Times of Tunbridge Wells 10th July 2019

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Trinity Theatre Club n’s presents Alan Ackybour Taking Steps

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Retailers say town centre improvements will risk businesses

By Robert Forrester TRADERS believe the council’s development of Tunbridge Wells town centre could put an end to their businesses.

CULTURAL CELEBRATION: Local group Sahrudaya brought a touch of Keralan the weekend through music and dance, to help culture and heritage to celebrate the 14th annual Calverley Grounds over Tunbridge Wells Mela festival. See also Page 6

Keeping doors open costs taxpayers £500at theatre ,000 a year

By

Richard Williams Assembly Hall is past its sell by date In addition to the and cannot THE current subsidy of the Assembly ductions. support money making pro- keep the theatre cost of the subsidy to Hall Theatre – which going, the council has Tunbridge Wells long argued that the Assembly Those against the new Borough Council has labelled Hall Thetheatre may atre, which not ‘fit for argue that was built purpose’ – has almost the figures show there doubled to nearly is no and was originally in the late 1930s £500,000. intended to be a dancehall, requires an The council originally extensive over‘This shows doubling budgeted to haul at a cost of £31million of spend £250,540 to to bring it up keep the theatre the theatre costs to what to modern standards. going in the financial year of 2018/2019.

If the current subsidy In fact taxpayers have the council has said’ continues, and had to spend the council does close to twice that. decide to renovate the Liberal Democrat Leader existing Assembly Hall, Ben Chapelard According to recent figures the cost to taxseen by the payers of the Crescent Times, the subsidy Road-based theafor the theatre widespread tre could exceed £40million reached £479,276 to April audience support for over the this year, with larger a next two decades. venue. poor audience numbers being blamed.

Conversely, the council The council originally The fate of the theatre argues that the predicted more proposed hangs in the than new theatre on the edge £2million would be generated balance with arguments of for and against ticket

by Calverley Grounds sales for performances spending £90million would cost an almost in the last identical on a new amount to build. and civic complex in Calverley theatre financial year, but bookings were down Grounds. nearly 20 And while the new per cent on their estimate Those in favour of the theatre would new theatre are sales generating just £1.6million with require an increase in the current budgnow likely to argue the figures show the financial for the year — a shortfall of £341,596.

Continued on page 4

Shops along Monson Road say plans to restrict traffic in the area will reduce trade and could see them close.

This week the top of town has been closed at the traffi c lights crossroads with Calverley Road Crescent Road so the council and can complete its £1.3million Public Realm plans, which the council say will increase footfall and improve the look of the area.

The council has asked traders to be patient as the works continue to convert the area outside the town hall and along Monson Road into a semi-pedestrianised street, which will see cars banned during the day.

Public Square The Borough Council [TWBC] say the work is necessary to improve the look of the town centre and make it a safer and more pleasant place for pedestrians.

They also claim the improvements will create a ‘sense of a public square’ for use on civic occasions like Remembrance Sunday.

However, traders on Monson Road argue the council’s Public Realm plans will lead to a downturn in business.

Sue Luck, who represents a group of shop owners along Monson Road and is the current owner of M. Saltmarsh Artists’ Materials, claims the changes will ‘finish the business’.

She said: “The big issue is passing trade. When people drive past they

Continued on page 4

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Retailers say town centre improvements will risk businesses

By Robert Forrester

CULTURAL CELEBRATION: Local group Sahrudaya brought a touch of Keralan culture and heritage to Calverley Grounds over the weekend through music and dance, to help celebrate the 14th annual Tunbridge Wells Mela festival. See also Page 6

Keeping doors open at theatre costs taxpayers £500,000 a year

By Richard Williams THE current subsidy of the Assembly Hall Theatre – which Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has labelled not ‘fit for purpose’ – has almost doubled to nearly £500,000.

The council originally budgeted to spend £250,540 to keep the theatre going in the financial year of 2018/2019.

In fact taxpayers have had to spend close to twice that.

According to recent figures seen by the Times, the subsidy for the theatre reached £479,276 to April this year, with poor audience numbers being blamed.

The fate of the theatre hangs in the balance with arguments for and against spending £90million on a new theatre and civic complex in Calverley Grounds.

Those in favour of the new theatre are now likely to argue the figures show the

Assembly Hall is past its sell by date and cannot support money making productions.

Those against the new theatre may argue that the figures show there is no

‘This shows doubling of the theatre costs to what the council has said’ Liberal Democrat Leader Ben Chapelard

widespread audience support for a larger venue.

The council originally predicted more than £2million would be generated by ticket sales for performances in the last financial year, but bookings were down nearly 20 per cent on their estimate with sales generating just £1.6million for the financial year — a shortfall of £341,596.

TRADERS believe the council’s development of Tunbridge Wells town centre could put an end to their businesses.

Shops along Monson Road say plans to restrict traffic in the area will reduce trade and could see them close.

This week the top of town has been closed at the traffic lights crossroads with Calverley Road and Crescent Road so the council can complete its £1.3million Public Realm plans, which the council say will increase footfall and improve the look of the area.

The council has asked traders to be patient as the works continue to convert the area outside the town hall and along Monson Road into a semi-pedestrianised street, which will see cars banned during the day.

Public Square

In addition to the cost of the subsidy to keep the theatre going, the council has long argued that the Assembly Hall Theatre, which was built in the late 1930s and was originally intended to be a dancehall, requires an extensive overhaul at a cost of £31million to bring it up to modern standards.

If the current subsidy continues, and the council does decide to renovate the existing Assembly Hall, the cost to taxpayers of the Crescent Road-based theatre could exceed £40million over the next two decades.

Conversely, the council argues that the proposed new theatre on the edge of Calverley Grounds would cost an almost identical amount to build.

And while the new theatre would require an increase in the current budg-

The Borough Council [TWBC] say the work is necessary to improve the look of the town centre and make it a safer and more pleasant place for pedestrians.

They also claim the improvements will create a ‘sense of a public square’ for use on civic occasions like Remembrance Sunday.

However, traders on Monson Road argue the council’s Public Realm plans will lead to a downturn in business.

Sue Luck, who represents a group of shop owners along Monson Road and is the current owner of M. Saltmarsh Artists’ Materials, claims the changes will ‘finish the business’.

She said: “The big issue is passing trade. When people drive past they

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

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‘Confidence and respect’ – Ofsted’s good report for struggling college

By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk HADLOW COLLEGE has been given a significant and much-needed boost after receiving a positive monitoring report from Ofsted.

The college became the first in the country to be placed in educational administration in May after it had ‘completely run out of money’.

The principal, Paul Hannan, and vice-principal, Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, have both resigned.

The agricultural college, which has 2,089 students and 454 staff, is being investigated for financial irregularities.

Now Ofsted has praised the interim principal brought in to steady the ship, Graham Morley, for ensuring that the students have not been ‘adversely affected’ by the scandal.

A spokesperson for the college said: “Hadlow College received a monitoring visit from Ofsted and the results are positive for the college.

“Inspectors concluded that leaders and managers at the college are ensuring that the quality of education programmes for learners remains high.”

Quality The report said Mr Morley, ‘supported effectively by the educational administrators, senior leaders and the advisory group, has made sure that the education of students at the college has not been adversely affected’.

Ofsted inspector Andy Fitt found that students value and enjoy their courses, producing written and practical work of ‘good quality’.

He added: “They grow in confidence during their courses. They can say what they have learned and are clear about the skills they are developing.”

Those with ‘high needs’ were said to be making ‘quick progress with their learning – staff check the progress of these students very effectively’.

“Teaching and support staff plan carefully to ensure these students develop the social and employment-related skills they need to be successful in their next steps,” Mr Fitt added.

The report concluded the new management had made a favourable impression on the staff.

It said: “Staff take great pride in the work they do. They have high levels of confidence in, and respect for the current senior team.”

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

If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0TF, or email newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

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Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Local MPs explain who they are backing to be next Prime Minister

By Richard Williams More than 2,000 Conservative party members across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and the wider West Kent area will be voting over the next two weeks to choose a new party leader and British Prime Minister.

The leadership election has come down to two hopefuls to replace Theresa May: former London Mayor and Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, and current Foreign Secretary and former Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

The two men are competing in a series of hustings across the country to convince the nation’s 160,000 Conservative party members to choose one of them to be the next Leader of the Party.

Whoever wins will automatically become the next British Prime Minister.

Ballot papers went out last weekend to around 2,500 Members of the Conservative and Unionist Party in the West Kent region—the only members of the British electorate who have a say on who will be the next PM. The candidate achieving more than 50 per cent of the national vote among party members will be declared leader and will be tasked with taking Britain out of the European Union with or without a deal.

Members have until July 22 to make their decision and choose a new leader.

Bookmakers have Boris Johnson as the clear

favourite with members, offering odds of 1/9 on him succeeding Theresa May. Jeremy Hunt is 6/1.

Local MPs for the region have spoken to the Times to explain who they are backing for the job and the reasons why:

Greg Clark,, Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said that while Theresa May ‘tried her best and worked incredibly hard ‘to achieve a breakthrough’ a change of personnel was ‘the right thing to do.

He added he was supporting Jeremy Hunt for three of reasons: He said: “First, I believe he has shown, as Foreign Secretary, the ability to build good relationships with other world leaders – skills which are vital to negotiate a good deal.

“Second, Jeremy as someone who has been an entrepreneur, recognises and respects the importance of business in providing the jobs and paying the taxes for the public services on which we rely.

“Third, having known Jeremy for nearly 15 years, I know for certain that he is a man of integrity and dedication who would be a Prime Minister we could trust.”

THEATRE SUBSIDY DOUBLES: Continued from front page eted subsidy to around £350,000 a year, proponents say it could be subsidy free within six years, something they claim the Assembly Hall will never manage.

The town does already have the much smaller capacity 300-seat Trinity Theatre.

Cllr Jane March, the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and economic development, said nationally box office figures were strong.

She said: “Much of the increase was due to strong sales of musicals in larger, 1,200 seat and above theatres.

“The Assembly Hall Theatre has less than 1,000 seats but during

2018/19 the theatre has been able to report some good results alongside the increased subsidy.”

She continued: “The theatre management is looking at programming and bringing new shows to Tunbridge Wells although, with the theatre capacity and the well documented challenges of the auditorium and the back stage, this may sometimes mean not always getting the best deal from production companies.”

Cllr Matt Bailey, Conservative member for Paddock Wood West, said that while the Assembly Hall had ‘served the town well over the years’ the rising costs of subsidy

TRADERS’ FEAR: Continued from front page see us. We get a lot of passing trade. I know people are not meant to park on the single yellow lines, but they do.

“People stop and run into the dry cleaners or into the spectacles shop.”

She added that when Monson Road was closed earlier this year due to the first stage of the Public Realm works, takings at the art supplies store, which has been trading in the town since 1835, fell by 21 per cent.

“That is what the effect will be if this goes ahead,” claimed Ms Luck. “If this restriction comes into force, it will finish the business. As soon as my lease has expired there will be no more Saltmarsh after 185 years of trading.”

She added that the majority of traders along the road are opposed to the plans and she will be representing them at the next Full Council

Nus Ghani, Ghani Conservative MP for Wealden has also come out in support of the current Foreign Secretary.

She said: “I’m backing Jeremy Hunt for the leadership.

“Brexit needs proven negotiating and ministerial experience on the world stage.

“Both the party and country need unifying, positive and bold plans to harness the opportunities of Brexit for all our communities.”

Tom Tugendhat, Tugendhat Conservative MP for Tonbridge & Malling remains cautious about backing either candidate at the moment.

He said: “I voted for Michael Gove in the parliamentary rounds of the contest, but unfortunately he didn’t make it to the final two candidates.

“Throughout this contest I’m listening to everything Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson have to say.

Of course, I have just the same vote as every other Conservative Party member and like many members I’ve spoken to, before casting my vote, I’m looking forward to hearing more about their vision for the country to address the issues we all face.”

could result in the council having to ‘close the doors’ permanently on the ageing theatre.

He said: “This problem has been developing and worsening for many years and is why the council developed plans for Calverley Square.

“The proposed new theatre will offer better facilities, attract better shows and has a very good chance of running subsidy-free.

“But if it doesn’t go ahead we’ll need to ask ourselves some difficult questions about the Assembly Hall.”

The Liberal Democrats, who oppose the building of a new theatre on the edge of Calverley Grounds said they were surprised at the increase in subsidy.

meeting on July 17, where she will appeal to the council to put the development on hold.

“I’m going to ask that the restrictions are put on hold. I just don’t know what they are trying to achieve. It is just awful,” she said.

The council says they are aware of the concerns from local traders but asks them to be patient, insisting the completed project will actually increase footfall to that part of town.

They added that the traffic restriction will impact on the flow of traffic on Monson Road but vehicles will still be able to go on to the road to drop off or load as they do now.

Councillor Dr Ronen Basu, cabinet member for sustainability at TWBC, said: “Council staff have been liaising with the businesses in the Monson Road and Mount Pleasant area of town during the public realm project works with the aim of keeping them informed about what is happening.

“I understand the ongoing work has caused

Tunbridge Wells Lib Dem Leader, Ben Chapelard, said: “This figure shows the doubling of the Assembly Hall Theatre costs to what Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has said.

“We believe a theatre is part of a thriving community.

“We need to nurture what we have got and invest.

“In our view building a £90million-plus new theatre in a park is not the answer.”

A spokesman for the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, the political party formed by opponents to Calverley Square, said the increase in subsidy spoke ‘volumes about the failure of its management and said nothing about the need for a new theatre’.

frustration, however, the scheme is designed to improve the look and feel of the area, and by reducing traffic and being more pedestrian friendly, improve footfall.”

NEW RESTRICTIONS MEAN DAYTIME BAN FOR CARS THE Public Realm works, due to be finished on September 21, will see an extension of the semi-pedestrianisation of the top of town, which currently applies to the Five Ways area.

Once the works are finished, cars will be banned between 9am to 6pm from travelling up Mount Pleasant Road outside the town hall from the traffic lights at the Church Road and Crescent Road junction.

Cars will also be banned from driving down Monson Road from the other direction but loading will be permitted.

Buses will be allowed access, but taxis will not.

During the road works, Mount Pleasant Road after the lights will remain closed to traffic until early September, while York Road will also be closed at its junction with Mount Pleasant Road from mid-August onwards.

Bus stops have been relocated further down Mount Pleasant Road as well as Crescent Road and Church Road during the disruption.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

NEWS IN BRIEF

Horse seized after cruelty complaints POLICE have seized a horse from a home on the Sherwood Estate after a video circulated on social media showing it being abused in a back garden.

The year-old foal was taken by officers after footage emerged online of several men attempting to ‘break’ the horse in by jumping on its back.

A spokesman for the force said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media reporting to show a horse being mistreated in Tunbridge Wells.

“Our officers have seized the horse and it is safe from harm.

“The RSPCA are investigating the circumstances.”

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Popular bar changes hands leaving staff out in the cold

By Richard Williams STAFF at one of the town’s top restaurants were not told it was being sold to a British pub chain until the venue closed.

More than 20 people worked at the Tunbridge Wells Bar & Grill, which closed with immediate effect last week, after owners, Individual Restaurants, sold the High Street eatery to Young’s.

The new owners say they intend to turn the venue, which opened in 2007, back into a ‘local pub in the truest sense’ and will be reverting to its former name of the ‘White Bear’ - a popular venue with pub-goers in the town in the 1980s and 90s.

It is expected to re-open at some point later in the summer following an ‘extensive refurbishment’.

This will be little comfort to the full-time and

BARRED Staff were not given notice of the Bar & Grill sale

Drink drive capital KENT is the drink drive capital of the South East, which itself has been revealed to be the worst region in the UK for people getting behind the wheel after having consumed too much alcohol.

New data reveals that 7,313 motorists in the South East were caught drink driving in 2018, up from 7,041 in 2017.

Kent saw the most drink drivers in the region with 2,312 motorists caught by police in 2018, according to the research by Confused.com.

Hospital apologises TUNBRIDGE WELLS Hospital in Pembury has apologised after doctors performed a lumbar puncture on the wrong baby.

The ‘never event’ happened on February 12 when two babies from the postnatal ward met the criteria for sepsis, but only one required the spinal procedure.

A spokesman said: “Patient safety is our absolute priority and we are currently carrying out a detailed investigation into the matter.

“Never events are rare in our hospitals and it is our aim to ensure we consistently deliver the very highest standards of clinical care for our patients.”

Airlift after A26 crash A MAN was flown to hospital after a crash that closed St John’s Road in Tunbridge Wells for most of Monday morning.

The driver was taken by air ambulance to Kings College Hospital suffering from serious injuries, after the vehicle he was travelling in crashed into an HGV.

Groombridge Place owner dies THE TELEVISION veteran and owner of Groombridge Place Justine Bodle has died at the age of 58.

He passed away at his home in the South of France last Tuesday [July 2] from a suspected brain haemorrhage.

The father-of-three and former member of the British army, began his TV career selling advertising before moving on to distributing TV productions.

Among the most notable programmes he sold during his career was The Muppet Show, which he sold to British TV along with other Jim Henson shows such as Fraggle Rock.

He created his own TV production and distribution businesses in the mid-1990s, Power Television, which was one of more than 20 companies formed by the TV executive.

His production credits include the Emmy Award-winning Henry VIII, which stared Ray

Winstone, Archangel, which featured James Bond star Daniel Craig, and the US TV drama series Crusoe.

He bought Groombridge Place in 2001 to ensure his three children had nice surroundings in which to grow up.

Attraction A spokesperson for the country estate, said Mr Bodle would ‘be much missed by family, friends and colleagues’.

She continued: “The family will continue to operate Groombridge Place as a visitor attraction as Justin would have wanted.

“The planned investment at Groombridge will continue and the attraction will be welcoming families over the summer holidays to see the Wizard of Oz Musical in the new Outdoor Theatre at Crusoe World.”

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part-time staff members who have been told they have to either find a new job or wait until the new venue re-opens when they might be considered for work.

One bartender who did not want to be named, told the Times: “They just told us the night before.

“They gave us a choice of either working at another bar miles away or wait for this new place to open.

“I was told I’d get paid a reduced rate of just £29 a day for this week.

“But they never gave us any notice. They must have known about the sale. It is no way to treat people who have worked for you. Even my manager did not know about it.”

Individual Restaurants, which also owns celebrity chef Gino D’acampo’s restaurants in London, as well as Italian chain Piccolino, said it was a ‘unique situation’ and the building’s owner had forced the sale.

Steven Walker, founder of Individual Restaurants, said: “After 12 wonderful years, we have decided to sell the Bar & Grill.

“The owner of the building wanted to sell to an opportunistic buyer but the deal involved our lease.

“Our strategy is to open restaurants, not sell them, but this was a unique situation.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our incredible team in Tunbridge Wells, you our loyal guests and the local community for all the support we have received since we opened.”

A spokesman for new owners, Young’s, said they were ‘delighted’ to have acquired the Tunbridge Wells Bar & Grill and would be considering taking on its staff.

He said: “We are currently consulting with all staff to discuss future employment opportunities.”

Theatre appoints a new artistic director TRINITY THEATRE in Tunbridge Wells yesterday (Tuesday) announced that a new artistic director has been appointed to lead the venue into its next ‘exciting new chapter’.

Kezia Cole is to take over from outgoing director John Martin and will start her new position at the arts venue in September.

She joins the Tunbridge Wells theatre following six years as artistic director of SharkLegs, an award winning visual theatre company.

Alex Green, CEO of Trinity Theatre, said: “Kezia’s track record in delivering truly creative theatre in and outside of a traditional setting perfectly aligns with Trinity’s ambition to build on its current offering.”

Speaking of her appointment, Kezia said: “I am thrilled to be joining Trinity and the wonderful team to develop the next stage in the journey of this incredible venue.”

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Mela Festival highlights area’s cultural diversity A SHOW OF COLOUR Mela’s music and dance brought Calverley Grounds alive on Sunday

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Carer who stole from 89 year old ordered to pay back £22,000

By Andy Tong A CARER who stole thousands of pounds from an 89-year-old woman in Penshurst has been ordered to pay back £14,300.

At a confiscation hearing at Maidstone Crown Court, 62-year-old Anna Bavenhielm was told to pay the compensation. Two sums amounting to £7,645 had already been recovered.

Bavenhielm, of no fixed address, worked as a live-in carer from March 2017. Between April and November that year, she made 66 separate withdrawals at cash machines with the victim’s bank cards, stealing a total of £21,646.

Officers found bank statements in her bedroom belonging to the victim, along with receipts from cash machines and life insurance documents.

She was arrested in November 2017 and was granted bail during the investigation but she ran away, before being arrested again in Exeter in October last year.

Deplorable

By Holly Stafford THOUSANDS descended on Calverley Grounds on Sunday to celebrate the cultural diversity of Tunbridge Wells.

Despite the overcast weather, more than 4,000 people attended the 14th Mela, the festival that highlights diversity through music, food and dance.

Local group Fireflies opened proceedings, followed by acts such as Just Dance – a troupe of primary school aged children performing Hollywood and Bollywood fusion.

Local favourite the Paul Dunton Orchestra also played.

Other highlights included a life-size papier-mâché elephant walking through the crowd with an entourage of singers, dancers and drummers, while the Dancing Maharajas and Sahrudaya demonstrated music and dance from South India.

The event, which was organised by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England, had free acrobatic aerial workshops, as well

as arts and crafts activities for the public to enjoy.

Festival goers were also able to immerse their taste buds in cultural offerings from a number of food stalls from North and South India, the Caribbean, Thailand and Greece. There were also ice cream, doughnuts and fudge to enjoy and tipples served by the Tunbridge Wells Forum bar.

Gurvinder Sandher, Mela Festival Director, said: “I have been involved with the festival from the start and am always amazed by the positive response we get to the event. This year was no exception.

“Despite the early poor weather, the community of Tunbridge Wells came out to support us and were rewarded with an exciting programme on and off stage, an array of food stalls and by midafternoon the sunshine.

“I am very grateful to all the volunteers who work with us to make the Mela Festival happen and I am already looking ahead to 2020 although at this stage we do not know if it will be in Calverley Grounds.”

She pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court, where she was sentenced to 14 months in prison last December.

Bavenhielm told police that she was funding a scratchcard gambling habit. Her crime was discovered when a relative visited the bank with the victim.

Detective Inspector Annie Clayton of the Kent & Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “This woman’s actions were simply deplorable and caused considerable upset to the victim and her family.

“Financial investigators identified a quantity of cash held in one of Bavenhielm’s bank accounts, and she now has 42 days to pay back the money or she will serve a further eight months in prison.”

She added: “My message is clear. Crime shouldn’t pay and we will use the legislation that is available to seize any cash or property that we can prove has been obtained through criminal behaviour.”

KCC pension money still locked in fund KENT County Council [KCC] will have to wait at least another month before it can withdraw more than £250,000 of its pension money from an investment fund after the fund manager extended a trading suspension.

At the end of April, KCC attempted to withdraw £260million of its pension money from an investment fund run by renowned money manager, Neil Woodford.

The request by county hall is said to have caused Mr Woodford to freeze the fund on June 3, after it triggered a surge in withdrawals.

Despite the fund being suspended, Mr Woodford is still charging investors around £100,000 a day to administer the fund, money he says he needs to pay overheads such as trading costs and employee wages.

The fund’s authorised corporate director, Link Fund Solutions, has now told investors it is in the ‘best interests of all investors’ to continue the suspension until at least the end of July.

Provision It said it expected to provide another update before July 29 but London analysts are already predicting investors’ money could be locked up in the fund until December or even the new year.

The KCC investment represents around 4 per cent of the council’s total investments of £6.4billion from its pension fund.

Currently, the county council say there is no loss to the pension fund, and whatever happens with the Woodford Fund there will be no impact on the council’s cash reserves or service provision, or on the pension benefits of scheme members.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

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Village primary school finally gets the go-ahead 12 months behind schedule

By Richard Williams THE CONTRACT to build a new primary school next to a housing development in a Tunbridge Wells village that has been beset with delays has finally been given the go ahead.

Planning permission for the new St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Hawkenbury was granted in February, but progress came to a halt after a ‘rogue’ gas reading prevented the changeover of land to Kent County Council [KCC].

As reported in the Times in April, the gas reading could have led to the £7.1million project to be abandoned altogether.

The gas reading was only the latest in a long line of delays that have seen the project, which was originally meant to be open by September this year, to be put back with a completion date now set for just before the start to the 2020 school year.

The one-form entry school with space for 30 pupils, is relocating from Windmill Street to a site nearby to the new 250-home development on Hawkenbury Road.

Berkeley Homes, who are building the new houses, scheduled to transfer ownership of the land for the school to the county council in July last year.

A new survey has found no evidence of any underground gas, meaning KCC is free to now take possession of the land and proceed with the building of the school.

Roger Gough, KCC’s Cabinet Member

for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Planning permission for the new school building was issued in February, however, construction works could not commence until the results of additional land surveys had been received.

Contract “The necessary surveys have now been completed and reviewed, they have not identified any impediment to the school’s construction.

“The ownership of the land will shortly transfer from Berkeley Homes to the County Council and we will be entering into the build contract with Baxall Construction.

“These two key milestones are expected to be achieved this week to maintain the delivery programme for

completion of the school building next summer.”

The news will come as a relief to the families moving into the new housing development.

Park ward councillor, Nicholas Pope, who represents Hawkenbury residents, said: “The news that the school has the go-ahead is long awaited good news. My understanding is that the school is still planned to be completed in time to open at the end of next summer with a one-form entry, although I am not certain this is still possible with the delays that have taken place.

“With the new houses being completed in the Hollyfields development in Hawkenbury, the second phase to expand the school to accommodate two forms should, in my opinion, be brought forward.”

LATE FOR SCHOOL The site of the intended new primary in Hawkenbury

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ARTIST’S IMPRESSION The installation is part of RVP’s £11m refurbishment

Local artist wanted to make big impression at shopping centre “We’re looking for a talented, TUNBRIDGE WELLS shopping centre, local designer with a passion for Royal Victoria Place, is looking for a local artist to design and construct a Tunbridge Wells. The installation is going to make a big difference to new art installation. the look and feel of It will be part of the Royal Victoria Place and retail centre’s £11million The art I’m excited to get refurbishment plans, installation started.” which also involve She added that when upgrading to new modern commission will be to produce the works are flooring throughout the centre, fitting highan imaginative completed in early quality seating areas installation that summer 2020, the will have and installing bespoke is inspired by centre enhanced visitor rooflight features. the landscape facilities within the The art installation and heritage of malls, including commission will be to produce an imaginative the local area refurbished toilets and modernised signage installation that is throughout the centre inspired by the to help improve the experience for landscape and heritage of the local shoppers. area, and the centre is now open to Those wanting to express an expressions of interest. interest and receive a full design RVP centre manager Nicky brief should contact Nicky Blanchard said: “This is a really Blanchard on Nicky.Blanchard@ exciting part of the renovation of royalvictoriaplace.com. our centre.

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Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Care home holds recruitment drive

Share dealers start early Double award win

A LOCAL care home is carrying out a recruitment drive tomorrow [Thursday].

Bluebird Care Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells is hoping to attract more people into the profession.

The care industry has struggled in recent years to attract staff, with a 2018 King’s Fund report suggesting that securing an ‘adequate workforce is one of the greatest challenges facing domiciliary care’.

A carer who supports elderly and vulnerable people across Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells has spoken about her rewarding role after celebrating her fifth anniversary in the sector.

Jenny Skirrow, 28, from Tonbridge, began her career in care with Bluebird Care Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells five years ago. She said she was encouraged to become a professional carer by her grandmother, and she’s never looked back.

“I can’t think of a more rewarding career than caring. It’s so satisfying to know that every day I’m helping someone in need and making their lives a little bit easier,” said Jenny.

Clare Mortlock, Operations Manager at Bluebird Care, added: “Our care services play an important role in the health and wellbeing of elderly people in our communities.

And as well as making sure that their basic needs are seen to, we also spend time to help our customers get out and about and enjoy a fulfilling and CAREER CARER active lifestyle.”

Jenny Skirrow

LUXURY childrenswear retailer Childrensalon has scooped two first places at the annual Kent Excellence in Business Awards [KEiBA].

The Tunbridge Wells-based company won both the Large Business of the Year Award as well as the Business Commitment to the Community Award – given to businesses that demonstrate commercial success and strategies for growth while still remaining committed to the support of the local community.

The company says they are ‘thrilled’ with the two wins.

A spokesperson said: “The company is passionate about its development, and while we value growth we are careful to ensure that it isn’t at the expense of the commitment to our customers, the team that work here, our company culture and the community we operate in.”

SKIN IN THE GAME The Skinners’ School, where pupils have been learning share dealing

By Felix van Oordt newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk STUDENTS at a Tunbridge Wells grammar school have had a taste of how the world of stocks and shares operates, thanks to a national investment competition.

Shares4Schools sees Year 12 pupils from across the country attempt to make a profit from an initial grant using various investments.

The scheme is designed as a means to enable students to learn more about business and economics and to provide ‘real-life experience’ of how the stock market works.

A spokesperson for the initiative, which is run in conjunction with The Share Centre, an online stock market investment company, said: “The school puts in an initial stake of £1,000. This is matched with £1,000 by The Share Centre to create an investment pot of £2,000. Therefore the investment pot is made up of real money.

“At the end of the competition the shares are sold and The Share Centre reclaims its £1,000. The remaining portfolio value,

including any profit, is returned to the school.”

She added that 16-17 year olds at The Skinners’ School made a 7.6% profit (£151.32) on an original £2,000 investment during the time between November and June in this past academic year.

Returns The Skinners’ competitors bought shares in a wide range of companies, such as Ocado, Telefónica (owner of mobile network O2) and Greggs, as well as companies specialising in property, finance and gold-mining.

The Head of Economics and Business at Skinners’, Vicki Illing, said: “The experience has given the team a better understanding of the importance of researching positions very carefully, how timing is everything in order to maximise returns and not to get emotional.”

She added: “Some of the team enjoyed the thrill of investing so much that they are considering careers in the field, and they will be given an opportunity to spend an afternoon with leading London brokers when they attend the awards ceremony in October.”

for Childrensalon

Charity Bank gets £5million deposit

TONBRIDGE-based Charity Bank has received a £5million cash injection from an independent charitable trust.

The charitable trust Power to Change deposited the money.

Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive at Power to Change, said: “Power to Change exists to create better places through community business, and we know that by saving with Charity Bank, our cash is being used as a powerful tool for social change.”

The bank says the deposit will increase Charity Bank’s lending capabilities and improve access to finance for charities and social enterprises.

So far the bank has made 41 loans to Kentbased charities and social enterprises since its launch in 2005.

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BUSINESS

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Inside one of the South East’s largest and oldest law firms LEGAL PRESENCE The Cripps Pemberton Greenish building on Mount Ephraim

By Richard Williams THE legal firm Cripps Pemberton Greenish is one of the town’s oldest and most established businesses.

Started by William Cripps in 1852, and continued on by his son, the company now employs 450 people across its London and Tunbridge Wells offices, including 72 partners, and turns over more than £45million a year.

The firm’s ongoing success owes much to current Managing Partner Gavin Tyler, who has steered the business through two mergers, first with Vertex Law in 2013, and more recently with Pemberton Greenish, which has seen the size of the business almost triple during his tenure.

Not bad for a man who didn’t really want to be a lawyer in the first place.

‘I see myself as a businessman rather than a lawyer – I have to, I have 450 people and their families relying on Cripps Pemberton Greenish’ “It was my intention to join the army,” admitted Gavin, who has held the reins of the top-70 law firm since 2013.

The 58-year-old father of three joined the company in 1984, after getting married. Back then, Cripps had just 13 partners and employed 65 people.

“My wife had fallen pregnant just as I was about to pursue an army career, so it wasn’t a good time to go off and join the military,” he recalled.

The former College of Law student was steered into a legal career by his father, himself a lawyer at Cripps: “He didn’t get into law until in his 40s, but had become a partner so was keen for me join the firm.”

The young Gavin Tyler soon progressed, rising through the legal ranks from articled clerk [trainee solicitor] to associate, and by the age of 29 he had become a Partner himself.

“I started as a general litigator, doing everything from magistrates’ court hearings to divorces,” remembered Gavin.

However, he says he no longer sees himself as a lawyer.

“I’m far more interested in the business of law rather than law itself.

“I see myself as a businessman rather than a lawyer – I have to, I have 450 people and their families relying on Cripps Pemberton Gavin Tyler Greenish.”

Perhaps the biggest change to the 166-year-old firm has been the recent merger between Cripps and London-based property and private wealth lawyers Pemberton Greenish, which was completed at the end of last year.

Following the deal, Cripps Pemberton Greenish has become one of the largest practices in the South East outside of London.

“I spent three years looking for suitable merger partners,” explained Gavin. “They needed to be like us, with a similar culture, and we wanted them to be London-based as 40 per cent of our clients now have a London postcode.”

Despite this, the former Skinners’ pupil has a deep caring for the town in which he has lived and worked all his life.

“I love this town. I grew up here and have spent my entire life working here. I also love this business and its history and tradition, which are very much part of Tunbridge Wells.”

While changes to legal aid have meant the law firm no longer offers this service, this does not stop Cripps Pemberton Greenish from putting something back into the community to which Gavin says he owes so much.

“We do an awful lot of pro bono work, and we have our annual charity, which raises up to £40,000 a year, which is very important to the staff here, especially the younger generation.”

He added that going forward, the law industry is facing some tough challenges.

“Over-regulation is a big problem for the profession. As a country we are good at regulating unnecessarily, and lawyers have been regulated to within an inch of their lives.

“Most of us got into this business because we want to help people and make a difference, and this over-regulation is going to stop the next generation choosing this as a career.”

FIRM DEFENDED THE FIRST SPEEDER… Cripps has a long history, including defending the world’s first speeding motorist.

In 1896, Walter Arnold was spotted driving his Benz Motor Carriage in Kent at eight miles an hour, more than four times the legal limit at the time – and he also didn’t have a man in front with a red flag.

After a local policeman gave chase on a bicycle, Mr Arnold, from East Peckham, was arrested and charged.

Despite a robust defence by William Cripps [junior], Mr Arnold was convicted of speeding and fined a shilling plus costs in the world’s first conviction for speeding.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

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Bee walk will show pollinators can still thrive in urban spaces

By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

ON YOUR TOES: Students are trained in Russian classical ballet as well as other disciplines

Annual show for School of Dance THE SOUTHBOROUGH SCHOOL OF DANCE will be holding their Annual Performance at West Kent College in Tonbridge on July 13-14.

There will be two displays in the Mac Theatre in Brook Street, on Saturday at 5.30pm and on Sunday at midday.

Tickets cost £12 for adults and £6 for children aged 18 and under, and are available on the door or from info@danceschoolkent.co.uk Young people aged three to 18 will perform ballet, modern, tap and jazz dances. The pieces include Gaieté Parisienne, a lighthearted ballet following tourists around the sites of Paris, and Ragtime Fun, set to Scott Joplin’s music.

For more than 20 years the students have been trained by Tamara Moubayed, a specialist in the Russian classical ballet style, and her team.

The school has recently relocated to Southborough Primary School since the Methodist Church in London Road closed down.

Visit danceschoolkent.co.uk

LOCAL naturalist Dr Ian Beavis will be leading a bee walk through Tonbridge on Sunday [July 14] to find out more about how they live and the threats they are facing.

The event, which lasts two hours, begins at 10.30am from the Farmers’ Market in Sovereign Way car park, at the stall run by Friends of the Earth, who are organising the walk.

Parking is free in public car parks, and all ages are welcome, though dogs may not take part. It is suggested that participants bring a magnifying glass or binoculars and a notebook.

‘Actions such as growing bee-friendly flowers make a beneficial difference to bees, wherever this takes place’ Bees play a vital part in nature, and in our economy it would cost UK farmers £1.8billion a year to pollinate their crops without bees.

Yet they are facing a huge loss of habitat – the UK has lost 97 per cent of its wildflower meadows since 1945, and are also being decimated by pesticides.

Last year the European Union voted to impose a permanent ban on the outdoor use of three beeharming pesticides.

The walk is being held in the town rather than the countryside in order to show people that bees can thrive wherever habitats are made available for them.

SPREAD YOUR WINGS Naturalist Dr Ian Beavis will provide expert knowledge Anthony Bales, of the local branch of Friends of the Earth, said: “Actions such as growing beefriendly flowers make a beneficial difference to bees and other pollinators, wherever this takes place, from planting in a window box to creating new wildflower meadows.”

The walk will take in Angel Community Garden, formerly a patch of waste ground in Sainsbury’s car park, which shows how small spaces in urban

areas can be transformed to support bees and other pollinators.

It will follow a stretch of the Medway by Big Bridge, emerging on Lyons Crescent and taking in the graveyard at St Peter & St Paul Church.

It will also visit the Roadside Reserve between the London and Shipbourne Roads, created by Kent Wildlife Trust and Kent County Council.

Email: tandm.foe@gmail.com

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Terry Waite offers fascinating insights into Probus meeting THE Tunbridge Wells branch of The Probus Club welcomed Terry Waite, CBE, to address their meeting last month.

He described his imprisonment in Beirut by Hezbollah terrorists from 1987-91, the first four years of which were in solitary confinement.

He was acting as the special envoy of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, when he embarked on the rescue mission in Lebanon to try to secure the release of four hostages.

Mr Waite, who is now 80, subsequently published a bestselling book about the experience called Taken on Trust.

Adrian Moss, President of Royal Tunbridge Wells Probus, said: “Terry’s talk to some 70 members and their guests was fascinating in terms of the poignancy of his experience and the lack of resentment of a truly remarkable man.”

The Probus Club of Royal Tunbridge Wells meets once a month for fellowship, conversation and lunch, followed by talks on topics of interest.

To find out more about the cub’s activities, visit royaltunbridgewellsprobusclub.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

STEPPING OUT Yoyo staff enjoy their 27.5-mile circular walk

Yoyo trek to help Mind and support wellbeing LOCAL digital agency Yoyo embarked on a Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk to raise funds for the mental health charity Mind while encouraging employee wellbeing.

The team of ten undertook the challenge of Yoyo: Around the Weald, a 27.5-mile route which

took ten hours and 50 minutes to complete, raising £1,550 in the process.

The route passed through the town of Southborough and the villages of Pembury, Frant and Groombridge.

It included such notable places such as Tudeley

Church; the site of Keyes Mill painted by JMW Turner; Harrison’s Rocks; The Spa Valley Railway heritage line and Groombridge Place.

Harriet Kinsey, Yoyo’s Marketing Manager, said: “We’re all acutely aware of the horrible statistic which highlights that one in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem.

“Many of us have experienced this ourselves directly or supported close family and friends who have struggled with this illness, so it’s incredibly important to help this charity.

“We want to do our bit to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem on their own.”

She added: “As well as the charitable side to this, Yoyo’s MD, Jenny Kitchen, has over the past eight years continually strived to ensure that staff wellbeing is at the heart of the workplace.

“This has seen the implementation of weekly massages, yoga, reflexology and providing fitbits for the team and implementing lunchtime walks.

“It’s clear to see a huge amount of time has been dedicated to supporting a healthy, happy team.”

Jenny told the Times: “The Weald walk was a brilliant experience that brought the whole team even closer together.

“Inspired by the team themselves, it was the perfect challenge to help raise money for an awesome charity.

“This beautiful yet challenging walk encouraged us all to take a moment, a breather from the daily stresses of work and life, get some perspective and reflect on the huge importance of keeping active, happy and healthy.”

For more about Yoyo, visit yoyodesign.com

Free swimming lessons in August to promote water safety TRULY REMARKABLE (L-R) Jonathan Farley, Terry Waite and Adrian Moss, President of Royal Tunbridge Wells Probus

FUSION LIFESTYLE at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre and The Weald in Cranbrook are providing a month’s free swimming lessons to help promote safety in the water.

The leisure company is offering all new Swim School members who sign up before July 19 the whole of August free of charge.

Anthony Cawley, Director of Operations at

Fusion Lifestyle, said: “We know how important learning to swim is and we’re delighted to offer a whole month of free lessons to everyone who wants to learn.

“Raising awareness of water safety is really important and we’re proud to have the chance to do our bit to help everyone in Kent learn to swim.”

Jo Talbot, Commercial Operations Director at

the Royal Life Saving Society UK, who organised last month’s Drowning Prevention Week, added: “Learning to swim is one of the best ways to stay safe and is something we would encourage everyone to do, no matter how young or old you are – it’s never too late to learn.”

To take advantage of the offer, visit fusionswimschool.com

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Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Corbyn backs new Trump ‘disrespectful and wrong’ EU vote and Remain says Hunt after new Twitter rant JEREMY CORBYN has called on the next Tory leader to hold a second referendum before taking Britain out of the EU and said Labour will campaign for Remain.

Following a meeting of the shadow cabinet, the Labour leader said that whoever wins the Conservative leadership contest should have the confidence to put any new deal they negotiate with Brussels – or no-deal – to the public.

The move follows weeks of wrangling within the party over its position on Brexit – backing a second referendum only in certain specific circumstances – which was widely blamed for its dismal showing in the European elections.

In a letter to party members, Mr Corbyn said Labour would campaign for Remain ‘against either no-deal or a Tory deal’, but did not explain what Labour would do if it won a general election.

He added: “Now both Tory leadership candidates are threatening a no-deal Brexit – or at best a race to the bottom and a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump.

“Whoever becomes the new Prime Minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no-deal, back to the people in a public vote.

“In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for Remain against either no-deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy and jobs.”

Vote for abortion and same sex marriage PARLIAMENT has voted overwhelmingly to extend the UK’s same-sex marriage and access to abortion rights to Northern Ireland.

MPs voted 383 to 73 to pass the same-sex marriage amendment, proposed by Labour MP Conor McGinn, a longstanding campaigner for equal marriage in Northern Ireland.

The amendment was tabled onto a technical motion aimed at keeping Northern Ireland running in the absence of devolved government.

Before the vote on same sex marriage, McGinn told the Commons it had previously ‘failed LGBT people in Northern Ireland before’ by not extending the right to the region.

In a subsequent vote MPs voted 332 to 99 to also extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland after a another amendment by the Labour MP Stella Creasy.

Before the votes, the Northern Ireland minister John Penrose said: “Should this pass, it will go into law.”

He added: “It will become part of primary legislation. And so ministers will be bound by it and the government will proceed.”

DONALD TRUMP has dramatically stepped up the war of words over Britain’s US ambassador, branding him a ‘pompous fool’.

Prime Ministerial hopeful Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign secretary, reacted to the latest broadside by saying on Twitter that the President was being ‘disrespectful and wrong’.

In his latest explosive tweets, the president complained that Sir Kim Darroch was a ‘very stupid guy’ who had been forced upon the US. He also again attacked Theresa May over Brexit, accusing her of ignoring his advice and ‘going her own foolish way’.

His latest intervention came as the Cabinet reiterated its full support for Sir Kim following the leak of diplomatic dispatches branding the US administration as ‘inept’.

Mr Trump said: “The wacky ambassador that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy.

“He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister May, about their failed Brexit negotiation and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was handled.”

He added: “I told Theresa May how to do that deal, but she went her own foolish way - was unable to get it done. A disaster!

“I don’t know the ambassador but have been told he is a pompous fool.

“Tell him the USA now has the best economy and military anywhere in the world, by far and they are both only getting bigger, better and stronger.”

Downing Street said Sir Kim remained in post after Mr Trump warned on Monday the White House would have nothing more to do with him.

The first indication of that became evident when the ambassador was ‘uninvited’ to a White House dinner on Monday evening held in honour of the Emir of Qatar.

Honest It was reported he had also decided not to attend a meeting between International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and the president’s daughter, Ivanka, in Washington on Tuesday.

Mrs May briefed senior ministers on the row at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet in Downing Street.

“She said we had made clear to the US how unfortunate that this leak is and that the extracts were selective and do not reflect the closeness of our relationship,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“It is hugely important that ambassadors are able to provide honest, unvarnished assessFOOLISH ments of the Trump criticised politics in their Theresa May again country.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Minorities are paid less EMPLOYEES from ethnic minorities earned on average 3.8 per cent less than their white British counterparts in 2018, new figures show.

The pay gap was biggest for the Bangladeshi ethnic group at 20.2 per cent less, while for Pakistani workers it was 16.9 per cent.

By contrast, employees in the Chinese ethnic group earned 30.9 per cent more than those in the white British group.

The figures are included in the first analysis of Britain’s ethnicity pay gap, published by the Office for National Statistics.

No more fish and chips A FISH and chip restaurant has closed its doors after deciding ‘there’s not plenty more fish in the sea’.

The Fish And The Chip in Leicester displayed a poster in the window saying it was ‘not

comfortable’ with the impact the business was having on the environment.

The owners said an ‘eye-opening’ fishing trip had shown them the impact pollution was having on the oceans and fish stocks.

They have now said they will be reopening, but are committed to making gluten-free and plantbased food.

Meghan aide stops photos A TENNIS fan has described how she was told by the Duchess of Sussex’s protection officer not to take photos of Meghan because she was at Wimbledon in a ‘private capacity’.

Sally Jones, who was seated in the same row as Meghan in Court One last week, claims she was actually taking pictures of Serena Williams and had not noticed the duchess.

She said the protection officer told her: “Would you not take photographs of the duchess. She’s here in a private capacity.”

PREPARED Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw

Gatwick drone chaos because police could only deal with one POLICE failed to stop drones causing chaos near Gatwick Airport because they had only been trained to deal with one device at a time, a senior officer has suggested.

A number of drone sightings forced Britain’s second-busiest airport to shut down for 33 hours in December, disrupting 140,000 passengers’ journeys.

Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, is alleged to have revealed the shortcoming at the Interpol World Conference in Singapore last week.

He reportedly said: “We had at some stages two drones, which caused the airport to close for about 30 hours.

“We’re happy that on at least a couple of those occasions there were two drones flying.

“We were prepared, we’d done a lot of work beforehand around drone mitigation. We had a drone response plan.

“We’d been tested by the Centre for the Protection of National infrastructure and we came out really well on that around our drone plan.

“But that was really around a single drone incursion and not a multiple one.”

Unique In the wake of the chaos between December 19 and 21, Gatwick spent millions on anti-drone measures.

Eventually the Army moved in to resolve the issue, reportedly using the Israeli-developed Drone Dome system, which can jam communications between a drone and its operator.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said Mr Burtenshaw ‘reaffirmed, as we have always reported, that this illegal drone incursion presented a unique challenge for those agencies involved’.

“This was deliberate, targeted and persistent, designed to disrupt airport operations.

“There has been a significant amount of learning from the incident which has already been applied.”

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Accountants move in to find care home millions INVESTORS in a series of hotels and care homes – some of which were never built – are closer to finding out what happened to millions of pounds they gave to Gavin Woodhouse.

Accountants Duff & Phelps have been granted interim powers to go into Mr Woodhouse’s Northern Powerhouse Developments to help find the missing money.

The appointment follows an application to the High Court by seven investors who had put money into companies owned by Mr Woodhouse.

He also persuaded investors to part with their cash to fund Afan Valley, which was supposed to build a £200million adventure resort in South Wales promoted by TV adventurer Bear Grylls.

Earlier this month Duff & Phelps took over the three companies and yesterday [Tuesday] it was revealed that they are now in control of the parent company. The other two businesses were owned directly by Mr Woodhouse.

Water firms may stop shareholders’ payouts WATER companies could be barred from making shareholder payouts under measures unveiled by the industry regulator to ensure they remain financially robust and protect customer interests.

Ofwat outlined plans for a common set of standards designed to strengthen water utility firms’ financial resilience - including committing to maintaining an investment grade credit rating.

The watchdog wants firms to sign up to the standards that mean, if they are at risk of losing their investment grade rating, they could be prevented from making payouts to shareholders or removing money or assets from the business.

These so-called cash lock-up conditions would provide ‘greater clarity of expectations’.

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Mini reveals first electric car as ‘tipping point’ for switching

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Bovis Homes is building confidence despite Brexit HOUSEBUILDER Bovis Homes has brushed aside Brexit uncertainty to cheer a ‘significant’ step up in profits as it reported rising sales and prices.

Housing completions rose 4 per cent to 1,647 in the six months to June 30, with average private selling prices rising to around £342,000, up from £334,700 a year earlier.

Total average selling prices rose by 3 per cent to around £270,000.

Its average weekly sales rate per site jumped 15 per cent to 0.6, the group added.

CREATING A BUZZ The Mini Electric is aimed at a ‘whole new group of drivers’ THE first fully electric Minicar has been unveiled at the car-maker’s Oxford factory.

Mini claimed the car could be a ‘tipping point’ and encourage motorists who have been considering switching to an electric vehicle to ‘take that step now’.

Manufacturing of the Mini Electric will begin at the plant in Cowley, Oxford, later this year with deliveries beginning in spring 2020.

The zero-emission vehicle will be fully integrated into the production process at Oxford, running down the same lines as conventionallyfuelled Mini models.

Oliver Zipse, board member at BMW, which owns Mini, said: “We are entering an era in which electric cars will become a normal choice for our customers.

“By 2023, two years ahead of schedule, we will have 25 electrified models on the market. More

than half of them will be fully electric.”

The firm says the Mini Electric is ‘instantly recognisable’ as a three-door Mini hatchback, and offers the ‘design and go-kart handling’ synonymous with the brand.

David George, UK director of Mini, said: “We believe the new MiniElectric could be a tipping point for those who have been thinking about choosing an electric car, to take that step now.

“We aim to introduce a whole new group of drivers in the UK to the fun and cost savings of electric driving, in a way only Mini can.”

Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and MP for Tunbridge Wells, said the Mini Electric will play ‘a key role in accelerating the adoption of cleaner, greener vehicles’.

He added: “I am delighted this modern British icon will be manufactured in Oxford.”

Error in Stobart accounts HAULAGE firm Eddie Stobart Logistics has warned first-half earnings will be at the lower end of expectations and revealed a hit of around £2million to last year’s results after an accounting error.

Trading issues have been caused by slower than expected productivity in its contract logistics and warehousing units, and exiting a ‘problematic contract’.

New chief finance officer Anoop Kang also found problems in the company’s accounting policies around leasing.

Fire damage hits Ocado OCADO has unveiled widening losses as it laid bare the impact of a warehouse fire.

The online grocer reported a loss before tax of £142.8million for the 26 weeks to June 2, marking a significant increase on the £13.6million loss reported last year.

The fire in Andover is now expected to have a £15million impact on earnings.

M&S may close more stores in bid to double food profits THE chief executive of Marks & Spencer has left open the possibility of more store closures after saying its current plans to shut 110 stores are ‘not finite’.

Steve Rowe said its portfolio of legacy stores was ‘holding it back’ as he spoke to shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting.

Chairman Archie Norman, the former MP for Tunbridge Wells, added it is now paying the price for ‘not shutting stores 10 or 20 years ago’.

The company is in the midst of a major overhaul, which includes plans to close 85 full-line stores and around 25 of its Simply Food outlets in a bid to return to sustainable profit growth.

‘The organisation we inherited became slow, unaccountable and lost the voice of the stores’

The chairman said the restructuring would stabilise the firm as it looks to direct resources elsewhere, including online growth, and double the size of its food sector.

Mr Rowe said the company is on the right track but needs to iron out ‘wobbles’ in its business, which included selling out of popular jeans and ‘some of the worst availability I’d seen in 30 years’ earlier this year.

He said M&S is on target to meet its £350million savings targets through axing ‘old-fashioned stores’.

Mr Norman added the company would speak to store staff more as part of the company’s attempts to deliver future growth.

He said: “Somewhere along the line, the organisation we inherited became slow, unaccountable and lost the voice of the stores. If we hear the voice of the stores, we will grow.”

This year, the company’s entire workforce missed out on their annual bonuses after failing to hit performance targets.

Mr Rowe is among the thousands of staff who missed the payout as it pushes forward with its turnaround plans.

Despite missing out on the bonus, his total pay for the year jumped by 48 per cent to £1.7million, compared with £1.1million a year earlier.

It is understood, according to proxy votes, his annual pay deal was approved by shareholders.

16

NEWS

Letters

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

And another thing…

This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG Hospital parking is so bad, it’s a mad rush to get to your appointment The pain of hospital parking in Tunbridge Wells is a nightmare. We join a queue to get past the barriers, find no space, come out again and try another car park, normally high on the hill. Queues on the hill gradually getting nearer to the barrier.

Time ticking by for the appointment. Once we have our ticket we start fretting about the cost starting – whilst driving around hoping to get to someone pulling out of a space.

This is not acceptable. It’s bad enough patients have to pay to park, but to also pay whilst still searching for a space is adding insult to injury. Then a mad rush to get to the

appointment. Not much fun if not medically fit – and getting back up the hill afterwards is another punishment.

This hospital is new; where the hell did common sense go when deciding how many spaces would be needed? Did no one think about the huge population from the post-war birth rate needing the service more as they age?

The same horrible grub still served. Cousin living on toast, Weetabix and yoghurt as being only edible stuff. Good money wasted on lazy choices made by those who do not care.

M Mcjannett Via email

CHARGING AROUND Not enough spaces in the hospital’s car parks

Cripps use their good offices to publicise this alternative, and also possibly promote the notion that a responsible council has a duty to preserve its listed buildings?

The voting on the motions put before the extraordinary meeting on June 17 suffered greatly from the Conservatives introducing a last-minute, and badly drafted, so-called ‘amendment’.

The Conservative councillors and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council officials had plenty of time to expertly draft clear additional and constructive motions but chose not to do so.

Their draft amendment, delivered to the councillors at the meeting well after June 17, left no time for proper consideration. It was almost certainly a rival motion requiring seven days’ notice.

It is disappointing that the Chief Executive has written to say that he is not willing to ‘debate’ these important constitutional matters. He has a duty of fairness to all the councillors and not just the majority party.

The original motion No 1, proposing immediate termination, was correct, however embarrassing to the Conservative councillors.

John Pickering Tunbridge Wells

We exported our carbon footprint

Genuine consultation is required You call for the opponents of the theatre complex to propose an alternative scheme [June 19]. To do so would surely be to repeat the mistake of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

This would risk stirring up opposition from all quarters, including those who wish to abandon the whole project and write off the time and money spent so far.

The positive approach would be to see how far the benefits originally promised can be secured with development which is less inflexible, destructive and expensive.

What is needed is to recognise that alternatives ought to be possible to the scheme so emphatically rejected by the voters. This means a genuine public consultation involving interested parties under neutral chairmanship.

Areas which need to be tested anew include: n The use or reuse of the Town Hall and Assembly Hall n The need for and location of the ‘underground’ car parking n The need for a theatre which is genuinely capable of a wide range of uses n The shape of a civic centre accessible to the public It is fundamental that any proposal should fit into a strategy for the whole town centre, as the council’s plan did not.

There is no future for a development which is forced through by the council leadership, possibly against the wishes of a majority of councillors and certainly the electorate.

Alastair Tod Tunbridge Wells

Showing the best – and the worst It is not incumbent upon protesters to deliver alternatives to the theatre complex [June 19], it is the job of our elected representatives and their support staff to pay heed to the overwhelming objections to the proposed development and to consider other and

less grandiose ways of town regeneration.

In common with many other council taxpayers, I sat through the charade of fudge and obfuscation that was the Extraordinary Full Council Meeting on June 17.

It appeared that the ‘rump’ of the former council had still not grasped the implications of the recent election which witnessed the demise of our former ‘Dear Leader’, amongst others.

At times it was like the officers of the Titanic reluctantly conceding that the second serving of dinner might have to be cancelled.

There were some effective and well-considered arguments put forward, despite the most ineffective chairing I have ever been party to.

The most bizarre support for the project was mounted by a would-be eco-warrior who made the passionate point that the new buildings would be much more energy efficient than the present council offices and theatre.

That there might be other, less costly ways of saving the environment than a £90million-plus project did not seem to have been factored in.

So the best and worst of Tunbridge Wells were alive and well at this event.

I can only hope, in the immortal words of The Who, ‘We don’t get fooled again’!

Paul Fisher Via email

Duty to preserve listed buildings The new Council Leader Cllr McDermott’s assertion ‘that the existing Assembly Hall and Town Hall are nearing the end of their useful lives’ [June 19] needs to be refuted.

These listed buildings can be developed to accommodate modern council offices with spare capacity to let, and both a flexible and effective theatre.

Indeed, there is such a scheme, developed by our distinguished local architect, Dr Whitbourn, of which the council is perfectly well aware, but has chosen to largely ignore.

Why don’t the Times and Gavin Tyler from

Greg Clark’s article is naive, hypocritical and deceitful [June 26]. Our CO2 emissions are falling because we have exported our carbon footprint.

We hardly make anything – partly because UK energy prices are uncompetitive.

We may not have ‘burnt a gram’ of coalproducing electricity, but the power stations were still running, burning coal. You can’t just turn them on and turn them off.

His proposed amendment to legislation committing the UK to a 2050 zero target – Mrs May’s ‘legacy’ – will not be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, it will pass via a statutory instrument. So much for democracy.

The UK accounts for about one per cent of total CO2 emissions. The USA, China and India will not abandon their cheap energy policies.

Mr Clark is deluded if he thinks the rest of the world will follow us. In 2050 the UK will be smug, but poor.

I commend to Mr Clark Dominic Lawson’s article in the Sunday Times of June 16 on which this letter relies.

Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells

There’s no reason to feel superior Greg Clark wrote that he is proud the government has announced a Climate Emergency and set the date of 2050 for the UK to become carbon neutral [June 26]. He boasts how the UK appears already to be reducing CO2 emissions, but these figures hide a lie!

The reason that our emissions have reduced, while other countries’, such as China’s, have risen, is that we no longer manufacture much in Britain. Half of China’s emissions come from factories making goods for customers in the West, according to the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Production has moved to developing countries like China or Bangladesh, and as CO2 emissions are credited to the producer rather than the consumer, they appear to be the baddies.

In the West we are consuming more and more imported stuff. We fly more, eat more exotic foods, and buy more clothes and electronic goods than ever before. Yet we persist in feeling superior to other countries!

Although Greg is right in saying that renewables have become cheaper and better, and that the UK should become a world leader in the field, I only wish that his government would put its money where its mouth is.

They should not be building a third runway at Heathrow, encouraging fracking whilst banning cheap onshore wind, and putting VAT of 20 per cent on solar whilst keeping VAT on domestic coal at five per cent.

There is still no room for complacency. This government must follow words with actions.

Fran Long Co-Chair, Tonbridge & Malling Green Party

Defending freedom of expression I have no idea who Euan Philipps is, possibly because as a septuagenarian I do not use Facebook or Twitter, and so do not know whether he was present at Baroness Tonge’s talk to the Fabian Society some weeks ago.

I was in the audience, and should like to assure your readers that nothing less like a Nazi rally could be imagined – an elderly peer and respected medical doctor (an Hon Fellow of the Royal Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) speaking to an equally elderly audience about her personal experiences in the West Bank and Gaza, which had left her shocked by the regular human rights violations perpetrated by the Israeli authorities on the Palestinians, tacitly or explicitly supported by the Israeli government.

This genteel assembly asked her questions, and were evidently more than capable of forming their own opinions in the light of what they heard.

Mr Philipps is quoted [June 19] as saying that ‘the baroness should not be given any kind of platform’. On the contrary, without the freedom to hear the first-hand experiences of others and debate their ideas, we cease to be a free country.

Of course there is no place for any incitement to violence or violation of human rights, in private or in public. But where that is absent, criticism of governments, states and individuals is a legitimate and necessary part of a healthy democracy.

Mr Philipps’ authoritarianism has, however, had one positive result – I have decided to join the Fabian Society.

Dariel Francis Via email

Why are we funding big BBC salaries?

Having just received a letter from the BBC regarding the forthcoming television licence changes, I feel I have to comment, although I fear it will have little impact.

Why is it that pensioners now have to fork out £154 per year so that the BBC can continue to pay exorbitant salaries to their staff?

I quote (from our friend Google) John Humphries £600,000 per annum, Andrew Marr £400,000, Carol Kirkwood £400,000, Gary Linker – for talking about football – £1,750,000, Chris Evans £1,660,000 [before he left the BBC], Graham Norton £600,000, plus numerous so-called news anchors (too many to mention) who get millions, and many more who receive a minimum of £150,000.

I hope they can sleep soundly knowing taxpaying pensioners are keeping them in their lifestyle.

As I said at the beginning, I don’t suppose this will make the slightest difference, but it makes you think about government priorities.

DB Hickey Tunbridge Wells

We do our best to publish letters in full. However, the Editor reserves the right to edit any letter. Please ensure that letters do not exceed 250 words | Calverley is still away, picking his own strawberries

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

EDUCATION Schools’ partnership proves a top success

Education

Times

NEWS

17

An educational organisation made up of eight local schools has held its inaugural masterclass for pupils of all abilities commenced, students heard from Deborah Sims, The West Kent Independent State School a chartered engineer from the University of Partnership (WKISSP) is a partnership of eight Greenwich, who provided an overview of secondary schools: Beechwood Sacred Heart Leonardo’s career and legacy. Ms Sims also School, The Judd School, Kent College discussed the artist’s unprecedented work in Pembury, The Malling School, Mascalls various fields.

Academy, Oakley School, The Skinners’ School After her lecture, students in Years 7 and 8, and The Skinners’ Kent Academy which was were asked to choose one established earlier this year. masterclass to study in depth. Led It was set up with a number of The projects will by different teachers from the aims including sharing resources and also providing high not only benefit partnership schools, students choose to study either aspirational learning pupils, but also could Anatomy and Art, Engineering and opportunities for all eight schools’ pupils which they may not be able enable teachers Ethics, Politics and Media, to offer independently. The to extend their Engineering and Textiles or Beginners’ Italian. projects will not only benefit professional “The masterclasses were pupils, but also enable teachers to extend their professional development designed to be academically challenging, thought-provoking development, free from and offer stimulating curriculum constraints. opportunities,” a WKISSP spokesperson told the Last month in order to mark the 500th Times. The special cross-schools partnership anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, hopes to offer a similar lecture and a day of the WKISSP held its first day of inspirational inspirational masterclasses for its member masterclasses at Mascalls Academy in Paddock pupils on an annual basis.

Wood for 90 students. Before the masterclasses

WORKING TOGETHER: Pupils from local schools participate in the WKISSP workshops

NEWS IN BRIEF

Skippers Hill Manor Nursery in UK’s top 20

CLASS ACT: Students outside the IBarn, Tonbridge Grammar School’s dedicated Sixth Form study centre, celebrating their IB exam results

Local students celebrate impressive International Baccalaureate results Students at Tonbridge Grammar School (TGS) have enjoyed another successful year of results for their International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.

These continue the school’s strong record of achievement since moving to an exclusively IB Diploma Sixth Form seven years ago.

A TGS spokesperson told the Times: “The students study an academically rigorous programme designed to develop critical thinking skills and create breadth of experience and

knowledge; whilst at the same time preparing them for both higher education and the world of work.”

The average IB point score awarded to Tonbridge Grammar School students was 36 which was well above the 2018 UK average score of 34 and the 2018 global average score of 30 points. Thirty six per cent of TGS students scored 39 points and above (equivalent to in excess of 4 A* at A Level) while three scored an impressive 44 points.

Rosemary Joyce, TGS Head Teacher said: “Warmest congratulations to each and every one of our IB Diploma students for their truly outstanding results. World-class results, coupled with the wider experiences and skills the IB Diploma provides really give students the competitive edge in Higher Education and the workplace. Congratulations also to the dedicated and inspirational team of staff who work tirelessly to support our students to such fantastic success.”

Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School in Mayfield has been placed in the UK’s Top 20 Recommended Nursery Groups for the second year running. The poll is based on parents submitting personal reviews of pre-schools.

Headmaster of Skippers Hill Manor Mark Hammond, said: “We would like to thank all our parents and carers for taking the time to write a review for us, and our Nursery staff for their continued enthusiasm and commitment in providing such outstanding care for the youngest children at our school.”

New head announced for Sevenoaks School JESSE ELZINGA has been announced as the new Head of Sevenoaks School. He will take up his post in September 2020.

The Chair of Governors at Sevenoaks School, Ian Doherty, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mr Elzinga to Sevenoaks. He will deliver a wealth of academic leadership, a passion for the International Baccalaureate, and a forward-thinking perspective.”

18

NEWS

Weekly Comment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Martin Betts

Vice Chair of Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Labour Party member Martin Betts lives in Southborough and has long been active in local politics. He retired after a long career in the Civil Service, where his last job at the Department for Work and Pensions was in communications. He qualified at Leicester University in human resources and training and development. The Times also publishes regular opinions from members of other political parties.

We have no time to waste in this global climate emergency ON A daily basis we face the dominance and division of Brexit. Yet the one issue that should unite all of our political parties is our response to the global climate emergency. It is this crisis which threatens the very existence of our species and our planet.

We are already seeing the effects of climate change through extreme weather.

The Chief Executive of the Environment Agency recently warned that we are looking into what he called the ‘jaws of death’ and could run short of water within 25 years. At the same time, we are experiencing the devastation of flash flooding.

Around the world ice caps are melting, coral reefs dissolving, and there are droughts in Africa, hurricanes in the Americas and wildfires in Australia.

The heating up of our climate is contributing to the terrifying loss of animal and plant species.

According to the WWF [World Wide Fund for Nature], humanity has wiped out 60 per cent of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970.

We are warned that many insects could become extinct within a century unless action is taken. Without the pollination that insects provide there is no food and no human species.

Young people are at the forefront of a campaign to make us aware of a climate crisis that will spiral dangerously out of control unless we take rapid and dramatic action now.

They have the most to lose.

Campaigners like 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, the UK Student Climate Network and Extinction Rebellion are helping to wake us up to what needs to be done. Sir David Attenborough has added his powerful voice to the campaign.

Agreeing to a motion successfully proposed

by Jeremy Corbyn, the UK Parliament is the first national parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency.

Intervention The motion calls on the government to work to achieve net zero carbon emissions before 2050, and for ministers to outline urgent proposals to restore the UK’s natural environment and deliver a ‘zero waste economy’ within the next six months.

For many this ambition is not enough and many campaigners want us to work to a 2030 date.

It requires large-scale government intervention to kick-start industries, to direct investment and boost research and development in the green technologies of the future. Labour wants a Green Industrial Revolution.

But government at all levels, businesses and individuals have a part to play in ensuring this urgent project is successful and that we

FEELING THE HEAT Pupils at Sussex Road Primary School in Tonbridge protesting about climate change protect our planet for future generations.

Many local authorities are recognising the climate emergency and pledging to take actions to reduce their own carbon emissions, and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council should do the same.

Tunbridge Wells could also become a green borough. It could support building energy-

saving homes and the use of electric cars, buses and refuse vehicles. It could plant hundreds of trees, increase biodiversity, encourage reductions in the use of plastic.

These are just a few thoughts; the council could set up a citizens’ panel to develop more ideas and get them working.

We have no time to waste. Let’s get on with it!

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

WITH THE

Move Times

AVAILABLE EVER Y WEDNESDAY – A MUST-READ

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROPERTY, IN TERIORS & TOP TRENDS

INSPIRATION FOR MOVING AND IMPROVING timeslocalnews.co.uk

Fairy-tale home

ready for improving Page 20

23

TAKE A SEAT IN A STUNNING KITCHEN

We’re all fired up over a fabulous French style chimney breast Page 21

31

SUPERB COTTAGE ON EDGE OF TOWN

20

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Times

Best For FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Best property buys for...

We all love to see homes with the ‘wow’ factor – which could apply to the kitchen, reception room, garden, or something else. Sarah Bond homes in on specific aspects that make these properties extremely appealing…

The CHOCOLATE BOX LOOK …

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Oakenden

Oakenden Lane Chiddingstone Hoath GUIDE PRICE

£1,250,000 CONTACT • Savills Sevenoaks • 01732 789700 • savills.co.uk A marvellous opportunity for updating comes with this Grade II-listed medieval Hall House, which has been in the same family since the 1950s. It also boasts an annexe and beautiful gardens with far-reaching views over pasture and woodland. Additionally, this chocolate box gem lies down a rural no-through road, adding to the fairy-tale feel as well as privacy.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST Main House

n Drawing room with inglenook fireplace and stable door to terrace

n Double-aspect dining room with inglenook fireplace and wood-burning stove

n Part-vaulted kitchen/breakfast room with butler sink

n Impressive vaulted master bedroom with ceiling timbers and en suite with roll-top bath

n 3 further bedrooms (one with fireplace) n Family bathroom n Lapsed planning to extend kitchen Attached Annexe

n Sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and shower room Outside

n Established gardens with brick terrace, pond and seating areas

n Parking area

The original part of this enchanting medieval home has been dated to 1490 through a survey complied by the Wealden Hall House Association

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

The OUTDOOR POOL…

Best For

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Times 21

The PRICE…

Aultmore Court Kingswood Road Tunbridge Wells GUIDE PRICE

£340,000 (Share of freehold) CONTACT • Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk

A first floor purpose-built apartment including a terrace and a garage.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Prestigious building with lift n Reception room with door to terrace n Kitchen/breakfast room with views to perimeter of Dunorlan Park n 2 bedrooms and a bathroom n Use of communal gardens n Garage en bloc

Kidds Hill House

Kidds Hill, Colemans Hatch GUIDE PRICE

£2,250,000 CONTACT • Jackson-Stops, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 521700 • jackson-stops.co.uk A superb improved country house with direct access to Ashdown Forest.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST Main House

n Reception hall and dining room n Drawing room leading to further room with wide opening to garden

n Large, vaulted kitchen/family room with Aga, French-style chimney breast and woodburning stove. Plus tri-fold doors and Velux windows which auto-shut when it rains

n 6 bedrooms (three en-suite) Attached Annexe

n Sitting room, kitchenette, double bedroom and bathroom Outside

Cloth Edge

n Immaculate gardens with sweeping lawn

Church Road, Goudhurst

n Well-maintained hard tennis court

Offers in excess of

n Swimming pool with pool cover and summerhouse/pool chalet

n Stable block with three loose boxes n Front and rear driveway entrances n Attached double garage

£895,000 CONTACT • Jackson-Stops, Cranbrook • 01580 720000 • jackson-stops.co.uk

n In all, about 5 acres, including two fields Built in the 1600s, this period home also has a garage that was a WWII Ambulance Station.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Drawing room with wood-burning stove n Dining room with walk-in larder n Light, bright kitchen with oil-fired Aga n Oak timber-framed garden room n 3 good-sized bedrooms and a bathroom n Landscaped gardens with terrace n Drive, brick garage and timber garage n Annexe: Living area, bedroom and shower n Cranbrook School catchment area

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Croft House

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WITH THE

Times 23

Fabulous modernised period property within walking distance of The Pantiles and station AT A GLANCE CROFT HOUSE FRANT ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Elegant reception hall with wood panelling and open fireplace n Informal sitting room n Formal drawing room with bay window and open fireplace n Stunning open-plan kitchen/dining room, including bespoke units, a huge central island with breakfast bar and wide bi-fold doors to garden n Utility room n Master suite with walk-in dressing room and shower room n Guest bedroom with en suite n 3 further double bedrooms n Main bathroom n Top floor play area n Secluded garden, mainly laid to lawn n White five-bar gate and driveway providing parking for several cars n Within easy reach of The Pantiles and High Street, and just 0.4 of a mile from Tunbridge Wells Station

GUIDE PRICE

£1,600,000 CONTACT • Knight Frank, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 515035 • knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk Blackhurst

Cottage

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AT A GLANCE BLACKHURST COTTAGE CORNFORD LANE TUNBRIDGE WELLS Main House n Semi-detached cottage believed to date back to 1916 n Reception hall with wood floor n Drawing room with open brick fireplace and French doors to garden n Dining room with wood burner n Kitchen/breakfast room n Double-aspect study n Square conservatory n Cloakroom n Principal bedroom with en suite n 2 further bedrooms and a bathroom n Just over half an acre of gardens with a terrace and two summerhouses n Superb swimming pool with solarpowered cover, pool house and brickbuilt barbecue area n Spacious driveway providing parking n Garage Annexe n Sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom

Character cottage in popular town lane with outdoor pool and annexe

ASKING PRICE

£865,000 CONTACT • Hamptons International, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 516611 • hamptons.co.uk

ONE THREE THREE H I G H S T R E E T, TO N B R I D G E T N 9 1 D H

Free season ticket or furniture pack *

for the buyer of apartment 8

*Subject to terms and conditions. Computer generated image of similar property.

This one-off incentive is being offered exclusively to the purchaser of apartment 8 at One Three Three, Tonbridge High Street – the highly specified 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. The buyer can choose either an annual rail card from Tonbridge station or a John Lewis furniture pack upon completion. Priced at £295,000 subject to scheme rules

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Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Life&Times

ARTS & CULTURE LIFE & STYLE FOOD & DRINK MOTORING SPORT and MORE...

IN PRINT AND ONLINE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK timeslocalnews.co.uk

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CLASSIC COMEDY CAPERS

46

ANGELA HARTNETT’S IN TOWN

48

A RED HOT LITTLE NUMBER

Pillow fight Page 40

MAIN PHOTO: Symon Hamer

Trinity Theatre Club presents Alan Ayckbourn’s Taking Steps

53

HEVER’S FESTIVAL OF ENDURANCE

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Arts & CultureFOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Three’s company

Why did you choose Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy Taking Steps for your next production?

Trinity Theatre Club [TTC] was looking for a small cast comedy which would contrast with its spring production of Albee’s Three Tall Women, and also with the large cast period comedy it has planned for October.

I knew that Alan Ayckbourn would satisfy the brief. He is a master of comic theatre, and I was fortunate enough to direct his play Private Fears in Public Spaces for TTC in 2017.

Next week Trinity Theatre Club stage their production of Taking Steps, a farcical comedy by Alan Ayckbourn. The play’s director, Kirrie Wratten, tells us more about it…

PHOTOS: Symon Hamer

arts

40

What is Taking Steps essentially about?

Misunderstanding and miscommunication. It is about people who are either literally, or metaphorically, trapped.

At a time when sexual equality was in its infancy, it is about women trying to find their own freedom.

What appealed to you about the play, as a director?

It’s Ayckbourn’s skill of being able to combine the humanity of real characters with often hilarious comedy in the situation in which he places these flawed characters.

‘Directing Taking Steps was described by Ayckbourn as being closer to directing traffic than directing a play!’

He has described Taking Steps as his only true farce, and these elements were certainly one of its attractions.

Directing Taking Steps was described by the playwright as being closer to directing traffic than directing a play!

Tell us about the actors you’ve cast in the comedy I am fortunate to be working with a very strong cast which includes some professionally-trained actors; most of whom have worked with me before.

A SLEEPERY SLOPE That’s sure to have a comical outcome…

What do you think audiences will enjoy most about it?

It’s a play that can boast all the joy and humour of farce, but with a dark underbelly.

As What’s On Stage described its revival in Richmond in 2010 – it’s ‘comedy bliss’.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

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Arts & Culture

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41

One play will benefit from chamber music by Mozart, another from contemporary jazz, and another by Dire Straits songs.

PILLOW TALK But not the usual kind, as some of the stars take a bit of a bedtime bashing

‘Everyone contributes their own piece of magic, and the playwright’s words on the flat page are transformed’ Best of all, though, is working with the actors and the creative team. Everyone contributes their own piece of magic, and the playwright’s words on the flat page are transformed into the live performance the audience enjoys.

What unusual elements did you face in bringing this to the local stage?

One of the trickiest elements in staging Taking Steps is adapting a play designed for a theatre in a round space (such as Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre, where Alan Ayckbourn’s plays are always premiered).

Happily, because the audience look down on to the stage at Trinity, this feature of the space solved part of the difficulty.

Secondly, our designer, Andy Newell, is both a very experienced Stage Designer, and also very familiar with Trinity. His

design supports the action of the play, but also ensures the sightlines work for the audience.

How often do you work with Trinity, and why do you enjoy doing so?

I have worked with Trinity, on and off, in various roles since 1996. In the past few years I have directed for the company about once a year.

TTC is a vibrant club with many talented and hard-working members. As a director, I can work with people who share the same passion for theatre and the same

commitment to producing the best possible shows.

As a community, we are fortunate in Tunbridge Wells that we still have our own local theatre and arts centre.

What do you like most about directing in general?

Theatre directing is a job of infinite variety – you can be researching railways in rural Russia in the late 19th century one minute, and Victorian brothels the next.

What plans do you have to work with Trinity again in the near future?

I shall be directing Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing in April next year. Meanwhile, audiences can look forward to TTC’s autumn production of The Man Who Came To Dinner, a brilliantly witty, and muchloved comedy by Moss Hart and George S Kaufman, which will be directed by the inimitable Helen Thorpe.

Taking Steps will run at Trinity Theatre from Tuesday July 16 to Saturday July 20.

Tickets cost from £15 and can be booked at trinitytheatre.net

Life&Times

Going Out

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

goingout 7 days of activities

By Jerome Bowman

A CLOSE SHAVE Enjoy some comic opera in the shape of Figaro at the Odeon

WEDNESDAY Trinity Theatre will be screening Amazing Grace tonight at 8pm. The film was shot in 1972, during Aretha Franklin’s recording of the eponymous album at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church. One of the best-selling live gospel albums of all time, the performance is among

her greatest. Tickets cost £11 and can be booked online at trinitytheatre.net You can still catch The Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society Summer Exhibition. The oldest art society in the South East have curated a wide range of works, including traditional paintings, more modern eclectic pieces and sculptures.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

The exhibition, open from 10.30am till 3.30pm, features established artists as well as up-andcoming ones. Entrance to the gallery is free, and if you are interested in becoming a member or finding out more about the society’s various talks and workshops, visit rtwas.org THURSDAY Are Students These Days More Fragile? This lecture by Dr Jennie Bristow of Canterbury Christ Church University might go some way to answering this question. It is to be held at the Salomons Institute in Meadow Road, Tunbridge Wells, and Dr Bristow will argue that the preoccupation with students’ fragility represents a wider ambivalence about how young people can be socialised into adulthood. The talk starts at 6.30pm and tickets cost £5 (concessions £2.50). To book, go online to canterbury.ac.uk/arts-andculture/calendar.aspx The Spa Valley Railway is open today, and this time it’s Kids for a Quid! You can visit Tunbridge Wells West, High Rocks and Groombridge, all of which have plenty to see and do. Steam and heritage diesel locomotives will be on the line.

A ticket gets you unlimited rides for the day and can be purchased in advance at spavalleyrailway.co.uk FRIDAY For all things German and motor-driven, Penshurst Place is hosting Volks Weald 2019 THEATRE TRIP The 39 Steps is at The Beacon this Friday

PHOTO: Stefan Hanegraaf

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THE MAIZE MAZE In 2017, it was cut in the shape of Penshurst Place’s Sidney Oak tree. How will they amaze us this year?

once again, starting at 12noon today and running until 5pm on Sunday. The weekend promises to pack in plenty of entertainment, with over 150 cars and a special show for VW Beetles to commemorate their discontinuation as of this year. There will also be live music, a DJ set tonight [Friday] and an auto-jumble. Ticket prices vary, so for more information and to book, go to volksweald.co.uk Theatre troupe Get Out of My Space are bringing their production of The 39 Steps to The Beacon’s Amphitheatre. Watch just four actors play an unbelievable and inadvisable amount of roles as we follow Richard Hannay and discover what the mysterious 39 Steps are. Tickets for this comedy cost £12, or £28 if you would like to dine at the pub before the show. To book, go to gooms.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk SUNDAY Glyndebourne – The Barber Of Seville 2016 is being screened at the Odeon, Tunbridge Wells, this afternoon at 5.30pm. Said barber, Figaro, has a cunning that knows no bounds in this story of love, lies and total confusion. Glyndebourne have received favourable reviews for their lively and characterful production of Rossini’s seminal comic opera, and the performances of the cast have received especially high praise.

To book tickets, which cost £20.75 for adults and £18.75 for concessions, visit odeon.co.uk The famed Penshurst Place Maize Maze has risen from the earth for the summer. The design of the maze has been kept secret up to the launch and now you can discover it for yourself, collecting clues and stamps if you wish as you go. If you survive, you can trade expedition stories at the Porcupine Pantry or stroll around the grounds. Entrance to the maze is included in the price of admission.

For more information, or to book, go online to penshurstplace.com

DO THE LOCOMOTION On The Spa Valley Railway

SATURDAY Put your petal to the metal at this year’s Penshurst Village Flower Show. Held in the Penshurst Village Hall, there are a whole bed of catagories to enter, as well as classes on baking and a best dressed scarecrow competition.

Tickets for punters cost £1, and to enter a catagory, visit penshurstvillageflowershow.org.uk

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT… See the quirky and the classic at Volks Weald 2019

Going Out

MONDAY Join the TWUNTS in The George for their relaxed Ukulele Jam at 8pm. People with all levels of experience, including those mistaking the ukelele for a banjo, are welcome. Grab a drink at the bar and join in with the group on a huge variety of songs. Attendance is free. For more information visit twukulele.com TUESDAY Tonight is the opening night of Trinity Theatre

PICK OF THE WEEK: Summer Jousting Tournaments Hever Castle July 13 and 14, 1pm

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Club’s production of Taking Steps, directed by Kirrie Wratten. Alan Ayckbourn’s beloved farce combines six eccentric characters with a decaying Victorian mansion and a tangle of confusions and misunderstandings. The play is perhaps best known for portraying the three floors of the house as a one-level set. The high energy high-jinks start at 7.30pm and the show runs until Saturday [July 20]. Tickets, which cost £15, can be booked online at trinitytheatre.net See also our feature on the play on pages 40-41

Join Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to watch the valiant knights battle for points in the saddle and on foot. The Knights of Royal England promise stunts, action, falls and flights in an authentic arena complete with Royal Box. You can watch the joust from the medieval spectator stands or bring a blanket and watch from the grass. Standard admission prices apply.

Do not bring rotten fruit to throw at the losers! For more information, visit hevercastle.co.uk

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Life&Times

Going Out

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites pdag.co.uk & thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Jack Vagabond, Rob Picazo, The Frampton Sisters Friday The Informers Trio Saturday The Violet Jive Sunday Sean Manuel, Becky Briggs, Milly Rusling

live music With Paul Dunton

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ENOWNED local acts Jack Vagabond, Rob Picazo and The Frampton Sisters will be performing at The Grey Lady tonight [Wednesday]. And for a rockin’ night at The Sussex Arms Basement, I highly recommend the superb Mantra with great support from Dearist.

On Thursday night, the excellent J Sonics play Jazz on The Pantiles.

Another fine July option is Folking In The Strawberries at Stonepitts Farm near Sevenoaks with Steffan James, King-Size Slim, Cunning Folk and The Lucky Dandy all performing.

Friday night sees the opening of the great Pub in the Park weekend event, and other shows include Ryan Weeks at The Bedford pub, The Informers Trio at The Grey Lady and

The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com

superb Stone Roses tribute Total Stone Roses at The Forum.

Saturday night brings Midnight Rider at The Beau Nash Tavern and The Violet Jive at The Grey Lady.

On Sunday, The John Hamilton Big Band play on the lawn of Tonbridge Castle, and Sophie Mullan makes her debut at Verdigris in Tonbridge.

Meanwhile, local singer songwriters Milly Rusling, Becky Briggs and Sean Manuel will be at The Grey Lady.

Next week, Lyndsey Rule headlines at The Tonbridge Folk Club on Monday evening, and the TWUNT Ukulele night is at The George pub.

On Tuesday, Sonny & The Harp are at The Punch & Judy in Tonbridge and blues fans can catch Debbie Bond, Radiator Rick & Roger Nunn at The Toad Rock Retreat in Upper Street.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Jemima Price Fragile House

VERDIGRIS Tonbridge High Street Free entry, music from 8pm Sunday Sophie Mullan THE NELSON ARMS Cromer Street, Tonbridge Free entry, music from 6.45pm Sunday MusicStation jam session – all welcome

THE SUSSEX ARMS BASEMENT Sussex Mews Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk Wednesday Mantra, Dearist JAZZ ON THE PANTILES The Pantiles Bandstand Music from 7.30pm (donations welcome) Thursday J Sonics FOLKING IN THE STRAWBERRIES Stonepitts Farm, Seal, Nr Sevenoaks Music from 6pm-9.30pm. Price is per car Thursday Steffan James, King-Size Slim, Cunning Folk, The Lucky Dandy MUSICSTATION Bank Street, Tonbridge Booking essential. Call 01732 350629 Thursday & Friday 8pm-9.30pm Adult Band Workshop, all levels welcome.

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM The Common Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk Thursday Under-18s Open Mic Friday Total Stone Roses (Stone Roses tribute) Saturday Xavier Ralph, Sorrel Nation, Isabella Coulstock Sunday Rolo Tomassi, Cryptodira

THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road Saturday Fragile House

PUB IN THE PARK Dunorlan Park Three-day event. Tickets via pubintheparkuk.com Friday Rick Astley, KT Tunstall, The Paul Dunton Orchestra Saturday Basement Jaxx, Stereo MCs, Suncharmer, Soul II Soul, Alice Jemima, Jack Burns Sunday Will Young, Gabrielle, The Bluetones, Natalie Williams & The Soul Family (See feature on pages 46-47) THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Free entry, music from 8pm Friday Ryan Weeks THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim Saturday Midnight Rider TONBRIDGE CASTLE High street, Tonbridge Free entry Saturday 3pm-5pm Jon Hamilton Big Band

TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB Flying Dutchman, Hildenborough Music from 8pm Monday Lyndsey Rule THE GEORGE PUB Mount Ephraim Free entry, music from 8pm Monday TWUNTS: Ukulele Jam Session THE TOAD ROCK RETREAT Upper Street Free entry, music from 7pm Tuesday Blues with Bottle Presents: Debbie Bond, Radiator Rick & Roger Nunn THE PUNCH & JUDY St Stephens Road, Tonbridge Free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday Sonny & The Harp The Frampton Sisters

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food

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Food & Drink FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Your invitation to savour some gourmet food and good grooves

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

MASTERCHEF Angela Hartnett

Over three days this weekend, celebrity chef Tom Kerridge brings his big Pub in the Park event to Dunorlan Park for the second year running, from Friday to Sunday. Here’s what’s in store for 2019…

‘Our aim was to serve up the highest quality food, quickly and consistently. Happily, we achieved that’

O

VER the weekend of July 12-14 Dunorlan Park will play host to a raft of famous celebrity chefs, top musical acts and lots of delicious food and drink thanks to Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park rolling into town again.

This is the second year of the event, which also takes place in other areas around the country, including Bath, in Tunbridge Wells knew what Pub in the Park was going to be all about. Everyone Knutsford and also Marlow, Tom’s grabbed it, got and loved it!” home town, which is where it all For its 2019 stint in Tunbridge began three years ago.

Wells, once again there’s And Tom and his team a stellar line-up of are hoping that this top chefs on the bill, year will be just as including the likes of big a success as it MasterChef’s Angela was last summer, Hartnett and our very when thousands own James Tanner and descended upon the his brother Chris who beautiful Tunbridge Wells park. co-run Bidborough’s The Kentish Hare.

“Everyone was “What a beautiful such great fun and and fantastic event last there was a great vibe year was,” James says. at Dunorlan,” says “It was really great, there was a Tom. “The fantastic wonderful festival feeling and the weather made it so bands were amazing. We got some special, and the fact it was HARE AND THERE really great food producers and James Tanner the first year there. But what chefs from all over Kent turning I also liked was that everyone

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Food & Drink

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47

Summer is cider time!

READY TO PARTY Tom Kerridge

Times Drinks Editor James Viner picks craft ciders which boast a true taste of summer 1) ORGANIC SUPERMARKET CHOICE: A POTENT OFF-DRY HEREFORDSHIRE DELIGHT Dunkertons Black Fox Cider, 500ml, Herefordshire (£1.83 offer, down from £2.29, until July 16, Waitrose; also Abel&Cole, Alc 7%) Named after the elusive local legend and hand-crafted in Herefordshire, this skilful ten-apple blend, including the scented star Stoke Red, classic bittersharp Kingston Black and bittersweet Dabinett, packs a potent bite. Secure a stash now for summer.

One for sausages and mash, pulled pork or a cheeseboard (think Cheddar, Camembert, Gruyère and Beaufort).

Don’t forget the 20% discount until July 16 at Waitrose. An organic beauty. up.

“There’s no denying it was fast and furious for those of us catering to hundreds of people every day, but we were well set up for it all.

“Our aim was to serve up the highest quality food, quickly and consistently. Happily, we achieved that. The feedback we had from customers was amazing!”

As well as lots of gourmet goodies to savour from the numerous popups, such as the one run by the Tanner brothers, there’ll also be lots of local artisan food and drink producers present and a brilliant music line-up to enjoy, including the likes of Rick Astley, Soul II Soul Sound System, Basement Jaxx, Will

Young and Gabrielle.

And what does Tom, who runs two Michelin-star pubs – The Hand and Flowers and The Coach in Marlow – as well as fulfilling his many media commitments, enjoy most about putting on this gastro and grooves event?

“Wandering around seeing people eating loads of food, enjoying the sunshine, having a couple of drinks then watching a band.

“Now, it really doesn’t get better than that, does it?”

For further information on the Pub in the Park bands playing at the Tunbridge Wells event, visit pubintheparkuk.com/tunbridgewells

2) ZINGY LOCAL CANNED HERO FROM BEKESBOURNE, NEAR CANTERBURY Kentish Pip Wild Summer Sparkling Elderflower Cider, 330ml can, Kent (£1.66-£2.50, Amazon/Eebria/ Woolton Farm Shop/ kentishpip.co.uk, Alc 4%) Sam Mount exemplifies the contemporary face of Kentish cider, mixing creative logistic skills (he used to produce music festivals) with a natural inquisitiveness about flavours. This light and accessible cider in tinny form is medium to sweet but rounded and refreshing. An

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine elderflower cordial was added to the ripe, mainly dessert apple mix prior to a light carbonation and canning.

It’s very easy to drink and perfect for hot, summer days. Vegan friendly and gluten-free, too.

3) COMPLEX AND CONTEMPLATIVE OUTOF-THIS-WORLD SPARKLING DRY CIDER Oliver’s Bottle-Conditioned Vintage Fine Cider, Season 2013, 750ml, Herefordshire (£7.50, oliversciderandperry.co.uk, Alc 5.3%) Renowned cidermaker Tom Oliver has won more awards for his cider and perry than there are wasps in his orchards at harvest. I dream of this

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stuff – a magical blend crafted from the very best barrels. Sublime! It’s 100% juice and wild-yeast fermented without preservatives, filtering or pasteurising.

Put this on any dinner table and drink with roast pork. A triumph of a grownup, food-friendly, sparkling dry cider.

ENJOYING CIDER ON TAP LOCALLY Craft keg cider can really complement your drink offering, local publicans!

Thankfully, there are now several top-tier producers who are kegging (Kentish Pip, Hawkes and Crafty Nectar, for example, and Worleys will start soon) and this will continue to grow.

Fuggles in Tunbridge Wells has a nice small but well-curated selection – try Andy Hallett’s incredible full-bodied Dabinett-blend ‘Real Cider’ from Caerphilly. Sublime with organic Hafod Cheddar.

Must-Try British Master Cidermakers: • Little Pomona Cidery & Orchard (Herefordshire) • Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry (Herefordshire) • Oliver’s Cider & Perry (Herefordshire) • Find & Foster (Devon) • Pilton Cider (Somerset)

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Life&Times

Motoring

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Motoring News

This week…  Puma purrs again  A small boys’ toy  New Corsa latest

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

New engines to bolster Vauxhall Corsa line-up

McLaren toys with futuristic version of its 720S supercar

Ford Puma crossover is revealed with clever boot and hybrid engines FORD has revived the Puma name for its new crossover, which majors on practicality and efficient powertrains.

The car will get Ford’s new mildhybrid powertrain, which utilises a small battery and electric motor to take over ancillary functions at low speeds and assist the internal combustion engine to improve efficiency.

It will be available on the 123bhp and 153bhp 1.0-litre petrol engines, with Ford claiming the electric motor improves efficiency by around 9%.

A 123bhp version of the 1.0-litre engine will also be available without the mild-hybrid set-up, while a diesel powertrain and seven-speed automatic transmission will join the line-up later.

Practicality is high on the agenda, with a clever ‘MegaBox’ luggage com-

partment in the bottom of the boot, which helps increase the boot space to a class-leading 456 litres.

The Puma’s styling is described as ‘a new chapter in Ford’s design identity’, with high-mounted headlights and a sloping roofline at the rear. It’s been launched in ST-Line trim, available with 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels, a sporty body kit and functional roof spoiler.

Inside, the technology on offer includes a wireless charging pad and optional ten-speaker B&O sound system.

Stuart Rowley, President of Ford Europe, said: “We’ve gone to every length to give customers the flexibility they want, and the best-looking car they’ve ever owned.”

The Puma will go on sale at the end of 2019, with pricing to be announced.

MCLAREN is making a fresh move into the autonomous and electrified market in one fell swoop – albeit in the form of a children’s toy.

This is the 720S ‘Ride-On’ – a scaled-down version of the firm’s 710bhp supercar, with an electric motor sitting in place of a twinturbocharged V8 engine.

It’s aimed squarely at the emerging three to six-year-old petrolhead market and comes packed with features to appeal directly to the demographic.

First up is its autonomous technology, up to a point. A remote control can be used by an adult to operate the vehicle without any input from the driver, giving those in the hot seat a luxurious chauffeur-like experience.

It also boasts state-ofthe-art sound recreation technology.

By that we mean it plays an audio file of a V8 engine when the little motorist behind the wheel puts the accelerator down to the floor for a more spirited drive.

A screen in the cockpit displays information to prevent any concerns of electric range toddlers may have.

This unit also plays host to an infotainment system that’s capable of playing a number of pre-loaded children’s songs – though it also supports USB and SD card inputs for those wanting to personalise the experience.

Young owners even have a choice of replica McLaren colours to choose from, with eye-catching Papaya Spark an exclusive to the firm’s dealership network.

Available to order now, the McLaren 720S Ride-On is priced from £315.

For comparison, the full-sized machine would set you back at least £220,000.

VAUXHALL has revealed details of petrol and diesel powertrains for its all-new Vauxhall Corsa, following on from the reveal of the all-electric Corsa-e last month.

From launch, two petrol units and one diesel will be offered for the supermini.

Kicking off the former’s range is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit producing 74bhp that’s sent through a five-speed manual gearbox.

Up next is a 99bhp turbocharged unit of equal capacity, lifted straight from French owner PSA Group’s catalogue, coupled to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. As for the sole diesel, that’s a 1.5-litre unit developing 99bhp and 250Nm of torque.

These engines join the all-electric e-Corsa in the line-up, which features a 50kWh battery.

The electric range is claimed at 211 miles, with charging from flat to 80% said to take just 30 minutes on a rapid unit.

The new Corsa is the first model designed from the ground-up under Vauxhall’s PSA Group ownership, after it purchased the British firm in 2017. It’s said to weigh 980kg – up to 108kg less than the previous car – despite retaining similar dimensions.

Full specifications for the Corsa are yet to be confirmed, but the firm has said equipment will include full LED headlights, Vauxhall Connect services and a ten-inch infotainment screen.

Expect the arrival date to be in early 2020.

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.

3 9 5

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To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

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Codeword:

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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

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DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★★

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1 6 5 4 8 2 4

1 8 7

4 8 7 6 4

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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

R E P A S T E A P V E R D I U A N E GG O B O Z S Y N T A X E I N Q U I R S U M E A N I N I Y F C A S T S

S L I E C H O K L I V Y J U S P I E S N T G A L G Y I E

I L A C O H R T L E T E I O U S E I C E S A J E T O O L L OW E E L D E D

4 5 1 6 7 3 9 8 2

6 7 3 2 9 8 1 5 4

5 1 9 8 4 2 3 6 7

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8 2 7 3 6 9 4 1 5

9 5 8 7 1 6 4 2 3

2 4 3 5 7 1 8 6 9

4 2 9 6 5 3 1 8 7

5 3 6 8 2 9 7 4 1

1 8 7 9 4 5 6 3 2

Sudoku:

1 8 5 9 2 4 7 3 6

7 6 4 1 3 5 8 2 9

9 3 2 7 8 6 5 4 1

2 9 8 4 5 1 6 7 3

Jigsaw Sudoku:

7 6 5 3 8 2 9 1 4

8 1 2 4 9 7 3 5 6

6 9 1 2 3 4 5 7 8

3 7 4 1 6 8 2 9 5

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

50

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Recruitment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

WITH THE

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY

Fill your vacancy now in print or online

From just £99 For more information contact our commercial team on 01892 779650

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

52

Life&Times

Sport

FORsports EVENstories MORE to: NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Please send newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

Captain Williams mixes aggression and caution with perfect ton Canterbury 179 lost to Tunbridge Wells 181-6 by 4 wkts

By Alan Cutts CRICKET: CAPTAIN Chris Williams led from the front with a superb unbeaten century to see his side home on a bowler-friendly track at Canterbury’s Polo Farm.

But while he received little support from the rest of the top order in the run-chase, his bowlers had been impressive - particularly teenage left-arm paceman Isaac Bepey, who is staking a claim to a regular spot in the first team.

Williams won the toss and asked Canterbury to bat first but his front-line bowlers were initially

unable to make an impression despite the helpful conditions.

The home captain Isaac Dilkes (35) and Bradley Goldsack (29) defied them in raising an opening stand of 69 in 14 overs before Dave Smith finally broke through.

Bepey returned for a brief second spell in which he grabbed 2 for 4 as the total slipped to 81 for 3, but Elliot Lewis (28) and Justin MacVicar (35) steadied the ship again and the score rose to 142 for 3 after 33 overs.

The visiting attack now shuffled its resources to great effect and dominated the second half of the innings, as the last seven wickets fell for 37 runs.

Bepey came away with 4 for 27 while Ari Karvelas, Smith and spinner Marcus O’Riordan each took two wickets.

Canterbury were suddenly all out for 179, leaving four overs unused as their resistance was abruptly swept aside.

Despite an early loss, opener Williams was at his attacking best and found decent support from Christian Davis as they added 51 in eight overs.

Resolve Once Davis departed, however, the rest of the top order fell away alarmingly to be 69 for 5, with Ben Rutherford (3-19 from ten overs) the chief architect of this collapse.

But Williams showed the sternest resolve, and found a willing partner once again in Ian McLean (23), as the sixth wicket brought a combative and vital stand of 74.

Enthusiasm, skill and sportsmanship are winners at Kwik Cricket Festival

After his brisk start, Williams now presented an immaculate defence while neglecting no opportunity to punish the bad ball.

When Karvelas walked out to join his captain 37 runs were needed, and the tail was exposed.

But Williams guided his side home in a steely, unbroken seventh-wicket partnership.

He reached three figures and then immediately scored the winning boundary at 181 for 6 with 12.4 overs to spare.

His innings of 104 not out off 121 balls with 11 fours and four sixes was an exceptional knock of rare skill, determination and ingenuity.

The victory meant Wells maintained their fourth place in the Kent League Premier Division.

They now take on Lordswood at home on Saturday (July 13).

Cowdrey spin twins are unable to make late breakthroughs Cowdrey 134 lost to Nonington 135-7 by 3 wkts

By Stuart Clarke

KWIK LEARNERS: Leybourne (left) and Woodlands Primary Schools with Mayor Jill Anderson; both have gone through to the county final at Canterbury CRICKET: AROUND 100 young cricketers from six primary schools took part in the Tonbridge & Malling Kwik Cricket Festival at Kings Hill Cricket Club.

Nine teams played each other for points leading to an overall winner based on the highest scoring school, and the tournament was won by Leybourne Primary.

The festival was organised by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council in partnership with Kent Community Cricket.

It forms part of a national programme to encourage more schools to offer cricket as part of the PE curriculum and provide a platform for pupils to showcase their skills.

St Margaret’s Clitherow of Tonbridge saw their

Year 3 and 4 team win the Most Sporting Team Award for their positive behaviour and consideration for others throughout the competition.

‘It has been such a pleasure to watch the students playing with such enthusiasm’ Ten young peopled aged 14 to 16 who are taking part in the council’s Young Cricket Leaders Programme helped out with scoring and umpiring, providing great support for the children.

The Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Cllr Jill Anderson, came to watch and presented trophies to the winning teams.

She said: “Congratulations to Leybourne Primary School for their most impressive win.

“It was an enjoyable afternoon and it has been such a pleasure to watch the students playing with such enthusiasm.

“I would like to thank all the young cricket leaders and the coaches involved for their exceptional scoring and umpiring efforts, and the staff at Kings Hill Cricket Club for hosting such a fabulous event again this year.”

Leybourne and Woodlands Junior School in Tonbridge will be taking part in the county final tomorrow (Thursday) in Canterbury.

Local challengers miss out on Open chance GOLF: MORE than 100 golfers came to Wildernesse to take part in the fifth regional qualifier for the Open Championship at Portrush on July 18-21.

In addition to the top regional players, there were also entrants from Europe, Africa and America among the 116 competitors vying for the 13 places available for the final qualifying round at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich.

Stephen Shephard, a 22-year-old amateur from Florida, produced some spectacular golf and won with a course record score of 64, which included only 25 putts.

Oliver Sly from Knole Park came second with an excellent round of 66. Liam Burns of Chislehurst, Jensen Hull from Hever Castle and Simon Khan, who won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2010, all tied for third place with scores of 68.

Craig Sutherland, who plays at Poult Wood near Tonbridge, also secured a slot at the

Sandwich finale with a round of 69.

There were nine players tied for 12th place with a score of -1, all competing for the final two qualifying spots which were decided by a three-hole play-off.

Hobbs on hot form to win Bewl’s 20th race

By Andrew Deighton

Encourage Hull went on to record another sub-par round of -1 at Prince’s but it was not enough to secure a place in the showdown at Northern Ireland.

Sly and Sutherland also missed out with rounds of +6 on the par-72 course, while Burns went round in +7.

Wildernesse’s chairman David Evans commented: “We are honoured to be one of only 13 clubs in the UK and Ireland to host an event of this stature.

“We hope this will encourage more people to visit us and explore the wonderful course and facilities at Wildernesse.”

CRICKET: A WEAKENED Cowdrey side lost to Nonington at Swanmead in a tightly fought contest in Kent League Division Three - a further setback after suffering two very narrow defeats.

Ryan Addison won the toss and elected to bat but he saw overseas player Sherynl Burns (3 for 28) remove Cowdrey’s top three with a hostile spell of fast bowling.

Minhaj Jalill and Jason Carver went about rebuilding the innings, and then the Sri Lankan all-rounder found another ally with Oscar Holmes to take the total up to 121 for 5.

A score of 200 looked possible but another collapse saw the home side dismissed for 134 with almost 12 overs unused.

Jalill was the last to depart for 48, caught on the boundary trying to add to his tally of two sixes, Harry Mansell picked up 3 for 35 at the end.

It was a below-par effort and Cowdrey knew they had to come out fighting. Thom Brown (2 for 34) duly did so, removing both openers.

As Daniel McHugh settling well, however, spin was introduced at both ends and Jalill (2 for 26) and Ralph Yeats-Brown (3 for 27) caused havoc.

McHugh eventually fell to the latter for 50 with eight boundaries, and at 95 for 7 the door was ajar for an unexpected Cowdrey win.

But the home team saw luck desert them again as Nonington lost no further wickets as they reached 135 for 7 off 37.3 overs, Burns remaining unbeaten on 22.

Cowdrey must now take on the league leaders Harvel at home on Saturday (July 13].

GREEN KING: Stephen Shephard from the United States needed only 25 putts in his round of 64

ATHLETICS: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Harrier Billy Hobbs continued his successful year by winning the Bewl 15-Mile race.

It was the 20th anniversary of the race, which follows the pathways around the local reservoir and its surrounding country lanes.

Hobbs led home a field of more than 700 runners in a time of 1hr 26min 8sec.

Keeping it in the family, the next Harrier was his father Martin in 1:56 for 12th place in M50.

He was followed by Simon Howden (1:58), Paul Hollis (2:04), Chris Walmsley (2:06), Matt Newman (2:14), Michael Youlton (2:22), Gary O’Reilly (2:39) and Duncan Ralph (2:45).

Gem Stilliard was the first Harrier home in the women’s race, her time of 2:09.44 securing 10th in the F40 category, while Rose Sawyer (2:29) and Carol Tsang (2:42) also had good runs.

Wednesday July 10 | 2019

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Sport

Stansfield shatters Bastion record to win title again at Hever Festival of Endurance

TRIATHLON: THIS year’s Hever Castle Festival of Endurance raised the bar for the full Ironman distance, with a new course record set for the first time.

The Bastion, as the race is called, consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run and is renowned as one of the UK’s toughest long-distance triathlon events.

Returning to defend his title, Sion Stansfield stormed to victory again with a time of 9hr 48min 31sec, half an hour better than his 2018 performance.

He shaved eight minutes off the previous best, and it was the first time the record had been broken since Fraser Cartmell set the mark at the inaugural Bastion in 2014.

Once again Stansfield consigned Sam Walsh to

second place with a time of 10:34.46, while Oliver Teenan was third in 10:51.08.

Stansfield said: “I was surprised to get in the lead on the bike quite early, it was good fun.

“I didn’t have good bike legs but I managed to hold it on the run.

Remarkable “I won with ten hours 18 minutes last year and I wanted to have a sub ten-hour time today.

“This is my full Iron distance PB [personal best] so I’m happy with that.”

The women’s Bastion also delivered remarkable performances, with Cleo Fychan winning at her first attempt at the full Iron distance with a time of 13:53.01.

Thompson beats infection and storms to shine in Transylvania

By Amy Pay TRIATHLON: TWO Tunbridge Wells athletes were competing in Romania for the Team GB Age Group squads at the ETU Multisport European Championships.

Michael Thomson took part in the standard distance duathlon (10km run, 38km bike, 5km run) at the Transylvania motor circuit.

He had a rocky build-up to the race, contracting a septic knee infection and receiving the all-clear only two weeks ago.

Heavy thunderstorms delayed the start, creating a wet and slippery course.

But he found some fast straights on the bike and used his technical skills to finish fifth M50-54 with a time of 2hr 11min.

Unrivalled Stephen Dunkerley (M55-59) took part in the middle-distance aqua bike (1.9km swim, 83km bike), which he completed in 3:26 to earn himself ninth place in his age group.

Three club athletes took part in the bucket list race, Challenge Roth in Germany (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km marathon run).

With more than 5,000 competitors and 260,000 spectators, support for the athletes around the course was unrivalled.

First home for the club was Kieran Fitzpatrick in 10:04, finishing the race with a strong three-hour, 25-minute marathon.

He was followed by Adam Dennis in 10:25, knocking over an hour off his previous best on this course, with Guy Whitby following in 10:37 after a strong bike leg.

Matt Bridgeman raced in Ironman Austria, with 3.8km swim taking place in beautiful Lake

Wörthersee. During the bike course, a huge thunderstorm threatened to stop the race but he managed to finish his first Ironman in 15:56.

Closer to home, Tunbridge Wells was also represented well at the Castle Triathlon Series Festival of Endurance held at Hever Castle.

Three took part in The Bastion, a gruelling full Iron distance race (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42km run) looping Ashdown Forest and surrounding areas.

First home for the club was Grant Aitken (M50) in 12:06.25, taking first place in his age group, followed by Ed Moffatt (M30-39) in 13:33.48 and Steve Lindsey (M40-49) in 15:40.20.

The festival’s half iron distance race, The Gauntlet (1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21km run), was completed by Sam Gibbs (M30-39) in 6:16.13 after what he described as a ‘brutal race, the hardest half I’ve ever done’.

The long distance aquabike (3.8km swim, 180km bike) was completed by club chairman Ken Macsporran (M40-44), won won his age group in a time of 5:47.34.

Lloyd Collier (M45-49) came third in his categoery in 5:45.51 and John Fuller (M45-49) was fifth in age group in 6:41.10.

And nine club members competed in the Outlaw Half, held at Holkham Hall in Norfolk (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run).

Richard Bysouth (M40-44) was first home for the club in 5:29.58, while Clare Roche (F60-64) gave a fine performance in her first attempt stepping up to this distance, finishing second in her age group with a time of 6:50.45.

Other athletes completing the race were John Kendall (M55-59) 5:59.37, Chris Dickinson (M55-59) 6:04.35, Richard Pearce (M35-39) 6:24.20, Jim Bonner (M50-54) 6:40.06, Su Bonner (F50-54) 6:40.07 and Laura Finch (F40-44) 7:22.34.

She was closely followed by Jennifer Ansell less than three minutes later, recording a time of 13:55.58, while Emily Carter was third in 14:25.21.

Fychan said: “I have completed a half Iron distance before at Woburn Abbey, and today I just wanted to come in under 17 hours.

“I’d read about how hilly the course is so I’ve been preparing for this race on hills.

“It made a massive difference having my parents here supporting me from this morning and throughout the day.

“I want to say to all women competing in triathlon that no fear should stop you from taking on courses like this.”

More than 1,600 athletes took part in a variety of triathlon, multisport, marathon, half marathon and open water swim events at the festival.

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Angels fight back with predator Read Sittingbourne 2 Tonbridge Angels 3

PHOTOS: Paul Mitchell/AWOL Adventure

STORM THE CASTLE: Sion Stansfield finishes the Bastion in record time while (right) Cleo Fychan relaxes with her parents after winning the women’s race

Life&Times

FOOTBALL: THE Angels found themselves 2-0 down after 10 minutes in their friendly at the Brickies’ Martin & Conley Stadium.

The arrears were reduced in the 12th minute when Tommie Hession-Harris’s cross saw Sonny Miles meet the ball with a well-placed header.

The visitors equalised in the 26th minute when Tommy Brewer made no mistake from 10 yards out following a free kick from Hession-Harris.

They found a winner in the 87th minute when Miles headed a corner back across goal and and Alex Read converted at the far post.

Assistant Manager Barry Moore said: “Apart from a mad first 10 minutes we subsequently gave ourselves some discipline and played with much more cohesion and organisation.”

Tricky Powell-Downey ensures win for Rustics Rusthall 3 Peacehaven & Telscombe 1 FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL’S keeper Aaron McGuigan was forced to make a few smart saves in the club’s first friendly of pre-season, and the visitors opened the scoring with a solo effort.

The game then turned on a mistake by The Tye’s keeper, who fumbled a ball into his own net.

The teams went in level at half-time, and the Rustics came out to dominate the second half.

A triallist latched on to a through ball after setting up the move and finished with aplomb.

Then the tricky Raul Powell-Downey jinked his way into the box and was brought down. He got up to score the resultant penalty and sure victory.

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