Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Boost for the High Street as fashion house opens doors By Robert Forrester A NEW fashion store is hoping to breathe fresh life into one of the oldest retail units in Tunbridge Wells. The American owned Anthropologie is opening in the High Street tomorrow [Thursday], in the former unit of home furnishing retailers, Cath Kidston. Employing eight full-time staff, the store covers 3,000 sq ft over two floors in a building first built in the 17th century and remodelled in the 1920s. Peter Ruis, Managing Director for Anthropologie, said: “Physical retail is the heart and soul of Anthropologie, and Tunbridge Wells will be the first opening of a focused roll out across the UK.”
Labour chairman apologises over social media remark as electioneering starts By Richard Williams newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
BATTLE lines have been drawn for next month’s council elections with almost 80 candidates from across the political divide putting their names on the ballot papers for the borough of Tunbridge Wells. But the election controversies have already begun with the Chair of Tunbridge Wells Labour Party who is also a prospective councillor being forced to apologise after using derogatory language to describe disabled people. Bjorn Simpole, the Labour Party candidate for Rusthall, used the term ‘spacker’ to describe disabled people when referring to blue badge holders. The father-of-one, who lives in Rusthall, used the word in a conversation with a number of people on social
media platform, Facebook. The comment, which was posted on a private group chat several months ago appalled some members enough that they took a screenshot of the conversation. A copy of which came into the possession of the Times last week.
‘I apologise for the offence this may have caused’ Bjorn Simpole The term ‘spacker’ is derived from the word ‘spastic’ and is used as a derogatory reference to people with disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy. The charity Scope,
which campaigns to challenge and change negative attitudes about disability, said the comment was ‘inexcusable’. Phil Talbot, Head of Communications at the disability charity said yesterday [Tuesday] : “It is an inexcusable comment. Offensive language can have a serious impact on the lives of disabled people. “Scope research shows that half of disabled people feel excluded from society. “Life is harder than it should be if you’re disabled. This needs to change.” He added: “Disabled people deserve to be treated with equal respect.” Mr Simpole has this week apologised for his remark, which he said was ‘foolish’
and in ‘poor judgement’. He said: “It has been brought to my attention that I posted a derogatory term towards disabled people some months ago in a closed Facebook group called ‘What’s Wrong with Tunbridge Wells’. “Using this term was hugely inappropriate and I apologise for offence this may have caused. It does not reflect who I am or the values I hold. I am embarrassed about the word I have used and it is totally out of character.” He continued: “The Facebook group referred to takes a light-hearted look at life in Tunbridge Wells and I believe that, to make a point, I foolishly repeated back a term used by others in the group in a previous conversation. “I accept that repeating this inappropriate word was very poor judgement on my part and is not consistent with Labour Party values.”
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this week… X MARKS THE SPOT: All you need to know about the forthcoming local elections on May 2 Pages 4-5
TIMES BUSINESS AWARDS: We profile the category sponsors and meet the band who’ll be performing on the gala night Page 8
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Burrswood prepares to close its doors after ‘unsustainable’ financial losses
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Jo Jeffrey describes how she and her fellow foodies helped to save the Farmers’ Market from closure Page 46 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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centre in Groombridge closes its doors. The centre was founded in 1948 by Dorothy Kerin, a devout Christian who believed in bringing together mainstream medicine and Christian healing. The Dorothy Kerin Trust, which manages the Burrswood centre and its estate has blamed ‘considerable financial challenges’ including a dwindling income stream and ‘heavy costs’ of running the practice. In a statement on their website,
END OF THE LINE The grade II listed Burrswood centre
A CHRISTIAN health and Wwellbeing centre that has been providing care for people for more than 70 years is set to close. Around 100 jobs are to go when the Burrswood Health and Wellbeing
MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS: How the people of Rwanda are being given the means to live in dignity through a dairy project Page 10
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
the Trust said: “The Dorothy Kerin Trust has been faced with considerable financial challenges for a number of years.” It continued: “The Trust has found itself in an increasingly competitive market for health and social care needs, and it has been unable to generate enough income from its many service streams to meet the heavy cost obligations of running Burrswood.
Untenable “Despite sporadic sizeable single donations and legacies, there has also been a significant shortfall in reaching fundraising targets.” Changes in Care Quality
Commission [CQC] compliance has also brought with it additional costs, say theTust, which has resulted in ‘Burrswood facing an unsustainable financial position.’ The Trust said that the situation was now ‘untenable’ and they will end operations at Burrswood at the end of June this year. “The Trustees are hopeful that as we move through this process new opportunities will emerge which will enable the God-given legacy of Dorothy Kerin to be carried forward for a new generation in a new age,” they added. Burrswood switched from a medical hospital to a wellbeing centre two years ago. Revenue has tumbled since the change, with the centre losing more than a third of its income, despite the Trust owning assets in excess of £6million, mostly consisting of the Grade II listed Burrswood estate.
Ram raiders steal a digger to take supermarket cash machine POLICE are appealing for witnesses who may have seen thieves taking a digger from the household recycling centre before driving it a third of a mile to Asda and ramming into the walls so they could steal a cash machine. Officers were called out last Thursday after receiving reports that a digger had been used to steal an ATM machine from the Asda
supermarket in Longfield Road. Police soon realised the thieves had stolen the machine from the nearby Tunbridge Wells Recycling Centre in the early hours and used it to smash a hole in the wall at Asda. Detective Inspector James Derham said: “The cash machine burglary took place in a busy industrial area of the town and we are asking for witnesses who may have seen
SMASH N GRAB The digger used in the raid anyone acting suspiciously or saw a large vehicle leaving the North Farm estate area around the time of the incident.”
He added that Kent Police received the initial report at 3.34am. It is not known how much money was taken.
Gas discovery threatens to halt construction of primary school By Richard Williams A MUCH needed primary school being built to service more than 240 new homes in a Tunbridge Wells village has been halted after gas was discovered under the ground. Progress on the St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Hawkenbury, which is being built on a former rubbish tip, came to a halt last month just after planning permission for the one-form entry school was approved. The school is relocating from Windmill Street to the Hawkenbury Farm site on Hawkenbury Road to facilitate the nearby Berkeley Homes development. The project has been beset with problems. Initially, villagers had pressed Kent County Council [KCC] for a school with two-entry forms of 20 pupils each, but KCC decided to build a one-entry form school with only enough classroom space for 30 pupils. And Berkeley Homes were originally scheduled to transfer ownership of the land for the school in July last year, but the title for the land has not yet
Rogue reading been transferred, and now people fear the entire project could be scrapped as contractors have discovered the ‘gas reading’. KCC confirmed the gas discovery but said they are hoping it was just a ‘rogue reading’. A spokesman said: “We commissioned further investigations to seek to clarify this question as quickly as possible, and the survey results are expected within the next few weeks. “As a result, the county council has not yet entered into a build contract for the school’s construction.” However, he admitted that the reading was in
DELAYED The construction site for the new primary school
contrast to all previous readings. In the initial planning application report, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council confirmed the site was once landfill and highlighted the issues this may cause. But Berkeley Homes found no evidence of gas during their surveys, and now the latest setback has disheartened locals who fear the school may not be ready by its planned opening date of September 2020 or might not even be built at all. “Now they will have to retest the site and it could take months before they get the all clear,” claimed Dean Kenward, chairman of the Hawkenbury Village Association. He continued: “The school will take between nine and 12 months to build, once they break ground. It may take a further three months to appoint a contractor and get them on site. “If KCC fail to take ownership of the land then the ownership remains with Berkeley Homes and they would be within their rights to apply for further planning permission to build additional houses on the school site.
“The site was ready for handover on July 31 2018 and yet KCC still have not taken over ownership. “No contractors have yet been appointed to build the school. It has not even reached a point where letters of intent have been issued by KCC to a contractor.” The land was originally sold to Berkeley Homes by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council with a significant discount on condition that it would be sold on to KCC for the new primary school. Under local authority rules for housing developments, Berkeley Homes has also had to contribute £1.5million to build the new primary school. TWBC, which brokered the deal between KCC and Berkeley Homes, said they are still ‘hopeful’ the project can still be completed on time. Park ward councillor, Tracy Moore, said: “It is the county council that must deliver the school but as borough councillor for Park ward I will keep the pressure on my colleagues at County Hall to deliver this school for local children.”
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
NEWS IN BRIEF
PUSH THE BOAT OUT Bewl’s Phil Daley with Greg Clark MP and Deirdre Wells
Pompeii police arrest tourist for vandalism A 21-YEAR-OLD tourist from Tunbridge Wells has been arrested after allegedly chiselling off pieces of a 2,000-year-old mosaic in Pompeii. Italian police say the woman, who hasn’t been named, was visiting the Casa dell’ancora, a villa at the archaeological site, with her parents and sister, when she climbed over a safety barrier and used a sharp object to remove around 20 threeinch tiles from the Roman mosaic floor. A police official said: “The woman showed little remorse, despite the fact she may stand trial and get a suspended sentence of up to eight months, while repairs will cost £2,600.”
£1million egg raffle A LOCAL restaurant is raffling an Easter egg the height of a three year old child, in a bid to raise £1million for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Ask Italian on Monson Road, is one of a number of branches giving away the handmade, 3kg giant chocolate Easter eggs as part of the restaurant chain’s pledge to raise £1 million for the children’s charity. Raffle tickets cost just £2, and the competition ends on Sunday April 21.
Charity cocktail classes TONBRIDGE pub, The Gatehouse, is holding cocktail making lessons to raise money for Parkinson’s UK tomorrow [Thursday]. The World Parkinson’s Day will see manager Rhiannon Yardley, whose grandmother and brother suffer from the disease. and mixologist Sam Ashby running classes every half an hour from 4-10pm. Each class will cost £15 per person, £10 of which will go straight to Parkinson’s UK. Places can be booked in advance with the pub by calling 01732 368529.
BUSINESS SECRETARY Greg Clark took time off from Brexit affairs on Friday to visit his constituents and enjoy a moment by the water to mark the end of English Tourism Week. The MP for Tunbridge Wells was joined at Bewl Water near Lamberhurst by Deirdre Wells, the head of Visit Kent, and Phil Daley, operation’s manager at Bewl Water, which opens the area’s first Aqua Park on May 25. Mr Clark said: “Bewl provided an ideal location for our meeting, having seen significant investment in recent years, it has proven to be one of the most popular visitor attrac-
Town receives £170,000 windfall towards ending rough sleeping By Richard Williams TUNBRIDGE WELLS has been given more than £170,000 from central government to combat rough sleeping in the borough. The money is part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy, which is providing local authorities with a share of £46 million in an attempt to end rough sleeping in the UK completely. Tunbridge Wells is to receive £170,718, despite the fact at the last rough sleeper count, only seven people were recorded as sleeping on the streets in the town. But a spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said this was because of the investment and
initiatives that had already taken place. She added: “Tunbridge Wells has had high numbers of rough sleepers for a number of years, and we continue to see an average of 10 people sleeping rough at any one time. “Our annual estimate/count figure taken in November 2018 was seven, which was much lower than the previous year – in 2017 we estimated 20 rough sleepers. We believe the lower figure was partly due to the Rough Sleeper Initiatives we were already working on during 2018/19.” She said the money given to TWBC was based on the number of rough sleepers the Council were aware of
Father of two admits to killing his brother A LANGTON GREEN man charged with the murder of his brother following an altercation in a taxi two days after Christmas, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Carl Eldred, 33, appeared before Judge Adele
Williams at Maidstone Crown Court last Friday. The father-of-two admitted to killing his older brother. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that
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Minister recognises pivotal role of tourism to the local economy
Aqua Park
Customs shop raids OFFICERS from HM Revenue and Customs [HMRC] conducted a series of raids at shops in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, as part of a clampdown on the sale of illegal and fake cigarettes and alcohol. More than 14,000 cigarettes were seized on Monday, April 1, as well as nearly two tonnes of illicit alcohol at shops that include Camden Groceries in Camden Road, a store in Grove Hill Road and a shop in Railway Approach, Tonbridge, where a man was also arrested for immigration offences.
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and the cost of the initiatives they believe will have the most impact on reducing it in the local area. The funding will go towards a number of initiatives, which include funding a full-time outreach worker to give rough sleepers support to access the services available to help them.
Initiative “This is an extremely valuable role, many rough sleepers can be deterred from accessing help because they fear it might be too difficult for them to negotiate, a support worker can remove that fear,” said the council’s spokesperson. She continued: “We are also going to be providing a further ten ‘Housing First’ tenancies for rough sleepers, and two support workers to help them sustain their tenancies in either private rented
they would not be pursuing Mr Eldred on the more serious charge of murder, but Judge Williams ordered that it be left on file. The court had heard how Eldred’s 36-year-old brother, Lee, from Tonbridge, died following a traumatic blow to the side of the head after the brothers argued in a taxi on the A26 near Hadlow
Manor Hotel. Kent Police and the ambulance service were called shortly after 10.30pm on December 28 and Lee Eldred was pronounced dead at the scene. Carl Eldred was arrested for murder. Mr Eldred, who runs a panel beating firm in Plaxtol, was remanded in custody until his sentencing in May.
tions in West Kent.” He added: “Tourism contributes a significant amount to the local economy, which is why I am so supportive.” Ms Wells said attractions such as Bewl help bring 65 million visitors to Kent each year adding £3.8 billion to the county’s economy. And 4.7 million of these people come to Tunbridge Wells annually, contributing £278 million to the borough. The state-of-the-art floating aqua park at Bewl is expected to attract thousands of visitors from across the South East to the area. To book tickets for Bewl Water Aqua Park visit bewlwateraquapark.co.uk. accommodation or housing association flats. “Once again there will also be an extension to the Tunbridge Wells Churches Winter Shelter so that it can open in December rather than January and some additional funding for rent deposits for lower need rough sleepers who can sustain their own privately rented accommodation.” Central Government has stated that it intends to halve rough sleeping across the UK by 2022 and end it completely by 2027. Communities Secretary, James Brokenshire MP, said: “This is part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative, launched last spring, which is providing over £45 million to councils over two years to support rough sleepers in their area off the streets and into accommodation so they can get the help they need to rebuild their lives.”
Carl Eldred
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2019
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Battle lines have now been drawn for council elections
NEWS IN BRIEF
Opposition to Calverley Square heads campaign THE manifesto for Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party has opposition to the council’s £90million Calverley Square development as its first key priority. Published for the council elections and entitled ‘Tunbridge Wells For the Many Not the Few’ it sets out the party’s key priorities for the borough. Along with opposition to the council’s civic development, which tops the list, it highlights housebuilding, revitalisation of town centres across the borough, protecting the environment, opposition to austerity, and giving people a greater say in local decisions as the six fundamental priorities. Joel Turner, Campaign Co-ordinator said: “It is clear that people living in the Borough are yearning for change and increased diversity on our local Council. “Our manifesto reflects the real concerns and priorities of Tunbridge Wells’ residents.”
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
By Richard Williams THE PEOPLE of Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge go to the polls on May 2. In Tunbridge Wells just over a third of the Council’s 48 seats are to be contested. While in Tonbridge the entire council is up for re-election. Nearly 80 nominations have been sent into Tunbridge Wells Borough Council from prospective candidates wishing to contest the 18 seats up for grabs. The council elections in Tunbridge Wells are held over a four-year cycle, where one third of the council is up for election every year except for one year in four when there is no election. Many councils choose to re-elect their public officials in this way, rather than re-elect an entire chamber, as it provides continuity and consistency. All political parties have fielded candidates in Tunbridge Wells with 18 Liberal Democrat and Conservative prospective councillors standing, 15 Labour, 6 Tunbridge Wells Alliance, 9 from Ukip, with several independents, Green Party members and Women’s Equality Party [WEP]
also fielding candidates. In the borough of Tonbridge & Malling, all 52 seats are being contested in 23 wards. The Conservative Party has control of both councils, and as all seats are up for election in Tonbridge, it is possible for the party to lose control of the chamber, but in Tunbridge Wells, there are not enough seats being contested for this to happen. There are 78 people putting themselves forward to represent one of the wards in Tunbridge Wells. Of the 20 wards in the borough, 16 have seats up for election, and there are also two by-elections in Park ward and Paddock Wood East which are in addition to the council seats that have come to the end of their term. Currently, all but one of the seats up for re-election is held by a Conservative party member, with Independent, James Hannam, currently sitting for Frittenden and Sissinghurst, not standing for another term.
Of the current incumbents, three members of the Cabinet at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are up for re-election. Among these is David Jukes, the sitting Conservative leader of the council, who is standing for re-election in Speldhurst and Bidborough. The current cabinet member for Communities and Wellbeing, Lynne Weatherly, is stepping down from public service to concentrate on her business and family life after representing Sherwood since 2011. Current cabinet member for Economic Development and Communications, Tracy Moore, is also up for re-election and is contesting Park ward for the second time. In both boroughs, parish and town councils are also up for election. If you are not already on the Electoral Register, visit gov.uk/register-to-vote or you can download a postal vote application from yourvotematters. co.uk/how-do-i-vote
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Women’s Equality Party to fight on gender pay gap TWO candidates for the Women’s Equality Party [WEP] in Tunbridge Wells are fighting the council elections on a platform of gender equality, following the latest report, which shows that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is paying female employees 11.3 per cent less than men. The figures, which have increased over 12 months from 10.3 per cent ‘is a move in the wrong direction’ say the candidates. Liz Orr and Celine Thomas say they have challenged the other candidates standing in Culverden (Liz Orr) and St Mark’s & Pantiles (Celine Thomas), to commit to action to close the gap.
Transparency “It is now more than a century since the first women got the vote; and yet women in Tunbridge Wells - and elsewhere - are still waiting to have equal economic opportunities to men. That is why WEP are urging voters to give a vote to equality this May,” said Liz Orr, who is standing for election in Culverden. “It is simply unacceptable that in 2019 women are still being paid less than men.” Celine Thomas, who is contesting the seat in St Mark’s & Pantiles added: “Councils, as both major employers and decision-makers, must lead the way in tackling the pay gap. “That means greater transparency on who is being shortlisted and interviewed for jobs and promotions, broken down by gender, race and disability; offering flexible working and shared parental leave by default; and changing workplace cultures that see having children as something that affects the career progression of only one parent. “If elected, we will put the Women’s Equality Party priority of doing politics differently at the very heart of what we do by championing diversity and the voices of those who don’t get heard in our society such as women and carers. “No other political party has been prepared to stand up and be counted on these issues.” EQUAL FOOTING Liz Orr, WEP
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believer ‘I worked at ground zero Passionate in local government when Tonbridge flooded’ contesting Park ward By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THERE are changes under way in Tonbridge’s Vauxhall ward as Carl Lewis, record-breaking Poppy Appeal organiser and volunteer flood warden, stands as a Conservative candidate for Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC]. He has thrown his hat into the ring after Sarah Spence, decided not to seek re-election following 12 years as a councillor. What are the major issues facing Tonbridge? Littering is a growing problem and we need a revival of campaigns like the old Keep Britain Tidy, combined with community clean-ups, support from retailers and managing the street scene contractors to keep bins emptied. We also have some issues with speeding and anti-social behaviour that I’ve been discussing with our Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott. We would like to get a community speedwatch scheme in place, so we need a small group of volunteers. Of course, we can’t avoid talking about issues of planning and development. You are a well-known figure in the town. What qualities would you bring to TMBC? I’ve been at ground zero when Tonbridge flooded, and I’ve worked with retailers and local volunteers, the council and other agencies on a number of projects. Combined with working in frontline security I’ve made a career of communicating, teamwork and – where necessary – conflict resolution! As a security officer who’s been through redundancy, unemployment, private renting and help-to-buy, I’d bring a genuine understanding of those of us who are just making ends meet. Your predecessor Cllr Spence was a vocal opponent of the sale of River Lawn, and running mate Maria Heslop voted against it in Cabinet. Where do you stand on TMBC’s sale of assets? I have to take each case as it comes, and check all the information carefully. The council has a duty to keep tax as low as possible while providing a lot of services, and some assets have the potential to be long-term income generators, and others may be more of a money black hole. I don’t support the selling-off of assets unless it can be demonstrated that there are significant long-term benefits, both financially and for the community. Where sales are necessary, I’d want contractual clauses in the sale that give something back to the community.
BLOOMING Carl Lewis has broken records for the Poppy Appeal Maria and Sarah always put people before party, and I would fully intend to continue that. What are you going to say when anyone mentions the B-word to you on the doorstep? I don’t think there is anybody, regardless of how they voted in the referendum, who is happy about the way it’s been handled by Parliament, by either the government or the opposition. I understand people are tempted to use local elections as a protest vote, but I don’t think the Withdrawal Agreement, or lack of, should effect your bin collections or other local services. What’s it like having Maria as your running mate – has she made you go running with her yet? I’m convinced that Maria never sleeps. I don’t know how she manages to juggle work, four kids, elite running and the council. It’s a relief she’s only my running mate in one sense. I’m lucky my wife Jenny, who’s also a runner, has shorter legs, so at least I can keep up with her.
TRACY MOORE has been a councillor for Park ward since 2015, but that is not her only foray in local politics in Tunbridge Wells. In 2008 she was elected to represent St John’s, but chose not to stand for re-election. “I moved across town so I didn’t stand for re-election as I wanted to stand where I lived. And then the chance came up to stand for Park ward, so I put myself forward in 2015,” she recalled. Originally from western Pennsylvania, the mother of three, who has lived in Tunbridge Wells since 2004, is a recognisable face in the town, often seen in various meetings and events. She said she has dealt with a range of issues for people in Park ward, from getting an extension on resident only parking times to ensure local people have a place to park to supporting objections to a proposed phone mast. “I’m a passionate believer in local government. I’m a busy mother, I’m a ward councillor, I’m a cabinet member—life is a juggle but I am spinning all my plates pretty successfully, I think,” she claimed. As a Conservative Party member, Ms Moore knows that she is not always popular with non-Tory voting constituents. “I get asked about this on the doorstep all the time. Yes, I am a Conservative Party councillor, and district and borough councils are party political, but I am a believer that local politics should be about the people not the party.” The councillor has come in for a lot of criticism, especially from opponents to the Council’s £90million Calverley Square development. “I’m more than just Calverley Square, and if I am not voted into council, the theatre, as long as the CPOs are confirmed, will still be built, and yet you will have lost a dynamic, effective councillor,” she argued.
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Lawyers get on their bikes for charity FIVE lawyers from Tunbridge Wells-based solicitors CooperBurnett are attempting to cycle from London to Paris to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research. The law firm cyclists – Victoria Sampson, Joseph Oates, John Spence, Katie Hilsdon and Gareth Warner – hope to complete the 300km journey in just 24 hours. Katie Hilsdon’s cousin, Oli Hilsdon, died in January from an aggressive and incurable brain tumour aged just 26. “When we found out Oli’s tumour had recurred, it was a devastating blow to us all, but Oli always remained positive,” said Ms Hilsdon, an Associ-
ate Solicitor at CooperBurnett. “Oli’s death left a huge hole in the hearts of all his friends and family. “He touched the lives of so many people, he always put others before himself and we will miss him every day.” Victoria Sampson, Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Services, added: “Everybody here was struck by Oli’s story and his persistence to keep going.” The team set off from Blackheath in London on Saturday May 4. They hope to raise £15,000, and have set up a donation page at justgiving.com/ fundraising/cooperburnettlondontoparis
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
DRIVING SUCCESS How the new motor village might look
Car dealer submits application for ‘motor village’ that could create up to 180 jobs By Richard Williams
LEGAL AID The team preparing for their bike ride
ABP fundraising success A LEADING food processing company with a factory in Tunbridge Wells has raised £127,000 for Cancer Research UK. The team at ABP, a company that supplies processed food products to customers around the world, took part in a range of initiatives to raise the money, including bake sales, BBQs, sponsored golf tournaments, and colleagues running the London Marathon.
Jim Avery, Retail Operations Director at ABP UK, said: “We’re a big part of many communities across the UK and we’re always looking at ways to give back. “The team really got involved in fundraising and we’re glad we could do our bit to help.” Ellen Jurczak, Local Fundraising Manager at Cancer Research UK, added: “We rely heavily on donations to undertake the work we do and we’re grateful that so many people at ABP dedicated time to help us make a difference.”
A CAR dealership has submitted plans to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for a new regional hub and motor village that could help create around 180 jobs in the borough. Hendy Group has submitted the proposals to use the land next to Tesco in Pembury. The plans include multi-dealership showrooms, workshops and servicing areas, an accident repair centre and parts facilities. If approved, the new development will free the company’s current Mount Ephraim site for redevelopment in keeping with the recent regeneration in that part of the town centre. Paul Hendy, Chief Executive of Hendy Group, said: “This is an important development for Tunbridge Wells which offers longstanding benefits to the borough through a combination of the support for local jobs and the release of a key town centre site for regeneration. “The proposals for the Pembury site include a training academy, and we are looking to form
partnerships with local colleges to provide apprenticeship schemes for local young people.” He added that Hendy’s existing sites and facilities are fragmented across smaller, dated operations around West Kent and rationalisation and investment in the business is necessary for its future success and growth.
Expansion “Our Mount Ephraim site, which has been identified by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council as a location for future residential redevelopment, presents us with a number of challenges due to the age and usability of the buildings,” he said. “It is no longer fit for purpose, nor does it meet the high standards expected by our customers. “Tunbridge Wells represents the logical and preferred focal point for future growth and expansion of our business within West Kent. “The Pembury site is ideal, being next to the A21 and so easily accessible from a wide area.”
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Get ready for a touch of funk at the networking event of the year and played at his sister’s wedding,” ENTRANTS to this year’s Times claimed Pash. Business Awards are coming in thick His fellow band members are and fast, while tickets to the gala event drummer Julian Harrington, bass itself are rapidly selling out… so if you’re hoping to join us on the big night player Buster Foster, Steve Wilson on you need to get in touch very soon. keys, and singers Frankie Taylor and Jessi Cooper. To entertain the 200 plus-strong They were formed in the year audience at Salomons Estate 2000, hence the name, but on May 30, the band Funk2K Pash says do not be put off have been confirmed, and by it as there is more to them although you may not have than just playing funk. heard of them, you may know of their former singer – X Factor “Funk2K might sound like we only play funk, but we winner Olly Murs. LOCAL NEWSPAPERS play a range of favourites, “I went to school with including 70s and 80s Olly,” said Funk2K guitarist funk, disco, soul, and a few Andrew Pash. “He was modern songs,” said the with us for six months but guitarist. decided to leave the band to “It is all based around go solo, which was when he getting people dancing,” appeared on X Factor.” said Pash. While Olly Murs’ career “We gauge it as we go, has gone stratospheric and if people are ready to since leaving Funk2K, the party then so are we. six-piece band from Essex “We played Tunbridge are not doing too badly Wells a year or so ago. It’s a themselves, having kicked great town. I know there’s a really good off gigs for some notable big names. live music scene here, so we are all “We’ve opened for Alexander O’Neal looking forward to playing Tunbridge and Mike Reaves, to name a few, and Wells again.” we’re still really good friends with Olly,
Times
2019
IN A FUNK Singers Frankie and Jessi of Funk2K
TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO ENTER There are just two weeks to get your entries in for the 2019 Times Business Awards. The closing date for all ten categories is Wednesday April 24. Remember, the business awards are a unique opportunity to showcase yourself and your company alongside some of the outstanding businesses and business people within the boroughs. Winning a prestigious business award will add credibility to your company, generate new business, inspire your staff, and provide an exclusive networking opportunity for you at the awards ceremony on May 30 at Salomons Estate in Tunbridge Wells.
RAISE YOUR BUSINESS PROFILE BY BECOMING AN AWARD SPONSOR There are just three sponsorship opportunities remaining for those who would like to raise their business profile. The three category sponsorship opportunities still available are: • Creative Business of the Year • Young Person of the Year, and • Best Business 1-25 Employees Those who sign up will enjoy extensive media coverage in both editions of the Times newspapers leading up to the event, as well as extensive coverage in print and social media during the night of the gala award dinner at Salomons and post event.
Entering the Business Awards 2019 is easy To register your interest and receive an application form, or to find out more information, please email us at: info@timesbusinessawards.co.uk leaving your full contact details and an indication of which category you might like to enter. You can also call Eileen Sweeney on 01892 779583.
THERE ARE TEN CATEGORIES TO CHOOSE FROM 1. Start-Up Business of the Year Award – This award recognises new start-ups under two years old by the closing date for entries [April 24, 2019] that have translated an idea into a successful business venture. They must be able to detail growth so far and show plans for the continued development and success of the venture. 2. Creative Business of the Year – Is your business success based on innovation and creative thinking in your strategy and everyday operation? This category is for any company over two years old in any sector that can demonstrate creativity as well as adding value to the success of their business. 3. Entrepreneur of the Year – This award is open to dynamic individuals who are running their own business and are able to demonstrate significant success and drive in growing their company. 4. Young Business Person of the Year – Entrants for this award must be aged 30 or under by the closing date of April 24, 2019, and need to show they have a clear vision/strategy for
their business and are committed to growing it. 5. Service Excellence Award – The winner of this category will be giving outstanding assistance and advice to those who buy or use their business or organisation’s products or services. They will be able to provide customer testimonials to support their entry. 6. Best in Food and Drink Award – The winner of this category will be a local business that provides truly remarkable food and drink in the area. Whether it is a fine dining restaurant, a gastropub, or a simple café, the winner of this award will have demonstrated how they have put Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge or Sevenoaks on the map. 7. Best Family Business of the Year Award – This category recognises those businesses that not only have the passion and commitment that comes with a company run by a family, but are also continually innovating to support future growth and have an equally invested and engaged workforce that understands customer expectations.
8. Best Business 25+ employees – This category recognises larger businesses employing more than 25 people that look for consistent growth and have a strong financial performance alongside an engaged workforce, as well as a business plan supporting innovation and future growth. 9. Best Business 1-25 employees – Here we recognise owner-managers and small businesses employing up to 25 people that have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance. They must understand customer expectations and be continually innovating to support future growth. 10. Outstanding Business of the Year – The ultimate award of all the categories will go to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in the enterprise, as well as sound management practices. The winner must also be able to demonstrate they have a clear strategy to invest in the skills and development of their staff.
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Community News
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Saved by the milk of human kindness On the 25th anniversary of the horrifc genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Tunbridge Wells events organiser Katy Beatton visited the African nation to find out how one charity is helping it recover from the trauma through an innovative cow project, school aid – and marathon running JUNE 2012 was the month my perspective on life, and specifically Africa, changed for ever. Had I ever fully understood what the situation was? I had thought so. I had watched Comic Relief every year, even been lucky (and old) enough to attend Live Aid in 1985, but it was only when I met Graeme Moore that I heard real stories about the real people that he had met. The power of these stories was so great that I felt I could almost touch it. Graeme, 72, is a Tunbridge Wells businessman and former restaurateur with whom I liaised about fundraising events. He told me about Msaada – which means ‘share the burden’ – a charity which was created by journalists Fergal Keane and Billy Kelly. They had both spent time in war-torn African regions and have first-hand knowledge of the atrocities that hit Rwanda at the time of the genocide of 1994, and wanted to help the country rebuild itself.
SCHOOL PLAY Rwamagana students and staff perform traditional dances
‘An idea was developed to provide the people of Rwanda with the means to live in dignity through a dairy project’ An idea was developed to provide the people of Rwanda with the means to live in dignity through a dairy project. With the help of Bothar, an Irish international charity, Msaada has provided high yielding European cows which were sent over to Africa to help the survivors of the genocide become self-sufficient through the sale of surplus milk, and to increase their crop yields using manure in their fields. The only condition? To pass on the first female calf to another family in need. My reaction must have been similar to the look on many faces I have seen since I first heard about the project: “What’s wrong with African cows?” I have learnt a lot since then: Irish cows can yield up to 33 litres of milk a day, the Rwandan cows only two or three. Lives were being changed. So on February 11, I find myself waking up at 3.45am to prepare to board a plane headed for Kigali, Rwanda. Nervous but excited, I could
not be further from my comfort zone. I arrive that evening to tarmac roads and modern infrastructure. There is little evidence of a country in crisis. I have never seen a country so clean! Where is the poverty we hear and read about? It’s coming… As we leave the capital and head out towards the countryside, Msaada’s reasons for supporting this country become apparent. We spend time in Rwamagana, where there is a school that educates 3,500 children. Every child feels blessed to be able to attend school, and so appreciative of Msaada’s help in providing the funds to build classrooms, a library, a properly ventilated kitchen and clean working toilets while also providing laptops to extend their learning capacity. The pupils are excited to see us, and they put
on an amazing show, with music and dancing and all the local traditions. Then we visit four survivors of the genocide, each of whom has been given a cow. They tell us how much of a struggle life was prior to Msaada’s intervention. They drink the milk and share it with their families; they sell the excess, which provides them with an income; they can grow crops using the manure; they can use bio-gas from the animal waste to cook their food safely. All these things ensure that life is now good and their life expectancy continues to grow. Msaada has sent 195 cows over to widows, with 67 being passed on to other families. It has donated 14 cows to the AgahozoShalom Youth Village [ASYV], the brainchild of an incredible woman, Anne Heyman, who
discovered in 2005 that Rwanda’s orphan crisis was the biggest problem facing the country. Anne recognised that Israel had faced a similar issue after the Holocaust and they had built residential facilities called youth villages to ensure their education, safety and development. Anne was inspired to bring the model to Rwanda. Women who have seen all or most of their families killed have come to help take care of the children. It gives them a purpose, and provides them with another family. They are called the Mamas. As the sun rises behind the rolling hills of the ASYV, they wake the village’s 525 youths for their day. Each student family consists of 16 to 24 boys or girls ranging in age from 14 to 21. They eat together in the dining hall, the noise almost deafening with chatter, and at 7am, flanked by
SUPPORT NETWORK: (L-R) Beatrice Mukambonera, Jacqui Ritchie, Graeme Moore, Katy Beatton, Bobby Rich and Damascene Ntambara, who runs Msaada’s charitable work on the ground
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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DATIVE’S STORY, FOUR YEARS AFTER RECEIVING HER FIRST HEIFER
LEARNING TO LIVE: The Msaada charity is helping 3,500 pupils to have a better education coffee trees and colourful birds, they begin their walk up to the high school. On our last day we see our two travelling companions, Jacqui Ritchie and Bobby Rich, bravely running their first marathon, organised by Msaada. Every February, a marathon, half marathon and fun run take place, with three and a half thousand people joining in the latter. Jacqui and Bobby were supported by the locals, with children, some barefoot, running for miles alongside them and, despite exhaustion and injuries, completed the course, raising a substantial amount of money for Msaada. We leave in awe and immensely proud of their achievement. I saw many things and experienced many
different feelings whilst in Rwanda. Strangely, none of sadness, only hope. To hear that the country is no longer split into tribes is encouraging. I am told: “We are all Rwandans, we live side by side with each other.” Other nations could learn so much from these wonderful people and this incredible country. Next year’s marathon takes place on February 16, 2020. Applications for this are now open. For more details, email: information@ rwandamarathon.com or visit msaada.org To make a donation, email: katybeatton@gmail. com or graememoore@btconnect.com or go to justgiving.com/msaada
Before the genocide, Dative Murekeyisomi was reasonably well off. She had a loving family and wanted for nothing. Then her husband and first-born were killed, and her husband’s relatives slaughtered. As a result of abuse she suffered during the catastrophe, she became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Dative now had four children to provide for. Life was extremely difficult. AVEGA [the Association of Genocide Widows]was formed to help widows, orphans and other survivors of the atrocities. After a period of time Dative was discovered by AVEGA, who brought her together with other survivors. It helped to know she wasn’t alone. In 2015, she was selected by AVEGA to be the recipient of a cow provided by Msaada. There was light… In 2016, ‘God’s gift’, as she named her heifer, gave birth to a female calf. She raised it, then passed it on to another poor family. Her second calf yielded 22 litres of milk per day, so she and her children had enough to drink. “My close relatives shared milk and we were all happy,” Dative says. Her health has improved and her weight has increased by 15kg to
70kg. She tells us she finally feels relaxed. In 2017, another female calf was born and at last she felt like she had hope. She had everything she needed and could now start to think about development projects to provide for the future.
Success Msaada had given her a facility to gather rainwater but she decided to pay to have the municipal water to be plumbed into her yard. She no longer had to walk miles to collect drinking water. Dative used the money she earned from selling milk to ask the bank for a loan. Since then she has had three loans for 300,000 Rwandan francs (approximately £300), and then 800,000 RWF, RWF both of which she has paid off. Last month she paid off the balance on another 800,000 RWF loan. She is using the money to renovate and rebuild her house. She is able to manage her finances and independently build a better future for herself and her family. Dative is just one of Msaada’s success stories. PICTURE OF HEALTH Dative Murekeyisomi with Msaada founder Billy Kelly
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Emotion of The Scream
Lumley’s bridge a ‘failure’
A NEW Edvard Munch exhibition which opens tomorrow [Thursday] at the British Museum hopes to show visitors the human emotion behind one of the world’s most famous artworks. The Scream has been installed as part of the collection which focuses on the Norwegian artist’s prints. Munch originally created four versions of his masterpiece in both paint and pastels. On display is a rare black and white lithograph of his best-known work, the version which launched Munch to fame during his lifetime.
THE Garden Bridge project proposed by TV actress Joanna Lumley but later abandoned, was a ‘failure for charity’ a regulatory body has said. The actress had proposed a pedestrian bridge across the Thames filled with trees and shrubs, but it never materialised. The Charity Commission yesterday [Tuesday], said in a report that the project, was a ‘high profile and expensive failure’. More than £50million of public money was spent by the Garden Bridge Trust, which is a registered charity, but it ‘produced no demonstrable pubic benefit or impact’.
Judge has approved C-section birth after mental health fears DOCTORS have been given the go-ahead by a judge in a specialist court to perform a caesarean section on a mentally ill woman. Mr Justice Moor also gave medical staff permission to restrain the woman if necessary. The judge made the ruling on April 3 but embargoed reporting until the child had been delivered. He was told that the woman had recently been detained under the terms of mental health legislation. It is normal practice for medical professionals to always get consent for conducting procedures such as C-sections. But specialists had raised concerns about the health of the unborn child and said evidence showed that the woman, who cannot be named, would be unable to cope with a natural birth due to her mental health issues. The woman’s mother also thought a caesarean section was the right option.
Capacity Mr Justice Moor had analysed evidence at a hearing in London’s Court of Protection, where judges consider issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions. The NHS Trust in western England, which had responsibility for the woman’s care, asked the judge to approve a caesarean section. Mr Justice Moor, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court, said he was embargoing reporting to ensure that the woman did not recognise herself in any report and become distressed. The woman was represented by staff from the office of the Official Solicitor, who help vulnerable people at the centre of litigation.
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CHOCOLATIERS at Cadbury World in Bournville, Birmingham have created a two-and-a-half-foot tall egg to celebrate Easter which is the equivalent of 844 Dairy Milk bars. Gail Deeley and Sian Patterson made the fairylandthemed confection, which has a shell four centimetres thick, over two days. Weighing 38kg, the giant chocolate egg is decorated with flowers, fairies, toadstools and a blossom tree.
May gets a Brexit extension THERESA MAY has been overwhelmingly backed by MPs to seek to delay Brexit until June 30, amid Tory warnings over the impact of holding European Parliament elections. The Commons approved a Government motion on the extension request by 420 votes to 110, majority 310. The Prime Minister was forced to bring forward the motion under legislation pushed by Labour former minister Yvette Cooper, as part of a parliamentary bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit on April 12 - although any extension is subject to the decision of the EU. Earlier she had asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to back her case to delay Brexit at a crunch EU summit in Berlin. The Prime Minister then flew to Paris, where she faces the tougher task of winning the support of Emmanuel Macron. The French President has warned that an extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process is not guaranteed.
Resistance The visits came as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Brussels could amend
the Political Declaration on future relations with the UK ‘within a few hours or days’ to incorporate the customs union arrangement being discussed in cross-party talks between the Government and Labour. But there were signs of resistance in Mrs May’s Cabinet to compromise with Labour, with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox warning that a customs union would leave the UK ‘stuck in the worst of both worlds’. Mrs May asked for the date of Brexit to be delayed until June 30, with the possibility of an earlier departure if the UK’s withdrawal deal is ratified. But European Council president Donald Tusk is recommending a year-long delay, while French Europe minister Amelie de Montchalin suggested Paris may insist on conditions limiting British influence on EU decision-making during the extension period. The unanimous agreement of all 27 remaining EU states is needed to avoid a no-deal Brexit on the scheduled date of April 12. In a clear sign of opposition to concessions to Labour’s demands, Dr Fox sent a letter to the chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee setting out in detail his opposition to a postBrexit customs union. He warned that such an arrangement would leave the UK unable to set its own trade policy but forced to open its markets to any country with which the EU struck a free trade agreement. “In such a scenario the UK would have a new role in the global trading system - we ourselves would be traded,” he told Sir Graham Brady. “As the famous saying in Brussels goes, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” FLAG DAY Ceremonial guards await the arrival of Theresa May in Paris
CRICKETER Alex Hepburn
Woman: ‘I had no reason to open eyes’ during alleged rape A WOMAN who claims a cricketer began to rape her while she was asleep has said she believed she was having sex with someone else. At the re-trial of former Worcestershire all-rounder Alex Hepburn, prosecutors alleged Hepburn, 23, had raped the woman in Worcester in April 2017 during the first weekend of a sexual conquest ‘stat game’ set up on WhatsApp. Hepburn, who denies rape, is said to have attacked the ‘dozing’ woman after entering Clarke’s bedroom while the England Lions batsman was asleep in a bathroom. The alleged victim, who cannot be named, told the jury she ‘had no reason’ to open her eyes during the encounter as she thought she was with Clarke. Defence counsel Michelle Heeley asked: “For 20 minutes your eyes never opened once?” The complainant replied: “I don’t think the timings are accurate. My eyes were closed - I was asleep.”
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World / Business News
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Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Trump threatens Rwanda genocide: Probe into five billions in tariffs on suspects will take up to five years wine and cheese An estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis COUNTER-terror police say investigations into DONALD TRUMP has said he will put tariffs on $11billion [£8.4billion] worth of European Union goods to retaliate for what Washington says are improper subsidies to Airbus. The office of the US trade representative released a preliminary list of EU goods facing additional duties that includes everything from aircraft and aircraft parts to cheese, wine and olives. The list is subject to public comment in anticipation of an expected World Trade Organisation [WTO] ruling this summer that would be favourable to the US in a pending arbitration case.
Dispute The US says the WTO has repeatedly found that EU subsidies to European aircraft maker Airbus have caused ‘adverse effects’ to the US, chiefly to Boeing, the American plane manufacturer. The US President, a vocal critic of the WTO, tweeted that he ‘will now put Tariffs on $11 Billion of EU products! The EU has taken advantage of the U.S. on trade for many years. It will soon stop!’ The long-running dispute precedes the Trump administration. In 2004 the US complained to the WTO that the EU was providing unfair support to Airbus. The WTO ruled last May that the EU had in fact provided some illegal subsidies to Airbus, hurting Chicago-based Boeing. The EU has argued that Boeing has benefited from similar government support. The US expects the WTO will say that it can take countermeasures to offset the EU subsidies.
Rwanda genocide suspects living in the UK could take between three to five years, according to the security minister. Ben Wallace insisted the UK is ‘not shielding any war criminals’ and stands ready to assist the police should they need help.
‘The Government is not shielding any war criminals nor should it and we would not. We are doing our best’ But the Government has come under fire from MPs over the length of time it could take for any prosecutions to be brought forward. Scotland Yard confirmed detectives are investigating five people living in the UK after a referral from Rwanda over allegations relating to the genocide 25 years ago.
UNDER SCRUTINY Celestin Mutabaruka is a pastor in Kent
but including some moderate Hutus, died in 100 days of slaughter and ethnic cleansing. A Met Police spokeswoman said the force’s war crimes unit, part of the counter-terrorism command, received a referral about the five men from Rwandan authorities in January last year. Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Conservative former cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell said: “In spite of all the evidence being available here already in the United Kingdom, the Metropolitan Police has indicated it could take a further 10 years to process. “In the interests of those facing these dreadful allegations, as well as for the reputation of British justice, we should surely expect these five alleged genocidaire to be on trial at the Old Bailey by the end of this year.” Mr Wallace said the High Court in 2017 ruled the suspects could not be extradited to Rwanda for fear of not facing a fair trial, adding: “The Government is not shielding any war criminals nor should it and we would not. We are doing our best. “The counter-terrorism police, I have raised the issue with them, say of the investigations they are involved in the timescale is not 10 years - more like between three to five years.” One of the five suspects, 63-year-old Celestin Mutabaruka, is from Kent, a pastor, who runs the Fountain Church in Ashford, who is suspected of organising killings in the town of Gatare. He said: “To be clear the investigation is welcome. I’m very happy about it and I have been waiting for it.” All five deny the allegations against them and involvement in the genocide. See pages 10-11
No-deal set to reduce GDP by 3.5 per cent A NO-DEAL Brexit could cut the UK’s predicted GDP by 3.5 per cent by 2021 and leave the country’s potential output almost 3 per cent lower in the long term, the International Monetary Fund has warned. A no-deal departure from the EU which severely disrupts supply chains and raises trade costs would have ‘large and long-lasting negative impacts’ on the UK and EU economies, with Britain the hardest hit. In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, the global organisation downgraded last October’s forecast for UK GDP growth from 1.5 per cent to 1.2 per cent for 2019 and from 1.5 per cent to 1.4 per cent for 2020. But it warned that the forecasts assume an orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal and a gradual transition to the new regime. The actual outcome is ‘surrounded by uncertainty’ over whether a deal will be reached, it said.
Barclays relocation may put jobs at risk BARCLAYS has announced it will relocate hundreds of jobs, leading to fears of compulsory redundancies. Around 460 jobs are at risk, mainly in Coventry and Birmingham, but the banking giant says there would only be a reduction of about 50 jobs, with 400 moving to alternative venues. A Barclays spokesman said: “In order to best serve our customers and clients, Barclays is moving teams closer together at our core UK sites in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and Northampton, where we are investing in new campuses and office space. “We are not reducing the number of jobs overall, except in a few cases of duplication, and we will remain a significant employer in both Coventry and Birmingham.”
ICE-BREAKER President Putin
Russia eyes expansion in Arctic circle trading VLADIMIR PUTIN has put forward an ambitious programme to secure Russia’s foothold in the Arctic. The plans include building new ports and other infrastructure facilities and expanding an icebreaker fleet. Speaking at the Arctic Forum in St Petersburg attended by leaders of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the Russian President said Russia plans to dramatically increase cargo shipments across the Arctic sea route. He said that the amount of cargo carried across the shipping lane is set to increase from 20million metric tons last year to 80million tons in 2025. “This is a realistic, well-calculated and concrete task,” Mr Putin said. Russia currently has four nuclear icebreakers, and he said that by 2035, it will have a fleet of 13 heavy icebreakers, including nine nuclearpowered ones. Russia also plans to expand the ports on both sides of the Arctic shipping route and invited foreign companies to invest in the reconstruction project.
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Watchdog exposes cartel in construction industry
CLOSING DOWN SALE Debenhams faces losing 50 stores
Sports Direct increases rescue offer for Debenhams to £200m MIKE ASHLEY’S Sports Direct has made a revised £200million rescue offer for Debenhams, delaying the department store’s prospective administration. The billionaire had an offer to underwrite a £150million rights issue rejected on Monday. Lenders to Debenhams said the latest proposal, on the terms set out, including that Mr Ashley be made chief executive of the chain, was ‘not sufficient’. Debenhams said in a statement: “The company’s lenders have confirmed to the company that the proposal, on the terms set out, was not sufficient to justify an extension to the April 8 deadline. “The company anticipates making a further announcement during the course of the day following further discus-
sions with its lenders.” Debenhams requested that its shares be suspended from trading with immediate effect. FTI Consulting has been appointed to carry out the process but the firm insisted that stores will continue to trade as normal.
Restructuring Administrators have sold the group to a newly incorporated company controlled by Debenhams’ lenders, including hedge funds thought to include Alcentra, Angelo Gordon and Silver Point Capital. The £200million move would trigger store closures and job losses as part of a wider restructuring that will see around 50 outlets shut via a Company Voluntary Arrangement.
The widely anticipated change of ownership means that shareholders such as Mr Ashley, who holds a 30 per cent stake, will see their investments wiped out. Terry Duddy, Debenhams chairman, said: “It is disappointing to reach a conclusion that will result in no value for our equity holders. “However, this transaction will allow Debenhams to continue trading as normal; access the funding we need; and proceed with executing our turnaround plans whilst deleveraging the group’s balance sheet. “We remain focused on protecting as many stores and jobs as possible, consistent with establishing a sustainable store portfolio in line with our previous guidance.
THE competition watchdog has found that three major suppliers to the construction industry formed a cartel in a breach of antitrust law. The Competition and Markets Authority said it provisionally found that MGF Trench Construction Systems, Vp and Mabey Hire ‘formed a cartel to reduce competition and keep prices up’. The firms supply groundworks products to the construction industry and stand accused of sharing confidential information on pricing and commercial strategy, as well as co-ordinating their commercial activities.
A toast to City Pub Group PREMIUM pub operator City Pub Group saw rising profits last year as it continued to expand across London and the South. The group made an adjusted profit before tax of £5.1million, surging 60 per cent compared to last year. Profit at a reported level was £2million, swinging back from the £700,000 loss in 2017.
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Letters
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And another thing… This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG Children’s strikes have shamed us – it’s their future we’re busy ruining They say we are borrowing the earth from our children – and boy have we worked up a deficit. They are already having their brain development affected by breathing poor air. When I attended a recent Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] sub-committee reviewing the Air Quality Action Plan [AQAP]; it went forward unchanged, despite 95 individuals and six organisations having submitted consultation comments. The sustainability portfolio holder, Cllr Ronen Basu, said that they were following a ‘cautious approach’ – but why be cautious when so much is at stake? In the elections, Tunbridge Wells Green Party will call for TWBC to join other councils that have declared a Climate Change Emergency, and to make a plan for Tunbridge Wells to be carbon-neutral by 2030.
On air quality, we would phase out the 50 per cent of our buses that have ancient Euro 2 and 3 specification engines by the end of 2020, and demand a firm date from the bus companies for transition to cleaner alternatives. Only the newest buses could pick up schoolchildren. We would make school bus passes free, to reduce the congestion and fumes caused by cars on the school run. We would revise the AQAP by inserting ‘smart’ targets, and implement an idling ban, enforced – after a public awareness stage – by existing traffic wardens. It is to our shame that it has taken strikes by schoolchildren to jolt many of us into realising the seriousness of climate change – let’s vote for our children’s future on May 2. John Hurst, Campaign Coordinator Tunbridge Wells Green Party
CHANGING THE CLIMATE Primary school children in Tonbridge go on strike
Diversity brings better decisions A letter about the lack of adequate opposition on Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [March 27] applies even more so to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Here in Tunbridge Wells, we have 38 Conservatives and only eight councillors from other parties. Watching any committee or full meeting, a large number of these Conservative councillors sit mutely nodding through initiatives about which they seemingly have little understanding, driven on by a small group at the top, none of whom seems able to engage with the public. It should welcome stronger opposition – it leads to more robust dialogue, more challenge, more consensus, a better exploration of alternatives, better decisions. Local politics is about local issues; so this council needs to listen to the public more, but the public needs to vote for councillors with diverse opinions and a willingness to challenge the status quo, too. Whoever you vote for on May 2, think about who will be in the Council Chamber – challenging the majority, making them think, making them listen. Even if non-Conservative parties win every seat in May, the Conservatives will still have an overall majority – and with such majority comes arrogance and complacency. Hugo Pound Labour Party candidate, Sherwood ward
Our chance to take back control It might be years before we have an opportunity, through a general election, to serve our judgment on the Tory civil war, otherwise known as Brexit. However, there is an upcoming opportunity to serve judgment on our local Tory
Find out what’s inside the Black Box Far from wishing to use your newspaper as a social media thread, I feel I must respond to your correspondent who commented on my non-expert opinion regarding the new theatre project [March 27]. I have never professed to be an expert in this field, but, as someone who has worked within the theatre industry for many years, I would redraw Ms Manson’s attention to my concern over the lack of additional studio spaces – Ms Manson incorrectly reused my wording as ‘additional stages’. Studios, or ‘Black Boxes’ as we refer to them in the industry, are exactly what it says in the name and all modern theatres have them; a simple, black space with lighting and a flat floor where seating is not fixed. It creates a flexible space for audience interaction, a space that can be used for many different purposes, and is often referred to as ‘flexible theatre’. It would be unbelievably odd for a brand new theatre, such as the one being proposed, not to have at least one or two Black Boxes for both performance and educational purposes. Her comment about smaller companies being able to go up the road to the non-council run, independent Trinity Theatre would surely defeat the object of having a brand new, modern working theatre for the town run by our council. However, as I said in my previous letter, it’s all about education, and if I can educate your lay readers about modern theatres then that’s jolly good, in my opinion. Kate Griffiths Via email
Calverley
Observations on life and more important things
REGULARS will be relieved to learn that Calverley has called a truce in his ongoing dispute over the failure of Domino’s to offer a penny change. Every pizza price ends in 99p and yet no pennies are kept in the till, earning the chain millions extra every year. Anyway, on his visit last week to Domino’s, He walked through the door to collect the £9.99 veggie and handed over a £10 note. The manager looked up, smiled and said: “Ah, Mr One P – not to worry, I will give you 5p.” Taken aback, Calverley declined the offer, grinned and held out his hand. The manager reached over the counter and shook it. Moments later he came back from the kitchen with the pizza and, at no extra charge, a large portion of wedges and extra dressing. If only the Brexit negotiations were that easy. OOPS. Round to visit friends who had moved to a property that needed a bit of updating. Into the drawing room, where Calverley commented: “This will look even better when you get rid of the terrible wallpaper.” A moment’s silence before the lady of the house said: “This is the one room that we have decorated.” Difficult to recover from something like that…
There’s a blockage underground administration, in the May elections, and to borrow a phrase, ‘take back control’! If electors feel that they have been well served by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council generally and, in particular, by their unwarranted pursuit of a new theatre/office building, which transgresses Calverley Grounds, then this opportunity will pass largely undisturbed. Martin Dawes Via email
It is good news that the parking capacity [at Tunbridge Wells hospital] is to be increased. From my observation, part of the shortage of parking for visitors is caused by staff parking in the visitor area of the underground car park. Of course, this may be because the staff parking area is full, but it may be because it is more convenient. Gordon Clark Via email
Why not build on cinema eyesore?
The bus stops with KCC for fiasco
There is a perfect piece of ground opposite the Town Hall that the council could build their new offices and theatre on, which has been an eyesore for years, leaving Hoopers an iconic building in situ, and also their car park, not to mention leaving Calverley Grounds as it is for residents to enjoy. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council states that this new building will bring people into the town instead of going to London to the theatres. Why would anyone want to come to Tunbridge Wells? The shops and restaurants are closing down, the parking system now implemented is not fit for purpose and has caused no end of problems, car park prices keep going up, and any free parking has now disappeared. Our roads are again full of potholes, those filled are now beginning to appear again – whichever company fills them should use something other than plasticine – and now the council wants to charge for our garden waste to be collected. So why does the council feel justified in putting increases out to the residents of Tunbridge Wells? What value do we get for our hard-earned cash? Lin Holman Via email
One could be forgiven a wry smile at the statement by Kent County Council’s Michael Payne [March 20] that the carriageway in Tonbridge High Street is to be widened during the summer to allow the relocation of northbound bus stop G in a layby. It begs the question, who narrowed the High Street by widening the pavements in the first place? Yes, you’ve guessed it, Kent County Council, in its High Street improvement plan. Incidentally, referring to the high-tech traffic signals now installed in the Tonbridge station area, it is worth recalling that generations of schoolchildren flowed to and fro across Waterloo Road without any significant incident. Now they are blamed because the high-tech signals lack the low-level practicability that users understand. Tony Russell Tonbridge
Give me shelter? That will do nicely Success! Regarding my letter [March 20] about the bus shelter seat outside Sainsbury’s on Linden Park Road, it has now been mended. Thank you for your intervention. It worked. Judi Best Via email
NO WAY could Calverley resist snapping this picture. He was with family at one of those country fairs when he spotted a cage holding a couple of ‘rare bred’ chickens that had caught the eye of the judges. On top of the cages some insensitive soul had placed a large brown box of… Kentucky fries. No wonder the hens were clucking fit to burst.
OVERHEARD: In the back garden (grounds) of a neighbouring property that was surrounded by thick, high hedges, Calverley heard a group of young ladies, clearly still at school, discussing a party that weekend. First voice: “You’re not going to do any coke with both your parents hanging around, are you?” Second voice: “Don’t be so stupid, of course I will, it’s my 18th birthday.” Should Calverley be saddened or is He naïve and out of touch? Chin Chin, dear reader
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Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Education
NEWS
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EDUCATION Times
Local author awarded for a solution to tricky times tables Tunbridge Wells mother Jessie Wilson has just been awarded a top educational prize for her self-published maths book that aims to successfully teach children their times tables Jessie Wilson’s self-published book Times Fables has just won a prestigious educational book award at the Education Resources Awards. Announcing the winner, the judges described Times Fables as ‘an ingenious way to make times tables stick in the memories of young children,’ and said that the letters from schools and extensive positive reaction from parents praising the book made it a clear winner.
Engaging The independent book’s win meant that it successfully beat off very strong competition from some of the industry’s biggest publishers including Collins, Scholastic and Bloomsbury to win the much-coveted Educational Book award during a ceremony which was hosted by comedian Tom Ward at Birmingham’s National Conference Centre. In essence, Jessie says, Times Fables ‘helps children learn their times tables through a series of short-stories.’ It is also primarily aimed at visual and kinesthetic learners who often struggle with rote learning.
“Multiplication facts are presented with visual memory ‘pegs’ in the form of simple, easy-toremember characters,” explains Jessie. “Designed to be used once a child has grasped the basic concept of multiplication – typically achieved by the time they have mastered their 2, 5 and 10 times tables - the book claims to significantly cut down both the time and stress it takes many children to learn the multiplication facts, by presenting them in a fun and engaging way.” Jessie goes on to say she was inspired to write the book after struggling to teach her daughter times tables. “I thought back to my own school days, and remembered that my favourite multiplication was 7 times 8. Why? Because we lived in house number 56,” explains the author. “I then started wondering if the solution to my daughter’s times tables woes might be as simple as giving some context to the multiplication facts to
PRIZE WINNING Jessie Wilson with comedian Tom Ward (L) and Jonathan Swift at Education today aid recall. And with that, Times Fables was born.” Since its publication in December 2017, the book has become a number one best seller on Amazon and has received hundreds of testimonials and reviews from teachers and parents sharing stories of how it has helped their children – in many cases, when other methods had failed. Several parents also commented that the book helped them to master their times tables as well as their children.
EDUCATION IN BRIEF
TWGGS teacher training opportunity announced Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School (TWGGS) has announced that it has vacancies for trainee teachers for the 2019-20 academic year. TWGGS has training vacancies in English, Biology, Chemistry, Economics and Maths available for the coming year to anyone who has a relevant degree at 2:2 level or higher. The school currently uses the Kent and Medway training scheme and there are bursaries available for a number of trainees. More information about eligibility, bursaries to train and applications can be obtained by emailing itt@twggs.kent.sch.uk
Pupils are on the ball Claremont Primary School is celebrating its Year 5 and 6 A team’s win at the recent hockey tournament held at Tonbridge School. They played Broadwater Down Primary in the quarter finals and won 1-0. In the semis, they encountered St Matthews’ Primary and again won 1-0. In the final they met St James’ B team and won 1-0. As a result, they will be heading to a playoff with the winners of the Cranbrook tournament. If Claremont are successful, they will qualify for the county finals.
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Nus Ghani
Conservative MP for Wealden
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Nus Ghani was elected MP for Wealden in May 2015 and represents Crowborough, Eridge and Uckfield, among other towns and villages. She also currently serves as Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Department for Transport and is Assistant Government Whip. In 2018, Ms Ghani became the first Muslim woman to speak from the House of Commons Despatch Box. The Times also publishes comment from the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties.
Creating opportunities for the next generation in Wealden A FEW weeks ago, I had the privilege to meet local businesses at the Hailsham Community College Careers Fair. It is an event that I’ve sponsored every year since becoming an MP. This year, what I saw, in person, was something that I have felt for a long time – that there hasn’t been a better time to be growing up in East Sussex. Recent figures show youth unemployment down, wages rising ahead of inflation, and the number of first-time buyers of homes soaring to a 12-year high. The hard work put in by the careers team at Hailsham Community College, led by Jennie Cole, meant that many of those fast growing small businesses, responsible for the low youth unemployment figure, were there to meet the next generation. It was truly exciting to learn about all the opportunities for working in Wealden and beyond that are on offer. It drove home the number of routes that young people today can take – continuing their education at university, earning whilst they learn on an apprenticeship, or directly entering the workforce. Seeing the number of small businesses, the type
CAREER MINDED: Nus with students at Hailsham Community College in East Sussex
that have always been the backbone of our local economy, that were interested in taking on recent school-leavers and apprentices shows the confidence those businesses have in our economy. These opportunities prove that, contrary to some narratives, young people do not have to move away to find work – there are fantastic opportunities right here on their doorstep.
Fluency It also shows the demand for the type of skills our young people have, thanks to the exceptional education that they are receiving at local schools. Often, I feel that we are far too negative about the next generation. Not only were the students that I met engaged, bright, articulate, and well-educated, but they also have skills at their age that make them an asset to any business. Their fluency with technology is inspiring, as is their concern for the environment and responsible business practices. The economy being built under this government is helping them to unleash their potential in truly exciting ways. The entrepreneurial spirit shown by this generation of start-up-running, online marketplace-
Ben Chapelard Liberal Democrat councillor for St James’
operating, social-purpose-driven youngsters is exactly the sort of thing that Conservative politics has always stood to support. That’s why I’m so proud of the work that this government is doing right now – cutting business rates for small retailers by a third; creating a small business leadership academy; facilitating business mentoring and peer networks to
unlock the full potential of businesses; and keeping over three million small business out of VAT altogether. With this support, with the hard work of our young people, and with the fantastic teachers acting as the wind beneath their wings, there has never been a better time to be a young person in East Sussex.
Ben Chapelard is a Liberal Democrat councillor for St James’ and Leader of the Opposition on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. He is also the Lib Dem MP candidate for Tunbridge Wells constituency at the next general election which is currently scheduled for 2022.
These Lib Dem boots are made for walking! I AM in need of a new pair of shoes and so too are my Lib Dem colleagues who have been pounding the streets of Tunbridge Wells. Having knocked on over 4,000 doors in the last few months the soles of our shoes are a little worn to say the least. So, why exactly do our councillors, candidates like Andrew Hickey, Marguerita Morton and Trevor Poile and their helpers give up their valuable time to knock on doors? Precisely because, for us, it’s the best part of being involved in local politics! For every hour spent in council meetings we endeavour to spend 2 hours on the doorstep. Door knocking is a way of discovering the issues which really matter to residents. Experiences of Tunbridge Wells can vary considerably, not only from street to street, but between neighbours living just a few doors from each other. Each door reveals a fascinating insight into what people want from our local area and the improvements they would like to see. There is never a perfect time to call on our neighbours but the vast majority are grateful when we show up, even if they are holding a baby, in the middle of a meal or in their undergarments, (yes that has happened)! Some are surprised and one resident recently exclaimed: “You’re the first councillor who has knocked on my door in 47 years!” I find it shocking that nobody had previously made the effort to find out what this lady thinks. What are residents saying, you may wonder? One thing which we are hearing loud and clear
is that every resident wants the best for our town. Sounds obvious doesn’t it? The problem is that residents do not feel consulted on big expensive long term decisions. Where residents don’t agree is on the solutions to a better Tunbridge Wells. We Lib Dems realise that these different views need listening to and that they must be respected rather than dismissed.
sults for our residents. Recently we have worked collaboratively on saving the Farmers’ market from closure and right now we are trying to find a solution the furore over the naming of The Amelia Scott cultural hub. Local issues matter. Problems such as traffic congestion, speeding, or our children breathing
in illegal levels of air pollution, affect our lives every day. However, very few people actually get involved in helping turn these problems round. Indeed, voter turnout in local elections is less than half that of a general election. On Thursday 2nd May our borough needs your vote. Please ensure that you have your say!
Opposition Residents are concerned about the quality of roads and pavements, congestion and pollution and a retail environment that needs invigorating. However, the clearest message according to our recent research is that less than 14% of our neighbours support the Conservatives’ £90m plus new town hall coin Calverley Grounds. This confirms our view that it is the wrong project in the wrong location so why won’t the Conservatives listen to the locals? Our door knocking allows us to get things done for our neighbours. Some of our notable local successes include getting action on the derelict former cinema site, saving CCTV from cuts and getting doorstep glass recycling introduced (due later this year). We could, of course, get even more done with more Liberal Democrat councillors. As the current opposition, when we can’t get things done alone we will happily work cross-party to get re-
BEST FOOT FORWARD On the campaign trail
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Best property buys for...
Noah’s Ark Farm House
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…
£1,200,000
The POOL…
East Sutton Road, East Sutton
Offers in excess of CONTACT • Savills, Cranbrook • 01580 720161 • savills.com You get the real chocolate box look with this pretty, timber-framed, Grade II*-listed former Wealden Hall House, which comes with a beautiful heated swimming pool and a detached annexe, all lying amid landscaped gardens and adjoining a handy golf course. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n In part dating back to the 15th century, with features including diamond leaded light mullion windows and exposed timbers n Drawing room with inglenook fireplace n Dining room with original wide oak door to terrace and pool n Farmhouse-style kitchen/breakfast room with electric Aga n Master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite bathroom n 4 further bedrooms n 2 further bath/shower rooms, one en suite n Garden with pond and outbuildings n Heated outdoor swimming pool n Triple garage n Self-contained 1-bedroom annexe above garage n Gated driveway approached via long private lane n in total about 1.8 acres
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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The PRICE…
Batchelors Pembury
£270,000 CONTACT • Barnes Kingsnorth, Pembury • 01892 822880 • bkestateagents.com A 2-bedroom terraced house in a popular culde-sac in the heart of the village with potential for driveway, subject to necessary consents. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Sitting room with door to garden n Kitchen/dining room n 2 double bedrooms and a bathroom n Sunny rear garden with two patios n Unrestricted road parking n Garage en-bloc
Long Barn
St Lawrence Avenue, Bidborough
The LATTICE-STYLE WINDOWS
Guide price
£1,425,000 CONTACT • Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk
A superb, light, bright home in an elevated position within this high village. It enjoys views over woodland and has a south-facing garden also adjoining woodland at the rear. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Reception room with chimney breast and dual-fuel stove, plus French doors to garden n Second reception room/TV room n Dining room with doors to garden. Open to: n Kitchen/breakfast room with Aga, walk-in larder, marble flooring and underfloor heating n Downstairs shower room n Master bedroom with en-suite shower room n 4 further bedrooms, one with en-suite shower n Family bathroom n 195ft garden with wide patio and further lower garden with direct access to woodland n In and out driveway with parking n Integral garage with power and light n In all just under 0.5 acre
St Mary’s Road Tonbridge
Guide price
£675,000 CONTACT • Fine & Country, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 701900 • fineandcountry.com
A large extended and updated Victorian family home close to the station and town. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST • Living room with two cast iron fireplaces • Dining room with open fire • Kitchen and utility room • Garden room with multi-fuel burner • 4 bedrooms, two with period fireplaces and two with hand basins; Family bathroom • Garden with brick paved patio and awning • 2 driveways offering off-road parking • Garage, currently used as a gym/playroom
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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Property Focus
NEW HOMES
First new Hollyfields homes to be launched in Hawkenbury development next month HOLLYFIELDS
Hawkenbury Road, Hawkenbury
PRICES STARTING FROM
£600,000
(Help to Buy available) CONTACT
• Hollyfields Sales Team • 01892 888650 • berkeleygroup.co.uk A new residential part of a long-awaited development in the Hawkenbury ‘village’ area of Tunbridge Wells will spring into life next month, with the first show homes ready for viewing in May. Named Hollyfields, it comprises an impressive collection of thoughtfully designed three, four and five-bedroom houses from prestigious housebuilder Berkeley Homes, with prices starting from £600,000. Help to Buy is also available on selected three-bedroom homes. All of the high-specification houses have
light-filled, contemporary interiors with spacious living areas and double doors leading on to private gardens or patios. The architecture and design inspiration for the scheme were chosen to reflect both Hawkenbury and Tunbridge Wells, with properties that fit into the surrounding environment ranging from classic country cottages to well-proportioned villas. High sustainability standards minimise energy use to create an environmentally friendly, suburban development. Additionally, the street plan has been specifically designed to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. There will also be an abundance of green space, woodland and wildlife. Overlooking Kent’s High Weald, and edged by farmland, Hollyfields will be set amongst water features and children’s play areas, all complemented by native trees, shrubs and important hedgerows that are to home dormice and badgers. New wild planted areas are also being created to encourage biodiversity and a flourishing habitat for wildlife. Thus residents will be able to enjoy a
A WHOLE NEW COMMUNITY The Hawkenbury development has been much anticipated
country-style life while still enjoying the facilities of the town centre, just 1.5 miles away, and important travel connections to London and elsewhere via Tunbridge Wells mainline station and the A21. Primary education has been factored in, too. Hollyfields will have access to the new on-site primary school, St Peter’s
Regency Grange Benhall Mill Road Tunbridge Wells
PRICES STARTING FROM
£560,000 CONTACT
• Regency Grange Sales Team • 01892 884514 • countrysideproperties.com
Church of England Primary School, which has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted and is relocating from Windmill Street in Tunbridge Wells. Elsewhere, Hawkenbury ‘village’ includes a shop and a pub, while sport facilities opposite Hollyfields include cricket pitches and tennis courts.
On the opposite side of the new development area is a collection of three, four and five-bedroom houses launched by Countryside Properties last month. Two-bedroom houses, apartments & maisonettes are to come next year. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n The homes lie on the south-east edge of Tunbridge Wells, close to the Neville Golf Course and Golf Club n High specification and finish throughout n Open-plan kitchen/living areas n Double doors to gardens
READY TO VIEW NOW The first new homes at Regency Grange
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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Property Focus
ARCHITECTURE
Architecture
Having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal Academy of The Hague, John Bullock launched John Bullock Design in 2003. With offices in Tunbridge Wells High Street, John has won awards for his work and is committed to delivering the best outcomes for clients.
formed lakes and rivers weaving throughout. Our case study this month looks at a project built on stilts to embrace its location on the edge of a natural lake within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty [AONB]. Designing a stilt house opens up lots of creative opportunity. The proposal comprises a traditional form of structure with a hipped and pitched roof and single-storey accommodation below. Lots of glass is incorporated into the elevations, which creates visual connection to the lake and landscape beyond. The experience of projecting out over the lake adds to the feeling of being within nature. In this particular design, we propose concrete piles forming the stilts which will stand the test of time being immersed in water. The elevations clad in oak will silver naturally and blend into the surroundings, and all under a hand-made clay tile roof. This pallet of local materials grounds the house within the landscape.
Lakes After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, barbarians from the north were raiding Rome’s former territories. In order to escape these raids, the Venetian population on the mainland fled to the nearby marshes, and found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo and Malamocco. Although the settlements were initially temporary in nature, the Venetians gradually inhabited the islands on a permanent basis. So it was the desire to have their buildings on a solid foundation that led the Venetians to drive wooden stakes into the sandy ground, construct wooden platforms on top of the stakes, and finally to construct their buildings on these platforms. Some claim that Venice is sinking, and despite measures to preserve it, the city will eventually fall beneath the lagoon just like infamous Atlantis. More local to home, Kent and Sussex boast a geography that features a series of ridges and valleys running east-west across the South East. These are the results of erosion of the Wealden dome – a dome across the two counties created by alpine movements 10-20 million years ago. As a result, our countryside is a spectacular array of hills and plateaus with naturally
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Architectural services
home off the ground?
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Dreaming of getting your
TILT houses date back to prehistoric times and can be seen in a variety of forms across the globe. What makes each design different is the reasoning behind the stilts. They can maximise views, allow homes to be built over water, and introduce homes to previously undeveloped areas, such as rocky, steep and unstable land. Plus, of course, stilts can protect against potential flooding and, in warmer climates, unwanted vermin. Famously, Venice, which consists of 118 small islands connected by numerous canals and bridges, is built on stilts. The truth is that it is not built directly on the islands, instead its buildings were built upon wooden platforms that were supported by wooden stakes driven into the ground.
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SEVEN REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT USE STILTS TO BUILD A HOUSE 1. To build on a sloping site. A good solution when building on a hillside, elevating the house on stilts makes sense to reduce flooding, water damage and weakening of the property’s foundation. 2. To build on an unstable foundation. On a sandy terrain, wooden poles can be driven deep into the soil below the sand, anchoring the house to the ground and ensuring maximum stability. 3. To build on uneven ground. As steel column stilts vary in height, they allow for the natural undulations of the land and the local flora remains untouched. 4. To maximise views. Elevating on stilts can take advantage of a view, enhancing the feeling of looking out over the landscape. Coupled with large glass panes, this will create panoramic views. 5. To ventilate beneath the house. More relevant to houses in warmer climates, this allows for ventilation and cool air to flow under the house, protecting the main structure from termites and other pests, and enables the natural flow of water in times of torrential rain. 6. To protect against floods. In areas prone to flooding, elevating a house on stilts can prevent damage. 7. Because you can… and stilts are a stunning and unique design feature. Of course, a great reason to build a stilt house is just because you can – whether navigating rocky or steep terrain, creating a dream waterside retreat, or reaching for the best views! John Bullock Design is a multi-awardwinning, Tunbridge Wells-based, architectural design consultants, and proud winner of the Times of Tunbridge Wells 2018 Best Business 1-25 Employees Award For further advice, please contact us on 01892 525732. johnbullockdesign.com
GOING UP IN THE WORLD A new stilt house design
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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More than words We meet the celebrated children’s author and poet Mara Bergman
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Balancing the books… American author and poet Mara Bergman lives in Tunbridge Wells and has written a number of very successful story books for children. She has just published her most recent one, The Tall Man and the Small Mouse. She is also a prominent member of the Kent and Sussex Poetry Society and works as an editor for Walker Books. Here, Mara explains her ongoing love of literature PENNING HER IDEAS Mara Bergman
and sometimes the middle of the night, too! I travel up to London on the train and sometimes write then. I try to make the most of my time and tend to write in small snatches. Because of this, I don’t think I could ever write a novel! I’ve heard it said that writing is to adults what play is to children. While writing can be hard work – and it always is – for me there has to be an element of fun to it as well. If I’m not enjoying what I’m writing, then I don’t feel like continuing, and won’t. There’s great freedom in that. I love the challenge and the whole process of putting words together to create a poem or story. I love the sounds of words, including rhyme (for children’s books) and off-rhyme for poems. I love the echo of words; and repetition. I love the satisfaction of finally getting a piece of writing right. In terms of my poetry, I currently have two pamphlets out, The Tailor’s Three Sons and Other New York Poems and Crossing Into Tamil Nadu, which is based on a trip I took to India with my daughter. Last summer, my first full collection was published by Arc. It’s called The Disappearing Room and contains poems written over quite a long time. It includes some of the New York poems from my first pamphlet and also a sequence inspired by objects in the Tunbridge Wells Museum. I was involved in a project with other local ‘My books have writers and artists based on the been published in some objects in the museum’s hidden far-flung places. In addition collection – those artefacts the public don’t usually get to see to the US, France, Germany, unless they’re on special Denmark and Norway, one exhibition. has been published in Estonia, It means a lot to me to have one in Israel and several in those poems in the collection, and the collection itself is truly Japan and Korea. It’s especially a dream come true. exciting to see my words not I launched my new one at the only in other languages, but Tunbridge Wells Library and the other alphabets as well’ Poetry Café in London, and since
‘I tend to work on several things at once. I always have a few poems on the go and a children’s story’
THERE’LL BE A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE At Mara’s local Waterstones talk
I STARTED writing from an early age. I was always fascinated by the written word, maybe because I struggled to read and was desperate to learn. Words seemed to be a secret code and I really wanted to crack it! I used to write lots of notes and cards to my mother (and would hide them under her pillow), and a bit later I wrote skits, which I made my sister join me in performing for our longsuffering babysitter. I wrote my first poem at 12 (ironically it was called This Is America, This Is My Home) and wrote lots of terrible poetry throughout my teenage years. When my children were young, I read to them all the time, and at some point the penny dropped and so I thought I’d have a go at writing a picture book. My first one was Bears, Bears Everywhere, and it was illustrated by Helen Craig, who is probably best known for her amazing illustrations for the Angelina Ballerina series. Childhood is always a rich source of inspiration. Having grown up in New York and then lived in Kent for many years gives me a certain distance, which is helpful. My new picture book, The Tall Man and the Small Mouse, came from something my son Jonathan said when he was four or five, when we had someone come in to fit a carpet. The fitter took off his shoes and put them down very neatly. Jonathan looked up at the man, down at his shoes, up at the man again and said: “You’re a tall man with long shoes!” We both laughed (the man wasn’t tall at all!) and I carried that line in my head for many years till eventually I was able to write the story. In brief, the story is told in rhyme and is about the unlikely friendship between a very tall
man and a very small mouse. The man likes to fix and the mouse likes to find, and in the end they work together to fix the town’s great clock, which would not tick and would not tock. Birgitta Sif has done the most marvellous illustrations and has truly brought my words to
‘My ideas for both poems and stories come from everyday life; things I see or hear, places, family, friends or people I find interesting… Places, too’ life. I’m thrilled that it’s published by Walker Books, my first picture book with the company where I’ve worked for many years. When it comes to matching a book’s words with pictures, it’s usually the publisher who pairs an author with an illustrator, and once an illustrator is suggested I’m shown samples to approve before the artist is signed up. My experiences have been happy ones, and I’ve had the privilege to work with many wonderful illustrators. Birgitta has created the most fabulous illustrations for The Tall Man and the Small Mouse, a beautiful, magical world for my characters, and it’s been such a joy to work with her. Nick Maland and I have done seven books together, and other illustrators I’ve worked with include Lydia Monks, Cassia Thomas, Emily Bolam, Nicola Slater and Tor Freeman. Like the Oliver in my books, I’m not a very good sleeper, so I use evenings and early mornings to write,
MARA ON THE SUCCESS OF HER BESTSELLING SERIES OF OLIVER BOOKS: The Oliver stories, illustrated by Nick Maland, were great fun to write and are about a small boy with a huge imagination. I only ever intended to write Oliver Who Would Not Sleep, but it did quite well, was shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years Award and became a Book Start book, so was distributed to pre-school children throughout the UK. I was so pleased to be able to write more! Snip Snap Alligator remains one of my favourite books, and to have had it reviewed in the Sunday New York Times Book Review, with one of Nick’s fabulous pieces of artwork, remains a real high point for me.
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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Arts & Culture
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A finely tuned performance
This Sunday, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society take to the stage at the Assembly Hall. Here they tell you what you can expect from their spring concert… CELEBRATING SPRING With choral music
then have read at London’s Troubadour Café (I always like to mention that’s where Bob Dylan debuted when he first came to England!), the Wordsworth Trust, the Ó Bhéal poetry festival in Cork, and most recently the Cornerstones Poetry Festival in Cardiff. I look forward to reading at the Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival this summer. I really love doing events, especially local ones. It’s fun to meet the children and involve them in the storytelling. It’s always interesting, and useful, too, to find out what works, and it’s a great way to celebrate stories and books. I’ll be speaking at Waterstones in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday, April 17, at 11am and bringing Small Mouse (which the amazing Melanie at Mouse Works has created), with me. She’s looking forward to meeting the children, too! Mara will be in conversation with Dominic King on BBC Radio Kent tonight [Wednesday, April 10] at 8pm, ahead of her appearance at Waterstones, Tunbridge Wells, on Wednesday April 17 at 11am.
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society will perform Italian choral music at the Assembly Hall Theatre this coming Sunday [April 14]. The choir’s performance will include Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, and there will be an additional orchestral piece by Verdi – the overture to La Forza del Destino. Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces (Quattro pezzi sacri) were written separately during the later years of his life and were not intended to be performed together. They consist of the Ave Maria, sung unaccompanied; Stabat Mater, for choir and orchestra; Laudi alla Vergine Maria (a setting of a prayer from Dante’s Paradiso), for four female voices sung unaccompanied; and
Te Deum for orchestra and double chorus. The pieces were published together in 1898 in the order they are now sung and were first performed together (except for the Ave Maria) at the Paris Opera in April that year. The work is not performed very often, so this concert provides the opportunity to hear this sublime work along with Puccini’s beautiful Mass. The Messa di Gloria was composed when Puccini was only 18 and it was written as a graduation piece. It was first performed in Lucca church in 1880 to great acclaim, but was not performed again in his lifetime. The work was not published until 1951 and it was performed the following year in Chicago. It
was Puccini’s only church music and contains some beautiful ‘operatic’ themes, which perhaps hint at what was to come in his operas. For this concert, the choir will be joined by London’s extraordinarily talented Salomon Orchestra, with soloists John Findon (tenor) and Håkan Vramsmo (baritone). Music director Robyn Sevastos conducts what is certain to be a concert of glorious choral music, an occasion not to be missed. Tickets to see the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society’s concert at 3pm on April 14 cost from £10. They are available by phone: 01892 527958, email: tickets@rtwcs.org.uk or from the Assembly Hall box office. Visit assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
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Life&Times
Going Out
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goingout 7 days of activities
By Jerome Bowman ALICE IS BACK IN WONDERLAND with all its madcap characters, at Groombridge Place
WEDNESDAY You can still catch the next stop on the tour of Bright Brick’s Lego show Civilisations at The Kent & East Sussex Railway in Tenterden. The show features 40 detailed models, including dioramas and life-sized models. If you have children that gives you a great excuse to go! Tickets cost £18 per adult and £12 per child and include a
travelcard for the railway. For more information and to get tickets, go to kesr.org.uk
THURSDAY
Grosvenor and Hilbert Park’s Birds and Bees Survey Walk will start at 10am and finish at 3pm. For enthusiastic volunteers, the walk will be focused on finding signs of nesting birds in the
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
morning and emergent bumblebees in the afternoon. Please wear appropriate shoes and clothing. For more information, email Emma Peters at: Emma.Peters@ TunbridgeWells.gov.uk In its tenth year of production, Brainiac Live is coming to The Assembly Hall Theatre. Going boldly where no smart man has gone before, these explorers of the explosive will be ruining dustbins, THE FARMERS’ MARKET IS BACK: In Market Square microwaves and commence. The eggcellent afternoon will performing various stunts you probably start at 2pm and finish 4pm, and is shouldn’t try at home. Tickets cost £18.75 for adults and £16.75 for chance to get the kids out in the park. children under 15. To book, visit Follow the clues around the park and return your discoveries for a prize. assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk There will also be a raffle. Entry is free FRIDAY but donations are welcome for the The largest lizards in Tunbridge upkeep of Dunorlan. You will need to Wells are back at Royal Victoria book ahead though, so contact Judy by phoning 07983 209441 or email her Place. Dino Live brings a new set of animatronic dinosaurs at: judy.guest@hotmail.co.uk to the shopping centre, The Independent Farmers’ which can be seen for Market is on once again in free. There’s plenty Market Square from 9am till to see and learn 4pm. The market will feature a range of locally-sourced about from a period fresh produce, plants and spanning 250 million hot food, as well as artisanal years, including the goods and wines. See our Tyrannosaurus Rex interview on p46/p47. and the Stegosaurus. He may now be For information go to more famous after his royalvictoriaplace.com controversial time on Strictly, but comedian SATURDAY STRICTLY SEANN Seann Walsh will be at This time next week, The controversial comedian Trinity Theatre tonight the Dunorlan Park goes solo at Trinity Theatre at 8pm with his new Easter Egg Hunt will
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Wednesday April 10 | 2019
TUESDAY
THE WACKY APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE Brainiac Live brings the weird and wonderful to the Assembly Hall
Nostalgia is a funny thing, and That’ll Be The Day is no exception. The beloved show, which has been running since 1986, is coming to The Assembly Hall Theatre, bringing classic gold hits of rock and roll from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. This variety show mixes all the timeless hits of such bands as The Beatles and Queen with a good dose of laughter. Tickets cost £29.75 and can be booked at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
Going Out
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THAT’LL BE THE DAY at the Assembly Hall
PICK OF THE WEEK: show Seann Walsh: After This One, I’m Going Home. He is one of the standout observational comics of his generation, with his dishevelled appearance and fiery delivery bound to make you laugh. Tickets are still on sale for this so grab the last ones while you can for £19 at trinitytheatre.net
will take through the grounds, showing you the wildlife in the parkland and the history of the estate. After this you can tuck into a two-course roast in the restaurant. For more information and to book tickets, which cost £30 and include the walk, talk and food on your fork, go to penshurstplace.com
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Groombridge Place still can’t deal with the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and Caterpillar problem! The Alice in Wonderland Spectacular includes performances twice a day by an acting troupe, sing-a-longs and a chance to meet the cast. The estate also has a new Birds of Prey Show, face painting and an arts and crafts corner. There’s a lot to get in, so for more information and to book tickets, visit groombridgeplace.com Penshurst Place is inviting you for a Spring Stroll from 11am till 2pm. Manager Ben Thomas
You can still catch the Colour of Spring exhibition at the Fairfax Gallery, which is showing contemporary paintings and sculptures on both of its floors. If you are interested in art, then this show is able to boast uplifting and colourful new work from 12 established artists, incuding Adrian Parnell, who studied at two of London’s most prestigious art colleges in the 1970s – Saint Martins and The Slade. The gallery is free to enter and opening times vary. For more detailed information, please check their website at fairfaxgallery.com
Gary Delaney: Gagster’s Paradise Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells Thursday, April 11, 8pm
Pun machine Gary Delaney comes out full guns blazing in his new show Gagster’s Paradise. The leading one-liner comic, a mainstay on TV’s Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo, is back with a new show packed with his special brand of absurd, cheeky and sometimes outrageous gags. Tickets cost £19 but there are concessions available. For more information and to book, go to trinitytheatre.net
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Going Out
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Saturday The Badflys
THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles. Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites pdag.co.uk & thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday The Harry Whitty Band, The Breaks, Niamh McSmith Saturday Groove Agents Sunday Jon Grayson, Hannah Richards, Elo, Scott Nicholls
live music With Paul Dunton
T
onight [Wednesday] there’s a celebration of Joni Mitchell’s music at Trinity Theatre to mark her 75th birthday. The superb RedFaces are at The Sussex Arms with support from Alibi, and local acts Harry Whitty (full band), The Breaks and Niamh McSmith are at the Grey Lady. Plus The Forum hosts its popular Stable showcase with an excellent line-up featuring Cracks In The Land, Ryan Fox, Sissy and Steve Hewitt. On Thursday night, The Black Horse is hosting its jam session, while Friday has some fantastic shows on offer including Matt and Lavina at The Nelson Arms, and I highly recommend The Bob Dylan Story at Trinity Theatre. Saturday has a feast of live gigs.
The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com
The Drifters return to The Assembly Hall, and look out for The Badflys at The Bedford and J.E.M at The Beau Nash. If country music is your thing, then the Jemima Price Band at The Royal Oak are a must-see. For more rock/alternative sounds, The Forum hosts The Wild Horse Album launch show with support from Tarot Rats and Harry Evans. On Sunday, Peter Trott is at Verdigris and local singer-songwriters Jon Grayson, Hannah Richards, Elo and Scott Nicholls are at The Grey Lady. On Monday, folk fans are in for a treat with The Hickory Signals at The Tonbridge Folk Club and the excellent Steve Boltz returns to The Punch & Judy on Tuesday.
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at twforum.co.uk Wednesday Cracks In The Land, Ryan Fox, Sissy, Steve Hewitt Thursday & Friday The Orb : 30th Anniversary Greatest Hits Set Saturday Wild Horse, Tarot Rats, Harry Evans THE SUSSEX ARMS BASEMENT Sussex Mews. See twforum.co.uk Wednesday RedFaces, Alibi Friday Glossii, Laulia, Joss Malcolmson TRINITY THEATRE Church Road. See trinitytheatre.net Wednesday Joni 75: A birthday celebration – for Joni Mitchell Friday The Bob Dylan Story MUSICSTATION Bank Street, Tonbridge Thursday & Friday ‘Play it Again’ at MusicStation 8pm-9.30pm. Adult band workshop, all levels welcome. Booking essential. Phone 01732 350629 ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road: assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Friday The Magic of Michael Jackson: Michael starring Ben Saturday The Drifters Tuesday That’ll Be The Day THE NELSON ARMS Cromer Street, Tonbridge Free entry, music from 8pm
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road Free entry, music from 7.45pm Saturday Jemima Price Band THE NEW TELEGRAPH CLUB 26 Priory Road, Tonbridge. Members free. Guests £5. Doors open 6.30pm Saturday Ed Sheeran Tribute Night
Jemima Price Band
BRITTENS MUSIC STORE Grove Hill Road. Open all day Saturday Woodwind Ensemble workshop with Nicola Catterwell (10.30am- 3.30 pm)
Friday Matt & Lavina Sunday MusicStation Jam Session (6.45pm onwards, all welcome)
VERDIGRIS Tonbridge High Street. Music from 6pm See verdigris-tonbridge.com Sunday Peter Trott
THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim Free entry. Music from 8.30pm Saturday J.E.M.
TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB Flying Dutchman, Hildenborough Music from 8pm. See tonbridgefolkclub.org Monday Hickory Signals
THE BEDFORD 2 High Street Free entry, music from 8.30pm. See thebedfordtw.co.uk
THE PUNCH & JUDY St Stephens Road, Tonbridge Free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday Steve Boltz Jon Grayson
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food
46
Food & Drink FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Realising the value of the Farmers’ Market The new Independent Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market is now up and running in Market Square. Ahead of its first special Easter event this Saturday, Naked & Ready’s Jo Jeffery tells Eileen Leahy what she and her colleagues Paul Saxby and Morag Hopkin did to save it
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T THE start of 2019, the Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market faced possible permanent closure, but after a stallholders’ campaign, supported by this newspaper, it was saved and rehomed in the appropriately named Market Square, off Camden Road, behind the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre. One of the key people who lobbied to
save the popular local foodie market was Jo Jeffery, of Naked & Ready Foods, along with her fellow stallholders fishmonger Paul Saxby and Morag Hopkin, of Rapkyns plant nursery.
Can you tell us what happened to the old, council-run Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market on Civic Way? In December last year we were given
the sad news by the council that the Farmers’ Market would be closing in January. We had no prior knowledge of the sudden closure of the market so it was a great shock to us all. Many of the traders had been trading there for nearly 20 years, and for most of us it was our regular income and the future of our businesses that was suddenly going to be affected.
How easy was it to find another location? As the announcement was made just before Christmas, it wasn’t the best time of year to be able to make big changes or put plans into place when were already so busy. But we were determined to not take it lying down, so I and other stallholders and members of the public wrote to our local MP, Greg Clark, and Tunbridge Wells councillors, including Tracy Moore, and council Chief Executive William Benson – plus anyone else who might listen! We started an online petition as well as one at the market to help save it. We had an overwhelming amount of support from the people of Tunbridge Wells and our regular customers, which proved to us that the market was wanted by many. So we recognised the need to get another market up and running as soon as possible.
How did the council respond? They agreed to a meeting, but right from the start it was clear they were not willing to relocate the market themselves. They were, however, happy for us to run the market independently at another location if we could find one. We put a proposal through to have the market in the town centre – something we are currently still awaiting approval on. In the meantime, Nicky Blanchard from Royal Victoria Place offered us the Market Square space just outside the shopping centre. From our first meeting with her, we felt instantly that the market would work well there. Nicky and her team have been very supportive and keen to help us make the market a success.
MARKET FORCES Morag Hopkin, Paul Saxby and Jo Jeffery in Market Square
Can you tell us more about the passion you and your fellow traders felt for carrying on the Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market? The biggest reason is that we did very well from it. We have a lot of regular customers, but that’s taken years to build up, so we didn’t want to lose
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
them. The amount of stallholders had been left to dwindle in numbers, but still the public came – it was clear they still wanted the Farmers’ Market. My thoughts, once I’d digested the sad news late last year, turned to: ‘Imagine what we could do with a bit of passion and enthusiasm?’ Maybe this was exactly what the market needed – a fresh new start!
What do you think your Farmers’ Market adds to the town? We think our new Independent Farmers’ Market brings a colourful vibrancy to the town, with live music from talented local musicians and hot food to eat while you shop. It becomes more than just shopping; it’s a nice place to relax and chat with friends, or a pit stop on your way to the many artisan shops and independent cafés along Camden Road. We hope to make the Farmers’ Market a destination and not just a walk-through, as it was in Civic Way. Farmers’ markets are a great way to bring shoppers in direct contact with the people who make or grow produce – you can often sample products or ask questions about traceability. We have taken pride in carefully selecting our traders to give you the best that Tunbridge Wells has to offer.
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we are looking forward to the months ahead. The location is perfect for the spring and summer months, with lots of places for people to sit back and watch the world go buy. Plus it’s sheltered from the wind, which is a luxury in our business!
Is it being well supported by the townsfolk?
Food & Drink
the market and participating shops in Camden Road for children, and for the adults we are giving away £50 vouchers donated by Royal Victoria Place, plus £50 of vouchers to spend at the market. There will be also be free face painting sessions as well as live music and hot
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food to help your shopping experience to be as enjoyable as possible.
And do you have more plans in store? Yes, we have lots of exciting plans for 2019 and beyond, but for now they’re secret. Keep watching!
Yes, definitely. We have had great feedback from customers – both old and new. Traders are reporting record sales, and even some of the shops in Camden Road are reporting better trade on market days. It’s very important to us that everyone benefits from the market, not just us. We would like the market, Camden Road shops and Royal Victoria Place to all work together to make the town the thriving hub it should be!
Have you attracted any new stallholders or producers since you relocated? In addition to a good mix of old regulars like Flour Power Bakery and Winterdale Cheese, we also now have some new stallholders like Sanden Vineyard and Kent Collection Smokehouse and Charcuterie which will hopefully attract new customers. We will also have guest stalls from time to time popping up alongside our regular traders to keep the market fresh and exciting.
How have you been settling in to your new premises on Market Square?
Tell us about the Easter holidays event you are hosting this Saturday, April 13?
We love it! It just feels like it’s made for us and
There will be a free Easter egg hunt all through
A BRIEF HISTORY OF NAKED & READY I started Naked & Ready nearly ten years ago with the aim of bringing good quality food to local people using locally-sourced ingredients. We specialise in gourmet scotch eggs, pork pies, sausage rolls and paté. We like to make our products stand out from others by coming up with exciting flavours like pork marmite and cheese sausage rolls as well as making the best quality traditional recipes. Our pork pies are renowned far and wide! I sell my produce at many other farmers’
markets and food festivals in the South East, including Penshurst, The Pantiles, Shoreham by Sea, Lewes, West Malling and Tonbridge. We also sell in local farm shops and delis, including Groombridge Farm Shop and Fuller’s. Paul Saxby and Morag Hopkin, who run the market alongside me, also do many of the same markets as me. We have known each other for many years from trading all over Kent and Sussex. Paul also has a fish retail shop in Hastings called Arcade Fisheries, and Morag owns Rapkyns Nursery in Heathfield.
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travel
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STEPPING OUT IN STYLE on board, with dramatic verre églomisé glass rising behind a Grand Staircase
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Wednesday April 10 | 2019
A voyage to excellence Since its founding in 2003, Oceania Cruises has blazed a nautical trail to become the world’s leading destination and culinary-focused cruise line
A
S MORE travellers look to the cruise industry to provide memorable and unrivalled holiday experiences, cruise lines are working hard to develop unique itineraries and programmes. Oceania Cruises has taken that task on board and developed a brand that focuses on three key ‘pillars’ – the Finest Cuisine at Sea™, destinationrich itineraries and intimate and luxurious ships. CULINARY EXPERIENCES AROUND THE GLOBE Cuisine on board, inspired by Master Chef Jacques Pépin, wows Oceania Cruises’ guests with menus that take inspiration from all corners of the globe. This epic food journey can be discovered on all six of the line’s ships in restaurants rivalling the very best on land, from authentic Italian, classic French and bold Asian-fusion dishes to meaty steaks and succulent seafood, to name just a few flavours. Guests can travel to more than 450 destinations in Europe, Alaska, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New England-Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Tahiti and the South Pacific, and on epic 180-day Around the World Voyages on these elegant ships, all in the comfort of their spacious staterooms and suites. INTIMATE AND LUXURIOUS SHIPS From its inception, Oceania Cruises has placed huge importance on the on-board guest experience, with impeccable service and both elegant and casual ambience found across the fleet. Their ships – Insignia, Nautica, Regatta, Sirena, Riviera and Marina – cater from just 684 guests to a maximum of 1,250, allowing the crews to attend to every whim and provide a truly personalised service. The ships are also small enough to visit boutique ports and hidden gems that larger ships cannot access.
OPULANT Penthouse Suite
Looking to the future, the OceaniaNEXT initiative is now in full swing, elevating every level of the guest experience through an array of dramatic enhancements that are so transformational they are inspirational. This new chapter will also feature two new ships, known as the Allura Class, to be delivered in 2022 and 2025. Some might say the journey is just beginning… WHAT’S NEW FOR OCEANIA CRUISES? A 100-million-dollar plus ‘re-inspiration’ of Oceania Cruises’ four popular Regatta-Class ships marks the first phase of OceaniaNEXT’s sweeping array of stunning enhancements with ‘better than new’ vessels. The line’s acclaimed 684-guest Regatta-Class ships – Insignia, Sirena, Regatta and Nautica – have built up a devoted following with their classic lines and elegant small-ship cruise atmosphere. Now they will have a topto-toe transformation by more than a thousand interior designers and craftsmen. This will result in: n 1,368 new suites and staterooms n 1,400 new marble bathrooms n 8,000 new light fixtures n 22,000 new sofas and chairs In December 2018, Insignia was the first to emerge from dry dock showcasing the new look. It will be followed by Sirena in May of this year, Regatta this September, and Nautica in June 2020. Bob Binder, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises, said: “OceaniaNEXT is the most extensive and comprehensive suite of guest service enhancements that we have ever undertaken. “Our Regatta-Class ships are like second homes to our loyal guests and travel partners. They don’t build ships
like this any more, which is why this re-inspiration project is such an important milestone in the company’s history. “We are maintaining the intimate surroundings and personal attention that our guests love while at the same time setting a new standard of style and elegance for small-ship cruising.” At the helm of the dramatic refurbishment is Studio DADO, an acclaimed Miami-based design and concept studio specialising in luxury residential and hospitality design. The Regatta-Class quartet will have stylish, richly appointed new interiors and a sparkling new grand staircase framed by intricate railings and balustrades inset with crystals. This will form the glittering centrepiece of the reception and upper hall areas, and overhead a grand chandelier will set the space aglow. In other public areas, the Grand Dining Room will feature buttery-soft cream leather chairs – overlooked by another spectacular chandelier – and a blue colour palette in Martinis bar inspired by the Santorini coastline. STRIKING NEW STATEROOMS AND SUITES The most striking areas of the transformation will be in the staterooms and suites, where a new clean, sophisticated design will incorporate features including USB ports and a state-of-the-art entertainment system. All-new bathrooms will have designer fixtures and fittings and glass shower enclosures, and the Penthouse, Vista and Owner’s Suites bathrooms will boast Carrara marble, polished granite and onyx. As part of OceaniaNEXT, the line’s 1,250-guest OceaniaClass ships Marina and Riviera will also receive new Owner’s Suites furnished by Ralph Lauren Home. SPECTACULAR SIGHTS Exploring Halong Bay in Vietnam
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
‘Oceania Cruises has placed huge importance on the on-board guest experience, with impeccable service and both elegant and casual ambience found across the fleet’
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NEW SHIPS Representing an evolution of the Oceania Cruises experience, two 1,200-guest, 67,000 gross ton Allura-Class ships on order with Italy’s Fincantieri shipbuilders will herald a new class of mid-size cruise vessels. They will retain all the popular design elements and signature amenities of the line’s award-winning Marina and Riviera cruise liners while offering guests even more comfort and convenience. The ships will be delivered in 2022 and 2025. THE FINEST CUISINE AT SEA Oceania Cruises takes its food very seriously. No other cruise line spends as much money per person on the culinary experience. Meals are prepared on order – there’s no mass preparation of meals like on most cruise lines. There’s more galley space and there are more culinary staff per guest. They even have their own beef dry-aging plant, ensuring only the best, most succulent steaks are served on board. Clearly, then, its claim of having ‘The Finest Cuisine at Sea’ is more than just a catchphrase. RESTAURANTS TO SUIT EVERY PALATE The range of restaurants available across the fleet is nothing short of exceptional – from the rustic, authentic Italian flavours of Toscana to the pan-Asian cuisine found in Red Ginger and the hearty, flavoursome steaks of the Polo Grill. To these add the wonderful flavours to be found in Jacques Pépin’s flagship restaurant, Jacques, and the culinary delights served up every evening in the main dining rooms are nothing short of gourmet excellence. Each restaurant on board uses only the freshest ingredients and – better still – all but two dining venues are available to guests free of charge. It all adds up to unbeatable value when you consider the dining experience matches that of any restaurant on land. Wine lovers will be thrilled to hear that Oceania Cruises has expanded its dinner menus in the Grand Dining Room to include the Executive Chef’s preferred food and wine pairings –
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CHEF’S DELIGHT At cooking up culinary gems
always a welcome touch. They have also expanded their acclaimed bistro lunch service by introducing an amazing 600 new dishes, including 14 new ‘Taste of the World’ selections from Cuba, Mexico, Scandinavia, Italy, Asia, Greece, France, Lebanon, Spain, Morocco, England, the Philippines, the Caribbean and India. Truly there’s a cuisine for everyone. And mindful of the appeal of vegetarian and vegan food, the line has one of the most extensive vegan menus you’ll find at sea. The Grand Dining Room has over 250 menu choices across appetisers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts – all plant based and all absolutely delicious. Of course, a good meal is only part of the experience – an additional treat comes from the surroundings you enjoy it in, and the design of Oceania Cruises’ main restaurants is fantastic. From the designer tapestry fabrics that adorn the comfy chairs in the Grand Dining Room to the bold, powerful reds of the Polo Grill, there’s an effortless grace to be found in each restaurant. The decor is as delightful as the food. It is little wonder, then, that Oceania Cruises is so highly regarded in the industry for its cuisine – and that includes winning the Best for Cuisine Award at last year’s Wave Awards.
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Life&Times
Motoring
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Motoring News
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
This week… n A clean air plan n Entry car on way n
Skoda boosts SUV ranges with new petrol engine
New petrol engine
Jaguar Land Rover look at tech to fight spread of ‘superbugs’ CARS of the future could help in the fight against ‘superbugs’ – if a technology that Jaguar Land Rover [JLR] is exploring finds widespread use. The British firm is looking at deploying ultraviolet light technology [UVC] in cabins of upcoming models. It is common in the medical industry and is used to disinfect water, filter air and sterilise surfaces to stop the spread of harmful viruses and bacteria. JLR believes UV-C use in cars would have a similar effect, and it would be utilised as part of the air conditioning system. Air taken in would be exposed to the ultraviolet tech, eliminating harmful pathogens and
delivering ‘clean’ air to occupants. They even go as far to say it could help eliminate ‘superbugs’ – bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. JLR’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Steve Iley, said: “The average motorist spends as much as 300 hours per year behind the wheel. “The implementation of individual wellbeing measures promises to not only improve quality of life for our customers, but in this case offers clear advantages in reducing pathogen spread – protecting the overall population from the threat of disease; particularly as we move towards shared mobility solutions.”
AND BREATHE… Via UV-C air con
SPORTY BUT PRACTICAL The A 35 4Matic
Mercedes-AMG unveil new A 35 saloon MERCEDES-AMG has lifted the lid on a four-door version of its A 35 performance hatchback. Called the A 35 4Matic saloon, the car can deliver the same performance as its five-door stablemate, but with added practicality. Fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, it’ll go from 0-60mph in just 4.6 seconds and top out at a limited 155mph. Power is sent to the wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The carmaker claims that it will return up to 39.2mpg combined, and emit as low as 164g/km CO2. Tobias Moers, CEO of MercedesAMG, said: “Following the very successful launch of the hatchback model, things are moving along dynamically in the compact class segment at AMG. Sport saloons are the origin of Mercedes-AMG and
part of the brand’s core. With our new A 35, we are transporting this history into modern times in the form of a very attractive model that serves as a point of entry into the world of AMG, and also appeals to new customer groups.” The A 35 saloon benefits from a range of dynamic styling touches, including 18-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels, two-part tail lamps and a new diffuser at the rear. Inside, sports seats have been fitted along with a new AMG sports steering wheel, which features an LCD display – recently seen on the updated C 63. Behind the wheel is part of Mercedes’ MBUX multimedia system, which allows preferences. Prices and dates for the new car have not yet been revealed, but expect it to arrive in showrooms in the latter half of this year.
SKODA has bolstered its existing SUV line-up with the addition of a new 2.0-litre petrol engine option. The 187bhp unit is heavily present throughout the VW Group’s various brands and has now debuted on the Skoda Kodiaq and Karoq SUVs. It sends that power, along with 320Nm of torque, to all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox in both cars as standard. In the Kodiaq, that results in a 0-60mph time of 7.5 seconds and can return up to 30.131.7mpg on the combined WLTP cycle, along with emitting 162g/km of CO2 depending on specification. As for the Karoq, the engine is available exclusively in the Sportline trim, with 0-60mph coming in 6.8 seconds, while fuel efficiency is claimed at 33.2-32.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 158g/km. Pricing for the Karoq and Kodiaq fitted with the new 2.0-litre petrol start from £31,820 and £34,120 respectively. Order books are now open, with deliveries following imminently. Skoda’s SUV range is soon set to expand to three models in the UK with the arrival of the Kamiq later this year. Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, the crossover sits at the bottom of the Czech firm’s large car range and will take on the likes of Mazda’s CX-3 and Nissan’s Juke.
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Vehicles are shown for illustration purposes only. These offers supersede all previously advertised offers. Prices correct at time of going to press. Offers are subject to availability. Licenced credit brokers, written details available on request, finance is subject to status. E&OE. 28379
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Recruitment
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CODEWORD 4
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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
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4 8 5 7
6 9 3
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
7
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2 24
Codeword:
6 5 4 1
3 5 7
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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.
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DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★✩
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2 8
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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
C A B A R E O O H H I N D U E A B N U N A V Z R F L A B B Y E D I O N Y S E R R U B B I N A I R L A T H E
T H R I O B S J A I L N D E V X I A C A I G S R E A U D
Y P E D L E C U R E M P A B L E N C K E D U MA B Q O Q U AW A E I T O R
4 8 9 6 3 2 1 7 5
2 6 7 1 5 4 9 8 3
6 7 1 2 4 8 5 3 9
1 9 5 3 8 4 6 7 2
7 8 3 6 1 2 9 5 4
3 1 9 8 4 5 7 2 6
Sudoku:
8 1 6 5 2 3 7 9 4
3 9 5 4 7 1 6 2 8
7 4 2 8 9 6 3 5 1
1 5 3 7 8 9 4 6 2
9 2 4 3 6 5 8 1 7
5 3 8 9 1 7 2 4 6
Jigsaw Sudoku:
2 7 4 1 9 3 8 6 5
5 4 8 7 3 6 2 9 1
6 3 1 9 2 8 5 4 7
4 2 6 5 7 9 1 8 3
8 5 7 2 6 1 4 3 9
9 6 2 4 5 7 3 1 8
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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Sport
FORsports EVENstories MORE to: NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Please send newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
Allberry sends Men into final at last Tunbridge Wells Men 4 Canterbury 2nd XI 1 By Francis Bridgeman HOCKEY: HAVING lost at this stage of the competition to the same side in each of the last three seasons, Wells finally booked themselves a Kent Cup Final place after a comfortable win over Canterbury 2nds at Kent College. But they were given an early scare after they gave away possession in a dangerous position to hand the visitors early lead in the opening minutes. Wells had taken 10 points from their final three league games of the season but were not on top form as they tried
The second half yielded a much better performance from the hosts, with increased commitment and composure. A move that started in defence saw a neat interchange between Green and Allberry, the latter exquisitely lobbing the tall goalkeeper for a fine finish. Allberry scored his hat-trick after a perfectly weighted ball from Poulain found Matt Wilson on the right wing, and his pace and fierce cross picked out the Wells’ player-coach at the back post. So Wells set up a final showdown with local rivals Marden Russetts in May and a chance to secure a trophy which the club last won more than 20 years ago.
to force the play too often. But there were flashes of quality and a fine through ball from Cam Green picked out Ant Dalrymple on the baseline, who beat one defender before firing in from a tight angle.
Composure The visitors’ goalkeeper did well to repel a couple of well struck penalty corners, before Nate Webster in the Wells goal himself had to make a smart stop to keep the scores level. A further neat move through the lines set up Ben Allberry to tap in at the far post, giving Wells a 2-1 lead going into half-time.
UP FOR THE CUP Ben Allberry lobs the keeper
Powell-Downey keeps up Rustics hopes Rusthall 4 Croydon 3 By Joe Croker FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL secured a vital three points against the bottom club in the Southern Counties East League Premier to send Croydon down and offer some hope for their own chances of avoiding the other relegation spot. However, victories for their fellow strugglers Punjab United and Hollands & Blair, who won 4-0 at Tunbridge Wells, did little to help their cause. This was a highly entertaining match for the neutral but a heart-attack inducing one for the teams’ fans. Any thoughts of it being a tight match due to its importance vanished after two minutes when Rusthall failed to defend a corner and the ball came out to Tunde Olawabi, who scored. Rusthall went on the offensive and
PLAY TIME Players celebrate with supporters after Nodi Bobomuradov’s winner
Angels frustrated by well-drilled Tanners
nearly equalised when Raul PowellDowney broke through the Croydon defence and shot across goal but just wide of the post. It didn’t take long for the equaliser to come. In the eighth minute, a free kick was sent out to Tom Cameron on the right and he crossed the ball to the far post, where James Miles, just back from injury, headed home. In the 19th minute a free kick was awarded to Croydon on the edge of the Rusthall penalty area, which was driven into the box and an own goal was scored from close range. The visitors went in 2-1 ahead at halftime, and Rusthall came out all guns blazing in the second half and dominated the game. They finally equalised in the 58th minute when Powell-Downey blasted a shot on to the underside of the bar and into the goal.
Get into the swing at Open Weekend of Poult Wood golf
HIGH HOPES The Angels, in orange, fend off an Albion attack
FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS bid for a home playoff berth suffered a setback as the Tanners inflicted a second defeat of the season on them. Angels run of four straight league wins was halted by a well organised Leatherhead team as the visitors found themselves unable to exert pressure. The Tonbridge strikers were constantly thwarted by the Tanners central defenders while their keeper Zaki Oualah had a quiet afternoon – in contrast to Angels’ Jonny Henly, who was required to make a couple of top-class saves. Much of the first half was played in the middle of the park as forwards found it difficult to hold the ball up. There were half-chances for Joe Turner on six minutes and Adem Ramadan on 17 minutes, while the home side’s Charlie Hester-Cook might have done better with his effort from 18 yards out. The game at last came to life in the 39th minute when an attack down the left for Leatherhead got round the back of the Angels defence. The ball ended up hitting the Tonbridge bar, Henly pulled off two punched saves and after a couple of
blocks on the line somehow the game remained goalless. The second half continued in the same vein with Leatherhead taking a firmer grip on proceedings but without creating too many genuine chances. Early on, Jared Small twice managed to escape his marker and produce dangerous crosses but the Angels were unable to capitalise.
Crucial On 69 minutes the Angels defence managed to just about clear their lines but the reprieve was to last no more than three minutes. A free kick just outside the Angels’ penalty area was only half-cleared and Dan Gallagher had the final touch to score the crucial breakthrough. The Angels huffed and puffed after that but somehow they just did not look convincing. They stay in third place after other results around them went their way. Worthing lost to new crowned champions Dorking Wanderers while Haringey Borough in second place could only draw at Hornchurch. Now they prepare themselves for the visit of Dorking on Saturday [April 13, kick-off 3pm].
PHOTO: David Couldridge
Leatherhead 1 Tonbridge Angels 0 By Jim Rowe
Albion hand out useful lesson Tonbridge Angels Under-14s 0
Brighton & Hove Albion Under-14s 3 By Wink Tomkinson FOOTBALL: AS THEIR senior colleagues were warming up for their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, Brighton & Hove Albion’s juniors came to Longmead in a landmark game attended by 151 spectators. The managers decided to play the full 45 minutes per half and not the usual 35 at this age group. Both teams emerged with great credit for their technical ability and their fitness to cope with a pitch much bigger than they were used to. Far from being daunted by the size of the pitch, they revelled in its space
Four minutes later the same player picked up the ball on the left, cut across several defenders and fired an unstoppable shot into the goal. It looked all over with Rusthall’s dominance but this season that has never been the case. On a rare Croydon attack Aaron McGuigan in the Rusthall goal came out to clear but Kasim Sandah put the ball over him and into the net, making it 3-3 in the 74th minute. Rusthall brought on two attacking players, Charley Clover and Nodirbek Bobomuradov, and with 10 minutes remaining Bobomuradov emulated Powell-Downey, cutting in from the right to unleash a powerful shot that flew into the net. Rusthall now have a weekend off before a pivotal game at home to Hollands & Blair, who are two places and six points ahead of them, on Saturday April 20 [kick-off 3pm].
with both teams passing the ball out of defence and neither keeper kicking out of hand during the first half. Brighton, as should be expected of a Premier League side with their coaching resources, were technically more proficient, but the Angels boys were not overawed. The visitors went ahead after 12 minutes when a cross from the byline was tucked home at the near post, but the Angels held their own for the rest of the first half. Two second-half goals gave the Sussex side a comfortable margin of victory as Tonbridge were unable to breach a well-disciplined defence.
GOLF: FOR THOSE who feel inspired to take up golf while watching The Masters unfold in Augusta, Poult Wood Golf Club will be holding an Open Weekend on Saturday and Sunday [April 13-14] for adults and juniors, including beginners. No previous experience is necessary, and visitors can play on the club’s two courses at reduced prices, try out the driving range for free and browse for exclusive offers in the Pro Shop. The programme on both days starts with a complimentary bacon roll and coffee from 9.30am to 11am before teeing off.
Coaching From 11am to 1pm there are discounted pre-booked tee times of £10 on the 18-hole course and £5 on the nine-hole version. There will be also be an on-course Pro Challenge at the 17th hole, and from 3pm to 4pm a Coaching Clinic will help you ‘add 10 yards to your drive’. The club will ask for your email address and phone number, in return for which you will receive a voucher for 50 per cent off a game on the 18-hole course valid to May 31. To attend this free event, email leisurecentres@tmactive.co.uk For more information, go to tmactive. co.uk/locations/poult-wood
Wednesday April 10 | 2019
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55
Tout hat-trick seals superb second-half show By Adam Hookway RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS kept up the chase for the runners-up spot in National Two South with a victory and maximum points in Cornwall. The visitors secured a rare victory at Redruth to extend their remarkable winning run to 11 games after an excellent second-half performance. Redruth opened the scoring but TJs levelled with a Truman Sullivan try shortly afterwards. A penalty put the home side back in front. Then Jimmy Stanford turned the ball over in the Redruth 22 and fed Matas Jurevicius, who linked with the backs to send Duncan Tout in for his first try. Will Robinson converted to give TJs a 8-12 lead. The half ended poorly, though, as Jurevicius was yellow-carded and Redruth slotted a penalty to go in just a point behind at half-time. Things got worse for TJs as they opened the second half by gifting Redruth an intercept try on the halfway line, though Robinson closed the gap with a penalty.
But a poor restart saw Redruth secure successive penalties to take them into the corner, from where they caught and drove over with some ease to lead 23-15. As the game edged past the 60-minute mark Redruth were struggling to control their own ball and TJs were forcing them to kick away. TJs were able to run it back and find some open spaces as Redruth tired. On the right Hugo Watson offloaded for Tout to crash over and Robinson converted to close to within a point.
Bonus The visitors soon scored again as the backs made ground and the forwards drove, and as the ball went right again Tout rounded off his hat-trick. Robinson converted and the bonus point was secured. Robinson and scrum-half Edwards pulled the strings after that and another fine series of phased play saw TJ lineout ball driven to the line before Will Colderick went over. Robinson slotted a penalty at the death to add the finishing touch.
PHOTO: Adam Hookway
Redruth 23 Tonbridge Juddians 37
Rams were crowned champions after defeating Clifton, and second-placed Canterbury also won at home to Bury St Edmonds. So with only two games remaining and
Doherty double keeps Wells on the charge By Graham Withers RUGBY: FOUR games ago, both Tunbridge Wells and Sidcup hovered above the relegation zone in the London & South East Premier League. However, the Kent rivals had struck such rich veins of form that when they met at St Marks the teams had risen to mid-table safety, sitting eighth and ninth respectively, both on 60 points. Wells began poorly in the battle for county bragging rights and on four minutes Sidcup outside-half Josh Twyford slotted a 35-metre penalty.
Deserved Dave Allen, in what is likely to be his last home game before retirement, and Mike Doherty were evident throughout with ball in hand in the absence of the suspended Nick Doherty. From a scrum penalty on the half-hour, Charlie Rigby was able to feed Doherty, who crashed through two tackles to score a deserved try under the posts. Frank Reynolds’ conversion was a simple one. As half-time approached, a scuffle broke out which saw both Wells’ lock Josh Hawkins and
John Crees is stepping down from the post of chairman at Tunbridge Wells RFC due to his changing working commitments. He said he had hoped to carry on but was ‘no longer able to afford the time needed for such a role within the club’. “I have been at TWRFC for 27 years now and been involved every year in one role or another from playing, to managing, tour organiser, house and grounds,” he said. “I am very proud of our club and what we have achieved and even more
Sidcup’s scrum-half James Munton sent to cool off in the sin-bin. Wells went in at the interval with a slim 7-3 lead but within two minutes of the restart they had fallen behind. From a powerful push by the pack, Sidcup’s second row Joe Thomas went over for the try and Twyford’s conversion made it 10-7. Sidcup then camped in Wells’ half but could not turn this pressure into points and Wells regained their lead through a superb individual try. There did not seem to be much threat when the ball was fed to Doherty on the blindside 40 metres out but he beat two men with pace and guile before powering through the last tackle to score. Reynolds struck the conversion well to add the extras on the hour-mark. The home side stretched the lead when Reynolds slotted a penalty from 30 metres, but another attempt fell short and when Allen was given a yellow card for a high tackle the game was wide open again. Despite being a man down, intense pressure by the home side kept the visitors at bay and they held on to record their fourth win in five games. Wells, who move up to seventh, are now away to fifth-placed Hertford in their final game of the season on Saturday [April 13, kick-off 3pm].
ON THE RAMPAGE Mike Doherty embarks on another marauding run
Canterbury six points ahead in second place, TJs’ hopes of a play-off spot are dimming. They now take on Clifton at The Slade on Saturday [April 13, kick-off 3pm].
CHAIRMAN STEPS DOWN WITH CALL FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS
PHOTO: Bruce Elliott
Tunbridge Wells 17 Sidcup 10
FIT TO BURST Matas Jurevicius leads Ryan Jackson through a gap
so for scaling the heights into National League status, not just surviving but competing and being a force to be reckoned with.” He signed off with a call for more help, saying: “We are a large club, with a vast membership and yet we have less volunteers than is required. This means a small number of people do a large amount of work and that is extremely demanding of a volunteer. I hope that in the future, more will put their hands up.”