celia’s experiences during the war – from coping with a large, isolated house full of evacuated children through to learning how to drive a tractor and dealing with rationing. Described as a ‘Theatrical Gem’ by the British Theatre Guide, Posting Letters To The Moon provides an engaging and fascinating historical insight into a time of true austerity and fearfulness.

The UK’s biggest-selling album group of the 21st century, Westlife will be broadcasting their first-ever Wembley Stadium show at Tunbridge Wells’ Odeon cinema on August 6. The spectacular showing will be their biggest and most historic yet, with 20 years of hits delivering an unmissable night for diehard fans. From ‘Uptown Girl’ to ‘Flying Without Wings’, Irish heart-throbs Shane, Nicky, Mark, and Kian invite fans everywhere to come together in their local cinema and share this unforgettable live experience, up close and personal.

Celebrating the life-time genius of Stevie Wonder, mesmeric vocalist Noel McCalla, and award-winning saxophonist Derek Nash play live at the orangery at Chiddingstone Castle this Sunday (August 7). Fans will be taken on a musical journey through decades of all the biggest and best Stevie Wonder hits, from the classics Isn’t She Lovely & Superstition to beautiful arrangements of My Cherie Amour and Overjoyed. Get ready for an unforgettable night at this ultimate live tribute and don’t miss out on booking tickets.

From Oscar-nominated visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks. Screening at Trinity Theatre on August 9, the story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and his manager Parker spanning 20 years, from Elvis Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.

007 The music of James Bond is celebrated at Hever this week

Summer in Tunbridge Wells isn’t summer without Jazz on the Pantiles. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Georgian Colonnade in the heart of the historic Pantiles, the bandstand will once again be rocking world class jazz tomorrow night.

(August 4) Don’t miss this Thursday evening delight which has seen the likes of The Vince Dunn Orchestra (pictured) play as well as Spice Fusion, The Skatonics and Derek Nash.

ALL THAT JAZZ

Dust off your boots and dig out your jam jars – it’s time to go bug hunting! On August 4 at Dunorlan Park, Research Curator Ian Beavis will be leading a fun and informative trail across the parks of Tunbridge Wells. Meet by the café for the hours long bug-hunt where you will discover the wildlife which exists right on your doorstep. Tickets cost £3 and accompanying adults are free.

Bring the whole family along to the Spa Valley Railway on August 4 for a swashbucklin’ good time and join Jolly Roger as he tries to find the lost treasure. Packed full of slapstick comedy, thrills, and spills – its set to be another sell-out show, departing from Tunbridge Wells West at intervals throughout the day.

Pose for a unique family portrait this Saturday (August 6) in the Orangery at Knole. Step back in time as you dress up in extraordinary historical costumes and celebrate the characters who lived and worked in this special house over the past 600 years. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

TL SPORTS TRIATHLON

The MTV VMA nominee JC Stewart comes to Tunbridge Wells on August 10 for a night of heart-on-sleeve balladry at The Forum.

Mixing raw emotion with classic pop, the rising star will be performing his current single ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’ amongst covers of top tracks from Spotify’s Best Pop UK, Spotify US’s Singled Out and Apple Music’s A-List: Pop. Entry Requirements: 16+ (under 16s accompanied by an adult).

Recommended by the Sinatra family’s Europe representative, Sinatra, Sequins & Swing: The Capitol Years Live celebrates the iconic hits, vocal majesty, and Hollywood glamour of Sinatra’s sensational Capitol Records years of 1953-1961. A must-see evening taking place on August 6 at Hever Castle’s Two Sisters’ Theatre, this musical like no other features classics Chicago, Lady Is a Tramp, and Come Fly with Me amongst a host of key songscenes from the king of swing’s legendary movie and TV specials.

Bring your sports drink and grab an energy bar, TL Sports Triathlon is coming to Bewl Water this Sunday. (August 7) Get ready to swim, ride, and run against pro and aspiring triathletes in the most grueling and hilarious contest there is. Choose between three races: sprint, standard, and relay before receiving your unique medal for your heroics.

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Gig Guide

gigguide

with Paul Bolton (2pm) THURSDAY 11/08 Jazz night (ticketed event) FRIDAY 12/08 Price of Swans TUESDAY 16/08 Ibiza Night TN Card event THE BEER SELLAR, TONBRIDGE Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm FRIDAY 05/08 Willowisp TUESDAY 16/08 Apollo Bleu

August 3 to 16

FRIDAY 05/08 Sean Fennessey & Friends FRIDAY 12/08 Kepler-22

Times resident music editor Paul Dunton shares his pick of the best live gigs to see over the next fortnight in Tunbridge Wells THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk THURSDAY 04/08 U18 Sumer show - Ash Dodd, Nihmeuh, The Street Lights, Rosie, U18 House Band SATURDAY 06/08 A celebration of Nirvana SATURDAY 13/08 Boogie Nights MONDAY 15/08 Psychedelic Porn Crumpets JAZZ ON THE PANTILES, THE PANTILES BANDSTAND 7.30pm – 10pm reservation required (entrance £5pp).

Participating restaurants : The Tunbridge Wells Hotel, The Kirthon, La Casa Vecchia THURSDAY 04/08 Unit 7 THURSDAY 11/08 Laura & Co featuring Laura Lawton THE ROYAL OAK PUB, PROSPECT ROAD Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm FRIDAY 05/08 The Harveys HEVER CASTLE FESTIVAL THEATRE All event information and tickets available at www.heverfestival.co.uk FRIDAY 05/08 James Bond Concert

Spectacular By Q The Music (Two Sisters Theatre) SATURDAY 06/08 Sinatra, Sequins & Swing: The Capitol Years Live!

(Two Sisters Theatre) SUNDAY 07/08 A star Is Born sing-along (Two Sisters Theatre) FRIDAY 12/08 Both Sides Now - A tribute to Joni Mitchell (Two sisters) THE GREEN DUCK EMPORIUM, 53 GROSVENOR ROAD All event information and bookings at www.thegreenduckemporium.com/ events SATURDAY 13/06 Sing-a-Long - The Rocky Horror Picture Show @ Green Duck Courtyard Cinema

CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE, CHIDDINGSTONE All event information and tickets available at www.chiddingstonecastle. org.uk/whats-on/ SUNDAY 07/08 Stevie Wonder Celebration - Live at the Orangery

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THE BLACK HORSE PUB, CAMDEN ROAD Open all day music from 8pm unless stated contact 01892 523910 with all enquires THURSDAY 04/08 Open Jam Night FRIDAY 05/08 The Waterman Trio SUNDAY 07/08 Reggae afternoon

THE GUN & SPITROAST INN, HORSMONDEN Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm WEDNESDAY 03/08 Jam Session all welcome WEDNESDAY 10/08 Jam Session all welcome

ASH DODD

THE GEORGE & DRAGON, SPELDHURST Open all day, free entry, music from 3.15pm till 5.45pm SATURDAY 06/08 The Management Duo SATURDAY 13/08 Ben Hill JOHN HARRIMAN

SANKEY’S RESTAURANT, THE PANTILES Open all day, free entry, music from 6.45pm – 9.15pm THURSDAY 04/08 Paul Crisp THURSDAY 11/08 Jenny Maslin & Friends DAVID MUMFORD

JENNIFER MASLIN

TN1 BAR & KITCHEN, MONSON ROAD Open all day, free entry, booking advised www.tn1barkitchen.co.uk THURSDAY 04/08 Guy Watson FRIDAY 05/08 The Masqueraders Duo SATURDAY 06/08 Chris Harper THURSDAY 11/08 Julian Burdoch FRIDAY 12/08 The Masqueraders Duo SATURDAY 13/08 David Mumford THE BEDFORD PUB, 2 HIGHSTREET Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm LAURA LAWTON

JOHN HARRIMAN If you are a local to Tunbridge Wells venue that hosts regular live music or even if it’s a one-off event, concert or festival please email me at least six weeks in advance of your event date with the details.

Email to paul@paulduntonandguests.com Name and address of Venue Date and time of event Name of event and name of act(s) involved Ticket link and/or website please state if free entry 1 x high resolution (300 dpi) landscape jpeg (performer only, no posters) Please state photo credit if required.

food & drink

228 NEWSFood Local &News Drink

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday September 2021 Wednesday August29 3 || 2022

Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules on cooking as an act of resistance The chef speaks to Prudence Wade about setting up the Cook for Ukraine campaign, and how food can connect everyone – regardless of where you’re from

F

or Olia Hercules, cooking is normally her therapy, her safe space – but she lost this when Russia invaded her native country, Ukraine.

“For the first two months or so, I couldn’t really cook – it was a weird feeling,” the 38-year-old remembers. “Normally it’s an act of meditation and stress relief. If it’s a normal, everyday stress, I cook – especially if I make something a bit more involved, like dough, breadmaking, dumplings – something like that, it’s amazing.

Borscht “But when you’re going through trauma, it was completely different. I felt guilty eating at first, then I felt guilty cooking. It was a horrible feeling, and I couldn’t shake it off.”

She eventually felt differently while making her parents a meal in Italy after they fled Ukraine.

“That’s when it lifted, and I was like yes, I’ve got it back. I’m enjoying making this borscht for them, I know it’s going to do so much good.”

Now, Hercules says she realises cooking is “an act of resistance and defiance, and not letting Putin and his goons take all the joy away from us – because that’s what they’re trying to do”.

Recently, after some particularly bad news about the war, Hercules regressed to those feelings – but her mother brought her back to herself. “She said, ‘This is what he’s [Vladimir Putin] trying to do. Don’t

Olia Hercules

let him do this – this is how we’re going to lose if we’re going to be paralysed by fear all the time and stop living.’ So we can’t stop living – and food is life.”

Now, Hercules is learning to take better care of herself, whether that’s returning to cooking, booking herself into an embroidery course, or writing. She also set up the Cook for Ukraine campaign with friend and food writer Alissa Timoshkina, as a way of raising awareness.

“At first we thought, OK, this is going to be a hashtag, and maybe we’ll think of something – a donation situation,” she says. “We were like, it’s good enough to just do a hashtag, cook a Ukrainian meal, and educate people and keep Ukraine in the news, keep talking about it – and also this thing of connection.”

If somebody in Britain makes a Ukrainian dish, Hercules suggests: “It’s much easier for them to imagine a family that would have been having this dish somewhere in Ukraine – and now they can’t do that anymore. The headlines are there, and with time it’s only natural for people to start disassociating,

‘But having something cultural – especially something to do with food – keeps you connected, and also gives you strength in a way’

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Food & Drink

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

and being like, OK, I need to preserve my sanity, I can’t look at this horror all the time.

“But having something cultural – especially something to do with food – keeps you connected, and also gives you strength in a way.”

The campaign’s success exceeded Hercules’ expectations, and as well as raising awareness around the situation in Ukraine, it’s also a window into the country’s unique cuisine.

She accepts there are preconceptions about Ukrainian food. “People have said it is all about potatoes and dumplings and overcooked cabbage, which was actually really hurtful. But stereotypes are stereotypes – I don’t blame people for having them.”

Instead, she wants people to know the cuisine is so much more than that – it’s “diverse, and can be fresh and herbaceous”.

Now though, Hercules doesn’t feel like she has to convince everyone that Ukraine is a rich and diverse country. It is – but she also says: “It’s time to embrace all of our potato and cabbage dishes, because they’re actually extremely delicious.”

Perfection She has one of these potato dishes in her latest cookbook, Home Food. A staple growing up, the recipe for crispy potatoes and onions is ‘something everybody could do – students do it – and the perfection of this dish is because you cut the potatoes in an imperfect way. [Even if] you’re striving to do really thin slices, inevitably some will be thicker than others – and that’s what you want, that’s what makes it so good.

Because some of the potatoes become more crispy, and some become soft.’

Hercules rediscovered the recipe during the start of the pandemic, asking her mum about it (who, by the way, didn’t think it even counted as a recipe) – and now it’s well and truly back in her repertoire.

Through writing her new book, Hercules realised how much food can connect people – regardless of where you come from.

FROM

p

0p 5 .

2 5 £

Pasta with confit garlic, goat’s cheese and thyme recipe

so slightly. The whole process should take about 20 minutes, but use your judgement. When ready, the garlic will smell very sweet and the cloves can be easily pierced with a knife. Take it off the heat and add the thyme.

Crunchy lettuce is the perfect accompaniment for this dish.

“I don’t normally find much pleasure in cooking for just me. Except when it’s this dish,” says Olia Hercules.

“This is adapted from an old Nigel Slater recipe, a writer who inspired me and so many others to look beyond cookbook recipes and to cook more freely and creatively. I turn to this recipe time and again when I have some moments on my own.”

She always serves lettuce leaves on the side, to mop up the pasta sauce with a bit of crunch.

Ingredients: (Serves 2) 2 small garlic bulbs (yes, that’s correct, 1 per person) 100ml good olive oil Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs

Method:

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2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Put the goat’s cheese into a food processor. When there are three minutes to go before the pasta is done, ladle 200 millilitres of the pasta water into a measuring jug.

Blitz the goat’s cheese with half of the measured pasta water and two to three tablespoons of the garlic oil. You will have a smooth and rather liquid sauce, but do not worry, it will all be good. (If it is not quite liquid, I find the pasta eats too dry.)

200g spaghetti or linguine 200g soft goat’s cheese (logs are good) To serve: Lettuce leaves Good vinegar Sea salt Home Food: Recipes To Comfort And Connect by Olia Hercules is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £26. Photography

by Joe Woodhouse.

Available now.

1. I haven’t yet found a garlic peeling hack that works. What I do is separate the cloves, then attempt to lightly bash on each with the heel of my hand and cut off the dry root end. The skins then slip off quite easily. If you accidentally squash some (or a lot, like I do, heavy-handedly) of the cloves, don’t worry too much, they can still be used. Put the oil into the smallest saucepan or frying pan you have, heat it gently and spoon in the garlic. The cloves should be submerged in oil pan. But you can always use more oil. It won’t go and cook very gently over the lowest heat to waste, as the garlicky oil is so good in other possible. recipes, or to dress boiled vegetables. The garlic Sometimes I tilt the pan carefully, helping the will be spluttering away, its water escaping the cloves to submerge, and stand there holding theHOTEL oil. It has to soften, mellow and colour only ever

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3. Drain the pasta and put it back into the pan in which it was cooking. Pour the sauce over the pasta and, using tongs, pick the pasta up and down, making sure to cover the pasta in the sauce.

Keep agitating it like this for a minute. At this point I take a mouthful and check if it slips down smoothly. If it feels a bit dry rather than slippery, I add another splash of pasta water and swirl it around with tongs some more.

4. Put the pasta into serving plates and pour over any goat’s cheese sauce that remained behind in the pan. Serve with the confit garlic cloves scattered over the top and a drizzle of the garlic oil.

5. When you finish the pasta, pile the lettuce leaves directly into the pasta plate and add a little vinegar and salt. The remainder of the goat’s cheese sauce is so good with the leaves.

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Food & Drink

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

31

Chill out with these three cool red wines which are great for summer

As the weather sizzles and the mercury climbs, keep your cool with Times Drinks Editor James Viner’s selection of three red wines that are best served chilled – as is common practice on the Continent – and tailor-made for summer swigging at barbecues and other get-togethers during the balmy days and evenings of summer…

BEARING in mind that it has been in the twenties indoors recently, room-temperature red wine on a searing summer’s day is a calamity!

You can lose a lot of the wine’s character since the fruit will be muted, the alcohol will stick out and the wine will taste soupy. A short dunk in the ice bucket or an hour-long stopover in the fridge – we’re not talking freezing temperatures but rather cooling to around 13°C or 14°C – on a hot day will make the wine taste livelier and fresher.

The following summery ice-bucket-friendly reds make great alternatives to rosés and whites and tick the same boxes. As a general rule stick to youthful unoaked/sensitively oaked reds – up to three years of age – that have relatively low levels of tannins/thin skins, light to medium body and which are driven by primary fruits and fresh acidity. Feel the thrill of the chill…

1. Taste bud-tingling, melt-in-the-mouth, fresh, uplifting red from the coolest/highest altitude Beaujolais ‘Cru,’ the most southerly of Burgundy’s districts Chiroubles Beaujolais Cru 2020, France (£10, Co-op, 13.5%) It’s tough to think of a more textbook summer red than Beaujolais. Just south of Burgundy, you’ll find decomposing old pink granite soils that make superior red wines from delectable Gamay. The finest wines come from the ten famous villages or ‘Crus’ (equivalent to Club Class) that make wines with an arresting similarity to red Burgundy, but at a much more favourable price. Located in the hills above Fleurie, Chiroubles lies at the highest altitude of the Beaujolais Crus and makes zingy, perfumed, deliciously delicate red wines. This cracking silky-smooth, fragrant, sapid, mouth-filling Chiroubles has characteristically low tannins, mouth-watering acidity, excellent texture and plenty of sappy, tangy and racy red fruits (think cherries, plums and raspberries), crushedgrape flavours, plus a whiff of violets. Serve it frais, or cool, as the French do.

Perhaps with simple everyday alfresco suppers or – at the weekend – justseared tuna steaks, coq au vin and barbecued meats?

‘Gulpable’ is the word.

2. Seductive low tannin red from Sicily – a muchdeserved Wine Society ‘Champ’ Frappato, Terre Siciliane IGT, Mandrarossa 2021, Sicily, Italy (£10.50, The Wine Society, 13%) Don’t dillydally, this is your chirpy, chillable red summer wine sorted! If you like Beaujolais, you’ll love this. Thin-skinned Frappato produces charming lightbodied, low tannin reds that can be served faintly chilled, and they put me in mind of decent Beaujolais as regards mouthfeel and taste. This recently crowned Wine Society ‘Champ’ is

beautifully floral with a satiny texture and has waves of juicy pomegranate and red fruit flavours. The pretty juiciness on the palate will encourage you to pour a second lightly-chilled glass. This is a wine that sings! It’s an exceedingly chillable package and the perfect foil for meaty fish such as rare tuna, swordfish and grilled salmon. Utterly quaffable. Try it also with salads and summery pasta dishes such as pasta con le sarde (Sicily on a plate). Best enjoyed cool rather than fridge-cold. Go out of

1

2

your way to get this champ whilst stocks last. If you’re not already a Wine Society member join – it’s a one-off membership fee of £40 with no obligation to buy and £20 off the first order.

Makes a great gift too.

3. Strikingly spry red from the cool, damp region of Bierzo in northwest Spain CVNE Virgen del Galir Maruxa Mencía 2019, Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain (£10.99-£12.99, Majestic, Waitrose, House of Malt, 13.5%) Also known as Jaen over the border in nearby Portugal, Spain’s Mencía is having a moment. It’s an idiosyncratic black grape variety that can make vibrant, refreshing, fruity-earthy reds in cool, damp – and now very trendy – north western Spain. This unoaked, medium-bodied, mineral and crunchy red berry fruit-stashed 2019 from remote, mountainous – the warmest, easternmost wine zone of Galicia, which was so named in Roman times due to the gold found in its valleys – gets my thumbs-up. It has some attractive leafy/foresty development, too. Fruit is sourced from low-yielding, steeply terraced schistous vineyards, from plots in the Galir and Bibei river valleys.

Pour it lightly chilled on sunny days around the barbecue and with roast duck, slow-roast shoulder of pork or roast cod/duck with lentils. One for Beaujolais devotees.

Follow James on Twitter: @QuixoticWine

TOP TIPS FOR SERVING RED WINES IN THE SUMMER:

3

• Summer reds should be served at around 10°C-16°C. If it’s warm give them a 20–30-minute sojourn in the fridge • Other fresh (habitually paler) reds that love a dip in the ice bucket include entry-level wines made from Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cinsault, Corvina (Valpolicella blends), Dolcetto, Gamay, Grenache, Nerello Mascalese, País, Pinot Noir, Schiava and Zweigelt • If you are pushed for time around 10 minutes in the freezer should avail. You can then deploy the ice bucket too afterwards. Chiller sleeves can be a good alternative • Full-bodied, tannic reds such as Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are frequently served far too warm. Never serve them much above 16-18°C. Don’t overchill these more tannic reds since the tannins will stand out and become too grippy

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Property

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

33

property news

Housing market will slow down banking chief says BRITAIN’S biggest mortgage lender expects the housing market to slow in the coming year, as rising interest rates make loans more expensive for borrowers and property prices finally begin to fall.

Charlie Nunn, chief executive officer of Lloyds Banking Group, said the bank’s open mortgage book rose just 1 per cent in the three months through June and now stands at £296.6 billion.

This growth was helped by customers rushing to remortgage as they seek to lock in prices before rates increase, bringing to an end several years of cheap deals fuelled by intense competition among capital-laden lenders.

“We in turn are actively engaging with our customers to ensure that they are aware of their alternatives and to help with any consequent steps,” Nunn told analysts after the bank’s earnings on Wednesday.

The Bank of England is preparing to raise rates several times this year in an attempt to stem the highest inflation in four decades. Nunn told journalists he sees many customers making ‘really difficult choices around spending’ so they can afford their energy bills and other steeply rising costs.

UK homeowners are more vulnerable to rising borrowing costs because most fix their mortgage for two to five years, compared with as many as 30 years in the US. Bloomberg Economics expects the Bank of England to raise the benchmark

lending rate to 2.25 per cent by year end.

As part of its downgrades to economic forecasts on Wednesday, Lloyds now expects house prices to grow just 1.8 per cent this year, and fall 1.4 per cent next year.

Growth For now, though, prices are defying the wider economic uncertainty, partly due to a lack of properties on the market, according to data from Halifax earlier this month that showed record prices after 13% year-on-year growth.

Nunn said the current downturn was a ‘very different shock’ compared to recent recessions, but said the playbook of stable employment and inflationary pressures had been seen elsewhere in Mexico, India and south east Asia.

If you own a second property in a popular UK holiday destination, then you are likely to be pleased with the growing demand for the UK staycation market. According to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ Staycation Index, more than three quarters (77%) of Brits will holiday in the UK this year, largely due to the cost-of-living crisis and recent airport chaos. But with some local councils clamping down on second homeowners, what will this mean for the holiday-homes lettings market? James Richards, Partner at award-winning Tunbridge Wells sales and letting agent, Maddisons Residential, expands.

Commonwealth Games could bring 15 per cent boost to house prices HOSTING an event such as the Commonwealth Games, could add up to 15 per cent to house prices in the area, research by an estate and lettings agent has found.

Barrows and Forrester study reveals that Birmingham housing market could be boosted by hosting the 22nd games, which began last week.

The research looked at how the legacy of hosting such an event can help cultivate positive house price growth in the years following - based on the housing market performance seen across other previous host cities.

Host Since 1970, the UK has hosted the Commonwealth Games four times and in the year following each event, property values increased by an average of 14.9 per cent across these host cities.

In 1970, Edinburgh was the host city and, at the start of the games, the local average house price was £5,487. Twelve months after the games, the average price had increased to £6,799 representing an annual rise of 23.9 per cent.

In 1986, Edinburgh played host again. This time,

SECOND HOMEOWNERS FEED UK STAYCATION DEMAND AMIDST CALLS FOR RESTRICTIONS

the city’s average house price at the start of the games was £41,490. A year later, an increase of 5.8 per cent had brought the average up to £43,899.

In 2002, it was Manchester’s turn to host the games. As the torch was lit at the opening ceremony, the city’s average house price was £65,691. A year later, it had increased to £81,532, a rise of 24.1 per cent.

In 2014, the games went back to Scotland, this time to Glasgow. As the competition commenced, the average house price was £107,648 and a year later it was up to £113,668, an increase of 5.6 per cent.

So what does this mean for Birmingham?

Well, based on the current Birmingham house price of £222,834, an average Commonwealth house price boost of 14.9 per cent would see property values climb to £255,934 by this time next year.

Managing Director of Barrows and Forrester, James Forrester, said: “Birmingham has already enjoyed an extensive and ongoing period of regeneration and future plans to continue this regeneration will further cement us as the UK’s second city.

“The choice to host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is testament to how far we’ve come in this respect and this privilege will not only help to put the city further on the map, it will bring a huge boost to the local economy and will entice more businesses, and people, into calling the city home in the process.

“This heightened demand will inevitably help to cultivate local property prices as more buyers enter the market. You need only look at the huge boost the Olympic regeneration project brought to the London Borough of Newham to see that an exciting time lies ahead, not only for Birmingham’s housing market, but for the city as a whole.”

The rise in popularity of websites such as Airbnb to advertise holiday rentals has led to more people buying second homes in popular UK holiday towns, with the financial and lifestyle benefits making them an attractive investment opportunity. One can expect the potential return on investment during the peak seasons to more than cover the ongoing costs of running the property. Not to mention the additional benefit that a holiday home allows for a potential bolt hole to visit in off-peak seasons or even regular long weekends, with hybrid working making this an increasing possibility for many.

Although such rentals arguably allow for more tourism, locals often have a different view. Issues raised, most notably in Cornwall, are that such rentals reduce housing stock for locals, which in turn creates a knock-on effect for employment, with many businesses struggling to find staff for the busier periods. Additionally, some villages have a high level of vacant properties in the off-peak period which causes significant local upset.

In response, the Welsh government is due to add a 300 per cent council-tax hike from next year to second homeowners and Brighton Council and many Cornish towns are restricting all new homes from second homeownership. The English government is also reported to be considering legislation to make it easier for councils to ban the creation of second homes that are deemed damaging to the local community.

With Sykes Holiday Cottages seeing summer bookings increase by 26% over July compared with the same period last year, it doesn’t look like this problem will be resolved soon, but owners will need to remain aware of the potential implications arising in the future.

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

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

34

Antiques

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Taking antiques to the small screen

antiques

Bentley's Nick Hall talks about the world of TV and how programmes such as the BBC's Bargain Hunt have fuelled the audience's appetite for antiques and collectibles...

O

ver recent years there has been an explosion of antiques related tv shows hitting our screens, which has fuelled the public's interest in this fascinating and often bewildering but astonishing industry.

Here at Bentley’s, we have two BBC TV antiques experts amongst our team of auctioneers. Nick Hall and Raj Bisram, appearing regularly on Bargain Hunt, Flog it, The Antiques Road Show, Antiques Road Trip, and many other shows too.

The TV antiques shows are a mixed bag of formats, from the more educational shows where you can learn in-depth facts and historical insight about all manner of subjects and eras, from ancient times to contemporary art, and to the more light-hearted game show formats.

You can pick up useful facts and tips while cheering on the teams, as well as the formats that mirror the day to day working life of the antiques experts, where you see them discussing and valuing items brought along by members of the public which are then sold at auction, sometimes bringing surprising results.

Of course, the TV companies produce all the many different antiques shows because there is a big appetite for them from the public.

In turn, this increases their viewing figures, and for the antiques trade participating in the shows there is of course the benefit of the wide exposure their businesses and they themselves receive to the millions of viewers, which can only be

good for business and for the antiques trade in general.

The shows undoubtedly are helping promote antiques shops, centres, fairs, and auctions, and getting the public interested in not only finding out what their treasures are worth.

Also, these programmes help show how people can furnish their homes with unique and beautifully crafted antique and vintage items, rather than modern factory-made flat pack items which often need replacing before too long.

Friendly People are realising that beautifully made and characterful antique items not only create an interesting and homely home, but are also environmentally friendly too, realising the benefits of buying antique over new, and having fun searching out new pieces too.

One of the most popular daytime TV antiques shows is BBC 1's Bargain Hunt, which both Nick and Raj regularly appear on, running now for over 20 years, and with daily viewing figures running into the millions.

It has become one of the nation's favourites, for those that haven't seen it the premise is simple: two teams have an hour at an antiques venue to buy three items, guided by an expert.

The items are then taken to auction and sold, the team with the biggest profit (or smallest loss!) are the winners.

Bargain Hunt will be filming four new

‘These programmes help people furnish their homes with unique and beautifully crafted antiques' episodes at Bentley's next auction, on Saturday, August 6, where they'll be selling all the items that four pairs of teams had recently bought at an antiques fair.

So, if you want to see the action live, watch how the show is made, and see the teams, experts and presenter elated and

HOUSE CALLS

TV STARS Nick Hall and Charlie Ross on the set of the Antiques Road Show deflated with their profits and losses, then come along to the auction and see for yourself'

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

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

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

Call Clive on 07860 942726

Free antiques valuations by ITV and BBC television personality Clive Attrell. Clive is an experienced and internationally respected antiques valuer with over 40 Years’ experience in the business.

TOP PRICES PAID FOR

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

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

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

BOOK NOW

Clive Attrell is Kent County Council Trading Standards Approved: Reg No 15618

Music Matters

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

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music matters

"I find music retail incredibly interesting" One of Brittens Music’s longest serving staff members and Senior Sales Consultant, Kim Thornewell, takes time out to chat about her almost 40 year-long career at Brittens Music and reveals a series of lucky coincidences, and a passion for music How long have you worked at Brittens Music?

I came to work in Brittens Music shop in 1983. It was my first job after studying music at Goldsmiths College. My Dad actually found it for me in an advert in the local newspaper!

I originally wanted to become an orchestral librarian. But I am a people person at heart, so working in retail is a great fit because it gives me the chance to interact with all sorts of people.

My classical knowledge is really good, which is particularly useful in my role. It’s not such a common area of expertise so it’s something I can really help customers with.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Music is my passion. It’s incredibly important and has a place in pretty much everybody’s lives. It’s highly emotive and affects people differently - it can be calming, exhilarating, and soothing.

I find music retail incredibly interesting. There is so much to learn, about the instruments and the music – I’m still finding out new things, even after 40 years.

How did you discover your love of music?

My first musical memory is from

Why is music important?

Playing music is incredibly important for social development, dexterity, and fine motor skill development. It’s great for building concentration and comprehension.

Understanding how to read music can make learning other subjects easier.

There are also proven mental health benefits of music. Research has shown that listening to music releases dopamine, the ‘happy hormone’. A study a few years ago found levels of dopamine were up to 9 per cent higher in volunteers that were listening to music they enjoyed.

primary school. I was around 10 years old when I saw an American student play the guitar.

I was instantly hooked. I loved it so much that my dad bought me a cheap guitar from Woolworths. I learned to play a few chords and haven’t looked back.

My second musical serendipity was a few years later at secondary school. A chance encounter with some brass instruments together with the fact I was tall, meant I was picked to have a go at the trombone.

What I love about playing the trombone is the broad range of material I can play – from orchestral symphonies to musicals, from concert pieces to popular band music. It’s an incredibly versatile instrument.

I also play the euphonium; an instrument that looks like a small tuba. I took it up around 20 years ago but have been playing more seriously for the past 10 years.

‘Music has mental health benefits.

Research has shown that listening to music releases dopamine'

KIM’S QUICK THREE • What was your first concert?

'Yes' in 1994 (It was their reunion gig at Wembley Arena) • What was your first album? The Osmonds - The Plan • What famous people have you met in the shop? Adam Faith, Maria Ewing and Simon Preston.

TROMBONE PLAYER Kim Thornewell

Got a trombone query? Want to hear what a euphonium sounds like?

Have a question about Classical music? Come and chat with Kim at Brittens Music, full details of our shop opening hours and location are available at: brittensmusic.co.uk

SOULSTICE

Colebrook Park, Tunbridge Wells

MAFALDA / Sfven / Tamzene Special Guest DJ (TBA)

All Day Breakfast cafe / Bee-sides / Cable! / dat brass Laelo black / liv johnson / mantissa / Marie White marla kether / mas que nada bros / ollie mcglashan / reviveheR rhys b2b Dj goodwill / saachi / Scarlett o’malley shalea / soulstice residents / theon bower / t.s.k

Plus more artists TBA

The Soulstice Collective @the_soulstice_collective www.thesoulsticecollective.org

36

Travel

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Could this remote Zambian park be Africa’s wildest, once-in-a-lifetime safari destination?

Shrouded in legend and folklore, Liuwa Plain is an off-the-beaten-track adventure, as Sarah Marshall discovers...

F

EW people would happily reside next door to lions. But in Zambia’s Liuwa Plain National Park, where communities still live inside the protected wildlife area, Africa’s biggest cats are welcome to come and go as they please.

The unusual tolerance is down to the legendary Lady Liuwa, a resilient female who survived years of devastating poaching and trophy hunting to become the only lion in the park.

Alone, she would seek company by sleeping close to human settlements. Her regular visits to the burial site of Mambeti, daughter to the Lozi king’s spiritual advisor, even led elders to believe the lion was a reincarnation of the young woman rising from her grave.

Although Lady Liuwa died of natural causes in 2017, without ever producing any offspring (‘She

was a human, so how could she?’ communities insist), her legacy continues.

Bon Jovi, a handsome six-year-old male with a rockstar mane, is the product of a successful reintroduction programme launched by NGO African Parks in 2009. Watching him stride confidently through golden blades of thatch grass, his strawberry blond locks shimmering in the late afternoon sun, I’m in no doubt he dominates this vast land.

Off the beaten track Part of Zambia’s little explored Western Province, on the border with Angola, Liuwa Plain sprawls for 3,660-square-kilometres across endless pans and grasslands flooded for part of the year. Every day, the sun rises above uninterrupted horizons. When it sets, it’s easy to believe you’re standing at the edge of the world.

already shifted his palace to higher land, as the Magical and mysterious, it’s a region steeped Zambezi River floods into the Barotse in folklore and tradition, where stories and floodplains now the rainy season has come to an legends help communities make sense of daily end. life.

The Kuomboka, a grand ceremony held every In the early 19th century, the King of April, when Lozi people paddle their sovereign Barotseland, Lubosi Lewanika, decreed his to his seasonal home, people would be is referenced in the custodians of the park ‘Every day, the sun rises above communal area of and its wildlife.

Settled in specific uninterrupted horizons. When it Time+Tide’s King Lewanika camp – the areas to avoid any sets, it’s easy to believe you’re only five-star competition with animals for resources, standing at the edge of the world’ accommodation in the park, open from 10,000 Lozi people October to July. still live in the park.

A replica of the King’s black and white vessel Each family is designated a pan for fishing – hangs from the ceiling of a thatched communal further proof Liuwa is a model for sustainable area, set in a small woodland of Mbula plums. living in the bush.

Local touches continue with lampshades When I visit in early June, the current King has

Travel

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

37

fashioned from women’s fishing baskets, while a silimba – a traditional Lozi xylophone-style instrument with gourds dangling from wooden slats – provides musical entertainment during my evenings in camp.

Exploring the land Big distances coupled with sandy terrain make it impossible to do anything here in a hurry. Not that I’m in any rush.

With few distinguishing features, it’s easy to become disorientated. The only landmark is an isolated cluster of palms marking the centre of the park, where – according to Lozi culture – the king planted his walking stick on the same spot.

Around me, plains are covered in a carpet of pink and yellow flowers, while beds of wild mint give off a sweet and cleansing scent. Sunken below the surface, dwarf forests reveal only their canopy, and snouted termite mounds resemble stubby stacks of black volcanic rock.

In a shallow lagoon, I watch great white pelicans fish in unison, plunging headfirst and ruffling their tailfeathers skyward, like a troupe of rara-skirted dancers at the Folies Bergère.

Without any shade, wildebeest dig hollows in the sand to keep cool. In October, 36,000 will arrive to calve as part of Africa’s second biggest migration. But for now, most of them are in the north of the park.

In this unpredictable landscape of heavy floods and fierce sunshine, animals have developed unusual adaptations and survival techniques Star species Since 2003, African Parks has been managing Liuwa in partnership with the Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the Barotse Royal Establishment. Along with lions, they’ve helped reintroduce buffalos, elands and – most recently – wild dogs to the park.

The two species gaining most attention, however, are cheetahs and spotted hyenas – both filmed by the BBC for the David Attenborough’s Dynasties II. During one late afternoon drive, we run into star of the show Kali – estimated to be the longest living cheetah in Zambia.

“This is the first time we’ve seen her in two

EXPLORING There’s plenty of waterways for the adventurous months,” gasps my guide, Rabbie, almost in disbelief. We leave her hunting for oribi (a type of antelope). But the next morning, like a ghost, she’s gone.

In this unpredictable landscape of heavy floods and fierce sunshine, animals have developed unusual adaptations and survival techniques: in the dry season, catfish go into aestivation, waiting in the mud until rains return; while, in the absence of many predators to scavenge from, hyenas have learned to hunt on their own.

“I’ve seen them take a carcass and bury it in the pans to avoid it being eaten by vultures,” Rabbie tells me, as we wait at a den the following morning. When the adults arrive home, their mouth ruby red with blood from a fresh kill, several pups emerge from holes, popping nervously up and down like a Jack In The Box.

with Lusaka and the DRC. Waving down our Land Cruiser, a headmistress eagerly invites me into a newly built school, financially supported by the Time+Tide Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the company. Ushering me into a classroom, she shows me the single table where children stand for lessons and take notes; poking my head into her simple office strewn with paperwork, I’m amused to spot an immaculate pair of high heels tucked beneath the desk.

Although their resources are often limited, I’ve come to realise the Lozi people are enviably content with their world. Remarkably, they’ve found a way to co-exist with even the most feared predators in the toughest conditions.

The result is a rare state of harmony.

And that’s why, in these infinite, parched plains below ever-shifting skies, I can easily understand why Lady Liuwa felt so at home.

A human touch

How to plan your trip

Driving back to camp, I notice several fishermen laden with nets – a reminder it’s not just animals who need to find food in the park.

Taking a detour, Rabbie brings me to a local village where African Parks are helping the community to develop a smoked catfish trade

Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; 03301 734 712) offers a three-night trip to King Lewanika in Zambia from £6,995pp based on two people sharing. Includes flights, transfers and accommodation on a full board basis, including all safari fees and drives.

Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com; 0344 8747 747) flies direct between London Heathrow and Johannesburg with return fares from £612 per person, including complimentary food, drink, inflight entertainment and taxes. This fare is available for departure on selected dates throughout 2023 is for seven nights. Connecting onward flights to Lusaka must be booked separately.

WILDLIFE Nature is the star of any Zambian holiday

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

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

I am regular advice amholding holding regular advice surgeries online surgeries– –face-to-face, by zoom or or by telephone.

To makeanan telephone.

To make appointment, please call:call: appointment, please

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

38

Motoring

Wednesday August 3 | 2022

Motoring News Skoda transforms Enyaq into camper SKODA has unveiled a version of its Enyaq iV electric SUV that features a variety of festivalready added equipment.

The Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal has space for up to four people to sleep and incorporates a clever pull-out system, which provides cooking and food preparation space out the rear of the car.

Cooker Created by Czech manufacturer EGOE, this ‘box’ has been designed specifically to fit within the Enyaq’s 585-litre boot. Once slid out of the tailgate, it provides an integrated gas cooker, collapsible sink and plenty of storage.

The rear seats are still usable when the car is on the move, but when static it provides one of

This week…

Skoda’s Enyaq iV

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2023 Type R

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Czech Police use 458

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HAPPY CAMPER The Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal

the two sleeping areas accessible in the Enyaq.

A double bed frame extends across the folded rear seats, which the mattress cushions sit atop the box and provide sleeping space for two people.

Storage Then a roof tent – accessed via a ladder stored inside the tent box when it is closed – can be opened in minutes, providing sleeping space for two further people.

It also has netting for storage inside, as well as a solar-powered fan and an integrated torch.

The Enyaq also incorporates camping chairs and a table that can be easily set up outside of the vehicle.

2023 Honda Civic Type R revealed Seized Ferrari 458 supercar pressed HONDA’S latest Civic Type R has been revealed, following several months of being teased.

The new sixth-generation Type R builds on a hugely successful reputation, with the previous model seen as one of the greatest generations of the performance Civic ever.

Now, there’s a new one. Due to arrive in Europe early next year, the new Civic Type R has already proven its capability by setting a new record lap time for front-wheel-drive cars at Suzuka Circuit in Japan.

Sport Said to be lighter and more responsive than before, the new Type R takes the body of the recently introduced standard Civic e:HEV and adds a lower, more aggressive stance on the road. It sits on lightweight 19-inch matte black alloy wheels, too, wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

Many aspects such as the front and rear bumpers, as well as the rear doors and arches, have been exclusively developed for the Type R in order to improve aerodynamics. The lower grille at the front of the car helps to channel airflow to the engine too, and this works in partnership with a small bonnet intake.

The rear spoiler helps to generate downforce and sits lower but wider than the one fitted to the previous-generation car.

into service by a Czech police force

Performance Honda hasn’t released full details about the new Type R’s powertrain, but it is set to reuse the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine found in its predecessor. The firm says that the changes are ‘incremental’, but the turbocharger has been revised with an ‘optimised’ blade count inside the unit itself helping to make it the ‘strongest VTEC turbocharged engine’.

As before, the Type R will be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox, which now has a revised rev-match system that automatically blips the throttle when changing down the gears to ensure perfect shifts every time.

Inside, the new Type R gains the revisions added to the latest Civic, while there is now the option to configure the car an individual, customisable driving mode. The driver sits lower than before, too, while Honda says that there is greater visibility over the lower bonnet.

Honda is expected to release further details about the Type R’s performance – as well as its pricing – in the coming months.

A FERRARI 458 supercar seized by police in the Czech Republic is being put into use as a patrol car ‘against the most aggressive drivers on Czech highways’.

The 570bhp supercar, which uses a 4.5-litre V8 engine and can reach 202mph, is worth around £150,000 and was ‘seized as criminal property’, the police service of the Czech Republic said in a statement.

Rather than selling the car off though, as often happens, it’s been repurposed as a patrol car, with police saying the modifications cost 340,000 Czech crowns (circa £11,680) – less than the price of a new Skoda Scala.

Speedometer Modifications made to the 2011 model include it being decked out in full police livery, with a flashing blue light bar put on the roof and a camera system plus speedometer being fitted.

The police service added that the Ferrari wasn’t even the most valuable or rare car it has seized from illegal activity.

Almost 900 vehicles have been seized in the

past year alone, and although the ‘vast majority’ are sold, with the proceeds going towards compensation, it has hundreds of confiscated vehicles that are used to combat crime, although none of them as high-end as the Ferrari.

Jiří Zlý, director of the traffic police, said in a translated statement: “The vehicle will be used in a nationwide unit against aggressive drivers.

Launched “We will also be able to use it when pursuing stolen vehicles that are going to neighbouring countries. The range of tasks that the vehicle will perform is really wide.”

The supercar, which first launched in 2009, has been in storage for 10 years and only has 2,000km (1,243 miles) on the clock.

The Ferrari 458 will be joining the special surveillance department, with it also being used to help thwart illegal street racing and search for stolen extreme performance cars ‘that normal patrol vehicles cannot fully compete with’.

The police added that it will only be driven by specially trained officers.

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