Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Times
All the news that matters
E WHER CH T A W O T ND
ENGLOAATIA vs CR PAGE SEE
67
Local, National and International
OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
INSIDE
Hospitals battle to balance the books in bid for a £12m bonus
EXTRA POWERS?
New pilot rate scheme to be trialled in county Page 10
By Duncan Audsley THE hard pressed NHS Trust which manages Tunbridge Wells Hospital is in line for a £12million bonus if it can bring its finances out of the red. Data released recently shows that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] recorded an in-year deficit of £10.9million at the end of the last 12 month financial period. This was despite the fact that the Trust’s management was expecting to see a £6.7million surplus.
Bonus Balancing the books represents another challenge for managers of the hospital in Pembury, which was most recently rated as ‘requires improvement,’ by the Care and Quality Commission. MTW, which also manages Maidstone Hospital, has confirmed no staff cuts or reduction in patient treatment will happen as a result of the deficit. The figures were released by the NHS shortly after the Government announced a funding boost of £20.5billion a year for the health service. Miles Scott, Chief Executive of MTW, took over the post in January and said a plan is in place to balance the books. But getting the trust in good financial shape this year is key, with a £12million bonus from the NHS at stake.
Continued on Page 2
GEORGE COHEN MBE Tunbridge Wells’ most famous footballer Page 3
DEEP END: Frant Road was one of several areas flooded in Tunbridge Wells on Thursday [July 5]. A video showing a lorry driving through deep water was watched more than 440,000 times on the Times of Tunbridge Wells Facebook page. Watch the video at theknow.guide
Flash floods cause more grief to stricken businesses in town By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk BUSINESSES sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage last week as Tunbridge Wells drainage again failed to cope with a downpour. Rain equating to three buckets of water per square-metre fell in one hour on Thursday afternoon [July 5] causing businesses in the southern end of town to temporarily close. The Pantiles and Mount Pleasant were flooded for the second time in 12 months, to the anger of business owners who had been told by Southern Water that last year’s bad weather was a ‘once in 50 year event’. Clive Everton, Manager of Choice Carpets in Nevill Street, said: “This is the
fourth time we have flooded in four years, but this time we have to replace more than ever.” Louise Clark, Managing Director of One Warwick Park Hotel, said: “Despite our
‘The flash flood was a bitter blow… The street turned into a river’ Greg Clark MP precautions, the flood caused major damage at one of the busiest times of year. “This area has been flooded since the turn of the century and it’s time for a council to take responsibility.” And after two previous floods had cost his business in the region of £30,000, John Hoare of Cassidy’s Sports Bar in
Castle Street said £5,000 worth of stock had been lost. Flooding in The Pantiles area has been long associated with The Pantiles area, with seven incidents having been recorded in county council logs since 2000. Incidents in 2015 and again in 2017 prompted Kent County Council to produce two reports to investigate. The latter states: “Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has a general responsibility to oversee all matters relating to drainage within the district. “Southern Water are responsible for the maintenance of foul and surface water public sewers. “Kent County Council is the lead local flood authority and has a duty to: Under-
Continued on Page 2
COOKING UP A FEAST Local chefs toast festival’s huge success Pages 4-5
WHAT A NOVEL IDEA Writer’s book reveals her passion for perfume Page 52
2
NEWS
Local News
‘It is a huge incentive’
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
‘This has been a problem since the turn of the century’
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
“Three years ago the trust had an underlying deficit of £35million,” Mr Scott told the Times in an exclusive interview [see pages 8 and 9]. “That has come down significantly but it has not been eradicated. It came down by the financial year that finished in March. “We have now got a plan to get back into balance this year, and to remove all of the underlying issues the following year.” He continued: “If we can hit our budget of a balanced budget this year we can earn a bonus of around £12million that can be invested in facilities. “It is a huge incentive for all of our staff. We are focused on working within our means.” The trust has previously told wider media that it could ‘reduce its reliance on agency staff’ to cut costs. Across Kent, all county hospitals are in the red. Dartford and Gravesham reported a £15.7million deficit, East Kent recorded a £20million deficit. Medway had the biggest, however, with a £61million deficit. See pages 8-9 for more.
take flood investigations and oversee the management of flood risks.” After last year’s floods Greg Clark met with all three of these authorities and said he would form a ‘working group’ to hold ‘responsible bodies’ to account. A year on, the former Environment Secretary told the Times: “The flash flood was a bitter blow for several businesses and residents who have only just recovered from flooding last summer. “As the photos of the junction of Nevill Street and The Pantiles show, the street turned into a river.” He added that his working party had ‘ensured’ drains in the area had been cleaned and that this time around the ‘waters drained more thoroughly’. “But this is small comfort to the properties who were caught in the deluge,” Mr Clark continued, “I am meeting Southern Water later this month.” Dave Nicklin, Landlord of the flooded Tunbridge Wells Interiors in The Pantiles, said suggestions made
Head of Planning resigns from role at the Town Hall KAREN FOSSETT has resigned as Head of Planning at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, the authority has confirmed. The Town Hall said she left around one month ago and that Stephen Baughen, previously the Planning Policy Manager, has taken her place on an interim basis. A long term successor has not yet been named. Ms Fossett took the post in October 2016 after having previously worked at Elmbridge Borough Council. A spokesman for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said: “We don’t comment on why someone leaves the council. “Given that local planning authority is member led it’s not really appropriate to talk about a legacy.” - This week a planning application was submitted to seek permission to build 49 homes at Gibbet Lane and Furnace Lane in Horsmonden.
CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER WILLIAM MATA will@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
16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU
CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at Times local newspapers 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 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.
PRINTED BY MORTONS PRINT LTD Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6JR
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
WATERWORLD: How the Times has reported previous flooding online that new builds in the area were causing flooding were ‘incorrect’ and that local councils should be held to account. Cllr Tracy Moore, part of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s ruling Conservative group, said: “These are not one in 50 year events. “Council Leader David Jukes and I are pressing for an urgent meeting of all parties for a long-term solution. Lib Dem Cllr Ben Chapelard, the council’s opposition leader: “One flood is too many but three floods in three years amounts to a dereliction of duty by local councils and the water board.” The floods also led Southeastern to cancel two trains from Tunbridge Wells station. Peter Burfoot of Knights Solicitors in High Street, Tunbridge Wells, said: “It has been a recurring problem and needs to be addressed by the authorities. “Anyone who is affected can claim on their insurance. It is up to them to approach who might be liable.”
BROOMS AT THE READY The clean-up begins on Frant Road
THE RESPONSES KENT COUNTY COUNCIL: “Sections of the highway drainage system, which are not designed to accommodate downpours of such intensity, were overwhelmed. “Drains are routinely cleaned on Nevill Street and Warwick Park twice a year and our strategic network is attended yearly. “Kent County Council has undertaken surveys of the area around the Pantiles and a detailed design for this area has now been completed to discharge water. “We aim to complete this work by the end of summer. This has been designed to greatly reduce the risk of flooding, though it is something we cannot eliminate entirely.” TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL: “We are extremely sorry for the distress yesterday afternoon’s
flash flood has caused some local business in the town. “Teams from our contractor, Biffa, have been hard at work since early this morning clearing the debris and cleaning pavements and will help any affected business that needs some assistance with flood damaged stock. “Since the floods last summer we have been part of a series of meetings with Kent County Council and Southern Water as they seek to identify long term solutions to address the issue. We will continue to work with them to mitigate the effects of such incidents in the future.” SOUTHERN WATER: “The flash flooding in Tunbridge Wells, caused by an intense period of rainfall, were not connected with our assets and we had no failures of our combined sewers.”
Office space shortage could be helped by redevelopment plan By William Mata OFFICES could now be built on the former Tunbridge Wells Auction House in Linden Park Road. Under plans, the building would be redeveloped and would change use after the Auction House closed earlier this year in its original function. A planning application has been lodged with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and is now being processed. Development consultants Kember Loudon Williams submitted the application Their application letter read: “Regrettably, it is proving increasingly difficult to let and maintain the current auction house.
THE HAMMER FALLS How the new exterior could look if plans go ahead
Business “This is due to a combination of the general downturn in retail/sales activity and the everincreasing presence and competition from web-based auction sites. “The latter in particular has had a serious impact on the application site and resulted in a high turnover of tenants, many of whom have defaulted on their lease agreements.” But the loss of the auction house might be to the gain of the business community. Tunbridge Wells has suffered with a widelyreported loss of office space in recent years with 22 per cent being lost in the past five years.
This is because of relaxed permitted development rights allowing landlords relative ease to change offices into more profitably property. This is something the borough council is hoping to put an end to by bringing in safeguarding legislation. Under plans, the auction house’s bricked exterior would be replaced by glass windows. Kember Loudon Williams said the new offices
will be ‘flexible’ and ‘would support a combination of start-up businesses and individuals’. The statement continued: “It is hoped the combination of commercial / business use will foster growth and help to offset some of the employment and office space lost through the permitted development rights. “This is most notable at Union House, to the north west of the application site.”
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Council to decide on Civic Complex CPOs
Potholes being filled NEARLY 30,000 potholes have been filled since March 1, according to Kent County Council. The authority’s Highways team has also resurfaced 87,000sqm of roads across the county as part of their £7.5million ‘pothole blitz’. This has seen 2,789 potholes filled in Tunbridge Wells and 1,437 in Tonbridge, since the blitz began in the aftermath of February’s Beast from the East storm. Work took place last month on Lower Green Road and Church Road in Tunbridge Wells. Highways teams are currently carrying out road repairs on Forest Road in Tunbridge Wells and Conford Lane in Pembury.
Talk on war refugees LOCAL historian Pam Mills will be giving talks about how Tonbridge cared for Belgian refugees when they were based in the town during the First World War. Mrs Mills, who is deputy organiser of the town’s Poppy Appeal, will be in Fuggles Beer Cafe on Sunday [July 15] from 3-8pm. She has been preparing for the Tonbridge 100 extravaganza on August 18-19, which will see a wide range of activities to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War.
NEWS
3
Map of Hundred Acre Wood sells
NEWS IN BRIEF
MEMBERS of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are set to take their first steps towards making a Compulsory Purchase Order [CPO]. The authority’s Finance & Governance Cabinet Advisory Board have discussed a proposal to acquire land to facilitate the delivery of the £90million Calverley Square civic complex. Councillors on the board were scheduled to meet after the Times went to press last night [Tuesday] and decide whether to forward plans to the Cabinet. A pre-meeting report recommended the councillors to resolve and make a CPO. The Town Hall has not made public which location the order will apply to. A spokesman said: “The Council is continuing to negotiate with those parties who have property and rights affected by the CPO and will use the CPO only as a last resort.”
Local News
THE original map of Winnie-the-Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood by artist EH Shepard has set a new record for any book illustration at auction, selling for £430,000 at Sotheby’s. The sketch from 1926, unseen for nearly half a century, shows an area of Ashdown Forest close to Friar’s Gate – which is known as 500 Acre Wood. It introduced readers to the world of Christopher Robin and his woodland friends in the original book by A A Milne. It had been offered at the London sale with an estimate of £100,000-150,000 but surpassed the previous record sale price set in 2014 when an original ink drawing portraying Milne’s characters playing poohsticks sold for £314,500. The map also played a starring role in the Disney film, Winnie-the-Pooh And The Honey Tree, where it was animated as part of the movie’s opening sequence. It was first sold by Sotheby’s in 1968 for £650 and then two years later for £1,700.
Secondary school could expand to meet a growth in population By William Mata A TWO-storey £6.6million teaching and sports hall block could be built in St Gregory’s Catholic School in a bid to accommodate more students. The secondary in Reynolds Lane, Tunbridge Wells, will expand from a seven form intake of 210 pupils to an eight form intake of 240 this September.
Deficit The building would be completed in time for September 2020 and temporary classrooms would be used for students until then. Kent County Council has submitted the planning application to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to enhance the comprehensive amid growing demand for spaces. This is all part of a £25million investment that could see Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, The
Skinners’ School and The Judd School also expand. St Gregory’s would have a capacity of 1,440 if the plans are approved. The school’s Area Business Manager Christopher CharlesWebb said: “We are more than happy to try and help Kent County Council meet the expanding needs of secondary school places.” Councillor Roger Gough, Cabinet member for Education,
said: “In Tunbridge Wells there is forecast to be a deficit of school places. “We anticipate this will be the result of pressure from indigenous population growth and new housing developments, including those at Hawkenbury Farm and Paddock Wood. “Each of these popular and successful schools are ideally placed to meet the increased demand for places.”
FEARS SCHOOL WILL NOT OPEN WHEN PLANNED NO planning application has been submitted for a new Tunbridge Wells primary school, which is set to open next year. Hawkenbury Village Association fears the opening of the new-look St Peter’s School will now be delayed until September 2020. The school is needed to facilitate the 235-home Hawkenbury Farm development.
St Peter’s is already a school in Windmill Street in Tunbridge Wells on three small sites. But this would close and re-open as Hawkenbury Road’s first primary. Dean Kenward, Chairman of Hawkenbury Village Association, said: “There are a number in Hawkenbury area who are thinking of applying. “Some people have children who will be school age in 2019 and moved here for it.”
Football legend is backing Lions ENGLAND will be cheered on in their semi-final against Croatia tonight by a World Cup legend. George Cohen MBE, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, played right full-back for the Three Lions when they won the tournament in 1966. And the 78-year-old believes the current generation of players can match the achievement. “We can win. We are there. We’ve got to go through a couple of games but we can easily compete,” he said, in an interview on BBC News this week. He spoke to the media after it was announced six Spitfire aircraft would fly back alongside the plane carrying the England team – if the Lions win the final. England will face either Belgium or France in the final if they see off Croatia. But 1966 remains the only time England have won the World Cup. Mr Cohen, who was born in 1939, the same year the Assembly Hall Theatre was built, managed Tonbridge Angels football club in a long career in which he also played for Fulham 459 times before retiring aged 29 due to injury.
4
NEWS
Local News
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
BIG EVENT Pub In The Park took place over the weekend
Thousands enjoy fine food, live music and
fun in the sunshine By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk AROUND 17,000 gathered at Dunorlan Park for one of Tunbridge Wells’ biggest ever events; Pub in the Park. The food and music festival, created by Michelin Star chef Tom Kerridge, kicked off on Friday, [July 6], and ran until Sunday. It saw popstars Tom Odell, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mel C and Billy Ocean headline over the weekend. Visitors enjoyed temperatures of 26°C across the five sessions, which on Saturday and Sunday were split between the afternoon and evenings to SPARKLING SUCCESS Sophie Ellis Bextor performs
avoid overcrowding. And football fans were not disappointed, with organisers showing England’s World Cup quarter final with Sweden on the park’s big screen, on Saturday afternoon. Mr Kerridge also joined culinary greats Daniel Clifford and Paul Ainsworth in showing off their cooking skills courtesy of live demos.
Amazing Afterwards, Mr Kerridge said: “What an amazing weekend we have had at Dunorlan Park to celebrate some of the UK’s finest food and music.
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
‘The weather was gloriously sunny all weekend. To top it all off we played a great game against Sweden’
OH BROTHER The Kentish Hare’s Chris and James Tanner
Tunbridge Wells as a new town to be added, alongside Knutsford in Cheshire, and Bath. Organisers have not confirmed if the event will return in 2019. Before the weekend, some had registered concern about how roads would cope and if the hot weather could cause problems. But despite no parking spaces on offer at Dunorlan itself, organisers said their traffic plan worked and that ‘plenty of water’ was on offer. CULINARY GENIUS Tom gives a masterclass
SIGNING UP TO A GREAT CHARITY SOUTHBOROUGH tailors Hardman & Hemming are offering foodies the chance to win a jacket signed by all the Pub in the Park chefs. The sharp suit has been put up as a raffle prize, with all proceeds from the £2 tickets going to Nourish Foodbank. Stuart Hardman, shop Co-Owner, said: “It has been signed by all of the top chefs from the main man Tom Kerridge and Candice Brown (Great British Bake Off winner) through to Chris and James Tanner, regular TV chefs and the force behind The Kentish Hare in Bidborough.” The citrus jacket, which would not look out of place in Michael Portillo’s wardrobe, appeared on food stages at Pub in the Park, earning the name ‘Bert’. Nourish help families and individuals across Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge who struggle to put food a meal on the table with emergency food. To buy tickets, visit the tailors at 116 London Road, Southborough.
NEWS THREE’S COMPANY Tom with Seventeen staff
PIANO MAN Tom Odell played Friday night’s session
ALL RISE Bake Off winner Candice Brown
“We had some incredible acts on the main stage and we were graced with a host of world class chefs, who had a blast serving everyone their pub grub menus. “The weather was gloriously sunny all weekend. To top it all off we played a great game against Sweden. “Thank you Tunbridge Wells for having us.” Pub in the Park was held in Marlow for the first time last year and returned this year with
Local News
5
6
NEWS
Local News
Protect your pet in summer heat WITH hot temperatures showing no sign of cooling down and the potential risk of toxic algae blooms developing in sheltered areas of open water, you’ll want to ensure your dog is healthy. Bewl Water has published some helpful advice on how dogs can stay safe during the summer months. Howard Mackenzie, Estate Manager at Bewl reservoir in Lamberhurst, said: “It is great to see so many families and dog owners enjoying themselves, but it’s important they remember some key safety tips.
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Concerns Brexit agreement could lead to pressure on Kent’s roads BACK TO STACK Calls have been made to reduce congestion
Hydrated “Don’t leave your pet inside a parked vehicle for any length of time, even with a small amount of ventilation dogs can very quickly become dehydrated and unwell. It’s also essential to ensure it stays well hydrated and that’s why at Bewl we provide a number of free water bowls. “Owners should also avoid walking their dog during the hottest parts of the day and if you are near the open water please don’t allow your pet to swim in it or drink from the water’s edge. This is because during spells of hot weather toxic algae blooms develop in sheltered areas of water which can be fatal to dogs if they swim in it.”
By William Mata
DOG DAYS: Bewl Water has signage to warn pet owners about potential danger
LEADERS of the County Hall are wary of how Brexit negotiations could impact on trade passage through Kent. Paul Carter, Leader of the Conservative-led Kent County Council, has called on his own government to establish a border that is ‘as frictionless as possible’. This is because Britain’s departure from the European Union will likely see increased border and customs checks, which will slow down the flow of transport. He spoke out shortly before David Davis stepped down as Brexit Secretary, to
“However, should this disruption arise, contingency plans covering ports and highways infrastructure need to be in place.” The Conservative Leader said he wanted an alternative to Operation Stack, which disrupted Kent’s economy when it was enacted in summer 2015. As part of the EU negotiations, he has also called for measures to ensure trading standards and border security are boosted. County councillors will vote on the authority’s Brexit position after further discussions in a meeting, which is set to be held in Maidstone tomorrow [Thursday, July 12].
BREXIT TO HIT SOUTH EAST HARD
will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
be replaced by Dominic Raab. Freight traffic on the M20, Kent’s major motorway to the Channel, is routinely brought to a complete standstill to ease gridlock at Dover in Operation Stack.
Disruption Cllr Carter said: “Kent, as the major point of entry into the UK, will experience a far greater impact of any change to border and customs arrangements compared to other area. “However, if negotiations do not go as planned and there are delays at the point of entry, Kent will undoubtedly be exposed to disruption. “The county council hopes that frictionless borders can be maintained which will not lead to delays and disruption at the ports.
THE South East could be hit harder by Brexit than London, according to a new report. The Institute for Public Policy Research [IPPR] predicted in a report published last week that under both hard and soft Brexit scenarios, price impacts are likely to affect regions outside of London disproportionately. Under a soft Brexit, IPPR predict price impacts of around 1.7 per cent for the South East compared to 1.5 per cent for London. A ‘hard’ Brexit would see elevated price impacts of around 3 per cent for the South East and 2.6 per cent London. The differences are attributed to the differing shares of expenditure between the two. Whilst London sees a greater share of expenditure go on housing costs, ‘relatively unaffected’ by Brexit according to IPPR, the South East sees a greater share go on transport, susceptible to a ‘relatively large’ Brexit impact say the group.
8
NEWS
Local News
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
From cancer care to car parks: Hospital’s new boss has plans WHETHER it be the Emergency Department, operation waiting times, or even the hospital car park, the buck ultimately stops with the new Chief Executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], Miles Scott. The experienced NHS manager was appointed in January, having previously worked in similar roles across the UK. In March, the Trust continued to be rated by the Care Quality Commission [CQC] as ‘requires improvement’. Now, with the government promising an extra £20.5billion of NHS funding over the next five years, Mr Scott is looking to turn the hospital’s fortunes around – as he told Times reporter William Mata in an exclusive interview…
‘It has the opportunity to become one of the country’s outstanding hospitals’ How has your first six months been?
GUNNERS AND RUNNERS On a personal level, Miles Scott supports Arsenal and enjoys running
more money. That is appreciated. The government has made money available and now we need to really think hard about how we can make the best use of it. We are going to need to talk and engage with the general public about what we can do.
How would you like to spend the money? With the new investment, it is important we tackle some of the waiting times that build up. We have quite rightly made a huge priority of dealing with emergency patients. Across the country there has been a big increase in emergency patients, and across the NHS we have seen waiting lists rise. But waiting times went down here – we bucked the trend. The whole of the NHS is rightly focused on getting things safe, so we are at a point now where such things need to be addressed. We need to make sure we have the latest kit and that we invest a lot more in IT. We are used to dealing with high standards of responsiveness. We do not yet have that in the NHS.
I am loving it here. The great thing about MTW is that it has the opportunity to become one of the country’s outstanding hospitals, and I really think that is achievable in a couple of years because we have fantastic facilities and fantastic staff. There are things we need to improve and develop, but all of the fundamentals are there.
So, will you be calling on the government for more funding?
Is the promised £20.5billion of new NHS funding enough?
I’m pleased the CQC recognised that improvements have been made. The overall rating stayed the same, but the detail behind that was trans-
Senior people in the NHS have argued it needs
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
The most important thing we do now is have a debate about what we are going to have. It is important we do that at national and local levels.
The CQC says MTW requires improvement. What lessons have been learned?
formed. The CQC said it is a different organisation to the one they came to in 2015. There are 80 individual ratings, and we did not get a single one of those in the bottom category. Last time we had a whole domain. Everything now is either ‘requires improvement’ or ‘good’.
Inspectors noted 17 things that ‘should be improved’. How many of these are now in order? We have implemented improvements against all 17 of those listed. Some of those are complete. Some are still having to go through a process to bring them up to scratch.
Would you be confident of getting a ‘good’ rating next time? Yes, I am very confident.
How would you improve the car park? When this hospital was built, the planning requirements meant that we had to build the hospital without enough car parking spaces. People will say ‘I told you so’, and they are right. That was then. The position we are now in is that we have had encouraging conversations with the borough council. If we can get planning permission to build more car parking spaces, we will.
How will you bring Emergency Department waiting times down further? The key indicator in the Emergency Department is what proportion of patients spend four hours or less in there. We are currently treating 95 per cent of our patients within the four-hour target. That is the national standard, which has not been
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide operation or on the day itself, because of lack of beds. We were determined not to do that. So we didn’t issue lots of dates for surgery, to avoid them being cancelled at the last minute. We also made sure we did as much operating as possible at Maidstone, where there are more beds. And we established a specialist ward that cannot be used for emergency patients. This meant we manged to operate on 1,000 patients between January and the end of March.
Has the Trust now caught up with itself? No. Unfortunately, our waiting lists have risen again. That’s because our capacity is fixed and the number of emergency patients has increased. We have had to focus on the Emergency Department, and we’re in the process of doing that. We are not yet back to the waiting times we were able to provide before winter.
For cancer care, the Trust is in the bottom ten in the country. How will this be improved?
SIGN OF THE TIMES At the hospital
THOUSANDS WAIT 12 HOURS IN A&E LAST year, nearly 5,000 patients spent more than 12 hours in local emergency departments, figures have shown. Data obtained by a Freedom of Information Request made in November relate to the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. This showed that from September 2016 to August 2017, the number of patients waiting for 12 hours or longer was 4,578. This compared to just 644 from September 2011 to August 2012. Figures also showed 34,536 patients attended A&E from September 2011 to August 2012. It took an average time of 3.89 hours for them to go from arrival to being seen to. The hospitals saw 42,957 patients from September 2016 to August 2017, and the average waiting time was 5.69 hours.
met for around four years. In the winter we were not quite at 95 per cent, but we hit at least 90 per cent throughout the time I have been here.
How much of a problem is bed blocking? An important part of what has been different is that the partnership we have with community services works really well. Additional funding was put into finding additional facilities out in the community for some of the patients we had difficulty in discharging. There were also things inside the hospital. Dealing with patients who, in a medical sense, are ready to be discharged – the number of those patients has come down. We need it to come down further so we can deal with the increasing demand we face. A number of operations were postponed this winter or moved to Maidstone. How many did Tunbridge Wells fail to perform? What people experienced in many parts of the country was cancelling on the day before the
We have a challenge around some waiting times. It is important that our cancer centres have some of the best outcomes in the country – this is a good set of services for patients. We are the cancer centre for Kent so we attract a lot of referrals. Over the past year, we have attracted more referrals at a greater rate, so we need to find more efficient ways of finding the capacity. We are making lots of changes to the way we manage patients. If there is one thing in the short term we are looking to improve it’s our cancer access times. Our clinical outcomes are really good, but our access times are not good enough.
Has recruitment been a challenge for the Trust, and could this become greater with Brexit? Recruitment is a huge issue, as is retention. We are working hard on both, and we are pleased to see there is loosening of some visa requirements for healthcare staff. There are not enough trained doctors and nurses in this country to deal with the needs of the NHS. For the foreseeable future, the NHS will be reliant on being able to provide opportunities for people to come from overseas.
Local News
NEWS
THREE KEY NHS TARGETS MISSED DATA for May has shown Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had not met three key NHS targets. The BBC published a report that showed the Emergency Department waiting time target of four hours had been met 92 per cent of the time, below the UK-wide target of 95 per cent. For cancer care, the NHS target of treating 85 per cent of patients within 62 days was also missed. MTW recorded 61.2 per cent. And for planned operations and care, MTW only achieved 79.4 per cent within 18 weeks. The NHS target was 92 per cent.
NEW APP LINKS GPS AND PATIENTS THE NHS has announced they are developing a mobile phone app that will put patients in direct contact with a GP. Users will be able to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and see their medical files when the app goes live in December. Testing of the product will begin in September. The previous Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announced the app in conjunction with the NHS’s 70th birthday celebrations. It will also allow users to sign up as organ donors, decide how their health data is used and get advice from the 111 service. Mr Hunt told the BBC at the time: “In our 70th year as the NHS, we have to look forward as well as backward, and the big change that is going to happen in the next decade is the technology revolution.” The app will be available for Apple and Android devices. Many of the services it offers are already available online, the NHS feels that having them directly available via smartphone will be an attractive option.
9
10
BUSINESS
Local Business News
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Rates pilot scheme for county By Adam Hignett LOCAL authorities across Kent have won a significant victory in their quest to become fiscally self-sufficient, after they were selected by central government to pilot a scheme which will see them retain 100 per cent of business rates. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has been a key force in lobbying for the extra powers, which could boost district coffers by around £600,000 per year. The move will help fill the many black holes which have appeared in council budgets over the past few years, since the Treasury began slashing local government support.
‘Some parts of the country have been allowed to retain 100 per cent rates for a while’ According to Lee Colyer, Director of Finance at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, the 12 local authorities in Kent, alongside the county council, put forward such a ‘compelling’ bid the government gave the green light to their proposal. Mr Colyer said: “Some parts of the country have been allowed to retain 100 per cent rates for a while, which is what we have been asking for right from the start. “But these places were unitary authorities, with
one tier of government, and so it is a lot simpler. “The government feels it is too complicated to share the details because there are too many tiers of authorities.” However, Kent was not the only part of England that resented passing on half of the money they collected from businesses to Whitehall, from where it is redistributed across the country. “The government said ‘all right, those areas which come up with a good proposal will be allowed to become pilots’. It was a very competitive process because every authority that is bidding is likely to retain more money for their area and the government didn’t want to give up their 50 per cent to everybody,” Mr Colyer explained. However, in February Kent was told it could enact its proposal, which was fully implemented in April, to coincide with the new fiscal year. In effect, the county will now be split into three parts, with MONEY MAN Tonbridge & Lee Colyer, Town Hall Malling, Director of Finance Tunbridge
Rents rising faster than wages, research shows By Katie Harris RESIDENTIAL prices in Tunbridge Wells are rising at the same time as wages are falling, new figures show. The cost of renting a two-bedroom flat in the town increased by 21.4 per cent between 2011 and 2017, to an average of £965 per month, while monthly earnings dropped by 8.3 per cent, according to figures from the Valuation Office Agency and the Office for National Statistics, put together by the southern region of the GMB Union. In Tonbridge & Malling, monthly wages are up by just 4.5 per cent in the period, compared to a rise in rent of 23.4 per cent to £895 a month for a two-bedroom flat.
Overall, the South East has seen rents increase by 25 per cent, to an average of £875 per month for a two-bedroom flat since 2011, and monthly earnings have risen by only 8.1 per cent. Mike Barrett, Chief Executive of Kent-based charity Porchlight, said: “Increased rents leave the poorest and most vulnerable even further from a home to call their own. “Here in Kent and the affluent south east, even ‘affordable’ rental properties are simply out of reach for the people we support. “If nothing is done, homelessness and destitution will become the norm for future generations, leaving young people with no hope for the future,” he warned.
Wells and Sevenoaks pooling their rates as ‘West Kent’. The amalgamation has been made easier because several services are already shared through the West Kent Partnership. This organisation will be the main forum for discussion on how best to disperse the new money across the three areas. As part of the deal with the Treasury, those bidding for the pilot scheme also needed to demonstrate that the extra money would not be spent purely on day-today spending. Therefore, a West Kent infrastructure growth fund has been set up, with an expected budget from business rates of £1million per year, on top of the money that is expected to go to individual councils. The authorities will have to demonstrate that this money is being put to good use through investments that boost infrastructure and growth. “These incomes are estimates, and we will not know the full impact until the end of the financial year,” said Mr Colyer. “But it is very incentivising,” he added.
Mr Barrett added: “This can only lead to lost communities and a real divide within our society.” Paul Maloney, GMB Regional Secretary, said workers should be paid more: “Figures collated by the GMB showed increases in average rents for two-bedroom flats of 20 per cent or higher in 37 of the 67 South East COST OF LIVING It is getting more expensive to rent in this area
councils, in the six years since 2011. “These high rents are here to stay. So, too, are younger workers living for longer in private sector rental accommodation. “As a direct consequence, employers must be prepared to pay much higher wages to staff to enable them to afford these much higher rents.”
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
NEWS IN BRIEF
Bad weather affects Assembly Hall profits INCOME at The Assembly Hall Theatre was £159,000 better than expected last year, according to new figures. But Tunbridge Wells Borough Council still needed to pay £86,000 more than they had budgeted, as bad weather and additional show costs hit the theatre. The Town Hall said the theatre ended the year with an income of £2.5million. A spokesman from the council’s finance department said: “While income at the Assembly Hall Theatre was £159,000 better than expected, there were additional show costs and the impact of the adverse weather, which resulted in the overall subsidy being £86,000 higher than budgeted. “This was funded by underspends across the council.”
Charity plea to firms BUSINESSES have been asked to support the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling’s charitable appeal. Cllr Pam Bates has backed children’s healthcare charity Tree of Hope for her year in office, and is hoping to raise thousands towards their work. If your business is able to contribute any prizes for raffle events, please contact the Mayor’s Office on 01732 876043 or through the council website contact form so they can arrange for collection.
Plans for new Lidl EDENBRIDGE is set to have its own Lidl now Sevenoaks Borough Council has granted planning permission for the project. The budget supermarket is set to be built on the Fircroft Way site, which had previously been earmarked for a new Sainsbury’s. The authority also approved plans for a Home Bargains and Greggs bakery to be built alongside.
Jobs Fair date set THIS year’s West Kent Jobs & Training Fair will be held on September 19, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council has confirmed. The popular event provides employers with an effective way of getting new staff. The venue and timings are yet to be announced. To sign-up for updates, please email: economic.regeneration@tmbc.gov.uk
12
BUSINESS
Local Business News
Formula One team calls on Lucas again for future projects
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Southeastern on track for share of £425m TRAIN TO GAIN Southeastern staff gather outside Rochester railway station
CONSTRUCTION firm Lucas has extended its partnership with Formula One team McLaren Group. Wrotham-based Lucas has previously completed a series of fit-out and finishing packages at the McLaren Production Centre. This build in Woking was opened by then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011, at the start of the partnership between the two firms. Last week’s announcement marked the third extension to the partnership. It will see the two work together for at least another three years on various projects.
Inspirational Jonathan Neale, COO of McLaren Group, said: “Lucas has proven time and time again their ability to work at the highest level. “Their unparalleled attention to detail has enabled us to create and maintain our impressive corporate facility. We’re delighted to be working with them for a further three years.”
ROARING SUCCESS: Zak Brown, Chief Executive of McLaren Racing, with Danny Lucas, of Lucas Group, who are based in Wrotham
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
By Matthew Nolan UNDER-FIRE rail franchise holder Southeastern is set to benefit from a share of a £425million investment. The company has entered an agreement with Network Rail and Arriva Rail London called ‘In Partnership for Britain’s Prosperity – South East London and Kent’. This will see networks in the region provide 150 new staff, 25 new apprenticeships and space for 40,000 more rush hour customers by April 2019. Southeastern will be hoping the improvements will lead to greater
Soapbox Challenge to return as organisers start new company By Jonathan Banks FOLLOWING the successful Crazy Jeans Soapbox Kart Race, more ‘weird and wacky’ events could be on their way to Tunbridge Wells. Last month’s race, which was sponsored by Markerstudy Group, attracted more than 5,000 to Dunorlan Park and led to thousands being donated to charity. Now Nicole Piesse Turner, of media and marketing agency Chatty Hatter, and Garry Jeffery, owner of St John’s Road bar Jean’s Kitchen, have set up Crazy Jeans Events Ltd. And their first venture will be hosting a ‘bigger and better’ kart race in 2019, with more teams invited to build the homemade wacky wagons to negotiate the course’s hill and obstacles.
satisfaction from customers, with latest statistics showing that just 41 per cent of whom considered the network ‘good value’. Leaders from all the companies involved in the new partnership gathered at Rochester railway station last week to announce plans. A press statement said the agreement would deliver £9.2billion of additional economic benefit across the South East. On Tuesday [July 10] Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway issued an apology after May’s timetable changes resulted in significant delays and cancellations.
The time trial event saw 40 businesses and organisations take part this year and next year will also be open to the general public and schools. All proceeds went to local charities Hospice in the Weald and ellenor. Ms Piesse Turner said: “Crazy Jean’s was such a success we’ve had a lot of people asking if we’re coming back again next year with the kart race and the answer is ‘yes’.
Thriving
SECOND LAP: Salomons Estate was one of several karts to enter the charity time trial
“We’ve launched a new company, Crazy Jean’s Events Ltd, which will not only host the 2019 kart race but more weird and wacky events in Tunbridge Wells – so watch this space. “As well as raising lots of money for charity again, Chatty Hatter is also planning to work with many more local businesses in the area. “We’ve got a lot of talent on our team and working with more companies in our thriving community is part of our on-going plan to help champion Tunbridge Wells.”
14
NEWS
Community News
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Force of nature as former police officer Stanley Kirby reaches 100 By Andy Tong “WHAT do you make of the MooMoo club?” asked Stanley Kirby on the occasion of his 100th birthday last week. Was he planning a big night out? “You want to be there some nights,” he added. “When they close down at two in the morning, such a bloody noise! Why can’t they come out of these functions quietly?” But Mr Kirby is still full of fun as he reached
three figures on Friday [July 6] at his home in Cadogan Gardens, Tunbridge Wells – a few hundred yards from MooMoos. He was visited by Chief Superintendent Simon Wilson of the West Division and representatives of the National Association of Retired Police Officers, Caroline Riddle and Ian Paterson. During the visit he received his special centenarian’s card from the Queen. “She remembered. Thank you, ma’am,” he smiled, dangling the card from his fingers. “Now she’s sitting on my knee.” A year after his father had returned home from World War I missing a leg, Mr Kirby was born in Croydon in 1918. “I wonder why that was,” he mused with a twinkle in his eye.
‘I started at eight in the morning and didn’t get finished until gone midnight. These are the problems of being a policeman’ He had three brothers and a sister, and attended Archbishop Tenison’s School – he is now their oldest alumnus. He joined the police in west London in 1938 and married Mary Walmsley the following summer. Mary passed away in 2000. They had three children: Judith was born in 1940 and Jennifer – who also lives in Tunbridge Wells – and her twin James in 1947, though James died after three weeks. Mr Kirby recalled his early police career directing traffic at Hammersmith Broadway ‘like conducting an orchestra’ with eight traffic patrols operating at once. He never liked pulling the first shift of the day, or ‘early term’ – “I used to hate getting out of bed
at half past four” – although it has clearly done him no harm. He harked back to the summer of 1939, being the cox of the Metropolitan Police Athletic Association’s rowing eight at the Henley regatta. He served in the Royal Navy from 1942-46, first aboard HMS Verdun, a destroyer that escorted merchant ships down the east coast from the Firth of Forth to the Thames.
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
This perilous task involved negotiating the Norfolk coastline, which was known as “E-Boat Alley” because the German attack craft came straight across the North Sea. Then he applied his law enforcement skills as a Chief Petty Officer on the aircraft carrier Argus before returning to the police, and was promoted to sergeant in 1951. He was stationed in Bedfont, Hounslow and eventually Twickenham, where he was in charge of matchday operations at the rugby stadium. “The little boys used to get so drunk, it was their first chance, they would knock it back,” he recalled fondly. “We were told, ‘That’s what we employ you for, keep these boys quiet.” He told of one vexing occasion when a spectator died high up in the stands during a match. “The
ROYAL APPOINTMENT: Stanley Kirby receives his card from the Queen, flanked by his sisters Jennifer (left) and Judith; Chief Superintendent Simon Wilson (far right) came to meet him with retired officers Caroline Riddle and Ian Paterson
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
doctor said, ‘I can’t take him’. The ambulance turned up, said the same thing: ‘He’s dead’. “So I had to find a mortuary, get a police van round to take him away. You have to go through his pockets to find out who he is. I had to try to get hold of his widow, up in Derwent, Yorkshire. Then it’s ‘where’s his car?’ “I started at eight in the morning and didn’t get finished until gone midnight. These are the problems of being a policeman.” After leaving the force he became an educational welfare officer, a role he did not relish. He said: “I used to visit these families and they would say, ‘The state will keep me, I don’t have to go to school’. “The children would shout up, ‘It’s Mr Kirby’ and their parents would say ‘well tell him to b****r off!’”
Foundations These days people are much more appreciative of his public service over the last 80 years. He received a card from the Chief Constable of Kent Police, Alan Pughsley, while Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, wrote a letter of congratulation. She told him: “The policing world may have changed since you started your career. “However, we must never forget to recognise the history, principles and people like you which have been our foundations and have made British policing so admired worldwide.” The next day there was a ‘bunfight’ at the Nevill Golf Club for more than 40 members of his family, including his daughters, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. His 95-year-old sister could not make it down from Accrington. So what is the secret of Mr Kirby’s longevity? “Leave pretty girls alone,” he confided with a cheeky smile, adding: “I’m not totally abstinent but when I was in the Navy I got in the habit of having pints laid out in front of me and I used to get sloshed. “But in the police you see what drink can do to a family, and I didn’t drink much after that.”
Community News
NEWS
15
Kent has most private foster carers for a decade THE number of private foster carers in Kent has reached a 10-year high. But officials are concerned that they do not know the full scale of care arrangements across the county. Private foster carers are people who look after a child under 16, or under 18 with disabilities, full-time for 28 consecutive days or more and are not a parent or close relative. They are required by law to notify Kent County Council [KCC] so checks can be made to ensure the child is safe and well looked after. To coincide with Private Fostering Week, KCC revealed that they have received 94 notifications during the last financial year. However, County Hall is concerned that the
exact number could be considerably higher because carers do not realise that it is necessary to inform the council.
Promising Roger Gough, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “While this year’s record number of private fostering notifications is a promising sign of an increased public understanding of the issue, we urge anyone privately fostering – or who knows someone who is – to contact Kent County Council. “Many private foster carers do an excellent job and we want to be in a position to provide
Folly seeks animal ambulance By Katie Harris FOLLY Wildlife Rescue near Tunbridge Wells has launched an appeal to raise money for a wildlife ambulance to collect injured animals. The centre, in Broadwater Forest, treats more than 3,500 hedgehogs, birds and other creatures every year, returning 70 per cent to the wild. They are often brought in by concerned residents but now the charity is trying to raise £10,000 to buy a vehicle and adapt it to avoid what it calls a ‘very major problem’. Annette Risley, Co-Founder of Folly Wildlife Rescue, said: “A lot of people find themselves with a casualty and haven’t got transport or there are many vets who phone with animals and we need to get them to us.” Vets often do not have the specialist knowledge or facilities to care for wildlife or they are so busy that they cannot spare the staff to bring them in. Folly has access to 50 volunteer collection drivers across the region,who use their own cars to pick up animals.
HEDGEHOG HAVEN Folly takes in more than 3,500 animals a year
But most of them have full-time jobs and are only available in the evenings or at weekends. Ms Risley added: “A lot of members of the public bring animals to us, which is super, but there are also people who can’t bring them in. Go to www.wildcrowd.org/campaigns/ detail/62/ambulance-for-folly-wildlife-rescue
support, advice and to ensure all children are safe and well cared for.” KCC is asking anyone who knows that a child is being privately fostered to tell the carer to report it at least six weeks before it happens or within 48 hours if the arrangement is an emergency. A social worker will then undertake an assessment to ensure the child receives safe and appropriate care. Anyone who believes a child is being privately fostered and the arrangement is yet to be notified can call 03000 411111. More information can be found at www.kent. gov.uk/education-and-children/adoption-andfostering/private-fostering
16
NEWS
National News
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Free at last: 12 boys and coach escape cave in rescue mission A DARING rescue mission in the treacherous confines of a flooded cave in Thailand has saved 12 boys and their football coach, who were trapped deep within the labyrinth. The operation ended an 18-day ordeal that claimed the life of an experienced volunteer diver and riveted people around the world since June 23. Cheers erupted at a local government office where dozens of volunteers and journalists were awaiting news of whether the intricate and high-risk rescue mission had succeeded, as helicopters taking the boys to hospital roared overhead. Thailand’s navy Seals, who were central to the rescue effort, said on their Facebook page that the remaining four boys and their 25-year-old coach were all brought out safely yesterday [Tuesday]. Eight of the boys were rescued by a team of 18 Thai and international divers on Sunday and Monday. Seven of the divers were from the UK, including Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, who were the first to reach the group last week. “We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what. All the 13 Wild Boars are now out of the cave,” the Seals said, referring to the name
DEEP GRATITUDE The last four Thai Navy Seals complete the rescue mission
of the boys’ football team. “Everyone is safe.” A medic and three Seals who had stayed with the boys in their dark refuge deep inside the cave complex have also come out of the cave. Payap Maiming, 40, who helped provide food and necessities to rescue workers and journalists, said a ‘miracle’ had happened. “I’m happy for Thais all over the country, for the people of Mae Sai,
Trump: Britain is in turmoil and Boris is very, very nice to me DONALD TRUMP says Britain is in ‘turmoil’ and it’s ‘up to the people’ if Theresa May stays on as Prime Minister. Speaking as he prepared to depart for a European trip in which he will meet the Prime Minister at the Nato summit in Brussels and then make his first visit to the UK as US president, Mr Trump insisted he got along with Mrs May ‘very well’. But he suggested that he might take time during his UK visit to speak with former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who he described as ‘a friend of mine’.
Interesting Answering questions from reporters on the lawn of the White House as he and his wife Melania prepared to board the Marine One presidential helicopter, Mr Trump said that the UK ‘certainly has a lot of things going on’. “It’s going to be an interesting time in the UK and an interesting time at Nato,” he said. “We will work it out and all countries will be happy. So I have Nato, I have the UK – which is in somewhat turmoil.” Referring to Monday’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Mr Trump added: “And I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of all.”
and actually just everyone in the world because every news channel has presented this story and this is what we have been waiting for,” she said. “It’s really a miracle. It’s hope and faith that has brought us this success.” Each of the boys, aged 11 to 16 and with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in three days of intricate and highstakes operations. One of them
FENCED IN Security is increased near the US Ambassador’s residence in Regent’s Park
Mr Trump said he had not spoken with Mrs May, adding: “Boris Johnson is a friend of mine. He’s been very, very nice to me, very supportive. “Maybe I’ll speak to him when I get over there. I like Boris Johnson, I’ve always liked him.” Mr Trump repeated his demands for the EU to lower barriers to US imports and for America’s Nato allies to pay more towards their own defence. “We do have a lot of allies, but we can’t be taken advantage of,” he said. “We are being taken advantage of by the EU. “We lost $151billion [£113.8billion] last year on trade and on top of that we spend at least 70 per cent to Nato, and frankly it helps them a lot more than it helps us. “So we will see what happens, we have a long, beautiful week.”
Javid vows no back-door for EU citizens SAJID JAVID has insisted that freedom of movement will end after Brexit, saying there will be no ‘backdoor version’. The Home Secretary told the Commons Home Affairs Committee all foreign nationals will require some form of ‘leave’ to enter the country under a future immigration regime. He said the Government is not planning for EU workers to have an ‘automatic’ right to take up employment in the UK. While the Government has pre-
sented arrangements for EU nationals already in Britain, proposals for immigration rules that will come into force after the post-Brexit implementation period ends in December 2020 are yet to be detailed. Mr Javid said: “There will be a complete, total end to freedom of movement. There will be no version of that, no derivative of that, no back door version of freedom of movement. He added: “There will be no auto-
matic right for anyone in the EU, for example, or anyone else for that matter, to just make a unilateral decision that they can just hop on a plane or ferry and just come and work in the UK. That will end.” Pressed on whether this meant he was ruling out allowing scientists, doctors and other highly skilled individuals from taking up work in the UK without a visa, Mr Javid replied: “We are not anticipating an automatic right for anyone, including those categories mentioned.”
appeared to be wearing a red replica England football shirt. The route, in some places just a crawl space, had oxygen canisters positioned at regular intervals to refresh each team’s air supply. A former Thai navy Seal died on Friday while replenishing the canisters. The eight boys brought out by divers on Sunday and Monday were doing well and were in good spirits, a senior health official said. They were given a treat that they had requested, bread with chocolate spread. Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, of Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, said: “The kids are footballers so they have high immune systems. “Everyone is in high spirits and are happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist to evaluate them.” It could be at least seven days before they can be released from hospital, Mr Jedsada told a news conference. Family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass isolation barrier. Mr Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face ‘because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave’.
Gove and Fox rally around May after the Cabinet chaos THERESA MAY appeared to have stemmed the tide of Brexit resignations from her Government yesterday [Tuesday]. Senior ministers rallied around the Prime Minister at the first meeting of her new Cabinet. Leading Brexiteer Michael Gove left no doubt that he would not follow Boris Johnson and David Davis out of the Cabinet, declaring that he backed the Prime Minister’s plans ‘100 per cent’. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was seen to shake his head and mouth the word ‘No’ when asked him on his way out of Cabinet whether he was about to quit. Mrs May gathered her new team at Downing Street as shockwaves continued to reverberate in Westminster following the first day since 1982 when two Cabinet ministers resigned within 24 hours. Jeremy Hunt, appointed Foreign Secretary as the Prime Minister carried out a hurried reshuffle of her top team, vowed that he would be ‘four square’ behind her in driving through her Brexit plan. And Mr Gove told ITV News he was ‘absolutely not’ planning to resign. Asked whether Mrs May was in trouble following the rash of departures from her Government on Monday, the Environment Secretary replied: “No. I admire Boris and David very much and I’m sorry that they have left the Government, but ... I hope you have a lovely day.”
18
NEWS
National News
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Prime Ministers Palace flypast for Queen as pay homage to RAF celebrates its centenary Lord Carrington FORMER prime ministers were among those paying tribute to statesman and war hero Lord Carrington of Upton, who has died at the age of 99. The last surviving member of Sir Winston Churchill’s post-war government, Peter Carrington STATESMAN resigned as Margaret Lord Carrington Thatcher’s Foreign Secretary in 1982 after taking responsibility for the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands. He had previously chaired the Lancaster House talks in 1979 which led to the establishment of the state of Zimbabwe. He was a tank commander in the Grenadier Guards in World War II, winning the Military Cross in the Northwestern Europe campaign.
Public servant He took up his seat in the House of Lords in 1946 and went on to become the oldest and longestserving member of Parliament’s second chamber. Former PM David Cameron called him ‘a lovely man and a great public servant’, adding: “It was a huge honour having him to Chequers and listening to his stories of working with every Conservative leader from Winston Churchill onwards.” Sir John Major said: “In war and in peace, he served our country with courage, grace and distinction. He never fell beneath the dignity of his office, yet leavened public life with an irreverent wit that delighted all who worked with him.”
THE QUEEN has praised the Royal Air Force for its ‘tenacity, skill and gallantry’ as it celebrated its 100th year yesterday [Tuesday]. She presented the Queen’s Colour to the RAF in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace and spoke of its ‘remarkable contribution to defence’. More than 100 aircraft flew over London including the biggest ever formation of Typhoon jets, 22 of them spelling out the number 100 in the sky. The Queen, who is Air Commodore-in-Chief, remembers the Battle of Britain while her father King George VI served with the RAF. She said: “Tenacity, skill and gallantry have been your hallmarks as you helped safeguard freedom and security in many parts of the world. “I remember the Battle of Britain being fought over the skies above us and we shall never forget the courage and sacrifice of that time.” She recalled how her father was the first member of her family to qualify as an RAF pilot and served alongside the service’s founder Lord Trenchard. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also present.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Parents told: Children must not pick up liquids PARENTS in the towns at the centre of nerve agent poisonings have been warned not to let their children pick up ‘any foreign object which could contain liquid or gel’. Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies stressed that no one in the Salisbury and Amesbury area, particularly young people because the school holidays are starting, should pick up anything that they have not dropped themselves.
Apology for vodka name A DISTILLERY has apologised after developing a 75 per cent proof vodka named after the toxic nerve agent Novichok. Bristol Dry Gin advertised the product on its Facebook page three days after a major incident was declared in the Wiltshire town of Amesbury on June 30. Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley were found unwell after apparently handing a vessel containing Novichok. Mrs Sturgess, 44, died on Sunday [July 8]. It was announced yesterday that Mr Rowley, 45, has made ‘a small but significant improvement’ but still needs round-the-clock care, according to the Director of Nursing at Salisbury District Hospital, Lorna Wilkinson.
TROOPING THE COLOURS The Red Arrows fly down the Mall The flypast included Puma and Chinook helicopters, followed by a Lancaster bomber, Spitfires, Hurricanes, the A400M Atlas, Tornados and three F-35 stealth jets. The Red Arrows closed the
Clooney in bike accident display, streaming red, white and blue smoke down the length of the Mall. The commemoration began with a service at Westminster Abbey which was attended by more than 2,200 people.
GEORGE CLOONEY was taken to hospital in Sardinia after being involved in an accident while riding his motorcycle.. The John Paul II hospital in Olbia said the actor was released yesterday [Tuesday]. The 57-year-old had been heading to a film set when his motorbike was hit by a car.
National Business News
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
SPORT IN BRIEF
BUSINESS
19
NEWS IN BRIEF
Norman warns of more M&S store closures
SIR Bobby Robson’s wife Lady Elsie holds up an England football shirt as she says the former national manager – the last one to reach a World Cup semi-final, in 1991 – would have been ‘thrilled’ by the progress of the squad in Russia. Gareth Southgate’s side play Croatia in the last four this evening [Wednesday].
Ronaldo joins Juventus in £92million transfer CRISTIANO RONALDO has moved from Real Madrid to Juventus for a fee of around ¤105million (£92.7million). The Spanish club stated that the transfer is ‘in response to the will and request expressed’ by Ronaldo, who has spent the past nine years at the Bernabeu. The club added: “Today Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to a player who has proved to be the best in the world and who has marked one of the brightest times in the history of our club and world football.” Ronaldo, 33, joined Real from Manchester United in 2009 and averaged over a goal a game in scoring 451 times for Real.
REBUILDING Construction recovered after a weak spell
Hot spell and royal wedding give economy ‘double boost’ THE UK economy benefited from a retail rebound in May as the sector received a ‘double boost’ from warm weather and the royal wedding. The Office for National Statistics [ONS] said the economy expanded 0.3 per cent in May, while gross domestic product [GDP] rose 0.2 per cent over the three months to May. Both figures were in line with economists’ expectations. The ONS’ Head of National Accounts, Rob Kent-Smith, said it showed a ‘mixed picture of the UK economy with modest growth driven by the services sector, partly offset by falling construction and industrial output’. He added: “Retailing, computer programming and legal services all performed strongly in the three months to May, while housebuilding and manufacturing both contracted. “Services, in particular, grew robustly in May with retailers enjoying a double boost from the warm weather and the royal wedding.
“Construction also saw a return to growth after a weak couple of months.” The ONS figures show that in the three months to May, services output increased by 0.4 per cent compared with three months ending in February. Month on month, services rose 0.3 per cent, with wholesale, retail and motor trade making the largest contribution. But construction output continued its recent decline on a three-monthly basis, falling by 1.7 per cent in May, its third consecutive decrease. This was driven by a fall in new work, which also fell for the third consecutive month, decreasing by 2.5 per cent. However, the ONS said that month on month, construction output showed signs of recovery in May, rising by 2.9 per cent compared with April. The sector was helped by private housing repair and maintenance work, which grew 7.3 per cent in May following a weak start to the year.
THE chairman of Marks & Spencer, Archie Norman, told the company’s AGM that the size of the company’s store portfolio had become ‘a drag on our performance.’ Mr Norman told shareholders yesterday [Tuesday] that most of the 100 stores it planned to shut would close within the next two years, adding: “I can’t tell you it won’t be the last.” As part of the business restructuring, M&S will also be looking to reduce its costs by £350 million by 2021.
Tesco chief steps down THE head of Tesco’s business in the UK and Ireland is stepping down from the board after being diagnosed with throat cancer. Charles Wilson, who was Chief Executive of Booker Group before its merger with the supermarket giant, was diagnosed after an operation to remove his tonsils in April. Tesco said he had been undergoing daily radiotherapy in May and June and was responding well to treatment.
Cambrian feels surge CAMBRIAN shares surged 33 per cent after the social care services firm confirmed it had received a potential takeover offer worth £405million. The two firms are now ‘in discussions’ after CareTech made a preliminary offer comprised of 77p per share in cash and an exchange of 0.348 of a new CareTech share for each Cambian stock. It effectively values each Cambrian share at 220p each, though a full cash alternative has been floated at 200p per share.
20
NEWS
Letters
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
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 at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU Cost of repairs is building up – and lack of essential sewer work stinks
UNDER FUNDING The Pantiles sewer floods after heavy rain
Let’s see transparency on bidding With unseemly haste, Cllr David Jukes has appointed the contractor to build his vanity project, again avoiding any consultation with the taxpayers of Tunbridge Wells. It seems, despite the poor services from the borough council, we are awash with funds to expend on this frivolous and largely unwanted project. Perhaps he could share with his undeserving public the details of expenditure thus far and projected costs, and identify the transparency of the bidding procedure which has resulted in the awarding of the contract? The residents of this town deserve better. Martin Dawes, via email
More than just a centre of attention Whilst I agree with much that Jean Rennie has to say about Tunbridge Wells [July 4], she only has to venture from the town centre to discover a swimming pool in St John’s and a cinema at Knights Park, although the latter could use a better bus service in the evenings. The town centre also has much to offer with its myriad micropubs and bars and diverse cafés and restaurants. There is The Forum for live music and the Assembly Hall and Trinity Theatre, too. Time to explore Jean! Alan Bullion, via email
Where will replacement buses go? Oh dear, the planned traffic upgrade in the Tonbridge railway station area [June 27] is being played to the same soporific music that prefaced the pavement widening (aka road narrowing) that took place in the High Street in 2015-16, namely that when complete everything will be metaphorically all right. Most locals know how discordant the outcome of that scheme has been. Planners insisting that all forms of traffic will
“Avoid debt like the plague” – this is oldfashioned advice, yet it is foolish to go against its wisdom. When we borrow, it has to be paid back with interest, and paying £90million for unessential projects is a folly of immense proportions. In the meantime, financial demands for expensive, essential repairs to our ageing infrastructure are building up that will also require borrowing. For instance, The Pantiles sewer that always floods after a heavy rainfall – as was only too evident yet again in the wake of that downpour last Thursday afternoon. This causes serious damage to property and businesses, as it has happened on several occasions. It’s obvious this situation cannot be allowed to continue. My hearty congratulations to Mr Bob Atwood [Chair of Tunbridge Wells Alliance] and my thanks to Brian Ransley, who is seeking a judicial review to challenge the legality of the development and the processes behind it. Mrs J Moore, Tunbridge Wells not be further inconvenienced at the Pembury Road/Quarry Hill Road roundabout, which your article pointed out is frequently besieged with near gridlock, has all the hallmarks of no actual on-site knowledge of what really happens in Tonbridge. Computer modelling takes no account of human behaviour. Turning to bus provision of three spaces, this appears to be centred on scheduled Monday-toFriday operations only. To my knowledge, there is no provision whatsoever for dealing with the mini-fleets of rail replacement bus services which feature quite frequently and take up all the spaces currently used by the scheduled public service vehicle operators. I cannot imagine that rail passengers will enjoy traipsing any distance with suitcases to wherever the replacement buses are located when such operations call for a smooth interchange between modes. Tony Russell Tonbridge
Taking an overview on skyscrapers We are delighted that the latest application for a 16-storey tower in Tonbridge has been rejected. Maybe someone at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council can explain why the 13-floor tower they have already approved here was granted consent? The criteria they used to refuse this one – increased flood risk, overdevelopment and being completely out of proportion with the surrounding environment – all apply to that, too. What has changed? We applaud the huge response from residents objecting to the recent application, and we are hopeful that the same criteria used here will be extended to other contentious developments. Mark Hood Tonbridge & Malling Green Party
Fracking debate is creating fissures Edward Baker [June 13] writes the fifth in a series of letters on fracking. Together they illustrate the challenge of climate change. Predictably, Friends of the Earth [March 21] and the Green Party [March 30] adopt an environmental perspective, arguing that we must reduce or even eliminate fossil fuels. Mr Baker counters with more immediate economic and geopolitical arguments about keeping the lights on and reducing, or even eliminating, our dependency on despots for our primary energy – and he summarily dismisses the ‘environmental catastrophe’ narrative. As someone who has a PhD in climate change research, I would say they are all right – except for Mr Baker’s failure to recognise the implications of the massive temperature rise that is locked into the business-as-usual scenario. That would definitely become apocalyptic for today’s children and their children and grandchildren – recent news about the unexpectedly rapid melting of Antarctic ice is yet another confirmation of the direction and speed of travel. The objective of holding global warming to below 2C arises from a growing mountain of evidence that, contrary to Mr Baker, confirms the extreme risks of unabated emissions to key ecosystems on which most life and our global economy depend. But the environmental and economic arguments for and against UK fracking are themselves examples of irreconcilable ideological fissures. Will the free market simultaneously provide wellbeing for all and avert environmental changes that would undermine that wellbeing? Or is our and future generations’ wellbeing undermined by a free market that widens inequality and threatens the environment? Bigotry and ignorance are rife on both sides of this argument. Dr Robert Chris, via email
Born with a Wetherspoon in his mouth Does one detect that Calverley is a bit of a snob [June 27]? One hopes that his expense account will enable him never to be forced to cross the threshold of either the Humphrey Bean in Tonbridge, the Opera House in Tunbridge Wells or the Crowborough Cross! [All Wetherspoons.] No doubt his satnav is set to ensure that he never strays into High Brooms or Showfields as he wouldn’t think that he was in Royal Tunbridge Wells. John Hogan, Tunbridge Wells
This was not a ‘champagne moment’ I enjoy The Times of Tunbridge Wells and particularly the Calverley titbits. Not so much on June 27 – the final comment on Wetherspoons and its champagne policy was pretty derogatory and deserves better from your writer. It may not be his – or my – choice, but the company has inherited general and listed buildings and made a business from them. Who else was there to take on a huge and delightful Opera House and all its trimmings such as ours? Use your words carefully, please. Tessa Worthington, 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
Observations on life and more important things
IT APPEARS that one of the worst things you can do in politics is become popular and successful. Just look at the talented Tom Tugendhat [right], Member for Tonbridge & Malling. Speculation that he could end up at Number 10 as the best of the young ‘Remainers’ has been tempered by suggestions, in some national newspapers, that he has fallen victim to the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. This is where high-flyers are resented, attacked and cut down by jealous peers. Imagine what it’s like if you actually become Prime Minister? Second thoughts, no need to imagine it, just look at TM. INTERESTING experience when Calverley popped into a Waitrose the latter part of one afternoon. While standing near the bread counter, one of the staff approached and advised him she was just about to reduce the price of all the loaves and rolls that were still on offer. “You watch them,” she whispered, pointing to shoppers, “They’ll be over here like a flock of pigeons when they see what’s happening.” And so it came to pass, but not before Himself snaffled a few cut-price rolls and a granary.
REGULAR readers [admirers] will know that Calverley is partial to the odd ale. OK, more than the odd one. Anyway, He is sorely tempted to relocate ‘up North’ having talked with a chap on the next bar stool. He had just returned from Newcastle, where he paid £2.20 for a pint. This coming moments after Calverley had handed over £5.20 for a pint of lager. Not much less than the £6 He paid for a bunch of roses for Mrs C – as previously reported in this column, a fact that saw all the Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells label him a ‘cheapskate’. How hurtful was that?
STRANGE how some businesses choose to promote themselves. For example, a young man popped into a financial company in Tunbridge Wells looking for work as a temp. When he asked about the company, he was informed: “We’re a bit like the Wolf of Wall Street film [black comedy], but without the sex and drugs.” Pretty boring office then? Just kidding, just kidding: No emails please. Sorry to spoil things, but Calverley wishes you to know there will be no column next week. He has been sentenced to four days in Center Parcs, home to hundreds of screaming kids. How relaxing.
Education
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
EDUCATION Times WITH THE
School serves up double the trouble for Mary Poppins Next week, St Gregory’s School is staging Mary Poppins. Its Director and the Head of Drama, Michael King, tells the Times more about giving this classic musical a little contemporary twist DRAMA students at St Gregory’s School are performing Mary Poppins as their annual summer production this year, with shows taking place this week from today [Wednesday] until Friday. And in a unique twist, twin sisters Eleanor and Charlotte Bedford, both in Year 9, have been cast in the role of Mary Poppins, famously portrayed by acting legend Julie Andrews in the 1960s musical film directed by Robert Stevenson. “We are both enjoying playing the part of Mary Poppins, and using the fact we are twins to our advantage to create cool illusions,” they reveal. Playing chimney sweep Bert, famously first performed by Dick Van Dyke in the Disney film, are Jade O’Neill and John Palourti. Year 12 student John is a member of the National Youth Theatre, and Jade, who is in Year 11, has worked on
films alongside US actor Will Farrell of Anchorman fame. “As a year 11 student, I found juggling all of my revision with the rehearsals was quite difficult. However, taking part in the school play gave me a bit of a break from GCSEs and time to have fun with friends,” reveals Jade.
Effects And it’s fair to say that the audience will be in for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience thanks to a super-size set, memorable songs, including A Spoonful of Sugar and Feed the Birds, as well as some magic special effects, which according to the play’s director and Head of Drama, Michael King, ‘would even amaze the likes of David Copperfield and Harry Houdini’.
He goes on to add: “It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such a gifted and committed cast. “The hugely entertaining performance and energy radiated by the student actors and musicians is precisely the spoonful of sugar Mary Poppins would have prescribed to ease the everyday stresses of modern life.” Year 10 student Ellie Harris, who plays the young Jane Banks, is also enjoying being part of this timeless
WINGS OF GLORY Some of the schoolgirls who built the plane
production: “I loved the fact that the whole cast always worked as a team throughout the rehearsal process. If you were stuck on anything at all, someone would be there to help you out,” she says. The St Gregory’s production of Mary Poppins runs from today (Wednesday July 11) to Friday July 13. Performances start at 7.30pm and tickets cost £7 for adults and £3 for students. For more information, please visit www.sgschool.org.uk
A wave of approval from town’s MP GREG CLARK has officially opened the new swimming pool at Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells. Charles Arthur, Chairman of Governors, introduced the Tunbridge Wells MP and said: “We have been hoping for an indoor pool at the school for 30 years since my children attended. “I am so pleased it is finally here and that you
are lucky enough to enjoy such a facility.” The new pool was finished at the beginning of this term, just in time for the heatwave, and weekly swimming lessons are part of the independent co-ed preparatory school’s curriculum and are available for all pupils from Kindergarten up to Year 8.
Engineering students take to the skies GIRLS at Benenden School took flight in a light aircraft they built themselves last Sunday at Headcorn Aerodrome. A team of 28 pupils have been constructing the microlight one evening each week under the guidance of staff members since September 2016, and now, after 18 months’ work, they have taken to the skies in the aircraft to celebrate their achievement. This engineering project has been run with the British Microlight Aircraft Association [BMAA] as part of the organisation’s New Horizons scheme. The BMAA funds the project and the school is responsible for building the aircraft. Matt Commander, Benenden’s Deputy Head for Staff and Co-Curricular, has overseen the build. He said: “This is a great example of
girls getting involved in engineering. We’re really keen to promote STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths] activities and for the girls to do something practical in this area – what better way than to build an aircraft?’ The girls have put their own stamp on the microlight, decorating it in Benenden’s colours – and with the proud registration mark G-GRLS. “This isn’t a project where the pupils are watching as the adults do all the work,” continued Mr Commander. “The girls have done it all themselves, and developed so many skills and attributes throughout this project – hard work, commitment, patience, teamwork and listening to expert advice. These will all stay with them for life.”
SIMPLY SPLASHING: (L-R) Rose Hill Head Emma Neville, MP Greg Clark and Chairman of Governors Charles Arthur
NEWS
21
22
NEWS
Weekly Comment
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT thekn w.guide
Martin Betts Labour Party local campaign co-ordinator
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
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 Conservatives, Lib Dems and members of The Green Party
Happy birthday! But NHS faces challenges LAST week the country celebrated the 70th anniversary of the birth of the National Health Service. The mood was jolly at our ‘happy birthday’ street stall in the Calverley Road precinct, where people came and shared birthday cake and their stories about the NHS. Most of us have been born in and grown up with a health system that is much appreciated and well loved. Few remember what it replaced. Across the country healthcare was provided by a patchwork of voluntary, charitable, local authority and private funded medicine. It largely depended on your income as to whether you got good treatment if you became ill. The founding of the NHS by a Labour government was hard fought for and fiercely opposed by the Conservatives. It was created from the ideal that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. When launched by Aneurin Bevan, on July 5, 1948, it was based on three core principles: That it meets the needs of everyone, that it is free at the point of delivery, and that it is based on clinical need, not the ability to pay. All of us have benefitted from the NHS and have our personal stories. I was born at home in Tunbridge Wells aided by Nurse Chapman, an NHS midwife, arriving on her bike. I was treated for a life-threatening condition as a baby. I had
my tonsils out at the Homeopathic Hospital. I’ve had successful eye treatment and other procedures. You and your family members will have your own stories. We count ourselves fortunate that we don’t have to worry about paying for medical treatment at a time when we are sick and vulnerable. We are thankful that staff in the NHS are dedicated, compassionate and remain so good at their jobs despite the pressures that they continue to live under year on year.
WORKING TOGETHER Tunbridge Wells Hospital staff
Needs But the NHS has been hit hard by government austerity. In May this year there were over 4.2million people on waiting lists for treatment. Last winter, more than 186,000 waited with ambulance crews outside accident and emergency departments for 30 minutes or more before being admitted. The King’s Fund have said that relative to the size of our population, we have some of the worst numbers for doctors, nurses and hospital beds in the western world. If we want the NHS to retain its position as one of the best healthcare systems, most of us agree we have to spend more. The government’s increase of an extra 3 per cent a year in the NHS
budget over the next five years is welcome, but not enough. Labour is committed to increasing the budget by 5 per cent and taking our spending to more than the EU average. This level of increase would help provide what most commentators say is needed to deal with
the needs of the 21st century, including the rising demands of an ageing population and adequate treatment for mental health. Having a well-funded NHS would also be the best present we could give to celebrate its birthday. Happy birthday NHS!
Advertorial
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
BOOK YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY WITH
FEATURES
WITH should u o y world ys in this e h t ere in e of holida h w n g deas o m our ran t i r o f o l stuck t choose fr avel pull ou l i t s e tr ar no If you year why cial edition is spe visit th
Visit us in your local town or call us to start planning your next adventure Baldwins Travel - Tunbridge Wells 01892 511999 Baldwins Travel - Tonbridge 01732 351223 Sevenoaks Travel 01732 458255
Baldwins Travel - Cranbrook Baldwins Travel - Lewes Travelux - Tenterden
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
01580 714411 01273 472466 01580 764344
Baldwins Travel - Uckfield Baldwins Travel - Maidstone Weddings & Honeymoons
#HolidayInspirations
01825 760488 01622 762141 01892 506401
23
24
FEATURES
Advertorial
BOOK YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY WITH
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
yourh me INSPIRATION FOR MOVING
AND IMPROVING
AVAILABLE EVER Y WEDNESDAY – A MUST-READ
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROPERTY, IN TERIORS, TOP TRENDS AN D GARDENING
27
HISTORIC MILL STILL HAS A WHEEL
33
IMMACULATELY REFURBISHED
42
THE OLD OAST WITH THE MOST
It’s easy being green… Get the cool look Page 45
46
A PEEK INTO OPEN GARDEN WEEK
26
yourh me
To suit your budget
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Your at-a-glance guide to
THE PUMP HOUSE SOUTHBOROUGH GUIDE PRICE
£745,000
UNDER £300,000
n Dining room
UNDER £350,000
SHAFTESBURY ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS
n Kitchen
VERMONT ROAD RUSTHALL
GUIDE PRICE
n Spacious bathroom
n 2 bedrooms
£300,000
£295,000
n Front and rear garden n Brick garden store
n End-of-terrace house
n Late Victorian semi-detached house in St John’s area
n Off-road parking to side
n Living room
n Requires modernisation n Lobby n Sitting room
CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk
n Kitchen with access to garden n 2 double bedrooms n Bathroom
n Loft space with Velux-style window and spotlights n Front garden with white picket fence n Rear garden with patio area n Private road with allocated parking space CONTACT KMJ Rusthall 01892 515188 www.kmjproperty.co.uk
To suit your budget
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
thekn w
27
great properties by price range…
UNDER £550,000 ORCHARD DRIVE TONBRIDGE
GUIDE PRICE
£530,000-£550,000 n Detached chalet home n Hallway n Living room with feature fireplace n Dining room n Kitchen n 3 bedrooms n Family bathroom n Well-maintained rear garden CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk
UNDER £700,000 BARCHESTER WAY TONBRIDGE
£685,000 n Chalet-style house n Updated by current owners n Entrance hall n Living room n Kitchen n 5 bedrooms n Shower room n Family bathroom n Loft storage area n Rear garden with workshop and detached garage CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Tonbridge 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com
UNDER £800,000 THE PUMP HOUSE SOUTHBOROUGH
GUIDE PRICE
UNDER £1MILLION MILL LANE, TONBRIDGE n Study area
£745,000
n 2 double bedrooms
n Detached house
n Rear gardens of two thirds of an acre
n Dating back to the 19th century n Period features n Kitchen/dining room n Separate home office n Utility room n Spacious sitting room
n Bathroom and separate wet room
n Off-street parking for 5 cars n Garage CONTACT Flying Fish Properties Southborough 01892 514189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk
GUIDE PRICE
£850,000
n Grade II listed renovated mill which won
2006 Tonbridge Civic Society award n Double aspect sitting room plus
kitchen/dining/family room, utility room and study n Shower room & family bathroom n Master bedroom with en suite n 2 further double bedrooms n Rear garden with pond and deck CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Tonbridge 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Erskine Park Road
thekn w
33
AT A GLANCE ERSKINE PARK ROAD RUSTHALL n Hallway n Sitting room n Open-plan kitchen/dining room n Guest cloakroom n Bedroom with shower cubicle
Family house refurbished to a high standard with glass roofing and French doors in dining area
n 2 further bedrooms n Loft room (currently used as an office) n Family bathroom n Enclosed rear garden n Single garage
£490,000 Available for sale through McAuley Miller Tunbridge Wells 01892 614777 www.mcauleymiller.com
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Rose Cottage
thekn w AT A GLANCE
ROSE COTTAGE KINGS LANE, MARDEN n Vaulted ceilings and exposed beams throughout n Entrance porch n L-shaped sitting room/family room n Open brick-built fire place n Lobby n Cloakroom n Dining room n Main kitchen n Double bedroom with en suite n 2 further bedrooms n Rear garden with 4 acres of land n Front garden with gravel drive and parking for 2 cars n Double gates leading to rear land
Enjoy panoramic views across the fields from country home boasting four acres
ÂŁ785,000 Available for sale through Firefly Properties Paddock Wood 01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk
39
42
yourh me
The Old Oast
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
AT A GLANCE THE OLD OAST MARESFIELD n Entrance hall n Cloakroom n Kitchen n Utility room n Sitting room n Family room n Casual dining room/playroom n Roundel formal dining room area n Master bedroom with dressing area and en suite n 4 further bedrooms (1 with en suite) n Shower room n Bathroom n Cloakroom Detached annexe: n Kitchen/sitting/dining room n Utility room n Bedroom n Bathroom n Office n Pool plant room n Gardens and grounds with pond, log store and workshop n Detached triple garage n Approx. 2.47 acres
GUIDE PRICE
ÂŁ1,550,000
Available for sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk
Oast with pool, a natural pond and annexe in converted barn
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Advertising
thekn w
43
Interiors
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
thekn w.guide
45
Become part of the green party J
Image: Courtesy of DFS
Want to update your home with a new hue? Then give this evergreen shade a go, says Eileen Leahy
ADE, lime or chartreuse – whatever shade of green you plump for, there’s one thing for certain: It’ll make your home look a lot more interesting as well as echo the outside inside. Using the lighter end of the green colour spectrum is an easy way to create light and freshness in a scheme, but the current green trend favours the richer, more opulent forest and jungle tones – as pictured left. This shade has gone from being old fashioned to bang on trend, courtesy of the amount of lavish deep green soft furnishings, trend for faux foliage and oversized green plant and leaf motifs splashed on everything from wallpapers to the kind of cushion covers, crockery and curtain fabrics that are about at present. If you’re after some statement green furniture, then you are spoilt for choice. As well as our picture’s gorgeous contemporary chaise longue from DFS, there are sofas, side and headboards and also occasional chairs sporting this verdant colour. Try Habitat’s cosy two-seater sofa, Anthropologie’s elegant studded Chesterfield couch, or Ikea’s wooden jade sideboard on for size and you’ll see that any one of these statement
pieces will immediately create aesthetic impact. Once you have your hero piece of furniture in place, then it’s time to accessorise around it. By all means weave in a similar coloured collection of accessories, courtesy of some plants, cushions or a corresponding feature wall
‘if you’re of the bolder school of thought, then nothing looks as stunning as a hot fuschia pink or bright orange added to the mix’ colour – but be careful not to saturate things. Introducing lighter tones such as silver, neutral ecru or shell pink will create complementary contrasts and stop your greens from feeling too ‘heavy’. Of course, if you’re of the bolder school of thought then nothing looks as stunning as a hot fuschia pink or bright orange added to the mix. You could do this with a patterned rug, light feature or wall. If you’re considering painting with a lush colour, then how
about Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke or Little Greene’s Dark Brunswick Green? Complemented by layers of rich buttermilk, taupe and biscuit they still feel fresh – but again, for a more vibrant vibe, you can’t go wrong with a sliver of silver or glimmering gold. Doing this can be as easy as adding a series of gilt photo frames or a collection of vases. If you have a penchant for green prints, then how about creating a feature wall with Graham and Brown’s Palm Leaf print or Cole & Son’s Palm Jungle? Both will instantly put the space you’re decorating on to the style map. If you don’t want the hassle of redecorating, then introduce prints on cushions and other soft furnishings. Or if you are redoing your kitchen or dining room, then how about some green crockery or glassware? Try M&S and John Lewis for these, while a simple bale of groovy green towels matched alongside a trio of green succulents to freshen up a bathroom is another simple but effective idea. So go on, give this shade a go and make all your friends green with envy…
46
yourh me
Gardening
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Leafing through a secret garden Every year the National Garden Scheme introduces horticultural fans to some of the best secret gardens worth seeking out locally. Here, Jon Bond previews one of this year’s top picks – leafy 142 Crampton Road, Sevenoaks Bennet Smith has transformed his tiny garden into a lush oasis over the past six years
G
ARDEN photographer Bennet Smith has created his own lush and leafy planstman’s oasis in Sevenoaks. At just 13m long by 5m wide, this very small space at 142 Cramptons Road boasts a huge variety of plants from around the world, while a central border dissects the lawn diagonally to create small intimate areas surrounded by plants. Beginning with a lawn as a blank canvas, Bennet has made use of every inch of the space in his six years in the garden, even managing not one but two seating areas, making the most of the morning and evening sun. We asked him all about it…
What is the latest project in your garden? “I’ve made changes to a small seating area to give it a bit more definition: It is now sunk down by a foot and edged with steel. My girlfriend, Suzanne, has also made a container with a selection of beautiful succulents and I’m really looking forward to watching that develop over the year.”
What are your favourite plants and why? “I love airy umbellifers as they are such graceful plants and the insects seem to agree! They usually have elegant leaves, too, so they are great for a small garden. My favourite shrubs include Trochodendron aralioides – a beautiful, shapely evergreen with an open yet tidy habit – and Desmodium elegans, which has wonderful soft leaves edged with a silver line and delicate panicles of pale lilac flowers over a long period.”
What is your favourite thing about your garden? “I am a plant enthusiast and I really love foliage! My garden is a tapestry of leaves selected for their texture, elegance, colour, size and shape, and I really enjoy combining them to create interesting partnerships. There are plants from every continent (except Antarctica), and I love the sense of enclosure. I can be outside, within a built-up area, but be totally hidden by plants.”
Focusing on foliage ensures that Bennet Smith’s garden keeps looking good all year round What do you enjoy the most about taking part in the National Garden Scheme? I opened the garden for the first time last year, and it was great seeing who turned up. My garden is full of my favourite plants and I really enjoyed introducing people to plants that I find irresistible, especially as they don’t pop up in too many other Kentish gardens. This small Sevenoaks garden makes the most of the daylight, with seating areas for morning and evening
Foliage from around the world comes together in this Kent garden to create a tapestry of colour and texture
How has your garden evolved with time? “The garden was simply a lawn when I arrived six years ago. It’s exciting seeing the trees and shrubs slowly maturing – the ‘flamingo tree’, Toona sinensis, delicate acers, the giant lobed leaves of Tetrapanax papyrifer, and the ‘paper mulberry’, Broussonetia – all of which give the garden real volume by adding height. “The shed which formed an unwanted focal point at the end of the garden when I moved in has long since gone!”
Airy umbellifers meet Jurassic structure from the Tetrapanax papyrifer Which plants have made you work the hardest? “It’s the other way around – the plants work hard for me! It’s a small garden so everything has to earn its place. I want the whole garden to look good for as long as possible, so I concentrate on finding plants with interesting foliage which keep looking good throughout the whole year.”
Do you have any advice for other gardeners? Visit plant fairs – Great Comp, Great Dixter, Sussex Prairies and the Plant Fairs Roadshow! They are a source of the best plant material from specialist nurseries, and the plants are much cheaper than at garden centres. Choose plants that you like the look of, not ones that you think you ought to grow. Be bold with your space; plant big plants in small spaces – you can always prune them if they get too big. Divide the space with architectural plants so that it’s always changing and evolving through the season. To find more information about how you can visit some of the country’s most beautiful private gardens, visit www.ngs.org.uk
Advertorial
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
BOOK YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY WITH
FEATURES
Baldwins Travel Group are your local, independent, award winning travel agent and our 8 shops across Kent and East Sussex are simply bursting at the seams with holiday ideas. Step into our shops and you will have access to the whole world as all of our experienced travel consultants have a wealth of travel and cruise companies at their fingertips. This means they can find you your perfect holiday; one that suits your dates, your budget and your preferences. Tailor making trips is our speciality, as are cruising and long-haul destinations, complicated itineraries and all the little extras that make your precious time away – perfect.
Visit us in your local town or call us to start planning your next adventure Baldwins Travel - Tunbridge Wells 01892 511999 Baldwins Travel - Tonbridge 01732 351223 Sevenoaks Travel 01732 458255
Baldwins Travel - Cranbrook Baldwins Travel - Lewes Travelux - Tenterden
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
01580 714411 01273 472466 01580 764344
Baldwins Travel - Uckfield Baldwins Travel - Maidstone Weddings & Honeymoons
#HolidayInspirations
Join us at the #HolidayInspirations Show on 23rd September for lots more ideas www.baldwinstravel.co.uk/holidayinsprationsshow
01825 760488 01622 762141 01892 506401
49
50
FEATURES
Advertorial
BOOK YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY WITH
www.baldwinstravel.co.uk
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
thekn w.guide IN PRINT AND ONLINE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
Be bold
ARTS & CULTURE | LIFE & STYLE |
FOOD & DRINK | MOTORING
52
We pick the best colourful beauty buys Page 63 SCENT OF A WOMAN
56
JUST JIVE TALKING
66
A midsummer night’s dream has come true See a Shakespeare classic at Scotney Castle Pages 54-55
EMBRACE THE OPEN ROAD
71
HOCKEY PLAYERS’ SUCCESS
thekn w.guide
arts
52
NOVEL CONFESSIONS Maggie Alderson
Arts & Culture
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
A fabulously fragrant tale Journalist, bestselling author and current Wealden Times Editor Maggie Alderson tells Eileen Leahy all about her latest novel, The Scent of You, and how her personal passion for perfume inspired it
T
HEY say everyone has a novel in them, but in journalist Maggie Alderson’s case she has had plenty. The former Sydney Morning Herald and Elle Editor has penned 12 over the past 18 years, and that’s in addition to her day job as a successful columnist and editor. Since she wrote her first book, Pants on Fire, in 2000 – when in Australia – Maggie has won international acclaim with a collection of absorbing reads with subject matters and titles as diverse as Mad About the Boy, Gravity Sucks, Shall We Dance? and Cents and Sensibility. “Writing suits my adrenalineaddicted journalist brain,” states Maggie, who has worked on nine magazines and contributed to numerous newspapers over the past two decades. Yet despite being used to writing to deadlines and fashioning feature articles, she admits that starting out as a novelist wasn’t all plain sailing. “I secretly wanted to write a novel but I felt too scared,” she says. “Fiction is very different to feature writing, so I took an evening class in creative writing at Sydney University to boost my confidence.” That was 18 years ago, when Maggie was a successful columnist on The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia.
It’s also where she met her husband, a Serbian football player with whom she has a teenage daughter. “I was able to take a six-week sabbatical from my day job to do the fiction course. I then found the book easy to write, completing it in six weeks. I don’t procrastinate, in fact I have to slow myself down, so now it takes around four to six months to write the first draft and a similar amount of time editing it.”
Power Maggie says she still ‘makes the same mistakes’ with her books, such as ‘not working out historical timelines or people’s ages’, but every one she writes has something to do with what she has personally experienced. Her latest tome, published last month, is entitled The Scent of You and focuses on the power of perfume and how scent isn’t just something you spritz on or smell on someone. “Fragrance association with times and places is also really powerful,” says Maggie. “Ever since I was little, I have always adored perfume. My mother had a dressing table full of fabulous flacons. Without realising it, I honed my appreciation of fragrance by comparing all the different perfumes my mother had and forming associations with each one.”
She cites examples like associating Easter holidays as a child with the fresh green soapy notes of Diorissimo by Christian Dior, and parties with the heady scent of Fracas by Robert Piguet, heavy with tuberose and white floral accords. Although Maggie is reluctant to give too much away about the essence of the plotline, what I can tell you is that it centres around fragrance fanatic and blogger Polly Masterson-Mackay. As well as her olfactory obsession, Polly teaches yoga, has two grown-up children and is happily married to David – or so she thinks, until one day he announces that he needs some space and promptly disappears. The book opens with Polly alone on New Year’s Eve, lying in bed trying to fathom where and why her husband has gone. “Essentially, it’s a story that explores life, love, loss and forgiveness,” reveals Maggie. She says that Polly ‘thinks in perfume’, so as well as being a very engaging and enjoyable read, its unique edge is that it’s also a highly sensory one. Maggie, who lives in Hastings and is currently editing lifestyle magazine Wealden Times while the Editor is on maternity leave, admits she has drawn on her own relationship with scent to ensure Polly’s character comes across as a genuine fragrance fiend.
Arts & Culture
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
“There is something just so glamorous about the world of perfume. When I was working in magazines, I had the privilege of attending many launches and being gifted bottles of it. “The French do fragrance particularly well, the men are always so suave and sophisticated,” she says, hinting that some of the expert ‘noses’ she met in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, may just have influenced a couple of characters in The Scent of You. “The fragrance world is an incredible one, it’s so glamorous, full of obsession and passion – it’s almost mythical.” When she starts her writing process, Maggie tells me that she already ‘knows’ who her heroine and male lead characters are, but hasn’t necessarily created the other characters.
“I have no idea who else is in it until they stroll on to the page,” she adds. Also, rather interestingly, Maggie creates ‘mood boards’ for each of her characters: “It helps me visualise things. Having worked in magazines for a long time, I enjoy the ritual of going through them and selecting key images.” In the past Maggie has also done special playlists for each of her main characters, but for The Scent of You she hasn’t gone down that road. Instead she has created a ‘blog’ for Polly and also an Instagram account, again to really make the characters believable to the reader. “When I am writing a book I immerse myself thoroughly in it and do nothing else. I’m a Leo and therefore love glamour. I’ve had private dinners with Valentino and travelled on private jets. That world is such a rich vein to write about.” But Maggie isn’t solely focused on weaving her rather fabulous experiences into her novels. “There’s always a theme running through my books to counteract all the glamour,” she tells me. “With The Scent of You it’s mental health and a specific condition that one of the characters has in the book. I examine how the ripple effect of something like that can be absolutely catastrophic.” After a lifetime of writing, how does Maggie keep the ideas flowing? “I find it really important to have new experiences as these constantly help to keep the brain stimulated. I like to go out and let things drift around and then the ideas will come. “Fragrance, for example, is pure pleasure for me, you don’t necessarily need it, but my how it enhances your life!” I think Polly Masterson-Mackay would heartily agree with that… The Scent of You is published by Harper Collins and available from all good bookshops priced £8.99. You can follow Polly at her Instagram account @thescentofyou or have a look at her blog www.fragrantcloud.net
thekn w.guide
53
Setting the stage for a classic The Rotherfield Players present their production of The Country Wife. Its director, Kate Organ, tells the Times why the group opted for this notorious restoration comedy…
W
E AT the Rotherfield Players will be presenting our summer production from July 26 to 28. We’ve chosen to put on William Wycherley’s ‘The Country Wife’, a fun-filled restoration comedy, and will perform it outdoors in the beautiful setting of the garden of the village’s Kings Arms pub.
Bawdy Set in London in the early 18th century, The Country Wife consists of three interwoven storylines which rather hilariously illustrate the relationships, sexual conduct and manners of the time. For many years the play was considered too outrageous to perform due its bawdy nature, but since the 1920s it has once again become a favourite amongst audiences, and is hugely acclaimed by critics thanks to its sharp social satire. The Rotherfield Players have been going since 1976, when we put on our first performance The Happiest Days of Your Life. Our approach to theatre has always remained the same. We like to enjoy ourselves, whether
we’re rehearsing or performing. And we try to encourage the development of youngsters in the group, and hope to achieve the highest quality performances possible. So if you come along to see us in The Country Wife, then you’ll not only relish seeing a classic piece of comedy theatre performed al fresco, but also have the chance to hear live music and songs and witness our theatrical ethos first hand. We believe that our production of Wycherley’s play FUN AND FROLICS A taste of social satire
is a colourful frolic – or an early 18th-century version of a Carry On film, if you like! Why not come along and judge for yourself… To purchase tickets for The Country Wife, go online to www.rotherfieldplayers.co.uk The Rotherfield Players will also be touring the play to The Noah’s Ark pub in Lurgashall, Sussex from August 2-4. Tickets for these performances are available directly from the pub.
54
thekn w.guide
Going Out
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
going ut Seven days of activities at a glance
By Eileen Leahy
LIVE THE DREAM! See A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed at stunning Scotney Castle
Wednesday evenings at 7pm at St Gregory’s Catholic School. They cost £5 for a one-hour session. For more details, see www.boostfit.com
THURSDAY Local poet Louise Campbell has written a book of poems about patients and nurses on a psychiatric ward. Entitled The Ward, it has its launch this evening from 6pm at the Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology (part of Canterbury Christ Church University) in Meadow Road, Tunbridge Wells. It will also feature readings from the event’s guest poet, John O’Donoghue, author of Sectioned, which won Mind Book of the Year 2010. Copies of The Ward will be on sale for £5. Beacon Academy in Crowborough is holding its Visual Arts Summer Exhibition this evening from 5.30pm to 8pm. Showcasing the talents of its students from all year groups, it will have a wide range of artwork on display, including paintings, graphics and photography. The event will be held in the school’s Creative Learning Centre. Jazz on The Pantiles is still in full swing. To make it a really special event, why not avail yourself of One Warwick Park Hotel’s Bubbles and Burger deal, which costs just £10 per person? For more details, see www.onewarwickpark.co.uk
FRIDAY
WEDNESDAY All week, Trinity Theatre Club perform their interpretation of the classic 1980s play Outside Edge. Written by Richard Harris in 1979, it’s the comic tale of a cricket team trying to win a game while sorting out their various marital problems. Famously adapted for a TV series which ran from 1994-1996, you can now see it in its original stage version all this week. Tickets start from £12 for Friends of Trinity. www.trinitytheatre.net You’ve still got time to catch a screening of Ocean’s 8, the next instalment in the heist movie franchise, which is playing this evening and
tomorrow evening at The Hop Farm’s Moonlight Drive-In Cinema. The all-female film, which stars Sandra Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter and Cate Blanchett, focuses on a group of criminal women aiming to rob a multi-million dollar diamond from New York’s infamous Met Ball. Will they pull it off? Tickets cost £25 per vehicle if you want to find out… www.moonlightcinema.com Every Wednesday from 7pm until 9pm, the Angel Indoor Bowls Centre in Tonbridge welcomes beginners to their ‘Have a go at bowling’ evening. For more information, visit www.angelibc.co.uk BoostFit classes are now being held on
ENJOY THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN At Hever
This is the final week to catch the Keratin exhibition at Trinity Gallery. Its focus is on the natural beauty PICNIC IN of birds’ feathers. Assembled G&H PARK by multi-media artist Eddie For Love Vanderwerif, it is a stunning Parks Week collection of drawings that will draw your eye to the intricate detailing found on a variety of different birds. Open daily from 10am until 10pm. The Festival Theatre at Hever Castle welcomes the stage show The Magic of Motown this evening from 8pm, so if you’re a fan of this musical genre you’ll enjoy hearing classic
hits by the likes of The Jackson 5, Martha Reeves and Smokey Robinson being played al fresco. Tickets can be booked through the box office, open Monday-Friday 9.30am-5pm, on 01732 866114, or online at www.heverfestival.co.uk Localy charity IMAGO is hosting a fundraising quiz night at Tunbridge Wells Football Club from 7pm. Teams of six people are invited to join at a cost of £7 per ticket. To book, call 01892 530330 or email: hello@imago.community
SATURDAY
The popular Maize Maze at Penshurst Place opens today and runs throughout the summer
Going Out
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
make sure you book tickets, which start at £21.50. www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Entertainment of a different kind is on offer over at Scotney Castle, where there is an outdoor performance of the Shakespeare comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream from 7.30pm. Tickets are priced £13 for adults and £8 for children. www.nationaltrust.org
SUNDAY ACE VIEWING The amazing documentary film Spitfire comes to the Odeon until September 2. Open from 11am until 6pm (last entry is at 5pm), this year’s theme is time travel, so the maze has been designed to resemble a clock face. There’s also an optional new shorter route to explore… To find out more, visit www.penshurstplace.com From 3pm until 4pm this afternoon, St Saviour’s Church in Tonbridge will be hosting a Summer Tea Party to which all are welcome. As well as delicious treats to savour, there will also be a short talk by parish member, teacher and mother Alyson Bleakley. The church is located on Dry Hill Park Crescent and entrance is free. Staying in Tonbridge, this weekend sees the Southborough School of Dance Charity perform a variety of shows, including ballet, modern, tap and jazz today and tomorrow. Saturday’s performance is at 5.30pm and Sunday’s is at 3.30pm, and both shows will be staged in the Mac Theatre at West Kent College, Brook Street. Ticket prices are £12 per adult and £6 for children aged under 18. Under-3s go free. Ticket sales proceeds will go to the Zama School of Dance in Cape Town, South Africa, towards their ‘Development’ Fund’ for talented township pupils, and the Southborough School of Dance Fund. For more on the performances, email: info@danceschoolkent.co.uk There’s also jousting at Hever Castle to enjoy all weekend. Visitors are welcome to watch ‘Henry VIII’, ‘Anne Boleyn’ and the Knights of Royal
England battle it out on horseback. Entrance is free with the normal admission price. See www.hevercastle.co.uk Over at the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells, The Dreamboys are on performing, so if you’re a fan of muscles and sexy moves put to music then JOUST IN TIME At Hever
Go Ape at Bedgebury is great for thrill-seekers to get stuck into. Children must be aged at least ten years old and be a minimum of 1.4m tall to participate in this tree-top adventure. For tickets and timings, visit www.goape.co.uk Join the Friends of Grosvenor and Hilbert Park for a day of outdoor games and picnicking from midday onwards. The fun day marks the start of national Love Parks Week, which runs all of next week. You can bring your own food, games and entertainment and have a wonderful time.
thekn w.guide
55
PICK OF THE WEEK: Eridge Horse Trials
Saturday and Sunday July 14 & 15 Eridge Park 10am-6pm
The annual Eridge Horse Trials are on all weekend, taking place in the glorious grounds of Eridge Park. This equestrian event sees eventers from all over the world, and those from closer to home, competing in a series of different trials including dressage, showjumping and cross country – at varying levels of ability. There is also a country market to browse around on both days, and a classic car display on Saturday, with a dog show on the final day, so there really is something for all the family. Tickets cost £15 per car (including all passengers) on Saturday and £20 on Sunday. For more details, see www.seesltd.com
MONDAY Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery continues to exhibit Staffages: 2018 – a collection of photographic works which highlights the connections between museum object, site and viewer, created by artist Steffi Klenz. Trinity Theatre’s Silver Screening at 10.30am is the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks classic romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle. There will be a 15-minute interval halfway through and tickets cost just £5. See www.trinitytheatre.net
TUESDAY The Odeon cinema transmits a live screening of the film Spitfire, an ‘epic, sweeping tale of determination, vision and courage’. In essence it’s the story of the world’s most famous fighter planes used in deadly combat. Told in the words of the last surviving combat veterans, it also boasts amazing aerial footage from the world’s top aviation photographer and rare, digitally remastered, archive film. Following the screening there will be a special Q&A hosted by RAF Honorary Group Captain Carol Vorderman.
Ahoy me hearties! Illyria theatre company will put on a performance of the timeless Gilbert and Sullivan musical play The Pirates of Penzance this evening at Tonbridge Castle from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £10 for children under 16. Kent and Sussex Poetry Society meet up today at The Enchanted Place, by the Winnie the Pooh memorial, in Ashdown Forest at 7.45pm. The theme of this month’s get together is ‘childhood innocence, or the loss of it’. Members are invited to bring along a favourite poem or two by their preferred poet which relates to the theme. See www.kentandsussexpoetry.com
56
thekn w.guide
Going Out
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites www.pdag.co.uk & www.thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Alex Van, Alana Hazzard, Mike Wilton Friday The Grey Lady Latino Party with DJ Luke plus guests Saturday Project 5 Sunday Imy Lawrie, Zoe eve, Isabella Coulstock
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM
live music With Paul Dunton
P
OPULAR local acts Mike Wilton (The Standard Lamps), Alana Hazzard and Alex Van will all be performing at The Grey Lady tonight [Wednesday]. While over at The Forum, the excellent Arcane Roots headline with support from Bitch Falcon. Thursday night sees The Jive Aces at the Jazz on The Pantiles. They are regarded as one of the UK’s most entertaining swing bands and a brilliant live act. My top picks for Friday include Route 66 at The Bedford and Rachel By The Stream and Code: Marla at The Sussex Arms Basement. For fans of Led Zepplin, CODA offer a great tribute show at The Forum.
The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… www.paulduntonandguests.com
The weekend features many excellent local pop/rock groups, including Riff Raff at The Bedford, Tailspin at The Beau Nash, Grosvenor Road at The Royal Oak and Project 5 at The Grey Lady – all on Saturday evening. For something a little more alternative, I highly recommend the superb Seething Akira who headline The Sussex Arms with support from Strife Darko and Accidental, while Sunday night brings up-and-coming country singersongwriter Isabella Coulstock, supported by Zoe Eve and Imy Lawrie. On Monday, Triage will be at The Tonbridge Folk Club, and for fans of blues, Migden & Gibson will be at The Punch & Judy on Tuesday.
Event information at www.twforum.co.uk Wednesday Arcane Roots, Bitch Falcon Friday CODA – A Tribute to Led Zeppelin Sunday Sunday Sessions (1pm start)
JAZZ ON THE PANTILES The Bandstand
Music from 8pm-10pm (donations welcomed) Thursday The Jive Aces
THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late Friday Route 66 Saturday Riff Raff
THE SUSSEX ARMS (BASEMENT) Sussex Mews Music from 8.30pm. Tickets at www.twforum.co.uk Friday Rachel By The Stream, Code: Marla Saturday Strife Darko, Seething Akira, Accidental Spatula
THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Tailspin
PICTURED: Code: Marla (above) The Jive Aces (below)
THE ROYAL OAK PUB Prospect Road Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Grosvenor Road
THE PUNCH & JUDY 11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry Music from 8pm Saturday Laura Hayward Tuesday Migden & Gibson
TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB The Flying Dutchman, Hildenborough, near Tonbridge Hat collection with a suggested contribution of £7 (£5 concessions) Music from 8pm, all welcome More information at www.tonbridgefolkclub.org Monday Triage
thekn w.guide
food
58
Food & Drink
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Tasting success at a T special wine event Private dining experiences are the perfect recipe for enjoyment, as Eileen Leahy discovered when she visited the Hush Heath event at Hotel Du Vin
thekn w.guide
STAY CONNECTED 7 DAYS A WEEK…
HERE can be few things as enjoyable in life as dinner out with friends and family, but if you’re looking for something a little bit extra special, then how about attending one of Hotel Du Vin’s monthly private dinners? Personally speaking, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Hotel Du Vin, which has now been serving Tunbridge Wells for over 20 years. Whether it’s popping in for a warming glass of red on a cold winter’s evening or dining al fresco at lunchtime in the boutique hotel’s glorious lavender-lined gardens, it always hits the hospitality spot. The fact the Hotel Du Vin now also offers a monthly private dining experience adds another string to its culinary bow. When I was invited to its latest one, held on a beautiful summer’s evening, it was the turn of local wine producer Hush Heath to showcase its impressive array of viticultural offerings made at their state-of-the-art winery in Staplehurst. On arrival at the hotel, I’m ushered into the elegant lounge, where I meet Adam Williams, Sales Director at Hush Heath Estate. He swiftly hands me a chilled flute of Leslie’s Reserve, a sparkling white wine named after the wife of Richard Balfour Lynn, who started Hush Heath in 2001. It’s rich, bone dry yet boasts buttery hints, and thanks to the fact it’s made using the classic Champagne triptych of 55% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier,
ONE FROM SEVENTEEN Brought to you by Seventeen, One Warwick Park Hotel
With Wimbledon in full swing, what better time to whisk up a refreshing pitcher of Pimm’s, sit back in the summer sunshine and enjoy one of Britain’s great sporting tournaments? The creative team behind the bar at Seventeen, One Warwick Park Hotel, share their favourite twists on this old classic cocktail…
FIT FOR A ROYAL
Instead of lemonade or soda, turn it up a notch and mix your Pimm’s with Champagne instead, garnish with a strawberry and you have the ultimate posh Pimm’s!
ADDED SPICE
For something a little less sweet and a little more unusual, use ginger beer to mix your Pimm’s – lots of ice a and a wedge of lime and you won’t ever look back…
COOL ORIGINAL Sometimes you can’t beat an original recipe with plenty of sliced orange, strawberries, springs of mint and cooling cucumber.
Remember, One Warwick Park will be showing all Wimbledon matches, and of course serving plenty of Pimm’s with strawberries and cream
Food & Drink
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
thekn w.guide
59
This is paired with a Skye Chardonnay 2016. We’re told by Adam this is ‘England’s answer to Chablis’, and named after the producer’s eldest daughter. It’s an ideal accompaniment to the starter as its zingy fresh citrus character cuts through the dish’s intense flavours. Next on the menu is pan-roasted red mullet served with crushed saffron potatoes, seasonal asparagus and a basil beurre blanc sauce. As the chatter around the table becomes more animated, we are poured a glass of Balfour Brut Rosé 2014 – the jewel in the Hush Heath crown. It was the first wine they launched as a rival to the likes of France’s Laurent Perrier or Billecart Salmon. A glass of Manor ‘Pinot Noir’ 2016 is then presented alongside a board of both British and French cheeses, and it boasts a pleasing it tastes as good as any of its expensive French counterparts – and is the perfect accompaniment to the smoked salmon blinis, nuggets of ham hock terrine and mini broccoli and stilton quiches being offered around. As more guests drift in – we are ten in total – people start to chat, and despite the fact I’m the only one here who hasn’t come with a spouse or family member, the group is friendly and clearly passionate about wine, or learning more, as they ask Adam all sorts of questions regarding ‘terroir’ and the best vintage years. Soon we’re in the hotel’s delightful ‘Havana’ private dining room to enjoy our three-course dinner, which will be accompanied by a different wine for each course. Sitting at the elegantly dressed table – complete with starched white linen cloth, gleaming glassware and polished silver cutlery – we start with a light French-inspired dish of cured Bayonne Ham with a creamy celeriac remoulade.
ruby red colour with buckets of fruit on the bouquet. Although I feel pretty full by now, there’s still one more course to savour – a traditional tarte tartin with crème Normande. I’m happy to report it’s deliciously sweet and sticky and the Sparkling Apple Wine rosé Adam proposes to go with it is a light and refreshing foil to the dessert. When I ask Adam what he enjoyed most about talking about his wines and the food matches, he told me that the Hotel Du Vin was ‘the perfect venue to taste great English wines matched expertly with great food’. I have to say I would certainly second that, and look forward to returning.
The next private dining experience at the Hotel Du Vin is a Gin Dinner on Friday, August 10, with Slingsby of Harrogate at 7pm. Tickets, which include a three-course dinner paired with a selection of gins, welcome drinks and canapés, costs £50 per person. www.hotelduvin.com Hush Heath hosts a special event exclusively for its Wine Club members on July 28. This will be a smart cocktail party – an evening with a dressy code in their new winery, where the team will be making cocktails for members. For more details on this and other events, visit www.hushheath.com
60
thekn w.guide
Advertorial
‘No worries here!’
Just over two years down the line, Tyson Marshall is flying high in his reimagined Tonbridge hotspot The Foresters Arms. Hannah Patterson sits down with the Australian pub owner to find out the secret to the success of this popular place… BEST BAR NONE Tyson (second from left) and his team
I
FIRMLY believe that an hour spent talking with pub landlord Tyson Marshall is more beneficial than several weeks at a yoga retreat. His naturally cheery disposition, infectious smile and relaxed approach to – well, everything – makes you wonder if there really is anything in life to worry about at all. “Maybe I have too many stickers?” he remarks, eyeing the walls of the pub.
“I’m running out of space to put them up.” This is the most negative comment I get out of him during our time together. When speaking to the Times a couple of years ago, Tyson expressed a belief that this Tonbridge pub was not trading to its full potential. He took over The Foresters Arms in March 2016 with the intention of reinventing the struggling hostelry as a relaxed venue with an emphasis on service.
“A local pub should be involved in the community that it’s a part of,” he says. “If you are a regular, the bar staff should know your name and what you like to drink.” Having worked in hospitality across the globe, from Australia to the US, and with 12 years at local
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
gastro company Whiting & Hammond under his belt, it became clear early on that he was the man to turn it all around. He says: “There has been tremendous change in the past year and a half. There’s the superficial – we’ve done up the outside so it looks more welcoming and redecorated the inside, and then there are the changes that you can’t see. “We’ve made everything a lot more efficient, which translates into the experience customers receive here. There’s bigger ice machines, for example, meaning we can serve more visitors.” Tyson may describe the fresh lick of paint as a superficial change, but it’s actually a testament to his success. Upon takeover of the lease, the brewery told him that if he did well they’d smarten the place up – and that he has. “At the time I thought they were dangling a carrot,” he remembers. “But they were true to their word.” By his own admission, Tyson never worries too much about the future, choosing to focus on the present instead, but he has to concede that the lick of paint has done wonders for the business. “I think more people are willing to take a chance on coming in now,” he says. The revamp and word-ofmouth has been their main marketing ploy, and can take credit for the increasing popularity of the venue – Tyson’s not an avid social media user, spends no time obsessing over sites like TripAdvisor and invests little in marketing campaigns. At times I feel that he is unaware of the buzz surrounding the pub online, but as long as the regulars keep being regulars and new faces
Advertorial
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
continue to appear at the bar, Tyson is a happy man. In Australian parlance, ‘No worries’. A perhaps more significant change he has noticed since the brewery’s work on the exterior is a shift in demographic. The Foresters Arms has begun to attract more families, particularly at the weekends. “We always had a broad spectrum of people coming in,” Tyson says, “but now we are beginning to fill the daytime slot more. “At the beginning we wouldn’t see much business before 2pm, which is still reasonably early, but you wouldn’t consider it a lunch destination. This is beginning to change. “Now we can have about ten pizzas on the go from as early as 12noon.” For me, however, it’s the interior that sets The Foresters Arms apart from other local pubs. Reminiscent of a beach bar in Byron Bay, there
is not a single surface in sight that hasn’t been turned into a lively, fun and colourful work of art. From spraypainted motifs to the monster from Netflix’s Stranger Things to travel memorabilia collages on the walls, you can’t help but enjoy a sense of escapism – I feel very far away from the world outside of its walls. One thing I do notice when I look around is that there’s no television. “I’m happy you say that, because I actually do have a television, but I don’t want it to be the focal point of the place,” says Tyson. “It will be on for the rest of this exciting World Cup, but normally I prefer a mixed demographic. It’s very important that we don’t isolate anyone.” His love for inclusion is reflective in his menu, still unchanged since Tyson took over. The Foresters Arms exclusively sells pizzas: “Everyone loves a pizza.” It was a practical and businesssavvy decision. Tyson never had the intention to transform the place into a gastro pub that’s defined by its menu, and with that he has cut the cost of a full-time chef from his overheads. “Any of my staff can jump in the
kitchen and make a great pizza,” he says. “They’re easy, delicious and quick to make, and the customers love them.” Easy and quick they may be, but he certainly hasn’t skimped on the quality of the produce and all the pizzas are made from scratch. The only exception is the base, which is produced part-baked, vacuum packed and shipped over from Italy – ‘No one does pizza like the Italians’ – while all the toppings are sourced locally through Tyson’s Tonbridge connections. But surely no one can be as laid back as Tyson, especially when running an increasingly successful pub – there must be something that gets his goat? “Okay, this is a major bar staff scoop,” he smiles. “If you’re ordering a rum and coke, please do get specific, particularly when it’s busy – there are several rums to choose from and we aren’t mind readers!”
STRANGE DESIGNS The pub is normal on the outside, but inside the walls are filled with curiosities, including the monster from Netflix’s Stranger Things (left)
thekn w.guide
THE FORESTERS ARMS 52 Quarry Hill Road, Tonbridge TN9 2RT 01732 361927 www.forestersarmstonbridge.co.uk
61
62
yourh me
Advertisement
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Look Good, Feel Good
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Colour me bold Embrace your bolder, brighter beauty side to match your more vibrant take on dressing. Here are our favourite pops of colour on counters nationwide…
63
Get the totally tropical look this summer
High-octane hues, slogan tees, exotic fruit prints: Your wardrobe for your holiday – or just hanging around at home – should include a few, if not all, of these items so you shine in the sunshine, says Eileen Leahy GO FOR A TASTE OF THE EXOTIC WHEN PACKING Pineapple print suitcase, £85, RI X Caroline Flack, River Island www.riverisland.com
BLUE FOR YOU This water-resistant SPF is new and promises total protection, Shiseido WetForce Expert Sun Aging Protection Lotion Plus SPF50, £34, available from www.escentual.com
BRONZE AGE Containing a skin-enhancing fluid to boost radiance and vitality, this clever compact also creates a sunkissed, bronzed finish. Guerlain Terracotta Cushion Fresh Bronzing Fluid Makeup SPF20 £32.85, Guerlain counters nationwide
thekn w.guide
WINGING IT Jo Loves has launched a delightful new fragrance called Orange Butterflies – perfect for summer thanks to its sharp citrus and sweet floral notes. £115, Jo Loves, www.joloves.com
NAIL IT Mavala’s new Bubble Gum range has six nostalgic tones, from popping pinks to jumping greens, £5.20 each, available from John Lewis, Look Fantastic & Feel Unique
WORD UP: Ensure you have a slogan tee in your summer selection. We love this Ciao one from New Look. All items available from New Look.
HATS OFF TO THIS BIRD PRINT FEDORA Parrot hat, £25, Accessorize, www.accessorize.com
DON’T HANG AROUND FOR THESE STATEMENT STUNNERS Tassel earrings, MW by Matthew Williamson, £15, Debenhams, www.debenhams.com
PUT OTHERS IN THE SHADE WITH THIS BAG Hello Sunshine handbag, £10, Primark, www.primark.com
FEELING FRUITY? BAG THIS COSMETIC PURSE Make up bag, £10, Next, www.next.co.uk
SLIDE INTO THESE LOGO SLIDERS Dune sandals, £65, Label by Dune London, www.dunelondon.com
WE’VE GOT YELLOW FEVER FOR THIS PURSE Lucie Purse, £45, Oliver Bonas, www.oliverbonas.com
thekn w.guide
Travel
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
travel
64
STORMING THE CITADEL The medieval clifftop bastion at Bonifacio is a must-see
Corsica: A rugged isle that’s much
more than just Napoleon’s birthplace New direct flights from London Stansted have improved access to this wild Mediterranean island. Beverley Rouse discovers its appeal…
C
ORSICA is famed as the birthplace of French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte, but that’s not the only reason to visit this beautiful, laid-back island. The family home where Napoleon was born in 1769 in the island’s capital, Ajaccio, is now a museum, and the port city situated on the west of the island is one of the destinations for Air Corsica’s new direct seasonal flights from London Stansted. The mountainous Mediterranean island lies off the west coast of Italy and the south-east coast of France. It has been governed by France since it was handed over by the Republic of Genoa to pay debts in 1768. ON THE ROAD After flying into to Ajaccio, we take a scenic two-and-a-half-hour drive from west to east to the Sunelia Perla Di Mare resort, near Ghisonaccia. The route takes us along quiet, winding mountain roads and through green countryside and dense pine forests. Traffic lights are few and
far between, so if you’ve never driven abroad, Corsica is an ideal place to start – as long as you can hold your nerve when a coach comes the opposite way when you’re on a narrow road next to a steep drop. The island is home to the GR20 – said to be one of the most difficult hiking trails in Europe – and is popular with cyclists, although electric ‘e-bikes’ are available to hire for those whose legs need a little help. I decide to give my legs an easier challenge with a cycle round the bumpy paths of the pine forest near the family-friendly lodge I am staying in (bike hire is E12/£10 a day for adults or E50/£45 per week). The resort is right on the beach, and there’s a kids’ club to keep children entertained. There is also a beautiful spa (E60/£53 for a 50-minute massage), and yoga takes places on a quiet decked area within the spa complex. Evening entertainment near the bar is great for parents who want to dine while their children are happily occupied by karaoke, or a conga led by Sunny, Sunelia’s ladybird mascot.
ON TRACK Beverley Rouse cycles through a pine forest
EXPLORING THE ISLAND Corsica has plenty more to offer for those who hire a car and leave the site. The medieval town of Bonifacio, on the southern tip of the island, is a must-see, with a breathtaking view from the restaurant-lined harbour of the Bastion d’Etendard. This formed the most important part of fortifications to defend the city, which date back to 1195. Walk up the steep hill for a closer look or, like me, take the Petit Train de Bonifacio (E5/£4.50) and save your energy for the walk back down. NATURAL ATTRACTIONS A 30-minute boat trip with SPMB Promenades en Mer (E35/£30) from Bonifacio to the nature reserve at Lavezzu – part of the archipelago Iles Lavezzi – is one of the highlights of my stay, and shows how close the French island of Corsica is to Sardinia, its Italian neighbour, which is just eight miles away. We have a picnic lunch on Lavezzu, an unspoilt island of granite rocks where there is little but an abandoned shepherd’s hut and a cemetery housing the remains of 700 sailors who died in a shipwreck in 1855. On the hour-long journey back, it’s fascinating to see the sheer white cliffs and caves, one of which locals say is the shape of Napoleon’s hat. The boat even goes inside one cave to see a hole to the sky, which is said to be shaped like
Travel
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
NOD TO NAPOLEON A museum marks his birth in the port city of Ajaccio
thekn w.guide
65
BEACHSIDE DINING At Sunelia
Corsica itself. It’s an impressive feat when they turn the boat around to get it out again! There is also a fantastic view of the King of Aragon’s Stairway, 187 steps which were said to have been cut into the cliff by invading soldiers in 1420, although the less dramatic truth is that it was created by locals in a natural rift in the cliff to access drinking water. For those staying longer, Delphine – who has
been a tour guide for nine years – recommends a trip to see the spectacular rocky red granite needle-shaped peaks of the Aiguilles de Bavella in the south of the island.
DELVING INTO HISTORY While we don’t manage to reach those peaks, we do squeeze in a visit to the Aleria Museum (E2/£1.70) on the east coast, where fascinating objects from the history of Corsica IN THE SWIM include fertility symbols and drinking The pool at Sunelia vessels in the shape of animals’ heads. The ticket price includes a look Perla di Mare around the remains of the ancient town of Aleria, built between the first and second century BC, with parts of the forum, shops, temples and baths visible following excavation. While relaxing in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine may be top of many holidaymakers’ to-do lists, there are plenty of other things to occupy those who prefer to be out and about.
The island’s Mavela distillery – which was launched in Aleria in 1999 to produce its artisan Corsican whisky – is open for tours from May to October, and also produces eau de vie spirits from local crops of chestnuts and myrtle berries. A TASTE OF THE ISLAND Some farms which make cheese and yoghurt from sheep, and goats’ milk, also offer tours and tastings. The cows we see grazing on Corsica during our travels are only kept for meat not milk, Delphine explains. The island also produces essential oil from the scented, yellow, everlasting ‘immortelle’ flowers, which grow wild in the countryside. The oil is used in age-defying skincare by Helios di Corsica, as well as being used by L’Occitane and sold in high streets in the UK. Corsica is quite rightly proud of its produce, and we end our stay with lunch at Aux Coquillages de Diana, a popular fish and seafood restaurant on stilts at the Etang de Diana in Aleria.
The produce is caught in the brackish water of the Diana lake shortly before it’s served up to hungry diners in the bustling restaurant with views over the placid water. Moules marinière with chips costs E16/£14. French and Italian influences ensure Corsica offers visitors a delicious menu and a delightfully scenic experience and, while its history is fascinating, it’s the island’s vibrancy which makes it such an interesting place. So, forget Napoleon brandy and fill your glass with chestnut beer, rose wine or myrtle liqueur, and enjoy the flavours of Corsica. HOW TO GET THERE Sunelia Perla di Mare (www.sunelia.com/ en) is open from April to October each year. A lodge (sleeping five) costs from from E378/£335 per week. Fly with Air Corsica (www.aircorsica.com) from £103 return, to a choice of three airports. For information about the island, visit www.corsica-pro.com
66
thekn w.guide
Motoring
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Motoring News
A look at what’s happening in and around the world of motoring
A GT-R custom car celebrates two landmark half centuries
Prices released for the new revamped Santa Fe SUV HYUNDAI has announced prices for the fourth generation of its popular Santa Fe SUV, which starts at £33,425. A total exterior revamp uses an eye-catching design language inherited from the compact Kona SUV to produce a bold ‘Cascading’ grille flanked by the now-signature ‘upside-down’ headlamp design. The seven-seat interior also receives a premium makeover, with improved material quality. In the UK, three trims will be available, though all share just one engine – a 2.2-litre diesel unit that produces 197bhp. It’s mated either to a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed dual-clutch auto. The range kicks off with SE trim,
which is only available with frontwheel drive. Stepping up to Premium grade sees the price rise to £36,995, but with an impressive level of equipment. It’s offered with manual or automatic transmissions and two or four-wheel drive, making the £38,995 Premium the cheapest 4WD Santa Fe available. Finally, the top-spec Premium SE costs from £41,795. It’s offered with the eight-speed automatic gearbox and is packed with premium kit. Safety equipment is a big focus. On Premium grade and above this includes rear occupancy alert, to help stop drivers leaving children or pets in the vehicle by mistake.
BOTH design house Italdesign and the iconic Nissan GT-R turn 50 this year, so the companies have teamed up to celebrate. The result? A one-off concept car named the Nissan GT-R50. It’s based on the standard GT-R in hot Nismo form, but every element has been breathed upon either by Italdesign or by Nissan’s design centres. No original exterior panel remains – even the roofline has been lowered by 54mm. The GT-R50 is longer and wider than the GT-R, too. The GT-R’s circular taillights now sit proud of the rear fascia. A gaping grille and slim LED headlights make the front distinctive, while a gunmetal and gold colour scheme finishes off the exterior look.
The interior is swathed in carbon fibre and Alcantara, once again with gold accents. Under the skin, the GT-R50’s handbuilt 3.8-litre V6 engine has been given race-spec turbochargers and a larger intercooler system, plus upgraded exhaust and intake systems. This helps give the car an incredible 118bhp boost, producing 710bhp and 780Nm of torque. “How often do you get to ask: ‘What if we created a GT-R without limits?’ and then actually get to build it?” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Global Design. “This is a rare window in time when two big moments intersect… to mark 50 years of engineering leadership.”
Drive to upload dashcam footage directly to police DASHCAM manufacturer Nextbase has launched a website to make it easier to submit footage of accidents to the police. The National Dashcam Safety Portal [NDSP], which is up and running with English and Welsh forces, has the backing of Nextbase along with three Midlands police forces, and a further 16 forces are signed up to receive data from the service. It comes after the success of Operation Snap – a similar system set up in Wales. The not-for-profit portal lets drivers submit incriminating dashcam footage alongside a witness statement. Camera owners head to the NDSP’s website, where submitted footage is held on a secure server. Police can then view it instantly, which is a vast improvement over the current time it takes to process video clips – as much as 14 hours in some cases. At present, though, some forces still need to be contacted as well by email or phone. Richard Browning, Director of Nextbase, said: “The surge in dashcam usage in recent years is testament to the number of motorists looking to protect themselves and their families out on the roads. Naturally, this has led to an increase in footage submitted to police forces. “Until now, most forces have not had the means to receive or process this footage efficiently, so the NDSP has been developed with this in mind.” It has been welcomed by road safety charity Brake, with Director of Campaigns Joshua Harris saying: “This is a fantastic initiative… We urge its swift adoption across the UK.” Dashcams can help prevent crash-for-cash fraud as well as prove blame in cases where accidents are deemed as shared fault.
68
thekn w.guide
Recruitment
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
WITH THE
FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY
OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE
15
16
17
F
U
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
7 6 5
A B C D E F G H I J K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z
11 19
From just £99 For more information contact our commercial team on 01892 779650
25
25
1
6
6
25
11
24
18
16
11
5
22
6
6
4 11
11 25
12
12
6
4
F
16
4
F F
13
18
22
9
6
11
14 12
13
16
13
16
12
9 6
17
U
18
14
18
6 6
26
1 6
11
9
17 24
U
11
17
U
25
7 14
16
18
21
16
17
U
6
13
16
3
17
6
25
11
23
10
13
18
18
6
16
13
6 9 14 17
6
U
13 6
13 25
2
8
14
6 11
25
11
18
7
12
7
U
5
18
6
25
11
1 18
9
9 20
6
15 13
14
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.
8 2
7
9 5 6 3 9 1
6 4 5
8 3 1 5 4 8
6
Codeword:
1 4
7 4 3
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.
14
5
DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★I
4
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
7
8 6 7
4 5
5
1
3
4 3 6
4
9 8 1
8 9 5
2
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
3
DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★
2
10
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU
1
69
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
B V O RWE O N A CQ U C E P O R S L V I T O P Q U I T G O S L E U Y T
S L L E A I G C H S R M A C T H O
J A U R C H N T N T O X A N E H E R H F A I L U D U N D E R S O K C L E V K D
D I N N ON T U R N O V E R
Z E N R
Sudoku:
1 6 8 9 2 3 4 7 5
3 5 9 4 7 8 2 1 6
4 2 7 1 5 6 9 3 8
9 1 2 3 8 7 6 5 4
5 3 4 2 6 1 7 8 9
7 8 6 5 4 9 3 2 1
2 4 3 6 1 5 8 9 7
4 3 8 2 5 7 9 1 6
5 2 9 3 8 1 6 7 4
7 6 3 1 9 4 5 2 8
6 7 5 8 9 2 1 4 3
8 9 1 7 3 4 5 6 2
Jigsaw Sudoku:
6 1 4 9 7 2 3 8 5
3 8 7 5 1 9 4 6 2
9 4 5 6 2 8 1 3 7
1 7 2 4 3 6 8 5 9
8 9 1 7 6 5 2 4 3
2 5 6 8 4 3 7 9 1
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
CODEWORD
CLASSIFIEDS
Fill your vacancy now in print or online
thekn w.guide
Puzzles
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
70
thekn w.guide
Sport
Please send sports stories to: newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
Williams leads the charge as Wells race to record score Tunbridge Wells 360-8 beat Bromley Common 176 by 184 runs By Alan Cutts CRICKET: CAPTAIN Chris Williams led from the front as Tunbridge Wells amassed a record total on their visit to The Grove to take on lowly Bromley Common. Recording a large winning margin of 184 runs, Wells managed to stay in the slipstream of the runaway leaders of the Kent League Premier Division, Blackheath. Their hosts remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after recording eight defeats in their first 10 matches of the season. Skipper Williams returned to his best form after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a ferociously hot afternoon for the fielding side. Jay Mannall, with exemplary figures of 4 for 49 from 10 testing overs, showed that the deck offered some help to the home attack. But Williams was in devastating form from the outset, masterminding the pace and direction of the innings by his own example. Mannall struck twice to peg the visitors back but Williams had already reached 64 by the time the second wicket fell at 89.
Then he found an able accomplice, his brother Alex, as the siblings put on a partnership of 107 in 14 overs. Alex fell just short of his half-century, his 48 coming off 52 deliveries. Chris moved rapidly to three figures, dealing out some heavy punishment to the wilting attack, and had reached 147 off 117 balls with 20 fours and two sixes when he fell at 258 for 4. However, there was to be no respite as wicketkeeper Graeme Francis set about the home bowlers with even greater gusto.
Relentless His pulverising knock 73 came from only 47 deliveries and was studded with seven fours and three sixes, as the relentless barrage was maintained. Jorge Ehren kept up the momentum to the bitter end, and a grand total of 360 for 8 was posted, meaning that the run-rate had been kept at better than seven per over throughout. Wells had handsomely surpassed their previous highest Premier League total, 333 against Gore Court back in 2010.
OPENING SALVO Chris Williams scored 147 The Bromley Common reply began promisingly with an opening stand of 66 in eight overs, Leigh Walker (28) and Toby Finzel (26) giving chase towards their monumental target. The visiting bowlers were switched about, and four wickets fell for the addition of 27 runs in the next eight overs to leave that rapid start in tatters. Isaac Bepey, Ari Karvelas and Marcus O’Riordan all enjoyed success with the ball, and the skipper snapped up 3 for 28 in a stunning all-round effort as the innings faltered.
Tailender Brown steps up with bat to put Cowdrey out of reach Cowdrey 250 beat Hythe 183 by 67 runs By Stuart Clarke CRICKET: AN OCCURRENCE as rare as England’s footballers winning a penalty shoot-out took place at Swanmead when Cowdrey’s captain Anthony Mills won the toss. He elected to bat and opened the innings himself with Ash Borella, and the pair raced to 110 off the first 15 overs. Borella, a centurion last week, was dismissed chipping to midwicket for an express 62 which included 10 fours and a six. Mills followed soon after for 37 and then the game swung in the visitors’ favour. A disappointing collapse saw Cowdrey reduced to 175 for 7 with Christopher Slee running amok to grab 4 for 35. There was a real danger of being dismissed for under 200 but new recruit Thom Brown came in at No 9 and played with freedom and aggression.
PITCHING IN New recruit Thom Brown excelled down the order
The fifth wicket held up the victory charge as Matt Taylor (42) and James McGruer fought hard and put on 43 together. But the combative Karvelas was recalled and he ended up grabbing 5 for 18 over two spells, his maiden five-wicket haul for Wells. It took him to the top of the Premier League wicket-taking charts with 24 victims, the last three coming in five deliveries as Bromley Common were bowled out for 176. The win sent Wells up into second place in the table, 30 points behind Blackheath, and they will hope to improve on their consistency. The Vice-Presidents’ Day match sees Wells host to Bexley on Saturday [July 14].
STICKLER REPEATS THE FEATS Sam Stickler recorded his fourth successive century for Tunbridge Wells against Whitstable as the Second XI recorded an even larger margin of victory, 199 runs, at the Nevill. Stickler made 106 and James Madgwick 101 in a stand of 167 for the third wicket. Stickler scored two hundreds against the Oystermen last season, and has now repeated the feat in 2018.
He was ably supported by Stuart Clarke, who compiled a resolute 34 to take the total up to 250. Brown remained unbeaten on what looked like a match-winning 40. Cowdrey were aware that the key to the match was the opening partnership of Hythe import Jarryd Taig and Tim Pichowski, the main reason for Hythe’s wins this season. By the drinks interval the pair had progressed to 76 for no wicket and the match was hanging in the balance. But then the breakthrough was secured with Taig dismissed for 36 following the introduction of Rob Fenwick.
Effective At the other end Ralph Yeats-Brown was spinning his web with some effective slow left-arm bowling and conceded just 31 runs in his 10 overs. At the next drinks break Hythe had moved to 144 for 3 with Pichowski still in victory. But in a repeat performance Rob Fenwick came back and had him well caught by Ryan Addison for 65 with eight boundaries. Rob finished with 3 for 24 while his miserly brother Chris Fenwick took 2 for 15. Between them they left Hythe 67 runs short on 183 all out. The victory maintains Cowdrey’s 22-point gap at the top of the Kent League Division Four. Now they face a crunch game at third-placed Catford Wanderers on Saturday [July 14].
XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Sam Stickler recorded his fourth successive century for Tunbridge Wells against Whitstable as the Second XI recorded an even larger margin of victory, 199 runs, at the Nevill. Stickler made 106 and James Madgwick 101 in a stand of 167 for the third wicket. Stickler scored two hundreds against the Oystermen last season, and has now repeated the feat in 2018.
Sport
Wednesday July 11 | 2018
NATIONAL HONOURS: (L-R) Jack Chatfield, Francis Bridgeman, Tim Cooney, Mitch Hawksbee and Seb Brooks
thekn w.guide
71
NET GAINS England score a goal at the Pau Negre Stadium
Flyerz hockey trio fly the flag for England at Euros HOCKEY: THREE of Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club’s Flyerz section were representing England at the European Hockey Federation’s European Para Hockey Tournament in Barcelona. Seb Brooks, Jack Chatfield and Tim Cooney joined up with players from Midland Mencap to make up the squad for two national teams. They were entered in the beginner and intermediate categories in a tournament which comprised 16 teams from six different countries –
overall 120 players took part at the Pau Negre Stadium in Montjuic. Under the watchful eye of Rio Olympic hockey gold medallist Helen Richardson-Walsh, the England sides came third and second in their respective categories. Chatfield was named man of the match for one of his defensive displays, while Brooks and Cooney both scored twice on the final morning. Head of Flyerz, Francis Bridgeman, said: “We
are very proud of our TW Flyerz and their England team-mates for their performances at the tournament.” He added: “As important as the hockey itself, we have all made new friends in the English and international Flyerz family, which can only help grow the awareness and participation in this fantastic sport.” Flyerz is England Hockey’s name for players of all ages with learning and physical disabilities.
The Tunbridge Wells section was set up last year, the first such provision to be established in Kent. Club captain Bridgeman is assisted in the venture by Mitch Hawksbee, a member of the championship-winning men’s first team last season. A tour of the Nou Camp stadium, arranged by the host football club, Barcelona, was a special treat for the visiting players. For more information on TW Flyerz and training sessions visit www.twhc.co.uk/flyerz.html
Biddlestone wins again in sprint finish after 12 hours TRIATHLON: THE Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle saw 1,500 competitors racing in intense heat – with spectators treated to thrilling finish in the toughest category. The renowned Bastion ironman race returned to the iconic venue, one of five castles which form part of the Castle Triathlon Series. It consisted of a 3.8km lake swim, a 180km bike section and a 42km marathon. Lucy Biddlestone won the women’s race for the third year in a row, recording a time of 11 hours 53 minutes 14 seconds. But even after almost 12 hours she had to work hard for her victory. In a sprint finish, she beat Isabelle Boyer Moulin by just six seconds.
The male Bastion event was won by Sion Stanfield in a time of 10:18.40. The half-iron distance British Middle Distance Championships event, the Gauntlet, kicked off with a 1.9km swim followed by a 90km bike through the countryside and a 21km half marathon run to the castle finish line. Sam Wade crossed first for the men in 4:32.07, while Catherine Jamieson won the women’s race, defending her title with a time of 5:04.07. The event featured 13 races in total, including relay versions of the Bastion and Gauntlet, long and half distances for Aquabike, standard and long Aquathlons, 10km, 3.8km and 1.9km swims and half and full marathons.
GOLDEN GLOW Competitors start their race in Hever’s lake
Churches League seeks more players TABLE TENNIS: THE Tunbridge Wells Churches Table Tennis League has gone from strength to strength this season. The league comprises 14 teams from seven different local churches forming two divisions. The First Division title went to St John’s A, with St Matthew’s A finishing as runners-up. The Second Division was won convincingly by St James’ A, with a young St Peter’s in second.
The end-of-season dinner at Wood’s Restaurant saw trophies awarded to the captains and prizes for the winners of the handicap tournament. Chris Williams of St James’ won the prestigious Open Singles trophy after a close final against Redfern Hicks of St John’s. The Plate was won by Kalin Marinov, who beat his brother Emil in the final – both from St John’s church.
Ross Bennett of St James’ and Henry Wakely of St Peter’s teamed up to take the Drawn Doubles title, a new event twhere pairs are drawn together at random. They beat Alex Wakely of St Peter’s and Kalin Marinov in the final. The league’s steering committee has set the ambitious goal of fielding 18 teams across three divisions next season and are seeking more churches and players.
TOP TABLE Churches League players at their awards evening
If you are interested in joining the Tunbridge Wells Churches Table Tennis League, either as a new church team or as an individual player, contact David Christmas at david.christmases.email@gmail.com