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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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College owes money to 300 firms who are unlikely to be paid
Pantiles The
Christmas Markets
By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk
Plus
PHOTO: Craig Matthews
For a wide selection of • Food • Gifts • Crafts READY TO GO: Dawn Stanford (left) with other members of the Nourish team outside their warehouse in Tunbridge Wells
Festive • Music • Carols • Choirs
Foodbank in plea for help to feed people following a dip in donations
Starting weekend
THE town’s foodbank is launching its 12 Days of Christmas Campaign this week, but is already behind thanks to lower than average donations over the autumn. Nourish Community Foodbank is teaming up with social action organisation Imago for this year’s campaign to help cope with the busiest week of the year for the charity. But Operations Manager at Nourish, Dawn Stanford, says the foodbank is starting this year’s festive campaign, which begins on Sunday, ‘on the back foot’. She told the Times: “We had the lowest harvest donations – the period in the autumn – we’ve ever had. Normally we get about nine to ten tonnes during the period, but this year we only had just over four tonnes.
30th Nov - 1st Dec & then weekends
07th - 08th Dec 14th - 15th Dec 21st - 22nd Dec Open 10am - 4pm Great musical acts every weekend.
By Richard Williams
“This is really worrying because we are about to hit our busiest time of the year and we are starting on the back foot.” She continued: “The festive period magnifies how difficult it can be to
‘It’s really worrying because we are about to hit our busiest time of the year’ Dawn Stanford Nourish Operations Manager make ends meet. We really rely on the goodwill of people in our community to make sure our clients have something on their table on Christmas Day. “The difference a donation makes to people is unbelievable. Last year we had a referral for two teenage girls who
HADLOW COLLEGE has debts of £40million and owes money to more than 300 different creditors including many small local companies. The figures have been released by accountants BDO, who are acting as administrators for the financially stricken college. Part of the Hadlow Group, the college was the first in the country to be taken into educational administration in May. Its sister site at West Kent in Brook Street, Tonbridge, has since followed suit - and the BDO Statement of Proposals lodged with Companies House shows it is owed £4million by Hadlow College.
Shocked
were unexpectedly bereaved. They had no extended family and had been surviving for several weeks with limited food. “We were able to step in, fill their cupboards with food essentials and, thanks to offers of help from some of our wonderful long-term supporters, we could make sure they had a Christmas Day meal without having to worry about the cost of buying food.” She said with just under six weeks to go until Christmas, Nourish is asking individuals and local schools, churches and businesses to get involved. As in previous years, the idea behind the 12 Days of Christmas campaign is that people collect an essential foodbag item each day for the first 12 days in December, which is then donated to
Both institutions are now in the process of being sold to North Kent College as recommended by the Further Education Commissioner - BDO are overseeing the transaction. Gilbert & Stamper, an electrical contractor in Tonbridge, is owed £22,762, and its managing director Adrian Cross said the government ought to be ‘doing more’. He was shocked that ‘the college can continue to operate and dump all its debt’. Other debts include £1,331,350 to Marpaul Southern property developers in Hadlow and £66,727 to Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council plus £503 to Queen Alfred Cakes in Wadhurst and £68 to Rent a Cherry Tree in Northiam.
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4
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Foodbank appeal Continued from page 1
BEST FOOT: A special parkrun is being organised to promote benefits of increased physical activity for anyone with cancer. p15 NATURAL SELECTION: Discover why The Small Holding chef Will Devlin loves foraging to enhance menus. p52
CHARITABLE AFFAIR: DAVSS has been recognised for helping male victims of domestic abuse. p8
Nourish to provide a meal to someone in Christmas crisis in the Tunbridge Wells and south Tonbridge area. Last year Nourish hand delivered 169 Christmas foodbags, a 31 per cent increase on 2017, and the foodbank expects demand to have increased this year. “We know some children get as much joy from collecting food for Nourish as they do when opening their advent calendar!” said Dawn, adding: “With one in eight of our bags going to victims of domestic abuse and 10 per cent going to people who are sick, our delivery service ensures no-one who needs our help misses out.” She said suggested items for the collection include tinned soup, fish, tomatoes and potatoes, family bags of rice plus curry sauce, toilet roll, toiletries, long-life milk, coffee plus a Christmas treat. “But no pasta, please,” added Dawn. “We have about six months’ worth so it won’t see somebody’s table until the summer.” In a first for this year, she added that Nourish is partnering with Imago, who are providing the use of their Crescent Road shop for people to drop in their donations. Jon Weller, Director of Business Development at Imago’s Community Team, said: “We are delighted to support the Nourish 12 Days of Christmas campaign. As a social action organisation we are committed to making a difference in our local community. Making our shop available to collect donations showcases social action in practice.”
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
MAKING DELIVERIES The Nourish team take food packages out into the community
The Imago shop on Crescent Road, opposite the Hotel du Vin, will be open from 12-5pm on December 12 -15 to allow shoppers and visitors to drop off small collections. Larger donations can be dropped off at any time at the Big Yellow Self Storage on Longfield Road until December 18. Alternatively, making a £3 donation is enough to buy someone a meal over the Christmas period. To find out all the different ways to support Nourish Community Foodbank please visit nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk
TAKING STOCK
Royal Victoria Place facelift gets underway STAGING LESSONS: How primary and secondary students are benefitting from the Shakespeare experience. p44
CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER RICHARD WILLIAMS richardwilliams@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES GHak@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779650 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews
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By Richard Williams THE owners of Royal Victoria Place [RVP] have awarded the contract for the shopping centre’s £11million renovation to McLaren Group. McLaren has begun construction on the upgrade, working overnight to replace the flooring throughout the building and the installation of new seating areas and bespoke rooflight features. During the next 18-weeks, the company will remove the innermost staircase to make way for structural alterations that will open up the ground floor space for more retail units and enable the introduction of a locally designed art installation. The contractor will also upgrade lighting and air conditioning systems and redecorate all internal public areas. Jay Newman, south managing director at McLaren, said: “Royal Tunbridge Wells is attracting a great deal of investment to enhance and improve its public realm and create a better visitor experience. “As updated and modernised public areas encourage more people to visit the town centre, we are delighted to be able to bring our retail sector experience to this renovation project at Royal Victoria Place. “When complete, the works will see an improved
Hadlow College debt Continued from page 1 The purpose of educational administration is to ensure that there is no adverse impact on the provision of further education despite budgetary issues – called ‘learner protection objective.’ This safeguard means that it is possible that almost none of the 317 creditors will be paid. Only assets which do not affect the courses will be sold off. In total, Hadlow College owes unsecured creditors £35.1million, while Barclays Bank are owed £5.2million. HMRC is due more than £2million, and the
shopping experience for local people and visitors to the town. The elements of construction work we are undertaking mean British Land can make the best use of the space, installing up to 17 temporary, flexible kiosks and shopping units alongside experiential, engaging artwork. “By working with British Land to organise an overnight working schedule, we are minimising the impact to shoppers and retailers, while carrying out vital improvement works. We are extremely excited to start work and continue our great working relationship.”
THE FUTURE Royal Victoria Place
Shelved However, the overhaul of the shopping centre falls short of what was planned by previous owners of the site. Before selling to British Land, Hermes drew up proposals for a £70million upgrade that would have included a cinema and restaurant extension. Those plans were shelved by British Land, who instead opted for the £11million refurbishment, which is expected to be completed in the spring next year, as well as the creation of a food market in Ely Court – which is said to have boosted footfall into the shopping centre by ten per cent. payroll deficit has accumulated to £474,000 for the 434 employees in the six months since BDO took over.
Frozen One asset that is being sold relates to construction projects at Betteshanger, which are worth £12.3million – the sale is ‘in the final stages of contractual negotiations’. Betteshanger was the pet project of Hadlow Group’s former vice-principal Mark LumsdonTaylor, who wanted to construct a theme park at the old colliery site in East Kent. Mr Lumsdon-Taylor planned to open a Kent Mining Museum there but the project was frozen in March; Hadlow Group had wanted to raise £40million from the sale.
More than 20 units currently sit empty in RVP although British Land have indicated that new retailers are interested in moving into the centre. However, 12 months ago, the then head of retail at British Land, Darren Richards, told the Times that more shops would move into the centre ‘within a year’. Since then, the shopping centre has lost a number of high street names and failed to fill units left abandoned by retailers such as BHS, which closed in 2016. There is growing speculation that major developers have ‘lost interest’ in Tunbridge Wells after the borough council ditched plans for a £108miilion theatre complex. The Further Education Commissioner Richard Atkins went in to investigate financial irregularities in May and said he was ‘genuinely shocked’ by what he discovered, finding that Hadlow College had ‘completely run out of money’. Lumsdon-Taylor and principal Paul Hannan were both suspended in February after applying for a government bailout of ‘exceptional funding’ – they received £2.83million – to pay wages. The chair of the college’s trustees, Theresa Bruton, resigned at the same time. The BDO figures were published by FE Week magazine, who said they had been leaked. The Times understands that the information was freely available although the college chose not to announce it.
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
NEWS IN BRIEF
Photographer’s death investigation ongoing POLICE are still waiting for the toxicology results following the death of a talented young photographer who was found in woodland in Tunbridge Wells in August. The body of Sabrina Goacher, 30, was discovered in a secluded area off Church Road, between London Road and Mount Ephraim and next to the Common on August 19. At the time, police said they were treating the death as ‘unexplained’, but an initial post-mortem was inconclusive so further tests were requested. Yesterday [Tuesday], a spokesperson for Kent Police said they were still awaiting the toxicology results – three months after the death – but that it was ‘not unusual’ for tests to take so long.
Pension fund £60m loss KENT COUNTY COUNCIL [KCC] has lost around £60million following the suspension of an investment fund. The council had around £260million of its pension money invested with Neil Woodford’s flagship fund before the beleaguered investor suspended withdrawals earlier this year, following a request by the local authority to take out its money. The fund, which is now being wound down, still contains money from KCC, but according to a recent council report less than £200million is left – wiping more than £60million from the pension fund. A statement by the council says the money held only represents around 4 per cent of the council’s total investments and the ‘Kent Pension Fund is one of the top ten largest Local Government Pension Schemes in the country and is one of the best performing’.
Keane at Forest Live SUSSEX rockers Keane have announced they will be headlining Forest Live 2019. The former Tonbridge schoolboys have announced they will join Will Young and James Morrison at Bedgebury Pinetum. near Goudhurst, on Friday June 12. The band has just returned from a six-year hiatus with their latest studio album ‘Cause and Effect’, which was followed by a sold-out UK tour. Tickets cost £44.50 and go on sale on Friday from: forestryengland.uk/music
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Don’t be an ‘idiot’ and take wine to a dinner party this Christmas By Richard Williams WITH the season of Christmas dinner parties upon us, Tunbridge Wells celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager has warned of the perils of turning up with a bottle of wine. The local food expert was speaking at the Ideal Home Show in London’s Olympia last week, where she told the audience you’d have to be an ‘idiot’ to take wine to a dinner party. The former star of TV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and etiquette expert from Ladette to Lady said: “One thing you can guarantee is that they won’t open a bottle of wine you have taken. Your wine is probably better than some of the wine you’ve been offered,” she said. Speaking from bitter experience, the Wadhurstbased foodie added: “I’ve come a cropper so many times when I’ve taken good wine and it’s never been opened. So I have now decided, never take a bottle of wine. “How many people go to a dinner party and take a bottle of wine? You’re idiots. Don’t even bother.” The grandmother of four said instead of wine there are plenty of gift alternatives people can take with them to a Christmas dinner party.
“Take a candle, a little bunch of flowers, some chocolates. But never a bottle of wine,” she advised. She said guests who visit her home are never asked to bring a bottle, but nor would they ever go thirsty. “I have a surplus of wine. You would never go missing a single drink in my house. There’s so much booze that you don’t have to worry,” she said.
NEWS
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FULL OF TIPS From Rosemary Shrager
Crackers But she warned to keep an eye on guests that may have one too many: “If someone is seriously getting a bit ill, one has to give them lots of water discreetly. “Do not let them get in a car, do not let them go anywhere. Put them on a sofa if that’s what it takes.” She added, however, that she does have another rule over Christmas: “Do not open your crackers until you have had the main course. If you open your crackers before you sit down, everything gets everywhere. “After you’ve had the main course, you need a long rest, and that’s when you open your crackers.”
No Christmas cheer at butchers forced to close for festive season By Sarah Bond A POPULAR town centre butcher’s shop has had to close during the busiest time of the year because of a skills shortage. Tunbridge Wells customers will not be able to buy their Christmas turkeys from J C Rook and sons this year, commonly known as just ‘Rooks’, at its Mount Pleasant Road branch as it has been forced to close ‘temporarily’. The company says they have had to shut over Christmas because they have been unable to find a qualified manager to run the Tunbridge Wells shop, between the Opera House and WHSmith. In a statement on their website, the Kent meat chain, which also has branches in Sittingbourne, Maidstone, Folkestone and elsewhere in the county, said: “We have been unable to find a suitable manager to run the store for a number of months now so unfortunately we have had to close the store for the next couple of months.
must ensure that there is an appropriately qualified person who is responsible for the shop in order to safeguard our staff and customers. “We hope to be open again in the New Year with a new and improved store and we look forward to serving the people of Tunbridge Wells once again.” They added that while the shop is closed, customers can still order meat via their website. But National Craft Butchers [formerly the National Federation of Meat Traders], the
Safeguard “The directors feel that customers would not have been looked after as we would expect, particularly over the coming festive period, and would also appreciate that the company has a duty of care towards their staff and therefore
COLD TURKEY Rooks is closed for Christmas
association that represents 1,000 of the UK’s 6,000 independent butcher shops, and which is based in Tunbridge Wells, says skills shortages in the industry are a major issue. “It is a national problem,” said Richard Stevenson, Technical Manager at the trading body. “A lot of businesses in our sector find it difficult to get good staff.” He said that while Rooks was not one of their members, many local butchers are family-run affairs, but for those that are not, managers in particular are hard to find. “Managers have to be very highly qualified, so I am not surprised that Rooks has found it difficult. I suppose butchery is not seen as very sexy and it is not necessarily well paid, but things are improving. “There has been a huge surge in the number of apprenticeships lately, so things are on the up for the sector, but I don’t suppose that will help with the problems for those that are suffering at the moment.” Rooks is not the only local butchers to have closed recently. White’s of Tonbridge, which has been serving customers on Martin Hardie Way for nearly two decades, shut its doors earlier this year before announcing on their Facebook page this month that they would not be reopening ‘due to illness’.
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Lib Dems caught up in fake newspaper controversy By Richard Williams LOCAL Liberal Democrats have been criticised for ‘misleading’ voters with a fake local newspaper. The initiative is part of a national campaign being posted through the doors of a number of constituencies throughout the UK. Locally, the campaign material is branded the ‘Tunbridge Wells Gazette’, and is described as a ‘free newspaper covering Tunbridge Wells’, featuring a front page headline declaring ‘support surging for Chapelard’ [the local Lib Dem candidate]. The fake newspaper also contains a bar chart showing a ‘surge’ in support for the Lib Dems, but the graph refers to last May’s local council elections and not General Election polling. People have taken to social media to complain about the latest ‘misleading’ and ‘disingenuous’ campaign literature. Kate C Hashemi wrote on Twitter: “Misleading and disingenuous. Came home to a #LibDem political leaflet disguised as a ‘free newspaper’. Gain votes through policy, not trickery!”
Tunbridge Wells Labour candidate Antonio Weiss described the latest Lib Dem campaign material as ‘dodgy tricks’. He told the Times: “All political parties need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror. This sort of stuff doesn’t help to rebuild trust in politics.” He continued: “They’ve [Lib Dems] also been peddling some fairly dubious bar charts, which we all know about.”
Transparency Last month the party was embroiled in a row over a graph they released on social media in Jacob Rees-Mogg’s North-East Somerset constituency, which put Tories on 38 per cent to the Lib Dems’ 32 per cent and Labour on 8 per cent. But the small print beneath the graph showed that residents were asked which party they would back if the Tories and Lib Dems were neck-and-neck, with no other parties near. “The fact is that in 2017 Labour nearly got three times the Lib Dem vote here, and in a General Election we’re best placed to beat the Tories,”
said Cllr Weiss, who is also a Labour Party councillor for Harrow Council in north London, but has family connections in Tunbridge Wells. He continued: “These sorts of dodgy tactics do the Lib Dems and their candidates a disservice and distract from the real issues.” But the Lib Dems defended their campaign literature. Their parliamentary candidate, Ben Chapelard, said: “This is a non-story. It is clearly a mock paper. To suggest otherwise is simply sour grapes from the Labour Party that came fifth in the Culverden by-election and sixth in the EU elections. “Only the Lib Dems can beat Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in Tunbridge Wells.” The row comes after the Conservatives were widely condemned for briefly changing the name of their press team’s Twitter account to ‘FactCheckUK’ during the ITV leaders’ debate. The Electoral Commission has urged for more ‘transparency’ in election material. A spokesman said: “While we do not have a role in regulating election campaign content, we repeat our call to all campaigners to undertake their role responsibly and to support campaigning transparency.”
FAKE NEWS Lib Dem election material
Parliamentary hopefuls to battle it out at election hustings A HUSTINGS has been arranged in Tunbridge Wells next week, where the parliamentary candidates for the constituency will appeal for local people’s votes. A total of five candidates have put themselves forward to represent Tunbridge Wells in the forthcoming General Election, on December 12. The seat has been occupied by Conservative Greg Clark since 2005. Next Wednesday, December 4, Mr Clark will be joined by Antonio Weiss, the Labour candidate, local councillor Ben Chapelard, who is standing for the Liberal Democrats, plus independent candidates Chris Camp and Nigel Peacock at the hustings in the town centre. The public meeting, where residents will be able to meet and hear from the local candidates, will take place at Tunbridge Wells Baptist Church in Upper Grosvenor Road from 7.30pm. All members of the public are welcome to attend. Anybody wishing to submit a question to any or all of the candidates should email: tunbridgewellshustings@gmail.com
WHERE THEY STAND BREXIT is expected to be the dominant issue for voters during this year’s General Election campaign. The Times has asked all the local candidates where they stand on the key issue of our time: GREG CLARK (Conservative) voted Remain in 2016 and voted against his party to prevent a No Deal, but he backs Boris Johnson’s EU exit deal. “I have always supported and voted for an agreement with the EU reflecting the pragmatic, moderate approach for which Britain has long been renowned.” Ben Chapelard (Liberal Democrat) campaigned and voted Remain in 2016 and wants to revoke Brexit.
“The EU referendum was almost four years ago, and since then the adverse consequences of Brexit or a No Deal continue to unravel, resulting in many voters who supported Leave in Tunbridge Wells changing their minds.” Antonio Weiss (Labour) voted Remain in 2016, and wants to hold another referendum. “Labour will give a people’s vote on whether we Remain or Leave whilst protecting jobs, the environment and the economy.” Chris Camp (Independent) voted Leave in 2016 and quit the Tory party over Greg Clark’s readoption. “It is only by electing
independent candidates who will be listened to and not toe a party line that brings common sense to the Commons.”
we still need investment in NHS services, congestion is still a blight on the town, and we need to reinvent the town centre.”
Nigel Peacock (Independent) voted Leave in 2016 and ‘retains that decision’. “There was a referendum in 2016 which was one person, one vote, across the country, and that should be upheld. The result should be respected.”
Ben Chapelard (Liberal Democrat) “As a teacher, I recognise the importance of giving every local child the best start in life. We will recruit more teachers by spending an extra £10billion a year on schools. Our local health and social services also need a funding boost, with mental wellbeing being equally important as physical health.”
We also asked the candidates what challenges they think face Tunbridge Wells over the next five years: Greg Clark (Conservative): “Since 2005, we have seen the arrival of the most modern hospital in Britain and a superb dual carriageway. But
Antonio Weiss (Labour): “Amidst the beauty there is real hardship. It’s scandalous that thousands rely on foodbanks here, that NHS waiting times are some of the worst nationally, and future generations are being
priced out due to a dearth of affordable homes.” Chris Camp (Independent): “Retail outlets find surviving difficult. Incoming residents searching for good schools put pressure not just on schools but housing, transport, infrastructure and health services. Poor social housing provision and high property prices make it difficult, especially for young people.” Nigel Peacock (Independent): “Population growth and single-occupied homes, means new housing is needed. New homes require infrastructure such as doctor and dentist surgeries, schools, bus routes, new roads and community centres. Shopping habits have changed and there is a need to reinvent our high streets.”
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Charity recognised for helping male domestic abuse victims TUNBRIDGE WELLS domestic abuse charity DAVSS has been recognised for their work with male victims of violence, as new figures show a surge in recorded cases. Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott gave the Tunbridge Wells charity a grant for £4,800 last week to mark International Men’s Day in recognition for the work they do in combatting violence against men in the home. The award comes as an Office for National Statistics [ONS] report released on Monday shows a sharp increase in reported cases of both male and female victims. The ONS Domesic Abuse in England and Wales Overview 2019 says police recorded nearly 746,219 cases last year, up 24 per cent on the previous 12 months, reflecting both ‘improved reporting by the police and increased reporting by victims’. DAVSS, which last month received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services from the Mayor of
Tunbridge Wells, James Scholes, told Mr Scott that in the last six months the number of male domestic violence victims has nearly doubled to the same period last year. Mr Scott said: “DAVSS tell me they helped 50 male domestic abuse victims between April and September – almost double the number compared with the same six months in 2018. “Of those, 14 were referred into the service by Kent Police. “These figures suggest more men are feeling more comfortable in speaking out and seeking help, and that Kent Police officers are more aware of victims’ support needs, and are more aware of who they can refer those victims to. “Of course, women and girls still make up the vast majority of abuse victims. “That’s why I fund a number of projects which provide specialist help and support to female abuse victims, too.”
AWARD DAVSS Chair of Trustees Kristen Paterson [centre] with the Mayor and Mayoress
Local Plan comes under fire from parish councils By Richard Williams TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ plan to build 4,000 homes around Paddock Wood and a further 2,600 around Tudeley in Capel has been officially objected to by both local councils. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] hopes to meet government housing targets by doubling the size of Paddock Wood and turning Tudeley into a Garden Village. The draft Local Plan, which has been the subject of a public consultation for the last two months, has already received stiff criticism from neighbouring Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] due to the proximity of the housing developments to their border. Councillors there described the proposals as ‘shocking’, while TMBC’s planning policy manager said the plans were ‘a serious concern’. Now, following the end of the public consultation period, both Paddock Wood Town Council and Capel Parish Council have formerly objected to the plans. Cllr Carol Williams, Chair of the Planning & Environment Committee at Paddock Wood, said their primary concerns were ‘flooding, sewage and drainage and loss of green belt’. “With 1,000 houses already approved and in various stages of development, it is essential to improve the town centre before any more developments are agreed,” she said. “Paddock Wood provides services to residents of other rural communities, including Capel, Matfield, Marden and East Peckham, which are also growing, and placing increased demands on all services. “It is unreasonable to approve further houses without significant investment in the town centre. In addition, existing problems with surface water
and sewage will be impacted by the 1,000 homes already in development, requiring substantial financial outlay now.” She concluded: “We are opposed to the addition of housing which will make the town 2.5 times the current size, with little prospect of improved infrastructure.” Capel Parish Council has also formally objected to the plan.
Response Cllr Hugh Patterson said their 63-page objection not only opposes the building of Tudeley Garden Village, but also the plans for houses around Paddock Wood, half of which fall in Capel. He told the Times: “We oppose both sites. Many of the houses meant for Paddock Wood are in Capel, and it closes the gap between Five Oak Green and Paddock Wood, effectively merging the two towns.” Campaigners in Capel, including three parish councillors, have formed the protest group Save Capel, which plans to fight the developments. But in announcing their draft Local Plan in May, TWBC insisted their hands were tied with the location of the housing sites due to the amount of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty locally, especially along the A21 corridor. A spokesperson said: “We have had a very good response to the draft Local Plan consultation. The exhibitions were very well attended and a lot of people who subsequently submitted comments about the draft document. “All the comments are now being processed and will be used to inform the next stage of the Plan’s development. At this stage it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss individual comments.”
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Hever among best 50 experiences for the family in the world HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS has been named among the top 50 travel experiences and attractions in the world. The childhood home of Anne Boleyn beat off competition that included Santa’s Lapland, Shangri-La, Singapore, Dubai Parks & Resorts and Camp Bestival to be voted top in the Pure Fun Award at the Family Traveller Excellence Awards. Organised by the holiday website and magazine Family Traveller, the annual awards underwent a makeover this year, moving away from the traditional set award categories, such as best hotel for families, to adapt to the emerging and changing travel trends of such groupd.
Precious Jane Anderson of Family Traveller said: “It’s vital to us that we constantly evolve with the times and offer our audience choice. “We know their holidays are precious and we have seen from the awards that sustainability and environmental impact is a deciding factor when they choose to book an experience or holiday. “We want to support those intentions and will continue to raise the bar with the content we create and make sure it’s topical and informative to help them make those informed decisions.” Over 110,000 votes were cast by Family Traveller readers and subscribers to find the 50 Excellence Award Winners. The awards evening, hosted by singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, took place at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink on Wednesday November 13. Ms Ellis-Bextor said: “As a mum of five boys it’s important to me that they not only have a wonderful time, but they are also educated by other cultures and experiences.”
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BUSINESS
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Recruitment specialists open legal division to serve town’s law firms By Richard Williams A TUNBRIDGE WELLS recruitment firm has started a specialist legal division to serve the high volume of law firms and legal services companies in the area. TN Recruits Law is the new legal arm of TN Recruits – the recruitment consultancy that specialises in finding work for people in the Tunbridge Wells postcode. Managing Director Neil Simmons says TN Recruits Law will be run by Emma Moss, a specialist consultant solely dedicated to recruiting qualified lawyers and legal professionals in Kent, Sussex and London. He said: “We have been working with the legal sector for some time, and with the increasing number of hugely successful law businesses based in Tunbridge Wells and across Kent, we
felt that now was the right time to launch a dedicated service to support the growth of these amazing firms.
Tenacious “TN Law has already hit the ground running and we are very excited about the future both for this department and for the business as a whole, which has an office in West Malling to cover the ME postcode, too, and which Emma will also be working closely with.” He added that Emma Moss’s mission was to
become the ‘go to’ recruiter for the legal sector in the South East, focusing on private practice, commerce and industry, and ‘putting in place a friendly, yet tenacious approach’ in order to get results for clients and candidates alike. She told the Times: “I’m so thrilled to be part of this timely new sector launch for TN Recruits. “The business has such a good reputation in and around the TN postcode, and to be able to head up a specialist law department is an incredible opportunity when you consider the legal talent in this area already, and the talent we can help to attract from other Emma Moss locations to work in this fabulous town .”
Excellence for Tonbridge site managers
SUCCESS: Martin Barth receives his certificate
TWO site managers for a Tonbridge-based housebuilder have won top honours at the National House Building Council’s [NHBC] annual awards. Lee Bates, Site Manager for Vale Road’s AB Canham & Son at their Empire Park development in Greenhithe, was awarded a Pride in the Job Award, while colleague Martin Barth, Site Manager at Boughton Park in Maidstone, scooped two accolades – both the Seal of Excellence and the best Small Housebuilder title within the London & South East region. Both site managers were selected from more than 16,000 that entered the national awards, which recognises those ‘dedicated to building
homes of outstanding quality’ and places them among the best in the country. Speaking of the award wins, Martin Barth said: “I have worked for AB Canham & Son for over 20 years and am so proud of all we have achieved over the years. “Building luxury homes of exceptional quality is at the heart of what we do, and as a small company it feels like a huge achievement to have been recognised alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. “These awards belong to the rest of the team on site as much as they do me as it’s their commitment and hard work each and every day which have seen us stand out amongst the competition.”
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BUSINESS
Local News
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Chris jay
Disability awareness training is discounted for businesses A DISABILITY training company is offering Tunbridge Wells businesses a reduced rate for disability awareness training. Bascule Disability Training says hate crimes against people with disabilities has ‘soared’, as revealed by a report conducted by the Leonard Cheshire charity last month. The survey of 43 police forces in England and Wales found a 22 per cent national increase in disability hate crime since last year, and a 71 per cent rise in online hate crime.
Harassment Because of these figures, Bascule Disability Training says it will offer a 20 per cent discount on its disability awareness training to any Tunbridge Wells business for the remainder of 2019. By doing so, it hopes to encourage these businesses to become more inclusive. The proceeds from each business using Bascule will fund a day of free awareness training at a
school of their choice to further improve attitudes to and awareness of disability. Bascule Disability Training’s Managing Director, Chris Jay, said: “According to Scope, 53 per cent of people with disabilities say that they have experienced bullying or harassment at work because of their impairments, so the workplace is certainly an environment that could benefit from awareness training. “Disability Awareness also provides a whole host of business benefits, improves staff attraction and retention, creates a positive profile and enhances customer service.” He continued: “Any Tunbridge Wells business that takes up our services will not only receive our bespoke awareness training package, they will also fund a local school awareness day, helping children to develop a more positive understanding and empathy towards others with a disability.” Bascule’s 20 per cent offer lasts until January 31, 2020. Details can be requested by emailing: info@bascule.com
NEWS IN BRIEF
Markerstudy sponsors UK insurance awards ONE of Tunbridge Wells’ largest employers, the Markerstudy Group, has has added a playful note in sponsoring this year’s Insurance Times Awards – the largest event of its kind in the insurance industry calendar. The insurance and leisure group decided to put ‘the fun into insurance’ at this year’s awards by providing all guests with their own trilby hat, and encouraged everyone to ‘tip their hat’ to the various winners. Markerstudy also handed out a prize for the best photo and caption uploaded on to social media. The awards were hosted by comedian Greg Davies – star of Taskmaster and The Inbetweeners –and saw some of the leading names in the insurance industry recognised and celebrated for excellence and innovation across the breadth of UK general insurance. Judged by independent panels of experts from across the insurance sector, more than 30 winners in various categories were honoured at this year’s awards, which took place last Friday [November 22] at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Success for third year in a row for Nuffield Health NUFFIELD HEALTH has picked up an award for the Private Hospital Group of the Year at the LaingBuisson Awards 2019. It is the third year in a row the registered charity, which runs both a hospital and a
fitness and wellbeing centre in Tunbridge Wells, has picked up the award that celebrates high quality care and continuous improvement, as well as innovation and excellence. Nuffield Health was selected from a group of six independent hospital groups within the UK that made the finals, including a mixture of not-for-profit, privately owned and publicly listed organisations. The group, which has 31 hospitals, 112 fitness and wellbeing clubs, healthcare clinics, and over 200 workplace wellbeing services, delivers 1.5 million clinical interventions a year, and has developed a number of flagship programmes to support people through the different stages of their lives. On receiving the award on November 14, Chief Executive Officer Steve Gray said: “It’s great to be recognised three years in a row as leaders in high quality care and continuous improvement. “We are committed to delivering outstanding quality across all our services, and this award really is a reflection of our hospital teams’ consistent hard work and focus to be the best for our patients.”
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Community News
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Cancer patients invited to join 5K Your Way launch at parkrun HEALTH AND WELLBEING Dr Jyothirmayi with the 5K Your Way in Malling
NEWS
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other runners dressed as doctors and nurses. The Dunorlan Park version has been up and running since 2014, and the November 9 meeting saw the 50,000th athlete complete the course. Dr Rema Jyothirmayi, consultant clinical oncologist at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], is leading the drive to recruit runners and walkers for the 5K Your Way in town. She told the Times: “The aim is to empower people with a cancer diagnosis to start or resume exercise in a supportive and safe environment. “Being part of the parkrun creates a great atmosphere, and the presence of patient ambassadors and staff encourages people to come out and start exercising rather than doing it on their own.”
Thanks
THE Tunbridge Wells parkrun is planning a special event next month to promote the benefits of increased physical activity for anyone affected by cancer. The inaugural 5K Your Way will be held in Dunorlan Park on Saturday January 25 as part of a nationwide initiative. 5K Your Way was originally started by oncologist and champion triathlete Lucy Gossage and international runner Gemma Hillier-Moses in Nottingham.
The free events are organised and led by patient ambassadors and are open to all current or former patients, families, supporters and staff. They operate alongside existing parkruns, and those taking part can run, jog, walk, cheer or volunteer to help out in a variety of roles. Parkrun is a hugely popular scheme that encourages people to run 5km in a non-competitive way in order to
improve their fitness and also boost social cohesion and a sense of community. Last year, the NHS launched its 70th anniversary celebrations with a bespoke parkrun in Tonbridge with Dame Kelly Holmes and
Dr Rema Jyothirmayi
Dr Jyothirmayi, who specialises in gynaecological and breast cancer and has held at her post at MTW since 2003, is also a Trustee of the Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre in Tunbridge Wells. She added: “I have been going along to the Malling parkrun every month since it started the 5K Your Way in June last summer, and it’s a great event. “We meet on the last Saturday of each month and the hope is that people will then start attending the parkrun every Saturday.” Sue Walker is an ambassador for 5aK Your Way at Malling, where the parkrun is held in Leybourne Lakes Country Park. She said: “This is a support group with a difference. We are encouraging people who have had a cancer diagnosis, along with family and friends, to take part in parkrun your way – walk, jog, run, whatever is comfortable. We then meet afterwards and have a chat and a cuppa. “I decided to become an ambassador for 5k Your Way because I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was just 31. “I am now two years in remission and owe Malling parkrun massive thanks for getting me moving again after cancer.” For more information, visit 5kyourway.org
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Community News
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Local Labrador Rescue is set to benefit from Santa Paws appeal READ ALL ABOUT IT: (Above) The Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Jill Anderson, and Tonbridge Lions Club President Lofty Bunyon with readers and editors from the last 40 years. (Right) the Mayor with Richard Rose, holding one of the long-service certificates
It’s a long story – Tonbridge Lions’ talking newspaper marks 40 years By Andy Tong THE talking newspaper for the visually impaired in Tonbridge has celebrated its 40th anniversary with a party for volunteers from across the four decades. The idea originated from Les Ellis, a director of the Kent Association for the Blind [KAB], in 1978, when he set up a small recording room in a basement in Maidstone. Frank Emmet became the co-ordinator for the Tonbridge Talking News, assisted by his wife Dorothy, but ill health meant he soon needed to find a replacement. Richard Rose of Tonbridge Lions Club took over the job using recording equipment provided by KAB, and in November 1979 a Lions committee was formed and the first weekly recording was made. The early editions were done with a reel-to-reel tape deck, a mixer box, four table pedestal microphones and a
cassette recorder. Richard’s son, Derek, arranged the introduction and lead-in music to start the tapes and the jingles for the fade-out at the end.
Reception The first recording was done at Woodgate Care Home, and it later moved to Tonbridge School, St Stephen’s Church and the Cottage Hospital – its current location. To celebrate the 40th birthday, Richard, who still organises the news recordings, invited former and current editors, readers and technicians to a special reception at the Angel Centre. The guests were joined by the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Jill Anderson, KAB Trustee Tony Colwell and Louise Morrison, who oversees 13 talking newspapers for the charity. Tony congratulated and thanked Richard and his team on their achievement
and spoke of the many benefits the service gives to the registered blind. The Mayor presented long-service certificates from KAB to 14 editors and readers for 20, 30 and 40 years of voluntary service. The Talking Newspaper runs with five teams, each consisting of one editor, four readers and one technician. Each team records once every five weeks on a Friday evening from 7.15-8.45pm. They read out local news articles from printed weekly newspapers – and some social media – which are selected by the editor earlier in the day. These are recorded and uploaded to the KBA in Maidstone, then the sound file is copied on to memory sticks and sent to the recipients in the Tonbridge area. The service enables local people to keep up with the news in their community which they would otherwise be unable to access.
THIS year’s Santa Paws appeal sees Support Adoption For Pets, the UK’s largest grant-giving pet charity, raising money for Labrador Rescue Kent & Borders in Cranbrook. Over the festive period, Pets at Home in Tunbridge Wells will be taking donations to raise help funds for essential vet bills and care costs. Labrador Rescue was set up in 1997 and has helped more than 2,000 dogs find new homes.
Lifelines Trustee Maggie Hinks said: “Our volunteers are all labrador owners and between us all you can imagine we have a mountain of experience. “We see the dog in his original home, and then find him a new one. And we are always on hand for advice after the dog has been rehomed.” She added: “We are lucky that Pets at Home have adopted us as their charity of the year. “They are a lovely, friendly bunch and very helpful. The donations from them are gratefully received and the lifelines really help. “Lots of dogs come in with nothing, so with the help of Pets at Home we can give them food, collars, leads and beds – and, of course, toys and treats.” Oliver Latty, store manager at
Pets at Home, said: “We’re proud and excited to be raising money for Labrador Rescue Kent & Borders. “We hope our customers and the people of Tunbridge Wells will get involved. We have ambitious fundraising plans, and every donation will go towards helping a rescue pet in need.” Support Adoption For Pets was set up in 2006 and has assisted more than 1,000 rehoming centres and animal welfare organisations across the UK, as well as running dedicated adoption centres in Pets at Home stores. Amy Wilson, Support Adoption For Pets Fundraising Manager, said: “We hope that people will spare a moment’s thought for those pets who sadly find themselves without a home for Christmas this year. For more information, visit supportadoptionforpets.co.uk/ santa-paws
TAKE THE LEAD A rehomed labrador
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NEWS
National News
NEWS IN BRIEF
Corbyn responds to anti-Semitism claims JEREMY Corbyn was forced to address the issue of anti-Semtism in the Labour Party yesterday following a scathing attack by the UK’s chief rabbi. Speaking at the launch of Labour’s race and faith manifesto, Mr Corbyn said: “I just want to make this very clear – antisemitism in any form is vile and wrong.” His words came after Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s most senior Jewish leader, had accused the Labour leader of allowing a ‘poison sanctioned from the top’ and urged people to ‘vote with their conscience’. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, backed the rabbi’s comments on Twitter saying the ‘unprecedented statement at this time ought to alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’.
Katie Price bankrupt FORMER glamour model Katie Price has been declared bankrupt in a hearing at the High Court, which was told she had failed to stick to a plan to repay her debts. It is believed the 41-year-old ex-glamour model and TV celebrity owes around £800,000 to creditors. Judge Jonathan Middleton, at a hearing in London yesterday, declared her bankrupt after Ms Price had failed to make repayments ordered at an earlier hearing. The star formerly known as Jordan who was once said to be worth more than £40m now faces losing her £2million West Sussex home.
‘Savage’ killer jailed A MAN who bludgeoned his fiancée to death with a metal bar after she wanted to leave him because of his cross-dressing has been jailed. Roderick Deakin-White, 38, carried out the attack on Amy Parsons, 35, while she was showering in the flat they shared in Whitechapel, east London. She was left naked and bleeding to death after suffering ‘horrific injuries’ to her head, face and brain during the attack on April 25, a court heard. Deakin-White was found guilty of her murder by a jury on Tuesday November 19. Jailing Deakin-White yesterday for 17 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court, judge John Lafferty said Ms Parsons was killed in a ‘horrendous, savage and brutal way’.
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Dutch national pleads guilty to Manchester knife rampage
Sussex builder scoops £105m lottery jackpot
FRENZIED: British Transport Police bundled Mohamud to the ground A MAN who launched a frenzied knife attack on commuters and police at Manchester Victoria railway station last New Year’s Eve has pleaded guilty to attempted murder. A judge has heard how Mahdi Mohamud, 26, raised a fillet knife and walked up behind unsuspecting James Knox, screaming ‘Allahu Akbar!’ and ‘Long live the Caliphate!’ as he stabbed his victim repeatedly in the back, shoulders and head.
Radicalised He then turned the knife on Mr Knox’s companion, Anna Charlton, slashing her across the face after the couple, in their 50s, randomly crossed his path heading for a tram platform shortly before 9pm last December 31.
British Transport Police (BTP) officers heard a scream and dashed to the scene. The suspect was pepper sprayed before being bundled to the floor. The defendant, a Dutch national from a Somali family, had arrived in the UK aged nine and became radicalised online, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. He was detained under the Mental Health Act the day after the attack but was later found fit to stand trial. Mohamud pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court yesterday [Tuesday] to three counts of attempted murder. He also admitted one count of the possession of a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. He is expected to be sentenced today [Wednesday].
School anti-LGBT protests banned The ban, handed down by a High Court judge at Birmingham Civil Justice Centre yesterday [Tuesday], includes an exclusion zone surrounding the city’s Anderton Park Primary School. Birmingham City Council was granted an order temporarily banning protesters from outside the school’s gates in June. Now Mr Justice Warby has made the ban permanent after hearing the protests had an adverse effect on pupils, residents and staff, BANNED leading to 21 teachers Protests earlier this year being treated for stress. outside Anderton Primary Headteacher Sarah School in Birmingham Hewitt-Clarkson had
ANTI-LGBT equality teaching protests have been permanently banned from outside a primary school that witnessed weeks of noisy demonstrations.
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Darren Austin at Synergee Darren Austin at Synergee
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Question: II have limitedcompany company and we are about to similar move have aa video and make adverts and to some new We a lease over short films forpremises. businesses inare thetaking UK and Europe. I am 10 years although there is a break clause at 5 years. approaching the VAT threshold and would rather not The rent is £24,500 per year but we do not have to have to register as it seems quite an administrative pay for the first 6 months. This is great news, but I burden. Does the fact that some of my clients are not am concerned that it means my profits will appear UK based make a difference to my need to register? higher than normal and I will pay more tax. Is there anything I can do or should I not look a gift horse Response: in the mouth? Based on what you have said, I assume that your
Answer: customers are businesses rather than individuals.
The basic rulesyour for business business (the services When youVAT prepare statutorytoaccounts are that the supply is deemed to take place, for VAT ones that will be used, amongst other things, for purposes, where the customer is situated. Therefore, the income for services to overseas customers is outside the scope of UK VAT and does not count toward your UK VAT turnover test. You should obtain proof from your customers that they are
THE British winners of the £105 million EuroMillions jackpot have been named as 42-year-old builder Steve Thomson and his wife Lenka, 41, from Selsey, West Sussex. Mr Thomson, who is the EuroMillions’ ninth largest winner, said that when he realised he had won that he felt he was ‘on the verge of having a heart attack’. The father-of-three said he would not be giving up his job as a builder immediately and added: “Once I am over the shock I will need to keep doing something, I am not the type just to sit still. My business partner knows that if he needs a hand, I’ll be there.” He added that the family’s priority would be buying a new house with a bedroom each for their daughter and their two sons, who currently share a ‘shoebox’ in their three-bedroom home. previously described the demonstrations as ‘awful’, ‘toxic and nasty’. The court had heard that a number of ‘untue’ and ‘harmful’ allegations were made about the school on social media, such as the school had a ‘paedophile agenda’ and that they wre teaching ‘children how to masturbate’. “None of this is true,” Mr Justice Warby said, handing down his judgment, which prevents defendants Shakeel Afsar, his sister Rosina Afsar – who had two children at Anderton Park but has since removed one of them – and Amir Ahmed from co-ordinating protests outside the school. All three defendants had given evidence at the week-long hearing and contested the need for a legal injunction to curtail protests. Outside court, Mr Afsar told reporters that he believed the hearing was ‘one-sided’. He said: “The judge is white, the council’s barrister is white, the council’s legal team is white, the teachers who gave evidence were white, the witnesses who gave evidence for the council were white.”
calculating your corporation tax), you are required to comply with applicable accounting standards in business andor their VAT number acceptable (likely FRS102 FRS105). Both ofisthese have evidence in this respect. If your UK income exceeds specific guidelines relating to rent free periods. The the threshold, which is currently £85,000, you will benefit of the rent free period needs to be spread needthe to register. You wish to consider registering over whole life of may the lease. in any event. If you do so, you will need to charge
This rather than having rent VAT means on salesthat, to UK customers but, ifno they arefor 6 months andthey thenmay the well full annual for 9.5which years, businesses, be VATrent registered the rentthey is averaged andthe reflected evenly your means can recover VAT. You willin not need to accounts. £24,500 per annum forcustomers 9.5 years totals charge VAT to overseas business as these £232,750 which equivalent £23,275 per year. are deemed zero israted. Whilstto this will require some This is whatadministration, should be reflected yourthat accounts additional it willin mean you can which mean the rent shown recoverwill VAT on your costs.isYou canevenly reclaimover VATthe period of (including the lease and your tax liability willinnot on goods equipment) purchased thebe 4 distorted. years prior to registration, as long as the goods are
still owned at the date of registration. The potential VAT recovery on your equipment costs may make the admin worthwhile.
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF
South America on Gatwick’s horizon THE boss of Gatwick has said that his airport’s new routes to South America will be vital to the UK’s economy after Brexit. More than 101,000 people travelled on new flights to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires in the last six months, contributing to a 2.3 per cent uplift in long haul passengers. “As the UK enters an important new chapter on the global stage, new links created to key markets such as South America will play a crucial role in the country’s economy and national identity,” said chief executive Stewart Wingate.
Fears at De La Rue THE BOSS of UK banknote and passport and firm De La Rue has said he is taking ‘urgent actions’ under a turnaround plan as the group revealed a profits slump. De La Rue – which had warned over profits twice in recent months – posted a £12.1million pre-tax loss for the six months to September 28 against profits of £7.1million a year earlier. Last year De La Rue lost the contract to print British passports.
Cracks visible at Topps DEMAND for floor tiles has taken a big hit since the general election was called, the boss of one of the country’s biggest tiling companies has said. Topps Tiles chief executive Matthew Williams revealed that sales in the first eight weeks of its financial year, which started in early October, had fallen 7.2 per cent ‘since the General Election’ was called.
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Deadly 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes close to Albanian capital RESCUE crews used excavators to search for survivors trapped in toppled apartment buildings after a powerful pre-dawn earthquake in Albania killed at least a dozen people and injured more than 300. The 6.4 magnitude quake was felt across the southern Balkans early on Tuesday and was followed by multiple aftershocks. In nearby Bosnia, another quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck south-east of the capital and rattled Sarajevo. AFTERSHOCK: Firefighters stand next to a damaged building There were no immediate reports after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Durres, western of casualties or damage in that Albania, in the eary hours of yesterday [Tuesday] earthquake. The Albanian quake, the worst in 20 miles west of the capital Tirana. decades, collapsed at least three apartment Another two people were found dead and buildings while people slept, and rescue crews removed from the rubble of a building in were working to free people believed trapped. Thumane, while one person died after jumping Officials said at least 12 people were declared from his home in Kurbin, 30 miles north of the dead but the death toll was likely to rise. capital. There was no indication as to how many The bodies of three people were removed from a collapsed building in the coastal city of Durres, people might still be buried in the rubble.
World News
NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
French soldiers die in Mali helicopter collision THIRTEEN French soldiers were killed when two helicopters collided during an operation against jihadists in Mali, the French president’s office said. The Tiger attack helicopter and Cougar military transport collided mid-air on Monday when they were supporting ground forces engaging insurgents near the borders of Burkina Faso and Niger.
Militants Among the dead was the son of centrist Senator Jean-Marie Bockel, the politician told the AFP news agency. The accident is one of the single largest losses of life for the French military in decades. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his ‘deep sadness’ over the incident. An investigation has begun. In 2013, France deployed thousands of troops to Mali after Islamist militants seized huge parts of the north.
Body found in Australian bush is identified as missing Brit THE body of a missing British man has been found in the Australian bush, police have said Aslan King, an illustrator who only relocated to Australia two weeks ago from Brighton, was last seen at a camping ground on Old Coach Road in Victoria about 2am on Saturday. The 25-year-old had suffered what friends described as a possible seizure during the coastal camping trip. Mr King is said to have hit his head on the ground before getting up quickly and rushing into thick bushland surrounding the campsite where he and four friends had been staying.
Authorities had conducted a large scale search for the missing man using a helicopter, boats and mounted police. Police said Mr King’s behaviour had appeared to be out of character. “This is why it made it so hard for us [to search] because there was no intelligence to suggest why he left or where he went,” Sgt Danny Brown from Victoria Police said yesterday [Tuesday]. “His behaviour took everyone by surprise. By all accounts he was very fit, physically and mentally.” He added that the body was found in a creek
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just over a kilometre from where Mr King was last seen and was identified by two of his travelling partners, who were close friends. The site is near the town of Princetown, beside DEAD: cliffs on the Victorian Brit Aslan King coast near the tourist site known as the twelve Apostles, 100 miles south-west of Melbourne.
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NEWS
Letters
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
And another thing… This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG What does this town have to offer to make the next generation stay? OLD FASHION The former ABC Cinema site will be a retirement home for the wealthy
While there has been a lot of talk of late about theatres and the terrible plight of retail in the town – all important issues – it seems to me Tunbridge Wells is ignoring perhaps its most important demographic – younger people. Nearly everywhere you look these days, a new retirement home seems to be springing up, including on one of the most controversial locations in the town – the former ABC cinema site – which is being converted to what can only be described as a retirement home for the wealthy. Of course, the whole country is facing an ageing population, and I am in no way bashing older people – they have worked all their lives and deserve all the comforts they can get in retirement. But what exactly does this town offer young people? Yes, we have great schools, but there
Vote for Greg or stay in and drink? I’ve voted in every election since turning 18. I’m of a generation that is not too distant from the time when the vote came with your birthright, or owning a property, so I regard voting as nearly sacred, and certainly a civic duty. The way one votes in this constituency will not make too much difference, so even though I would have cast mine for the present incumbent, I will not; I will abstain and console myself with the Telegraph Toughie and some cheap whisky. Perhaps Mr Clark would spend a useful halfhour listening to David Starkey’s interview on Chopper’s Podcast, which is available on YouTube. He might learn the error of his ways and a little about MPs’ constitutional rights and responsibilities. Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells
Don’t listen to the public at your peril The Editor’s note below the letter from Ben Hardy [November 13] says ‘Tunbridge Wells voted to remain’. That may well be the case; however, the referendum was not a constituency vote so therefore that point is moot. Whichever way one cares to look at the figures, Leave won: 1,269,501 more people voted Leave, and constituency-wise the result was 270 voted Leave and 129 voted Remain.
seems little incentive for graduates and schoolleavers to stay in the area once they finish their studies. We need to start focusing on providing more opportunities for our next generation, not just with more affordable accommodation, and decent jobs (which, to be fair, we seem to do fairly well at) but our town centre and nightlife is geared for the older demographic and has very little to offer the younger generation. Other areas have learnt the hard way what happens when teenagers are bored and have nothing to do; it often leads to spikes in crime, drink and drugs, anti-social behaviour and even knife crime. Or worse, Tunbridge Wells could end up becoming just another sleepy retirement town – like Eastbourne, only without the sea. David Brockwood Tunbridge Wells A vote in Parliament stands even if won by only one. All politicians like Greg Clark, etc., believe in their democratic votes in Parliament but not the democratic vote of the population. Democracy is democracy, not to only be applied when it suits the will of the politicians. We are in effect their employers, we give them their position. They should perhaps contemplate that fact as you only have to look at what happened in the local elections earlier this year. The councillors who would not listen to the voters regarding the civic centre no longer have their positions on the council, they were fired! Amanda Wood Via email
MP does have local people at heart I am inclined to disagree with Cllr Hood’s inference that local MP Tom Tugendhat doesn’t ‘represent the interests of the people of Tonbridge & Malling’ [November 13]. In comparison to Greg Clark in the neighbouring constituency, who just seems to show up for ribbon-cutting events, Mr Tugendhat devotes a lot of time to local issues. In the case of cuts to bus services, he has gone into minute detail and listened to innumerable complaints. I really cannot imagine too many Members of Parliament devoting so much time and energy to such a complex and mind-numbing issue. His work to save surgeries, or at least bits of
them, from the sweeping changes being made by the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group is also to be applauded. What I will say is, I’m surprised that he is so reticent on the subject of Brexit. Clearly a Remainer, and up until this election the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee that will be important in dealing with the EU after the schism, he has slavishly voted for the party line every time. He’s often touted as a politician who is ‘tipped for the top’ but he seems afraid to stick his head above the parapet on this issue which is obsessing our country. It’s an opportunity to show leadership qualities and clear thinking above the morass of Tory infighting and incoherence. It’s an opportunity lost, and I don’t think his dodging the issue will serve him in good stead going forward. Bob Miles Tonbridge
Democracy with different definitions Mr Bullen’s letter [November 20] accuses me of being patronising and arrogant in my criticism of ‘news’ being propagated by ‘leavers’, insisting that he has read the Treaty of Rome and finds that ‘Brussels’ is dysfunctional and undemocratic, leading to the nation’s sovereignty and independence being destroyed because we are ruled by unelected apparatchiks. Well, he may have read the Treaty, but he has clearly not understood it. The ‘undemocratic, unelected apparatchiks’ are in fact the legislative bodies of the Council and the Parliament – every single member of which has been elected by the citizens of the Member States they represent. Some by proportional representation, which is democratic, as opposed to the ‘first past the post’ system we have, which is definitely not, otherwise we would not have a situation where just 37 per cent of the British electorate can dictate that we are going to leave the EU. He would, I suppose, consider democratic [Prime Minister] Johnson’s vain attempts (or those of his ‘advisor’ – it is difficult to know who is the organ grinder and who the monkey in the present situation) to close down Parliament so that he could get on without let or hindrance with ruining the country. As to his remarks that it was the sensitivity of Russia that was responsible for its attack on the Ukraine (and, doubtless, Crimea), I leave your readers to make their own judgement. Alexander Magnus Tunbridge Wells
Thank you for coverage of Pickering I would like to say a massive thank you to all of you at the Times for the lovely coverage you gave us of our amazing celebrations at The Spa Hotel [November 20]. It was a great night and I think your pictures and words showed this. With love and hugs from all at Pickering. Polly Taylor Co-Founder Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre
Calverley
Observations on life and more important things
Johnson
Corbyn
SORRY, but Calverley can bite his tongue no longer. He just has to mention the General Election. Millions tuned in last week to watch Boris ‘it’s all about Brexit’ Johnson (Tory) versus Jeremy ‘it’s all about the NHS’ Corbyn (Labour) go head-to-head on television – both continuing to blabber out promises. But who do you believe? Here’s an idea, then. Any promises made in party manifestos should be made legally binding. If they promise to spend a trillion pounds on the NHS it has to happen during their time in Government. If they promise to cut business rates to zero then it has to happen. Bet that would make them a bit more cautious. There was a time when you could believe in manifestos. Today there are more ‘aspirational’ than reality.
TO THE theatre and a night out with Management. Both being fond of musicals, we take our seats at Ben Elton’s We Will Rock You. All was going splendidly until, during one of the numbers, a youngish couple sitting in front of us started singing along. They both had loud, out of tune voices. Theatre seats these days are not cheap, but one does mind paying to listen to professionals on stage then getting amateurs sitting in the stalls. They should join a local choir. EXTINCTION REBELLION – you just can’t get away from supporters of the global environmental group. Himself popped into the BP garage for a food shop (as you do) and the following conversation took place at the checkout. Young lady: “Would you like a bag?” Calverley: “Not really, we have hundreds of them in the car.” Assistant: “Thank you.” Calverley: “What for?” Assistant: “For not buying another piece of plastic.” Calverley, tongue in cheek: “That’s OK, it’s part of my job to save the planet.” Assistant: “It’s the job of all of us to save the planet.” Calverley only wanted a veggie lasagne… FINAL THOUGHT: Thirty-two-year-old actor Emma Watson tells the world that these days she wants to be described as ‘self-partnered’. Not ‘single’, mind you, ‘self-partnered’. The word ‘spinster’ comes to mind. (Complaints on a postcard only, please.) Chin Chin, dear reader
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EDUCATION
Times
Pupils demonstrate real team spirit Some local schools have enjoyed a number of successful extra-curricular ventures recently. The Times reports on an overseas sporting tour and a memorable musical DURING half-term, 45 Rose Hill School pupils and staff travelled to Eindhoven in Holland for a football and hockey sports tour. The boys were lucky enough to train with Dutch Giants PSV Eindhoven, while the girls trained with Dutch National Hockey Champions Oranje-Rood. An added bonus to the tour was that the group was accompanied by Roy of the Rovers author Tom Palmer, who is researching his new book. The trip was organised by Head of Sports Simon Hinchliffe, and is the second time that Rose Hill have taken pupils on such a trip. “The pupils had an amazing trip and have been put through their paces by brilliant coaches,” he said. “The tour is not about ‘winning’ but the opportunity to develop different sporting and social skills. The PSV team motto ‘together we are strong’ was the perfect takeaway for our pupils and is exactly the same message we promote in the sports department. Well done to everyone.”
HOLDING THEIR OWN EUROS Rose Hill School
Musical youth SELL-OUT audiences enjoyed a four-night run of performances of the hit musical The Sound of Music at Bennett Memorial School. The whole school production, which featured a cast and live orchestra made up of students from year 7 through to year 13, performed to rapturous audience acclaim each night earlier this month. The cast, under the guidance of Bennett Music Academy Director Ian Johnson, was led by impressive performances from Year 13 students Amy Marrero, as Maria, and Sebastian TurnerMoore as Captain von Trapp. These leads were richly complemented by Emily Czarnowski as Elsa and Tom Hawkey-Soar as Max. As Bennett’s Head Teacher, Jon Sparke, explained, music-making and theatre permeates the school, with ambitious productions and concerts providing an essential and important part of the school beyond the taught curriculum. “This was a superb ensemble performance with a cast of over 50 students of all ages working with considerable commitment to deliver an outstanding show,” said Mr Sparke.
WE ARE YEAR 7 GOING ON YEAR 13 Bennett pupils enjoy The Sound of Music
Tonbridge schools acknowledged as two of the best in the South East… PARENT POWER, The Times and Sunday Times Schools Guide, has just released its list of top schools for 2020, published on Friday.
Are you a freelance designer? Would you like to join the team behind this newspaper? One Media has exciting opportunities for experienced designers to help our busy, creative team in the fast-moving world of lifestyle publications. Based at Salomon’s Estate near Tunbridge Wells, we need additional design help to produce Times Newspapers and SO Magazine - amongst the most popular and successful publications in the region. You will be a team player working closely with others on the design, production and editorial team, who create the titles on a weekly and monthly basis. We are part of the Markerstudy Group and are looking for people who have: Strong design, typography and layout skills. Experience with InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator on a Mac. An excellent eye for detail and high production values. The ability to work in a fast paced environment. The ability to choose graphics, photographs and images to enhance the text and add impact to articles. A background in editorial design would be an advantage. Please contact Editorial Director Richard Moore Email: richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk Tel: 01892 779615
It rates The Judd School in fourth place and Tonbridge Grammar School as fifth. The number one spot was taken by Reading School.
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019 During the General Election we are publishing political columns by all parliamentary candidates for Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge & Malling
Chris Camp
Independent parliamentary candidate for Tunbridge Wells
Chris Camp is a retired Chartered Engineer who has worked for a major multinational company. Born in Whitstable in 1945, he has lived in RTW since 1975. Mr Camp was a former member of the Conservative Party before resigning his membership to stand as an independent candidate in the 2019 General Election.
GENERAL ELECTION
2019
Remember the promises to abide by the result of the 2016 referendum? BREXIT. This General Election is all about Brexit, no matter how other considerations intrude, and it will dominate voting intentions on the day. So, if you definitely wish to remain tied to the EU, vote for the democratic mandate-denying Liberal Democrat candidate. Bit of an oxymoron there, don’t you think? Or, if you can’t really choose one way or the other, vote for the indecisive communist, oh, sorry, my mistake, Labour Party candidate and plunge the UK into an economic catastrophe. Finally, if you feel that you want to leave but don’t want to offend our European friends too much and remain within their ambit, then vote for the candidate of the party who employed the weakest negotiating team ever assembled. They apparently had not been taught that it’s sometimes better to walk away from a negotiation than continue. Is it no surprise that politicians are held in such low esteem, trust in them is also at a nadir and they have lost all respect. And then there is me. I do not aspire to be a politician. I want to be a Member of Parliament. I want to be an MP who will answer a direct question credibly, honestly, with integrity and without equivocation. Not like party candidates for this constituency, none of whom are going to be a Minister any time soon, so will remain supine lobby fodder, without influence, at the whim of the whips. What influence might an independent MP
have, you might well ask? Considerable, in, as is likely, a Parliament that is very closely divided. So, what are my policies? I will firstly give a brief synopsis of policies that will have effect nationally, in no particular order. • Repeal the fixed term Parliament Act • Cancel HS2 and smart motorways • Price alcohol at a minimum of 50p/unit • Increase defence budget by 0.5 per cent • Decrease overseas aid budget by 0.35 per cent • Significantly reduce layers of management in the NHS • Subsidise construction of tidal power generation • Control immigration, using a simple, well known and proven method For Tunbridge Wells, I would halt intensive development, especially on green belt and outlying towns and villages. Any large development must incorporate significant numbers of both social and genuinely affordable housing. The practice of concentrating discreet departments in so-called ‘Excellence Centres’ must cease. Major hospitals must embrace all disciplines, stroke, cardio, etc., in every large hospital. The A21 must be dualled between Kippings Cross and Lamberhurst. Other infrastructure, such as sewer improvements in Paddock Wood, schools and
Dylan Jones
Labour Party candidate for Tonbridge & Malling
DUAL: The A21 must also be dualled between Kippings Cross and Lamberhurst
medical centres must also keep pace with large developments. I am also in favour of provision of more annexes to grammar schools. In conclusion, remember the promises of the two larger parties to abide by the result of the
2016 referendum. But also remember the mantra ‘No deal is better than a bad deal’. The deal on offer is, without question, a bad deal. Voting for it will betray democracy. To prevent that happening, vote for me.
After graduating with a Master’s degree from Aberystwyth University in 2012, Dylan worked as a fundraiser for the charity Find a Voice, helping people with communication and learning disabilities across Kent, before becoming Royal Mail’s distribution manager in Canterbury and safety lead for Kent.
Labour will deliver real change THE Brexit voted for in 2016 is vastly different to the Brexit on offer in 2019. Boris Johnson’s Brexit would see Britain tied to Donald Trump, with plans to further privatise the NHS. Labour would resolve Brexit swiftly in six months through a second vote. Labour will invest in public services, paid for by increasing tax on those earning over £80,000 and ensuring large corporations pay their fair share. The NHS The Conservatives promised major NHS funding prior to the 2015, 2017 and now 2019 elections. They haven’t delivered. The average waiting time for a non-urgent doctor’s appointment is now 14.8 days. Only 74.5 per cent of A and E patients are treated within four hours. In Tonbridge, new residents struggle to even register with a GP. Privatisation of the NHS has continued, with tens of thousands of PFI contracts made since 2013. Currently, 18 per cent of healthcare spend goes to private companies. Labour would oversee a £26billion real terms increase in NHS funding. This includes the recruitment of 24,000 additional nurses, and training an additional 5,000 GPs. Labour will halt any further privatisation of the NHS, and start removing the existing PFI contracts.
Education Labour would give 2-4 year olds 30 hours free pre-school education. This not only aids children’s development at a crucial age, but allows single parents to work without the cost of childcare. Labour would introduce another 1,000 Sure Start centres, a fantastic resource for pre-school children that has been scaled back under the Conservatives. I was fortunate to receive an education maintenance allowance [EMA] during my A levels, and paid £3,000 a year tuition fees at University. Unfortunately, the Conservatives abolished EMA, and £9,000 tuition fees have made university a daunting prospect. Labour would reintroduce EMA and abolish tuition fees, enabling people from all walks of life to aspire to higher education. Labour would also invest in adult education. The 21st century will see radical changes in our economy, with automation and technology replacing traditional jobs with new skilled career opportunities. Therefore, it is vital that adults have opportunities to reskill and adapt to the changing job market.
SPREADING THE WORD Labour canvassers with Dylan Green New Deal A hundred private companies are responsible for 71 per cent of the world’s total carbon emissions, most of these are oil and energy companies. The private sector has not done enough to invest in green energy. Labour understands we need to act swiftly and rapidly to save our planet, and will renationalise the ‘Big 6’. Labour’s green revolution will see the building of 9,000 wind turbines, with investment in green industries creating skilled British jobs. We will also permanently ban fracking,
including in Bidborough Ridge. Vote Labour to challenge the Conservatives in Tonbridge & Malling No constituency should be a ‘walkover’, I’m proud to offer Tonbridge & Malling constituents a real choice. The 2017 General Election saw Labour receiving 12,710 votes. The Libdems and Greens both received less than a third of that figure, 3,787 and 2,335 respectively. To challenge the Conservatives in Tonbridge & Malling, you need to vote Labour.
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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Best property buys for... We all love to see homes with the ‘wow’ factor – which could apply to the kitchen, reception room, garden, or something else. Sarah Bond homes in on specific aspects that make these properties well worth a look…
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Gargirita
Greenhill Road, Otford GUIDE PRICE
£4,250,000 CONTACT • Savills, Sevenoaks • 01732 789700 • savills.co.uk A hugely impressive modern, Queen Anne-style residence completed in 2016 to a high standard, including a stunning entrance hall with imperial staircase, and stone and marble tiled floors. The property also includes a cinema, gym and selfcontained flat – all set in landscaped gardens of 0.7 of an acre on the edge of the village. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Wide front door opening to striking reception hall where an imperial staircase with metal and chrome banisters rises to all floors
n Drawing room featuring bespoke display cabinet, stone fireplace with gas fire and doors to terrace
n Dining room n Study featuring stone fireplace with gas fire and fitted office furniture, including desk
n Superb Chambers walnut kitchen/breakfast/ family room with island, Quooker instant hot tap, Gaggenau appliances and doors to terrace
n Playroom/second study n Cloakroom and utility room with outside access n Galleried landing n Master suite with dressing room and en-suite bathroom
n 4 further bedrooms with en-suite facilities n Cinema with with surround sound, built-in bar area and two wine fridges
n Gym with air conditioning, kitchenette and cloakroom
The STAIRCASE...
n Elan G Home control and automation with in-ceiling speakers
n South-facing landscaped gardens, including lawns, terraces, irrigation system and BBQ area with lighting and external speakers
n Brick summerhouse with veranda n Drive with electric wrought iron gates n Double garage with power and light n Studio flat over garage with kitchen and shower n In total, 0.73 of an acre
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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The PRICE…
The DINING ROOM…
Frant Road Tunbridge Wells GUIDE PRICE
£375,000 Share of freehold
London Road Southborough GUIDE PRICE
£850,000 CONTACT • Jackson-Stops, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 521700 • jackson-stops.co.uk
CONTACT • Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk Appealing open-plan apartment with garage.
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Reception room with wall-hung fire n Dining room with French doors to balcony n Kitchen n 2 bedrooms and a bathroom n Double garage FIRSTTIME BUYER EVENT Sat Nov 30
A great opportunity for further improvement comes with this elegant, refurbished Victorian semi-detached family home, thought to date from the mid 1800s. It has planning permission to extend to create a new kitchen/family room. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Accommodation spread over three floors, with classical features including sash windows, high ceilings and fireplaces
n Columned porch opening to entrance hall n Sitting room with bay window and open brick fireplace
n Dining room with steps down to cellar n Kitchen with professional 110 range-style cooker and external door
n 4 bedrooms with fireplaces n Family bathroom and separate shower room n Access to roof space n Driveway providing off-street parking n Garage n Secure rear garden with lawn and paved seating area under a pergola
n Within walking distance of Southborough Common
Knights Wood Knights Way, Tunbridge Wells PRICES FROM
£275,000 CONTACT • Knights Wood Sales & Marketing Suite • 01892 800580 • dandara.com Property developer Dandara is holding a FirstTime Homeowner event at Knights Wood this Saturday, November 30, from 10am to 5pm n Specialists, including mortgage advisers and solicitors, will be on hand n A range of exclusive offers will be available to first-time buyers if they reserve a new home at the event n Help to Buy is also available
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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House Farm
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AT A GLANCE
TAN HOUSE FARM TOYS HILL, NR EDENBRIDGE Main House n Grade II-listed country residence dating from the 16th century with period features including timbers, oak doors and inglenook fireplaces n Reception hall with inglenook fireplace n Drawing room with wood-burning stove and doors to terrace n Sitting room with wood-burning stove n Dining room with vaulted ceiling and access to terrace
An old country house full of charm with the bonus of a barn annexe, a pool and fine equestrian facilities
n Kitchen/breakfast room with fouroven electric Aga n Utility room and cloakroom n 2 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms n 3 further double bedrooms n Family bathroom and separate shower Converted barn n Hall with glass front door, full-height windows and vaulted ceiling n Sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and cloakroom n 2 en-suite bedrooms Outside n Idyllic gardens and grounds, including pond with duck house, a stream and bridges n Swimming pool and pool house n Double garage and outbuildings, including office and delightful ‘Barbeque Hut’ (above) n 2 stables, sand school and 2 paddocks n In total, about 6.5 acres
GUIDE PRICE
£2,475,000 CONTACT • Savills, Sevenoaks • 01732 789700 • savills.co.uk
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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All the world’s a stage – for young students studying Shakespeare Following the superb recent Shakespeare Schools Festival at Trinity Theatre, Eileen Leahy talks to Ruth Brock, CEO of the Shakespeare Schools Foundation, about the benefits the charity brings to both primary and secondary students, and discovers (right) how local teacher Michael King brought the world’s largest youth drama festival to Tunbridge Wells What is the Shakespeare Schools Festival all about? It is the world’s largest youth drama festival. Through taking part, children grow in confidence and resilience and do better in class. This autumn, over 20,000 young people from schools right across the UK will perform abridged Shakespeare plays on local professional theatre stages. The festival is the flagship project of the charity Shakespeare Schools Foundation [SSF]. We work with every type of school, including primary, secondary and special schools, and Pupil Referral Units [PRUs].
BRINGING THE BEST OF THE BARD TO TOWN Ruth Brock
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
When was it established and has it grown bigger every year? Our festival started in 2000, with eight schools performing at the Torch Theatre in Pembrokeshire, Wales. This year, over 750 schools from every nation and region of the UK are performing at 118 theatres, from Glasgow to Guernsey and Ipswich to Inverness. We would love to involve as many children as possible, but for that we need even more generous supporters to join our cause! [See how at the foot of this feature] What do you think being involved with the Shakespeare Schools Festival gives students? After taking part in our festival, one boy told us: “It felt like I’d conquered the world!” Through this experience, children develop the confidence to last a lifetime – they make new friends and become more empathetic. They experience the thrill of working creatively and do better back in the classroom. Learning Shakespeare is a huge challenge. After weeks and months of hard work, they perform on stage in front of a packed audience. And when they take their final bow, they are bursting with pride. Are there any other events you run for schools throughout the year? We also devise new,
exciting and accessible projects to deepen learning and enrich educational experiences for children with a range of needs and abilities. These have included immersive projects for children with autism and communication needs and whole-school Shakespeare experiences promoting literacy, articulacy and fun; using Shakespeare to fuel cross-curricular learning, including financial literacy and PSHE. We also offer workshops focusing on creative approaches to learning, where children are encouraged to think deeply and broadly – and have a lot of fun at the same time. All our workshops are designed to introduce Shakespeare to children in ways that are active and engaging. They are tailored for different age groups, including Early Years, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3 and GCSE. Do you actively go into schools yourselves? Yes, our facilitators go into schools to deliver our projects and workshops, sharing expertise from the theatre world. For example, through our Play In A Day workshop, students take a rehearsal room approach, exploring and experimenting with different ideas as they build and shape their own performance. We leave a legacy of best practice and teachers who feel more empowered and confident in their roles.
Shakespeare Schools Festival also unites different schools. As the performance day approaches, children attend a Company Workshop where they work with a trained theatre professional alongside a cast from another made it harder than ever for schools to take on school. By taking part in drama additional projects – even games together and showing with all of the resources and each other their work in support that SSF provides. However, with SSF, we are progress, children giving children the skills they feel encouraged need to succeed – and with the increased confidence, collaboration and inspired
What are the main challenges involved in achieving your goals? The need for SSF’s work is more acute than ever, and it’s never been so difficult to do it. It’s no secret that schools have had a very tough few years. Teachers see a huge Funding constraints, teacher workload and transformation in their the demands of the curriculum have all taken students. In 2018, 98% of a dramatic toll on arts provision, and have
teachers said their students were more confident as a result of the festival, 98% also said students were more resilient, and 82% of teachers also reported gains in students’ academic attainment
and empathy they gain, we are helping to create the citizens of the future that our society needs as well.
With SSF’s 20th anniversary approaching in 2020, what plans do you have for the future? We think every child deserves the chance to gain the skills they need to succeed. As a charity, we’re always seeking to respond to the changing landscape so that we can best meet the needs of our young people. As we look forward to our 20th anniversary year, we’re considering exciting new projects and ways of working, while continuing to empower young people with vital life skills through the festival. Watch this space!
• For more information on the SSF charity, to book a workshop or sign up for the 2020 festival, call 020 7601 1800 or visit shakespeareschools.org • The Shakespeare Schools Foundation is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge from December 3-10. Any donations made during this time will be doubled. To find out more, visit shakespeareschools.org/biggive19
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‘They get to share the joy of performance and life in a theatre. After all who doesn’t enjoy dressing up and playing at being some else?’ The Head of Drama at St Gregory’s Roman Catholic School, Michael King, is the man responsible for introducing the Shakespeare Schools Festival to the local area. Here he tells us how this happened, and what the festival is all about While studying a script and rehearsing, students build a unique bond, creating a true ensemble that encompasses different age ranges and abilities. During this time, they learn how to turn problems into challenges and help support each other in order to produce a high quality entertaining show. Each festival sees a number of schools get involved nationally and culminates with a night of performances. Ours in Tunbridge Wells are at Trinity Theatre, and this year’s took place on November 12. Along with students from St Gregory’s, who put on Macbeth, there were also pupils from Goudhurst & Kilndown Primary School and Solefield Prep in Sevenoaks, and they put on Romeo & Juliet and Julius Caesar respectively. Past years have seen other schools, such as Benenden and St Barnabus Primary, involved here in Tunbridge Wells. Not only do students who participate in the Shakespeare Schools Festival get to act out and understand more clearly the great Bard’s work, but they also get to see the work of other schools being performed, and so learn from them, too. And they get to share with them the joy of performance and to experience life in the theatre. After all who doesn’t enjoy dressing up and playing at being some else?
Madness Additionally, Shakespeare Schools Festival gives students the chance to raise their game, enjoy company workshops with professional practitioners and work in public performance
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spaces alongside industry specialists. I decided to do Macbeth this year after consulting our school’s Head of English, Chris McGaughey, as I wanted to know which play would best support the English curriculum. It’s not particularly that tricky for our students to take on Shakespeare and interpret and learn lines of his as they study a different Shakespeare play each year in English. Though some words or phrases need some explanation. When necessary, we explore the historical context to gain an appreciation of the subtexts relating to individual characters. Our production of Macbeth took approximately eight weeks to put together. During this time
DRAMA IMAGES: Courtesy of Splaat Media
A
S WITH most great ideas, it began over coffee a couple of years ago, with Ian Bell, a local drama teacher, actor and director. He suggested I consider getting involved with the Shakespeare Schools Festival as it was a novel way for students to get hands-on with Shakespeare’s scripts. This idea gestated for a year or so until I was invited for another coffee – this time with biscuits – with Jason Lawlor from the Trinity Youth Theatre Team, who agreed to co-ordinate the hosting of the event. In terms of what staging a Shakespeare for Schools Festival gives students, I’d say primarily it’s the opportunity to tackle great plays and get underneath the skin of some iconic Shakespearian characters – understanding some of the universal themes that have haunted mankind for thousands of years. Anger, passion, jealousy – they are all found in Shakespeare’s works.
I was seconded on to Jury service for two of them, so my special thanks go to Jane Ireland the school Chaplin, who stepped in to run some rehearsals and grounded our focus when we got carried away in the madness of the content (it is a cursed play, after all). I was helped by some great technical students, Hope and Maria on sound, Artem and Will on lighting, while music was done by Lucas and costumes by Eloise. Putting plays on is so much more than just who’s acting on stage.
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goingout 7 days of activities
WEDNESDAY Santa has stopped for diesel in Tunbridge Wells (it’s greener than keeping eight reindeer!), and while the elves refuel he will be safely parked and ready to receive guests. Father Christmas at Calverley Grounds is on from today until Tuesday December 24. Children can write their names on their letters to Santa and he will magically know their names after talking to the elves, then the young ones can have a good old natter with the world’s fastest delivery driver before receiving
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
CAUSE AND EFFECT TOUR
FRIDAY 12 JUNE
BEDGEBURY PINETUM NR TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT.
TICKETS: 03000 680400 BUY ONLINE/INFO: FORESTRYENGLAND.UK/MUSIC INFO: KEANEMUSIC.COM P R E S E N T E D B Y F O R E S T RY E N G L A N D B Y A R R A N G E M E N T W I T H W M E
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
A CHRISTMAS TREAT Visit Santa at The Hop Farm
By Jerome Bowman
their gift and getting a photo as a memento. Tickets cost £16.50 for children and all adults pay £2. For more information and to book, visit fatherchristmasinkent.co.uk THURSDAY If you’re looking for something social and to keep you fit, why not try Walking Netball at Freedom Leisure in Crowborough? The session, which starts at 11.30am and lasts an hour, is a casual turn up and play affair that is a great way to ease yourself into the game, regardless of your age or fitness level. Entry is £5 per person and can be paid when you arrive. For more information, visit crowboroughnetball.com FRIDAY Made in Dagenham, which starts at 7.30pm, You can see the amazing light show at is based on a true story about a group Bedgebury National Pinetum near of female sewing machinists who Goudhurst until December 30. The went on strike against Ford Motor site is illuminated by colourful Company for unequal pay, which light displays, including a eventually led to the Equal Pay vortex tunnel and hundreds Act 1970 being passed. In a of colourful water lights (like tale of friendship, love and Blade Runner if it was set in catchy tunes, Ria O’Grady the present and in a park). and her friends show us To keep yourself warm for how to stand up for your the journey, grab a mulled rights. Tickets cost £21.75 wine or hot chocolate, and and can be book online at ROASTS & RAMBLES there are traditional Victorian assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Visit Penshurst Place fairground rides for the children for a Roasts and to enjoy, too. To book tickets, go SATURDAY Rambles tour to bedgeburypinetum.org.uk Visit The Clay Studio in Groombridge This is the last night you can catch for their Christmas Pottery Sale today TWODS’ latest production at the Assembly Hall. from 10am-8pm. There will be a wide range of
ceramics available from studio tutors, including Eunice Locher, Helen Ashton and Susana Garcia, as well as printed textiles by Lara Görlach and work of past and current students. Explore the studio at your leisure with a glass of mulled wine, all in support of Life & Soul, a Tunbridge Wellsbased charity that works on wellbeing and mental health for young people aged five to 25. For more information, go to theclay.studio Unless you live in a vineyard, wine doesn’t get more local than the Discover Local Wines evening at the Hotel du Vin. With the event featuring wines from 11 of the best vineyards and wineries in Kent and East Sussex, expect a masterclass in tasting, order your Christmas cases and enjoy a little English Cheese. The evening runs from 4pm to 7pm and tickets are priced at £20, or £35 for two, and can be booked online at discoverlocalevents.co.uk
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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IMAGE: David Jenner Photography
LET THERE BE LIGHTS… See the illuminations at Bedgebury National Pinetum
SUNDAY Visit Penhurst Place this afternoon for a Roasts & Rambles: Filming at Penshurst Place tour. General Manager Ben Thomas will give you a guided tour of the state rooms and regale you with insider knowledge on the production of many of the films that have been shot there, including The Princess Bride, The Other Boleyn Girl and Mary Queen of Scots. As well as the tour, you can enjoy nibbles, followed by a carvery lunch and delicious pudding. Tickets cost £11.37 and can be booked at penshurstplace.com Get your skates on, because the Snow Sisters are at the SKATE Ice Rink in Calverley Grounds today. Meet and greet the two popular princesses and enjoy their live vocal performances and giveaways, all thanks to Once Upon a Wish Events. The sisters are included in the price of a standard ticket to the rink, so for more information and to book, go to assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk MONDAY Santa is back in Paddock Wood today until December 23. See Father Christmas at The Hop Farm in his Big Red Grotto, meet his jolly helpers, enjoy storytelling with Mother Christmas, and make balloon models before talking to the big man and receiving your gift. Tickets cost £18 per child, and this includes admission for two adults and a gift. For more information and to book, visit thehopfarm.co.uk ENJOY SOME WINE TASTING At Hotel du Vin
THE CLAY STUDIO Visit the Christmas pottery sale in Groombridge
SNOW SISTERS Meet them at Calverley Grounds TUESDAY Join Get Out Of My Space for another immersive dining experience, and this time the actors will be bringing A Christmas Carol to life. Starting at 7pm, and held in The Beacon pub’s Grand Pavilion, the production is based on the lighthearted and playful adaptation by Patrick Barlow which garnered much praise in its first run for its joyful and witty take on the classic Victorian tale. And what immersive dining experience would be complete without food to dine on? A full Christmas Dinner will, of course, be included in the ticket price, which is £49. To book (and face your terrible selfishness in the form of ghostly spirits), go to gooms.co.uk
FUNNY GIRL Sophie Willan
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Christmas Comedy Club Trinity Theatre Saturday November 30, 7.30pm A comedy night featuring the deceptively laid-back Dave Fulton, the trailblazing Sophie Willan and rising star Masie Adam. For the Christmas run, the action moves to the foyer, and you can enjoy a three-course festive menu to maximise the chances of your sides splitting. Food will be served from 6.30pm and the main event kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £37.50 if you would like to dine or £20 without a meal. For more information, as well as other dates, visit trinitytheatre.net
Going Out
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Going Out
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites pdag.co.uk & thegreylady.co.uk Thursday The Frampton Sisters, Red, Green & Blue, Sophie Nevill Friday Over The Edge Sunday Steve Hewitt, Lucy Jarrett, Sonny Palmer
live music The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com
With Paul Dunton
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at The Bedford pub. Plus, Heart Of A Coward are at The Forum with support from Unprocessed and Graphic Nature. On Saturday evening, for a taste of opera and classical music, Ailish Tynan (soprano) and Iain Burnside (piano) will be performing in The Big School building at Tonbridge School, offering a varied programme of English and French song, Schubert, Reynaldo Hahn, and operatic arias by Puccini. Close out the weekend on Sunday with Soda Prism, Lucy Jarrett and Sonny Palmer at The Grey Lady. And looking ahead to next week, Monday night offers Chris N’Alan Davis at The Tonbridge Folk Club, and The TWUNT Ukulele Jam session returns to The George pub.
THE SUSSEX ARMS BASEMENT Sussex Mews Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk Thursday Thoma and Friends LIVE MUSIC AT THE ICE RINK Calverley Grounds Live music from 7pm Thursday Plato, Biddle, Ryan Weeks
THE IMLI RESTAURANT Southborough Booking advised on 01892 522550 Music from 7pm onwards Friday Elvis Presley Tribute
THE WHITE BEAR PUB High Street Free entry, music from 8pm Saturday Live performance from Ed Sax (saxophone)
TUNBRIDGE WELLS CEMETERY Benhall Mill Road Saturday 3pm Angels in Harmony: A concert by The Women in Harmony choir
THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim Free entry, music from 8pm till late Saturday Red Rooster Sunday Open Mic Night
THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Free entry, music from 8.30pm Information at thebedfordtw.co.uk Saturday The Danny Lee Band THE ROYAL OAK PUB Prospect Road Free entry, music from 8pm till late Saturday IV Remnants THE CROSS KEYS St John’s Road Free entry, music from 8pm Saturday Soul Train
BIG SCHOOL Tonbridge School All event details and tickets available at tmc.org.uk Saturday Ailish Tynan (soprano) & Iain Burnside (piano) THE STAG THEATRE Sevenoaks All event information and tickets at stagsevenoaks.co.uk Saturday Voodoo Room: A night of Hendrix, Clapton & Cream
The Frampton Sisters
MUSICSTATION Bank Street, Tonbridge Booking essential. Call 01732 350629 Thursday & Friday 8pm-9.30pm Adult band workshop, all levels welcome
THE SPA HOTEL Mount Ephraim Live music in Zagatos Bar. Booking advised on 01892 520331. Music from 8pm. Friday Fred Clark
Sit back, relax and enjoy Christmas Day in the stunning surroundings of Bewl Water. AMUSE BOUCHE SPRING ONION, SMOKED CHEDDAR BEIGNETS Beetroot aioli (GF available) (V) STARTERS MAPLE SMOKED DUCK BREAST Pickled walnuts, clementine, watercress and pistachio salsa verde (GF) (N) SMOKED CHERRY TOMATO AND CREAMY BURRATA TART Crispy basil, pine nut pangrattato (V) (GF available) (N) CHILDREN’S FRUIT STICKS With a strawberry coulis (V) (GF) (DF) 01892 890000 www.bewlwater.co.uk – info.bewlwater.co.uk Bewl Water, Bewlbridge Lane, Lamberhurst, Kent, TN3 8JH
THE GEORGE PUB Mount Ephraim Free entry, music from 8pm till late Monday TWUNT Ukulele Jam Session TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB Flying Dutchman, Hildenborough Hat collection Music from 8pm, all welcome. Find out more information at tonbridgefolkclub. org Monday Chris N’Alan Davis
TRINITY THEATRE Church Road Details and tickets at trinitytheatre.net Friday Floyd In The Flesh (Pink Floyd Tribute)
£3 £1 2 c £ 7 hi 65 ch ld p ild ren er re 1 ad n 2a u 5 an nd lt d un un d de er r
HIS Thursday is a busy night with Thoma and Friends at The Sussex Arms Basement and The Frampton Sisters at The Grey Lady Music Lounge with support from Red, Green & Blue and Sophie Nevill. Meanwhile, The Forum hosts the popular U18 Open Mic night and the Winter Sessions continue at the Ice Rink in Calverley Grounds with Plato, Biddle and Ryan Weeks all performing. My top picks for Friday include local singer-songwriter Fred Clark at The Spa Hotel and fans of Pink Floyd can enjoy renowned tribute Floyd in The Flesh at Trinity Theatre. Saturday night has plenty on offer with Red Rooster at The Beau Nash Tavern, IV Remnants at The Royal Oak pub and The Danny Lee Band
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM The Common Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk Thursday U18 Open Mic Night Friday Bobbie Johnson, Phonetic, Starz n Deeza, DJ Medicinal & Sound D Saturday Heart Of A Coward, Unprocessed, Graphic Nature
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Please call 01892 89000 0 or visit www.bewlwa ter.co.uk for more info rmation or to book
at Bewl Water
MAINS ROASTED FREE RANGE TURKEY Chestnut stuffing, pancetta wrapped chipolata, seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes, turkey jus (GF available) (N) SPINACH, WILD MUSHROOM AND PUMPKIN WELLINGTON Herb and pink peppercorn sauce, seasonal roast vegetables, roast potatoes (GF available) (V) DESSERTS WARM CHRISTMAS PUDDING Brandy butter and crème Anglais (GF available) DARK CHOCOLATE TART Toasted Italian meringue, espresso Anglais (GF available) Tea/coffee with mini mince pies
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Natural selection
We visit The Small Holding and discover why chef Will Devlin loves foraging for natural ingredients to enhance his seasonal menus…
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HE SMALL HOLDING restaurant and bar in Kilndown has been rather busy of late with chef owner Will Devlin and his team busy preserving, pickling and laying down stores for the winter months. The 26-cover AA rosette-awarded restaurant has been named one of the best in the county at the Taste of Kent Awards and is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between farm and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with daily changing menus using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10ft from the kitchen. “We have been harvesting squash and gourds in all shapes and sizes, new season onions and
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
shallots and wild mushrooms in the woods,” says Will of his recent foraging expeditions. “And of course, the brambles all along the lanes in Kilndown were teaming with ripe and plump little blackberries earlier this autumn.” As a result, Will and his team were able to create a number of both sweet and savoury dishes.
Comforting It’s around about now The Small Holding starts to move towards providing its customers with the fruits of their foraging trips, producing a range of comforting dishes such as the roast pheasant featured here. They like to make a big thing of the British game season, but Will says people are often put off it if they have had tough and overly strong meat. “We need to forget that. Game birds such as pheasant, grouse, partridge and mallard live off the land in the countryside, all eating naturally, meaning they are more ethical and have superior flavour. “For the recipe shown here, I’ve partnered the tender and mildly gamey pheasant with fruity wild blackberries. I hope you enjoy it!” FORAGING FURTHER AFIELD and finding ripe blackberries in the nearby lanes
THE PICK OF THE FARM Will Devlin enjoys his own fresh produce
Roast pheasant and blackberry sauce Serves two To prepare: 10 minutes, plus resting To cook: 20 minutes n 1 whole, oven ready pheasant n Few sprigs of thyme n Splash of rapeseed or olive oil n 50g unsalted butter n 180g of blackberries, preferably wild n 100ml ruby port or fruity red wine n 2 tablespoons blackberry jelly or jam n 100ml fresh chicken stock 1 Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Remove the pheasant from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook, rub all over with the oil
and season well inside and out with salt and pepper. 2 Heat a heavy-bottomed pan suitable for the oven and brown the pheasant all over, turning often, concentrating on the legs, so not to dry out the breast. 3 Put the butter and thyme inside the bird and roast in the oven for 16-18 minutes until just cooked through. Baste with the melted butter in the pan and remove to a shallow bowl to rest, breast side down, covered loosely with foil. 4 While the pheasant is resting, return the same pan to the heat and deglaze with the port and stock. Add the blackberry jelly and simmer over a high heat until syrupy. Stir in the wild blackberries to warm through. 5 Slice the whole breasts and legs from the pheasant and serve with mashed celeriac, blackberry sauce and wilted greens.
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
A taste of Spain
It’s sherries all round this week as Times Drinks Editor James Viner heads to Spain to discover some of the most neglected bargains in the wine world…
SHERRY is curiously inexpensive, food-friendly, extremely undervalued and the go-to wine to set off the dancing at the region’s spring fairs – and it hails from the alabaster moonscape of glaring whiteness along Spain’s south-western Andalucian coast. Numerous gallons gently mature in American oak casks using the traditional solera method – an ageing and maturation technique involving progressively topping up more mature barrels (‘butts’) with younger wines of the same kind from the preceding stage, or criadera. A fortified wine, sherry is made and matured in above ground cellars in three major towns in the province of Cádiz: Jerez de la Frontera – from which it takes its name – and the two sherry ports of El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, which form the corners of the marco de Jerez, or the ‘Sherry Triangle’, near the crossing of the seas. So, have a sherry Christmas with these:
Follow James on Twitter: @QuixoticWine
chocolate, molten toffee, roasted coffee, molasses and prune notes, this dark and wondrous plum, liquidised raisin, liquorice and fig-soaked elixir is the ultimate sweetie. Your palate will perform somersaults such is its splendour in the glass. While a perfect coupling for mince pies or Christmas pud, it’s also divine with chocolate desserts, blue cheese and poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And look at the price! Alc 17%
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1) DECADENT SUPER-STICKY SHERRY FOR CHRISTMAS PUDDING OR MINCE PIES Co-op Irresistible PX Sherry from Lustau (£6, Co-op, 37.5cl) One of the planet’s richest and sweetest wines, Pedro Ximénez is made from raisined grapes of the same name that are dried in the sun after picking to concentrate the flavour. PX, as it is also known, has a glutinously thick, satiny and unctuous texture and a penetrating, rich flavour. Loaded with intense, ultra-sweet, dark
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2) PUNGENT, PRANCING, LOWER ACID, BONEDRY SHERRY – GRAB A BAG OF SALTED ALMONDS! The Society’s Fino from Sánchez Romate (£6.95, The Wine Society, 75cl) Fino sherries, made from early ripening, relatively low-acid/high-yielding/large Palomino grapes in water-retentive, predominantly limestone-rich, chalky, milky-white ‘albariza’ soils, are pale-golden, delicate, palate-reviving and bone dry. With a pungent bouquet redolent of green apples, freshly baked sourdough crust, yeast and salted almonds, this arabesque of a Fino tingles with life and spins on the palate with effortless charm. The archetypical aperitif, it’s just the ticket for seafood, shellfish, smoked salmon, sashimi, olives and fish and chips. Epic value given that this is 75cl! Alc 15% 3) RICH, NUTTY AND COMPLEX DRY SHERRY TO DRINK BEFORE AND THROUGHOUT THE MEAL González Byass Viña AB, Amontillado Seco (£14.33-£14.75, Master of Malt/Whisky Exchange/Oddbins, 75cl) Amontillado is a Fino that has been allowed to mature and oxidize after the beneficial flor yeast has ‘died’ (or been intentionally killed off by simply refortifying it), developing a more rounded, nutty flavour, fuller-body and a chestnut brown colour. Buttered brazils, roasted hazelnuts, dried stone fruits, burnt toast and almond skin fuse here and finish on a lingering dry note. A fantastic aperitif, oxidatively-aged for eight years and superbly long on the palate, AB is effectively a 12-year-old Tío Pepe, González Byass’s world best-selling sherry. Sweet-salty Jamón Ibérico, gravadlax, braised rabbit, tandoori chicken, tagines, nuts or asparagus, anyone? Fear not if you don’t finish the bottle because it will hold well for a couple of months. A short spell in the fridge will heighten its fresh, tangy talents. Alc 16.5%
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VINER’S PICK: FIVE DRY SHERRIES n Hidalgo-La Gitana Pastrana Pasada
Manzanilla NV, Alc 15% n Fernando de Castilla Antique Fino NV, Alc 17%
(fortified a second time on bottling) n El Maestro Sierra Amontillado 1830 VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry), Alc 19% n Bodegas Tradición 30-Year-Old Palo Cortado VORS NV, Alc 19.5% n Díez-Mérito Victoria Regina Oloroso VORS, Alc 20%
SERVING TEMPERATURES & LIFE AFTER OPENING n Fino is best chilled between 7-9°C. Serve the PX slightly chilled, at around 10-12°C. Oloroso, Amontillado & Palo Cortado can be served at a temperature of around 11-13°C n Use standard long-stemmed wine glasses, not ungenerous little ones (PX would suit a small/port glass) n An open bottle of Fino will last between just two and three days before it starts to fade and lose its vibrancy. Amontillado is best consumed within two weeks, whereas Oloroso and Palo Cortado will stay fresh for two months. If properly stoppered, PX can last a year or more. n Jerez is applauding its first 1-Michelin star: Juan Luis Fernández’s restaurant Lú. Another one on its way?
“If God had not made Sherry, how imperfect his work would have been.” (Benito Pérez Galdós)
B A R . R E S TA U R A N T. R O O M S . C AV E . G A R D E N Serving great food in a beautiful setting, we are the perfect place for your special occasions.
T: 01892 618854 E: hello@themountedgcumbe.com W: www.themountedgcumbe.com
Come and try our warming winter menu and have a glass of wine by a gorgeous open fire.
The Common, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 8BX
For more details please email, call or pop in and see us!
Opening Hours: Mon-Wed 11am-11pm Thurs-Sat 11am-11.30pm Sunday 12-10.30pm
#EatDrinkStayEnjoy @MountEdgcumbeTWells
@TMountEdgcumbe
@themountedgcumbe
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Food Service Times: Mon-Thurs 12-3pm 6-9.30pm Fri-Sat 12-9.30pm (3-6pm Light Menu) Sunday 12-8pm (4-8pm Light Menu)
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Books
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
6/10
Winter reads… Time to unwind and relax, and what better way than with a great book? Here are a few suggestions for your reading…
BOOK OF THE WEEK:
The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung
7/10
Published in hardback by Little, Brown, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now Katherine looks back at her life in mathematics, a career shaped by her particular time and circumstances of gender and race in post-WWII America and Europe. A position that nevertheless speaks all too clearly to our own place and time today. Catherine Chung is brilliant at showing us the forces which either block or encourage Katherine’s career, from the early schoolteacher who punishes her for being too smart, to later colleagues who may help her progress but also steal or derail her work. Though Katherine’s academic interest is in mathematical research, the stories which influence her are equally important. Like the tenth Muse in the tale with which the novel opens; she makes a difficult choice, but also the only one that seems right for her. The maths theories that are woven through the narrative both shine a light on human affairs and offer up a promise of perfection, though in the end even their description of the world is contradictory and incomplete. (Review by Lucy Whetman)
Exquisite Cadavers by Meena Kandasamy Published in hardback by Atlantic Books, priced £5.99 (ebook £3.98). Available now
Meena Kandasamy’s second novel, When I Hit You: Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife, drew on her personal experience of surviving an abusive, violent marriage. At the same time, the book was a highly crafted work of fiction, so she was frustrated to see it treated by critics as a crass misery memoir, a move that had sexist and even racist undertones. This new novel is a reaction to that experience. It takes a purely fictional couple, Karim and Maya, and sits their story within a frame of pure autobiography. Each page of the book has two columns: As the fictional story unfolds in the centre, the outer column unflinchingly relates the autobiographical references and thought processes that inspired the developing narrative. Karim is a Tunisian at film school in London who nurses a clandestine passion for the Arab Revolution. His partner, Maya, is preoccupied by an errant father, an unstable job, and a secret pregnancy. In the other strand of the book, meanwhile, Kandasamy talks of her own happy second marriage and family, her activism, and the abuses of the Modi regime against its critics. But when Karim’s brother goes missing in Tunis, the split-page format disappears as the personal and political collide, and Kandasamy begins to blur genres
7/10
NON-FICTION
The Man In The Red Coat
by Julian Barnes Published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £18.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now Julian Barnes, esteemed author of Flaubert’s Parrot, A History Of The World In 10½ Chapters and The Sense Of An Ending, turns to narrative non-fiction in this genial canter through the cultural history of belle epoque France. He takes as his starting point a trip made by three Frenchmen who travel to London in 1885 – a Prince, a dandified Count, and Samuel Pozzi, a celebrity medic and serial womaniser. Pozzi is the focal point of the story, a man who appears to have a ringside seat at every key moment of the era. But his glowing public face – adored for his dashing looks and medical breakthroughs – hides an unwillingly estranged wife and a daughter whose life was blighted by his infidelities. From these three prominent denizens of Paris, Barnes traces a web of connections that takes in the era’s society intrigues, cultural highlights and historic currents. We rub shoulders with the likes of Sarah Bernhardt, Huysmans, Oscar Wilde, Flaubert, Degas and many, many more. A picture emerges of an era of glamorous pleasure-seeking and artistic innovation, but with a darker side – ‘distant, decadent, hectic, violent, narcissistic
Royals
by Emma Forrest Published in hardback by Bloomsbury Circus, priced £12.99 (ebook £7.41). Available now Emma Forrest’s biography-style Royals is told by teenager Steven, whose shuttered world view consists of an abusive father, his adored mother, two unremarkable tracksuit-bottomed brothers and a pending decision over his sexuality. When his father’s beatings land him in hospital, he meets poor little rich girl Jasmine, an heiress recovering from suicide – but whose gilded world teeters at her feet. So begins a dizzying coming of age, where all corners of Steven’s world map are stretched beyond recognition through the life-defining friendship that consumes them both. The novel starts with promise: A couple of twist-like reveals in the first two chapters are delivered with skill. But the story is soon weighed down by clumsy and unnecessary turns of phrase (“Jasmine… kept gnawing on baguette… swiped in apricot jam like a credit card through a machine”), which impedes the natural flow of plot and dialogue. Overall, the novel feels at times awkward and heavy-handed; it’s a disappointing telling of what could have been a carefully observed depiction of love and loss. (Review by Nicole Whitton)
7/10
and neurotic’. Barnes concludes with an afterword that bemoans the decline in language learning (hear, hear): “We are now understanding others less well, while they continue to understand us better. Another miserable piece of self-isolation.” Though this book is not perhaps the most obvious argument for the case, his point could not be more timely. (Review by Dan Brotzel) CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK:
The Impossible Boy by Ben Brooks
7/10
herself. Or perhaps, as she surely wants to imply in this absorbing and innovative work, it was a fantasy to think they could have been separated in the first place. (Review by Dan Brotzel)
Published in hardback by Quercus Children’s Books, priced £9.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now This is the latest novel from Ben Brooks, author of the bestselling Stories For Boys Who Dare To Be Different. In it, best friends Oleg and Emma invent an imaginary third companion, Sebastian – who then, remarkably, comes to life. Realising this is simply one more in a string of unbelievable events, Oleg and Emma are soon in a mad race to protect their new friend from the Institute of Unreality – who govern the natural order of our universe. This is an interesting story where the real value lies in the difficult subjects it touches on – broken homes, overcoming anxiety and facing an uncertain future being three of its central themes. Brooks gently but effectively negotiates these subjects through a story that is quirky, amusing and fun. At times, the plot doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, which might frustrate more exacting readers looking purely for a literary escape. But it works particularly well for those facing the uncertainty of secondary school, or who could do with lessons in friendship, courage, or letting go of anxieties. (Review by Nicole Whitton)
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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SAMPLING SERBIA Below: The Novi Sad cityscape. Right: The Kafeterija restaurant in Belgrade
Travel
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Wednesday November 27 | 2019
Superb mealtimes in Serbia are as ‘animated as Roman theatre battles’ With fresh produce in abundance and fascinating local culture, this Balkan state is becoming a top destination for culinary delights. Jonjo Maudsley takes a tasty tour of some of its finest food and drink destinations
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ITH an emphasis on fresh, organic, high-quality ingredients, Serbia champions a farm-to-fork culture. No matter where you go, you are sure to come across exceptional flavours – and always in epic quantities. I start my journey in Serbia’s second city, Novi Sad. Overlooked by the striking 17th-century Petrovaradin Fortress, the old town unfurls like a labyrinth of intimate corridors and sky-high spires. No wonder it’s destined to be European Capital of Culture 2021. But the foodie highlights lie beyond the city, so I head 30 minutes south in the direction of the Vinska Kuca Kovacevic restaurants in Krstasice. I’m excited to sample their five-wine tasting menu featuring grapes grown in Fruska Gora National Park. I delight in their zesty 2010 Brut, their 2017 Orpheline Riesling and, with my gooey cream slice dessert, their 2017 Bermet – this secret Serbian recipe contains herbs and spices and was, I’m told, the dessert wine of choice aboard the Titanic. It’s at this table that I learn flavour is only half the story in Serbia; mealtimes here are as animated as Roman theatre battles. fForks probe from all sides of
the table, stabbing at mounds of oozing goat’s cheese, crunchy vegetables and hunks of juicy sausage. Drinks are spilled, conversations get heated, and every morsel evokes the taste of the authentic side of local culture. vinarijakovacevic.com – five-wine tasting menu 2,900 RSD/£22 per person
Danube I hit the road again. No journey through Serbia is complete without a visit to its capital, Belgrade, which is shaking off its troubled history to re-establish itself as a punky party city. With its contemporary coffee shops and ornate, antique architecture, Belgrade embodies Serbia’s ambition to establish itself as a top European destination – and that, of course, means plenty to delight the taste buds, too. I enjoy a wonderful dinner on the banks of the Danube at the historic Stara Carinarnica in New Belgrade. The menu is rich with local fish, but before I’ve had a chance to consider it properly, I’m bombarded with samples of local rakia. What is rakia, you ask? A nostril-stinging, gutcleansing brandy available in dozens of different
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
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TOWER OF STRENGTH The Name of Mary Church in Novi Sad, set to be 2021’s European Capital of Culture
flavours. Every Serbian, I’m told, starts their day with a good measure, and with such a delicious choice on offer, I can understand why. staracarinarnica.com – mains from 680 RSD/£5 The next morning I head further south into the Morava Valley. Here, I discover the Aleksandrovic Winery, one of the most renowned in Serbia – not only for its exceptional wine, but for the impressive history of the brand. After the original vineyard collapsed during the communist regime, it was revived in 1992 and now produces half a million litres of wine per year. My cellar tour concludes with a feast of fresh food and a six-wine tasting session featuring the 2017 Prokupac, made with a unique Serbian grape, and the sumptuous 2018 Triumph, a sparkling wine often found at the table of the Serbian royal family. vinarijaaleksandrovic.rs – six wine tasting menu 2,900 RSD/£22 per person I spend my final night in Belgrade at Ambar, a glam restaurant on the banks of the river Sala
with a breathtaking view over the glitzy heights of New Belgrade. On a weekend evening, expect to find it packed with the local hoi polloi sharing stories over rakia. Eight courses consist of warm breads and freshly churned dips, fried zucchini, pulled cabbage salad and beef sirloin, each with a memorable flavour that firmly establishes Serbia as my new favourite destination for fresh, local, organic (and, of course, delicious) food. ambarrestaurant.com – eight-course menu 2,900 RSD/£22 per person HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP... Regent Holidays offers an eight-day fly-drive holiday to Serbia from £1,150 pp: regent-holidays.co.uk Fly with AirSerbia to Belgrade from £225 return: airserbia.com Hire a car with Enterprise from £50.28 per day: enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire/locations/ serbia.html BEAUTIFUL Belgrade
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Motors
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
Motoring News
Wednesday November 27 | 2019
This week… n A real Mirage… n An electric Mustang n A fast Bloodhound
Refreshed Mitsubishi Mirage is revealed… new colours: White Diamond or Sand Yellow. Inside, a new armrest has been thrown in, while cloth has been used on the previously exposed plastic ‘hand-touch’ areas. A carbon fibre-effect pattern has been added around the window switch panel, and it has combination fabric and synthetic leather upholstery. A new touchscreen infotainment system features Stable support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Reshaped headlamps have There’s no word on any new also been introduced, while the rear of the car sees a squared-off powertrains yet, but pricing bumper aiming to give it a ‘wider and full specifications will be revealed in early 2020, with and more stable look’. the car’s arrival in showrooms Rounding out the visual changes is a set of 15-inch alloy likely to follow shortly after. wheels, while customers can now opt for two MITSUBISHI has given its Mirage hatchback a fresh set of tweaks ahead of its 2020 launch. Initially introduced in 2012, the most notable change to the Mirage is the introduction of Mitsubishi’s corporate front fascia. Chrome strakes flank a blacked-out grille, with two red horizontal stripes sitting at either side of the badge.
Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E will ‘strike like forked lightning’ FORD has give us a first look at its all-electric Mustang Mach-E – its rival to the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace. The all-new, purpose-built car is one of 14 electrified Ford vehicles due to come to Europe by the end of 2020. The launch model will pack 332bhp, while a more powerful 459bhp GT version is due to arrive at a later date. It will be launched initially with two battery-pack sizes and three power outputs. At the entry point of the range sits a single motor-driven version with either a 75kWh battery and a 245bhp motor or a 99kWh battery and a 285bhp motor. Both should hit 60mph in under eight seconds, while ranges of 280 miles and 370 miles should be possible, respectively. Further up in the range sits a twin-motor
all-wheel-drive version with the choice of either a 75kWh battery and 245bhp or a 99kWh battery and 332bhp. Both should go from 0-60mph in under seven seconds with claimed ranges of 260 and 335 miles. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford said: “At the first-ever Detroit auto show, Henry Ford said he was working on something that would strike like forked lightning. That was the Model T. Today, the Ford Motor Company is proud to unveil a car that strikes like forked lightning all over again. The all-new, all-electric, Mustang Mach-E. It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s freedom.” Inside, it has a 15.5-in infotainment screen with touch, swipe and pinch controls . First deliveries are expected to commence in October next year, with prices likely to start around £40,000.
British Bloodhound hits new land speed
THE Bloodhound is a British vehicle intended to travel at supersonic speeds, and its land speed record team has smashed through yet another milestone by achieving a successful 628mph run. Just seven other vehicles have managed the feat of driving beyond 600mph, which the Bloodhound managed on a dry lakebed in South Africa. At 628mph, it would take the vehicle just 39 minutes to travel the 414 miles between London and Edinburgh. This is all the more impressive because the Bloodhound is currently running with only the thrust of a jet engine, despite the design allowing for a rocket motor as well. The rocket motor is due to be fitted soon, which should help the machine to achieve its target speed of 763mph – the current world land speed record. That record was set 22 years ago by Thrust SSC, with RAF pilot Andy Green at the controls. Green is also the one piloting Bloodhound towards its goal. He said: “This morning we had the perfect conditions for a high-speed run; cool temperatures and virtually no wind. After a slick start procedure from the team, the car handled superbly.” As the Bloodhound prepared to return to England, he added: “We’re in a great position to focus on setting a new world land speed record in the next year or so.”
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CODEWORD 4
5
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Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.
9 2
9 3 6 2 5
1 6 2
7 18
4 8
Codeword:
3
5 7
9
3 6
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
3
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8 1 4
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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.
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DIFFICULTY RATING:★✩✩✩
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7 6 3
2 4 9 7 5 9
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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU
DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★✩✩
CLASSIFIEDS
Life&Times
Puzzles
In this Sudoku, the normal 3x3 boxes are now strangely odd shapes – but all the rules and logic of normal Sudoku apply. Fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and box contains every number uniquely.
Puzzle solutions will be published in a forthcoming issue
S U D P E R R A I R A G H L A T E A L J P E I G N N N G L A
MM E R J A A I O O R S U B T Q Q U R U G U A E I E S T A S I V H A Z E E R A N M O R E D P A I O O X O R H O D
Sudoku:
1 4 7 6 2 5 8 3 9
3 5 9 8 7 1 4 2 6
8 6 2 3 9 4 1 7 5
9 2 4 7 5 3 6 8 1
5 7 1 2 8 6 9 4 3
6 3 8 1 4 9 7 5 2
4 8 5 9 6 2 3 1 7
9 5 8 3 1 6 2 7 4
6 8 7 5 9 4 3 1 2
2 3 4 9 8 5 7 6 1
7 6 5 1 3 2 9 4 8
8 4 9 2 7 1 5 3 6
1 2 3 8 4 7 6 5 9
4 7 2 6 5 9 1 8 3
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2 9 3 4 1 7 5 6 8
7 1 6 5 3 8 2 9 4
Jigsaw Sudoku:
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5 1 6 4 2 3 8 9 7
3 9 1 7 6 8 4 2 5
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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Sport
FOR EVENstories MOREto: NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.ukor newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Wednesday November 27 | 2019 Please send sports newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
Reynolds’ magic touch keeps Bedford at bay By Graham Withers RUGBY: THE two sides produced an open and exciting game in the London and South East Premier Division including a thrilling fightback by the visitors despite very soggy conditions. In March the Midlanders had pulled off a remarkable 31-31 draw at St Marks having trailed 31-14 with seven minutes left - and history nearly repeated itself. Wells’ outside half Frank Reynolds opened the scoring with a penalty from 25 metres but Bedford then profited from a period of possession with two of their own three-pointers. The home team now enjoyed their best period of play in the first half, and from a five-metre lineout Wells mauled over the line for hooker Stuart Nicholls to score his first try at this level; Reynolds’ conversion was pushed wide to leave the score at 8-6.
Flair Wells continued to attack and though Harvey Colangelo was thwarted short of the line, the ball was moved to Nick Doherty, who burst over between the posts for a converted try. Poor discipline and lack of precision allowed Beford back in and a clever grubber kick was gathered by No 8 James Wallace for a try near the posts, Leo Mortimer adding the extras.
Three minutes before half-time a Bedford rolling maul surged forward to give lock Dan Sim a try, and Mortimer added the conversion to give his side a 20-15 lead going into half-time. A touch of flair restored Wells’ lead and their confidence after a thunderous tackle by Ben Whale saw the ball run loose deep in the home side’s half. Reynolds hacked the ball forward and it looked likely to go into touch near the Bedford line before he showed great dexterity to flick it back just inside the field of play for Max Hobbs to cross. The fly-half completed his moment of magic with a fine touchline conversion, and after missing one penalty kick he slotted two more to stretch the lead to 28-20 on the hour. Wells secured their bonus point when Ryan Taylor-Dennehy capitalised on good work from Mike Doherty to gallop over from 30 metres for a converted try. With a 15-point deficit to make up, Athletic took advantage of a failure to clear the home lines as Sims crossed for his second try out wide, which was not converted. A second try for the visitors two minutes later caused nerves to fray as Steve Smith dummied 40 metres out and run in for Bedford’s own bonus-point try - though the simple conversion was put wide. Wells move up to fourth in the table and now have a week off before travelling to Sidcup (8th) on Saturday December 7 (kick-off 2pm).
PHOTO: Bruce Ellliott
Tunbridge Wells 35 Bedford Athletic 30
CRUNCH TIME George Montgomery puts in a tackle
STALWART EXALL DIES AGED 91 AFTER BUILDING CLUB’S FUTURE through to the 1st XV, which Nigel A MINUTE’S silence was held captained, while youngest before kick-off at St Marks to daughter Alison helped with remember John Exall, Tunbridge pre-season training. Wells’ oldest life vice-president, “John became president of the who died last Friday at his home club and a leading light in in Eastbourne aged 91. encouraging the building of the Former president Roger Clarke new brick two-storey clubhouse. writes: “John will be remembered fondly for some 70 years-plus LEADING LIGHT: John He will be missed for many involvement with Old Skinners’ and Exall was one of the reasons: for his leadership at Tunbridge Wells RFC as a talented club’s true characters a key point in the club’s history, for his ability to relate to so and competitive fly-half. many who played at the club, for his rugby “John ensured that his whole family was stories going back to the end of the involved in the club with wife Audrey and Second World War, and for his belief daughter Lynda helping every Saturday in the ability of TWRFC to grow and in the old wooden clubhouse. develop.” “And his sons Nigel and Jonathan graduated
TJs hang on tight after Conlon opens up gap Tonbridge Juddians 17 Esher 11
PROP DOWN Reece Conlon crashes over for TJs
RUGBY: THE visitors represented a stern test as
they arrived at The Slade for the first time, having been relegated from National League One - and so it proved. TJs soon produced a spell of close-quarter pick-and-drives from which they breached Esher’s defence for No 8 Ben Ashmore to bust through for a try, Will Robinson converting,
PHOTO: Adam Hookway
Difficult The Surrey side responded with a penalty and closed down TJs’ short-range assaults. Instead the ball was spun out to the right wing for Murray Galbraith-Lowe to squeeze over in the corner for an unconverted try. TJs conceded another three-pointer and found that Esher were quick to counter-attack. One such break set up winger Joe Booth for a try, though the conversion fell short to give TJs a narrow 12-11 lead at half-time.
After the break Galbraith-Lowe seemed to have touched down for a try from a chip ahead but the referee spotted a knock-on in the grounding. The pattern continued as TJs attacked and Esher defended. After a series of penalties the hosts managed to drive a line-out maul over the line for replacement prop Reece Conlon to dot down for an unconverted try. Facing only a six-point deficit, Esher were still very much in the contest with 15 minutes left and they put relentless pressure on the Tonbridge line as nerves jangled. Esher changed tactics from trying to blast their way through and a long, floated pass reached the winger just before his opposite number tackled him into touch to bring the final whistle. It had been a pulsating game in difficult, muddy conditions with defences largely dominating. TJs remain in second place in National Two South ahead of their trip to Barnes on Saturday (November 30, kick-off 2.30pm).
Tonbridge Angels 2 Bognor Regis Town 1 By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS showed they are learning how to shut up shop as they held on for victory in the FA Trophy despite conceding a late penalty. The cup tie against an Isthmian League Premier Division side felt like a potential banana skin and Bognor, showing good movement, carving out three good chances in the first period. The Angels were also a threat, mainly through their wide play which produced a series of crosses that went to waste. A clever pass from James Folkes put in Joe Turner but he could not convert, and Folkes then crossed to the near post to
set up Tom Derry and Turner again but neither could take advantage. Turner made full amends on the 44th minute, however, running onto a delightful cross from Jared Small to put the Angels one up just before half-time, slightly against the run of play. The hosts then produced a blistering 25 minutes of attacking play after the break during which time they doubled their advantage.
Penalty A fine run by Jack Parter in the 60th minute forced Amadou Tangara in the Bognor goal to make a great save but two minutes later Tom Derry smashed home Small’s cross. Further home chances fell to Christ Tiehi, Turner and Derry but they weren’t
able to kill the game off as the number of Bognor attacks increased at the other end. Then the Rocks were awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute for holding, which was duly converted by James Crane, but it proved to be only a consolation. Angels coach Tom Parkinson said: “It wasn’t always the greatest performance but in cup football it’s all about getting through to the next round and getting that prize money.” Tonbridge now return to action in National League South at Slough on Saturday (November 30, kick-off 3pm). The rearranged game at Hungerford will take place the following Tuesday (December 3, kick-off 7.45pm) after the fixture was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
PHOTO: David Couldridge
Angels soak up pressure to progress to next round
ON THE BREAK Joe Turner scores a minute before half-time
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RTW Monson rise to second in Kent Junior League final SWIMMING: RTW Monson’s A team claimed the runners-up spot in a head-to-head against five other leading clubs in the Kent Junior League Division One Final. The club hosted the final at the St John’s Road pool and finished an impressive second with 20 points, only four behind Thanet and two ahead of Sevenoaks, with Bromley, Beckenham and Greenwich completing the line-up. The team amassed 14 first places, with Aran Bissett, Max El-Mokadem and Emilia Oliver the stand-out swimmers of the evening.
Thrilled Both boys and girls dominated the 11 and 12 years age groups, with the 11-year-old boys winning every event to secure maximum points. Having finished fourth last year, coach Karen Bradbury was thrilled with the A team’s progress, saying: “ I am extremely proud of this young team making fantastic progress to finish second. Next year we have our eyes set on winning the league. “Our young Captains demonstrated great team spirit, leading the team into the loudest support of the evening. Both Lily Barwick and Toby
Edwards have swam since the age of nine in the League, learning valuable lessons along the way.” RTW Monson’s B team competed in Division Two at Eltham and came fourth overall. Coach Katie Bowman said: “Personal bests and good swims were the focus of the night, and we had many of both. Coming fourth wasn’t a reflection on how close some of the races were for the top three places.” Many of the Kent Junior League swimmers will now be training alongside RTW Monson’s seniors ahead of the Arena League Premier Final at Wycombe on December 14. “Karen and her team have worked really hard with the application of technical skills and aerobic development,” said head coach Graham Bassi. “I have witnessed very strong progress over the last two years. This junior team is the club’s future and its potential is very strong. “The programme will continue with its traditional pathway for long-term development, providing our swimmers with all the attributes for the future.”To join RTW Monson contact membershipenquiry.rtwmonson@gmail.com
BUBBLING UP: Kent Junior League captains Lily Barwick and Toby Edwards
Nieuwoudt pushes to sub-five limit By Adam Dennis TRIATHLON: TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ Chris Nieuwoudt recorded his first time under five hours at the 70.3 Ironman in Antalya, Turkey. He was taking part in the M40-44 category along with more than 2,000 other competitors in the Land of Legends theme park. With perfect weather, Nieuwoudt completed the 1.9km swim in 35min 51sec. He said: “The water was a balmy 22.5C and beautifully calm. It was the clearest I have swum in, I absolutely loved it.”
LIFT OFF John Kendall at the Bedford aerodrome
The 90km bike course turned out to be pancake flat and Nieuwoudt pushed hard to complete the cycle leg in 2:20.18. He then ignored his pacing strategy for the run section as he realised that a sub-five-hour finish was on the cards. With 5km to go and the sun beating down on the exposed, four-lap, 21km course he experienced pain in his hamstring and achilles. He finished in 4:56.04, 340th overall and 71st in category, and said: “After what seemed like an age of keeping it all together I crossed the line to finish my first, rather ecstatic, sub-five. “It took me 20 minutes to actually pull myself together, though, and I suddenly realised how far I’d pushed myself.”
Tactics Fellow Tunbridge Wells Triathlon Club member John Kendall (M50-55) achieved a Great Britain qualifying spot at the Bedford Sprint Duathlon. It was a draft legal race, a format that has been recently introduced by British Triathlon which replicates the type of racing the Brownlee brothers take part in. Kendall’s tactics were to run as hard as he could for the first leg and get into a fast group on the bike, then hang on in the second run leg. He set off fast, finishing the first 5km in less then 20 minutes despite a strong headwind. The bike leg consisted of four laps of the wet aerodrome, which made the tight corners tricky, and once again the wind took its toll. Kendall managed to finish the 20km bike leg in 36.32, then gave it everything for the final 2.5km run, recording 11.27. That gave him an overall time of 1:09.30, 64th out of 150 in total, and booked his place with Team GB at next year’s European Championships.
GLORIOUS MUD Jillian Holford ran strongly in Morden Park
Harriers in full flow at South of Thamescross country races By Andrew Deighton ATHLETICS: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Harriers’ men’s team finished in an impressive sixth place at the historic South of the Thames Cross Country race in Morden Park. The race attracts clubs from as far afield as Hampshire and Berkshire and is one of the oldest in the UK, having been held for well over 100 years. There was an outstanding run from club chairman Andy Howey to finish 33rd in the men’s race and first M55, with a time of 29min 27sec over the five-mile course. Alex Jeffreys followed closely behind (29.42), followed by Mike King (31.59), Kieran Fitzpatrick
(32.02), James Sarre (32.28) and Simon Howden (32.36) all in the top 100. Jillian Holford had a strong run for 44th overall in the women’s race with a time of 36.45, with Ana-Maria Green (39.26) also among the leading ladies. Sonja King came second in the women’s 5K race in Crowborough as the only Tunbridge Wells Harrier competing at the distance, with a time of 24.28 also making her first F35. The challenging 10k route fords a stream and has a long and demanding hill on both laps. Gem Stilliard was first Harrier home in 48.23, followed by Simon Allford (49.11), Steve Wellstead (49.36) and Gary O’Reilly (57.12).