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Wednesday July 26 | 2017

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Record fine for hotel in a crackdown on food safety

Police accused again of failing to record crimes – including rape

THE Royal Wells Hotel was yesterday ordered to pay almost £170,000 in fines and court fees after the Borough Council discovered its failure in hygiene standards were ‘so serious’ it was forced to take legal action.

It is thought to be the highest fine awarded against an establishment in the town for this type of offence.

Council inspectors found the Shepherd Neame hotel to be in violation of four food hygiene safety standards, in what one member of the council described as a complete ‘disregard’ for basic hygiene and a ‘health risk’.

The inspection took place in June last year following a complaint received about rats in the kitchen.

By Jonathan Banks THE consistent failure by Kent Police to properly record crimes is ‘not good enough’ the county’s Crime Commissioner has warned.

Matthew Scott called the force to task over the issue when facing questions from the Kent and Medway Crime Panel last week.

His comments come after it was revealed that around 16 per cent of all reported crimes went unrecorded between June and November last year – leading Kent Police to be rated inadequate on the issue by Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Inadequate The inspectorate estimates that this equates over the course of a whole year to 24,300 reports not being recorded.

The crime panel raised concerns that it was the second time Kent Police had been found wanting on the issue.

Reporting to the panel last Thursday [July 20] Mr Scott admitted the failure had happened ‘on my watch’ and said he shouldered some of the blame.

He added: “Inspectors highlighted a number of

Continued on page 2

During this and subsequent visits over the following days, Environmental Officers identified a widespread rat infestation and other failings that posed a risk to the safety of the food being served.

The problems were so serious that the Council believed the premises should be closed with immediate effect. In response Shepherd Neame voluntarily closed their kitchen for four days.

The Council’s investigation revealed that the hotel failed to escalate its response to pest proofing advice that was given by its contracted pest control agency and subsequently failed to comply with its food safety management system.

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

RESIDENTS and shop owners hit by last week’s flash flood attended an emergency meeting on Friday in which it became increasingly clear that lessons from previous incidents had not been learned.

Two years after The Pantiles and other sections of the lower part of the town were devastated by severe flooding, there was a sense of déjà vu in the early hours of Wednesday [July 18] as people battled in vain to prevent torrents of water spilling into

their properties.

Those attending the meeting, held at the request of MP Greg Clark in the St Charles The Martyr Church hall, took part in the two hour grilling which saw members of Kent County Council (KCC), Southern Water, The Environment Agency and the Borough Council (TWBC) defend their records.

One issue which quickly raised the hackles of the 50 members of the public attending was when KCC spoke about which roads received priority when it came to drain clearage. Concerns had been raised about drains along Warwick Park being blocked,

CHINESE TAKEAWAY? Why Winnie the Pooh’s been censored in China Page 3

FLOWER POWER

Celebrating the launch of this year’s In Bloom Page 6

Continued on page 2

Emergency meeting exposes town’s serious flooding issues

By Adam Hignett

INSIDE

one of the factors contributing to flooding.

‘If they are unable to reach at least two thirds of drains they walk away’ Drainage Asset Manager Katie Moreton said that when the County Council cleansing crews go to clean the drains, they make an assessment of the number they will be able to access because of parked vehicles.

If they are unable to reach at least two thirds of drains they walk away and attend at a later date. They will not clear the

drains they can reach.

Over the past two years Warwick Park had been scheduled to have its drains inspected several times, only for the teams to leave once they discovered there were not enough drains to unblock.

Southern Water, which have responsibility for managing the sewer system, also managed to irk the residents and business owners when Mike Tomlinson, Surface Water Management Plan Manager, said his company viewed the flooding as a ‘one in 50 year event’.

Continued on page 2

CIVIL WAR STARTS

Critics and councillors battle over the Civic Complex Page 5

DRINK TO THAT!

The Times picks the best wines to enjoy this summer Page 54

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‘All crimes thoroughly reviewed’ Continued from page 1 concerns about the cultural issue of supplying crime data. The fact of the matter is that it has not been good enough. One of the big weaknesses was the audit process... after 2014, the process was not up to scratch.”

Mr Scott said there had been failures within the auditing process but the accuracy had improved to 94 per cent, up from the 84 per cent last time it was evaluated.

Panel chairman Cllr Mike Hill said: “The force has taken its eye off the ball, and it is such an important issue. I hope it is not going to happen again.

“Inspectors found the force failed to ensure it adequately records all reports of rape, other sexual offences and violence, including domestic abuse crimes.”

Chief Constable Alan Pughsley told the Times yesterday that the report ‘makes for disappointing reading’ but said they had responded quickly to make the changes needed to improve the accuracy of crime recording.

“There are a number of instances where although we have not recorded a crime, we have responded to the victim’s needs, conducted an effective investigation and provided safeguarding to the victims.

“All of those crimes that were not recorded have been thoroughly reviewed and safeguarding has been put in place.

“Victims are always at the heart of what we do.”

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

‘It has been absolutely devastating’ Continued from page 1 He was reminded of the 2015 and 2012 floods and the fact that a recent Met Office report predicted a one in three chance of monthly rainfall records being broken during winter.

Southern Water were also accused of being ‘reactive’ rather than ‘proactive’ in their approach to clearing blockages as they rarely act until a blockage has formed.

The company defended their practice by stating it was ‘impossible’ to monitor entire systems round the clock and that obstructions can build up very quickly.

One resident pointed out the antiquated nature of the Victorian era sewer system, stating the

Warwick Park sewer was made for 120 houses, and now has to deal with over 800, meaning it is precariously close to capacity even before heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, development continues unchecked.

Cllr Lawrence Heasman (Pantiles and St Marks) who sits on the planning committee said they are not allowed to refuse a planning application on the basis of concerns about sewers and surface water.

Borough Planning Officer Steve Bourne said his team were making efforts to engage more with Southern Water over the issue.

Summing up the meeting, Mr Clark said a working group should be set up to examine the issue and requested the authorities submit their own proposals on how to tackle the issue.

‘People’s health put at risk’ Continued from page 1 It has since apologised for its response to the inspection and Shepherd Neame has replaced the hotel management. The new management has a ‘positive approach’ to working with the council.

Councillor Dr Ronen Basu, Cabinet member with responsibility for Sustainability said: “This disregard for even the most basic standards of hygiene and food safety put people’s health at risk. Whilst I acknowledge their apology, I think it en-

tirely reasonable that the owners should be held to account and fined.”

He continued: “Residents can be reassured that the Borough Council is working in their best interests and the Council will take action if public health is put at risk.”

Action taken by the Council led to Shepherd Neame Ltd appearing in court in Medway yesterday [Tuesday], where they pleaded guilty to four charges of food hygiene offences. They were fined £160,000 and had costs of £9,988 awarded against them.

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WATERWORLD Nevill Street

Flood forces restaurant to close – yet again THE owner of a popular Thai eatery was left in tears after the ‘devastating’ damage to her recently renovated restaurant last week.

Kai’s Kitchen opposite the station on Mount Pleasant Road had fire engines pumping out water for several hours. They were one of the worst hit properties in the sudden storm that erupted early on Wednesday.

The downstairs kitchen area was left with fridges and freezers sprawled on top of each other as the five feet of water lifted everything of the ground.

Kai King (pictured above) said: “The way it was raining, I’ve never seen anything like it for 25 years I’ve lived here.

“We can’t open the door to our kitchen, we had to call the fire service.

The fridges were on the ceiling, we couldn’t get in.”

Her husband, John King, added: “It is absolutely devastating. The cost will be at least £100,000.

“We were flooded two years ago and we’ve just received the final payment for the insurance from that. But this time it is much worse.

“We were reinsured. The premiums went up but there were no restrictions on flooding. We will be shut for three months at least.”

Kai’s Kitchen reopened in April 2016 after closing for several months for refurbishment due to previous flooding.

DRAINS ARE ‘NOT DESIGNED TO COPE’ Fire officers dealing with the flood responded to over 60 calls to 999 between 2.30am and 3.30am in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday (July 19) it has emerged.

Callers stated that there was significant flooding with up to one metre of water in some properties as the downpour peaked at 147mm of rainfall an hour.

Water gushed down roads such as Warwick Park, Frant Road and Nevill Street, heading towards the lowest part of the town, the Georgian era Pantiles, as drainage systems

buckled under the strain.

Properties were hit down Mount Pleasant, The High Street and other smaller roads, many of which have been inundated before.

One Warwick Park Hotel, which was not open during the last major flood in August 2015, also experienced damage.

Department store Hoopers had damage to its floors but, having ‘learned lessons’ from the past, managed to avoid considerable destruction of stock.

A Kent County Council spokesman admit-

ted the UK’s drains are ‘not designed to cope’ with rainfall of the magnitude experienced last week.

He said KCC cleaned the drains in Tunbridge Wells in May ‘and found no problems’ and there was no reason to think the drains were not working properly as water drained away once the rain stopped.

He added: “Feasibility work to drain water into the River Grom, that flows beneath The Pantiles, instead of to the combined sewer is currently being carried out.”

FLOODING WILL BECOME THE NORM UNLESS RADICAL SOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED IT WILL have come as little surprise to many residents in Tunbridge Wells when the Met Office on Monday warned that ‘unprecedented’ downpours are likely to become the norm.

Some who heard the news whilst dealing with the aftermath of last week’s floods, in which six inches of rain fell in one hour, will be forgiven for thinking the Met Office has come late to the party.

There is no doubt that the lower part of Tunbridge Wells, particularly the area near The Pantiles, is particularly prone to flooding, but ‘unprecedented’ rainfall – and its disastrous consequences – became the norm years ago.

In KCC’s own report, undertaken following the 2015 floods, it notes: “KCC have received reports of flooding affecting properties in the area of Nevill Street and Warwick Park in November 2013, December 2013, February 2014, October 2014 and August 2015.”

Residents around the area often talk of 2012 too, and undoubtedly there were floods before but they appear far less frequent.

But ‘acts of god’, while perhaps becoming more common, are not in themselves enough to explain why the general trend seems to show each flood becoming more severe.

The emergency meeting on Friday, in which representatives of local authorities came at the behest of MP Greg Clark, was as illuminating as it probably was depressing for those in attendance.

They learned the entire sewer system in the town was built around 150 years ago for a fraction of the number of households they now serve and at a time before showers, washing machines and dishwashers was the norm. They are now at peak capacity.

Southern Water cannot monitor drainage round the clock so blockages build up fast.

The drains are sometimes cleared, but it depends how many cars are parked nearby –

according to KCC – and the Borough Council has to green light large developments, even if it is recognised they will contribute to the problem.

Many left the meeting sceptical that much would be achieved, even if it was a little cathartic to grill those in charge.

They probably know that for all the talk of ‘better cooperation’ between authorities, not much will change unless Victorian levels of investment and innovation are put into massively upgrading the current system of pipes beneath our feet.

But it will be at huge expense and massive disruption would ensue. And in these austere times, with so many different agencies needed to give such projects the green light, who is going to foot the bill and give it the thumbs up?

Adam Hignett Chief reporter

Local News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

University moves to the centre of town POST-GRADUATES at Canterbury Christ Church University will be starting the autumn term at their new premises in Tunbridge Wells.

The Times revealed last year that 190 students studying clinical psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy will be moving from the Salomons Estate to Zurich House on Meadow Road on August 7.

Arsonist pleads guilty A TONBRIDGE man has pleaded guilty to starting a fire below a block of flats in the town. Andrew Mason-Flucke (46) from Gorham Drive, Tonbridge, set fire to a communal bin area in Walter’s Farm Road in December last year.

Residents had to be evacuated as smoke billowed into the main building. Appearing at Maidstone Crown Court, Mason-Flucke pleaded guilty to a charge of arson with intent, reckless as to whether life was endangered.

He will be sentenced on October 20.

At his personal best AN 18-YEAR-OLD Tonbridge Athletics Club member achieved new personal bests while representing Great Britain last week.

Zak Skinner was at the World Para Athletic Championships in London, taking part in the T13 long jump and 100m.

Diagnosed with ocular albinism, a condition that causes visual impairment, he jumped 6.64m and completed the sprint in 11.15s – both personal bests.

Wine stash seized KENT POLICE confiscated tens of thousands of bottles of wine last week, taking enough to fill four HGV lorries.

The haul came after an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to defraud at least 20 foreign businesses led them to properties in Horsmonden and Brenchley. Victims had complained that despite dispatching goods they had received no payments. A 26-yearold man from Horsmonden was arrested and has been bailed, pending further investigations, until August 17.

NEWS

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Chinese urged to drop ban on much loved character Winnie the Pooh…

By Toby Leader WEALDEN MP Nusrat Ghani is asking the Chinese Government to lift a ban it has imposed on one of our most famous local residents – Winnie the Pooh.

The plea comes after the authorities forbid any reference to the beloved bear when comparisons were made on social media between Winnie and the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. Those on Chinese Twitter suggested the pair looked alike.

Speaking out against the censorship this week, Ms Ghani said: “It is a great shame that the Chinese Government have felt the need to

BEAR LOVE Winnie with Piglet censor Winnie the Pooh. Censorship is a significant issue in China and

blocking the much-loved Winnie the Pooh may seem minor but reflects the much larger issue of freedom of speech.”

Winnie, the famous character created by AA Milne lives with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood on Ashdown Forest. The iconic bear is known worldwide for his introduction to the world of the game Poohsticks, along with an unhealthy love for honey.

The decision to censor Winnie has generated extra interest in the supposed resemblance between President Xi and Pooh Bear. According to figures from the Chinese major search engine Baidu, searches for

Butcher faces prosecution over hygiene failures

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

WELL-KNOWN Tunbridge Wells butcher Peter Speaight is facing legal action by the Borough Council for alleged food safety and hygiene failings.

The owner of the eponymous butchers in Chapel Place was due to appear before Sevenoaks Magistrates Court on Friday (July 21), but the case was adjourned.

It is understood discussions have since been held about staging the hearing in September – when he will face three charges.

Popular Court documents reveal Mr Speaight of Hastings Road in Lamberhurst, is charged with one count of ‘failure to comply with hygiene improvement notice’ and two counts of ‘contravene or fail to comply with EU provision concerning food safety

and hygiene’. The offences are alleged to have taken place on May 23 last year.

Peter Speaight Butchers currently has a food hygiene ranking of four out of five, meaning it is rated ‘good.’ The latest inspection by the Food Standards Agency took place on February 9.

However, during a council inspection one year previously, the establishment only received one star, meaning ‘major improvement necessary.’

Mr Speaight, a second-generation butcher opened his popular store in 2008 offering a traditional service and an emphasis on local produce. The business was also awarded membership of the prestigious National Butchers Q Guild last September.

A spokesman for the Borough Council – which has responsibility for compliance with Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 – said the local authority would not comment on the case until it has been heard.

Mr Speaight declined to comment yesterday.

THE LEADER President, Xi Jinping ‘Winnie’ related words rose from under 10,000 to 48,467 a day, after the first rumours of a ban became known.

Ms Ghani suggested the Chinese might benefit from reading the books, adding: “There is much that can be learned from the Winnie the Pooh books by children and adults alike.”

Grosvenor Bridge is to be reopened in August say KCC MOTORISTS finally have something to smile about after Kent County Council (KCC) announced Grosvenor Bridge will be opened ‘ahead of schedule’.

Thousands of commuters and parents making the school run have been forced to endure convoluted detours since the overpass was closed for maintenance at the start of the year.

Both phase one; to replace some of the concrete piers supporting the structure, and phase two; resurfacing and waterproofing the bridge, will have been completed while ‘the final touches are being undertaken to reinstate the site below the bridge.’

Improvements include; reconstructed supports, new road and footpath surfacing, new bridge joints and a new high friction surface.

KCC said the bridge will now reopen ‘in August’, although a specific date has not been mentioned.

However, when the project was first mooted, it was due to begin in last June but was delayed because Network Rail had to divert a high-voltage cable.

They were then supposed to start by end of last year, before businesses protested about the impact on the Christmas trade. When work commenced in January the finishing date proposed was August 31, but was later set back to September.

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Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Lakeside festivals are in hot water with events in doubt

By Andrew Tong THE future of music festivals at a popular venue on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells is under threat.

Complaints by some residents about Colebrook Lakes have led to a question mark against the Alfresco event in the woodland alongside Kingstanding Way next year.

The borough council is currently carrying out a review of the licence for the site on the grounds of ‘the prevention of public nuisance’.

When the inaugural three-day Alfresco festival was staged over the May bank holiday last year, the council received around 30 complaints. It generated further grievances when it went ahead this year.

Billed as a family-friendly weekend, even if Alfresco stays put there are concerns over the forthcoming One Love Festival in September.

Touted as the biggest reggae, dub and ska extravaganza in the country, One Love is coming to Colebrook Lakes on September 1-3.

The venue, near the North Farm industrial estate, has been run by

the Original Pop-Up Festival Company (OPFC) for the last four years – and possesses a licence to stage music until 3am.

Dan Tranter, who runs OPFC and lives in Tunbridge Wells, says: “Most of the complaints about Alfresco proved to be unfounded or were legitimate but were not causing a public nuisance.

Noise control “We had to put up adverts around the whole area, with a phone line for complaints included. Whatever

event was going on, we were getting the blame, like when a sports club held a beer festival.”

Mr Tranter was keen to point out that one recent event, Matt’s Barbecue, was not closed down by the police – nor have any other events hosted by his firm.

He says the only problem concerned traffic management because the roadworks on the A21 had led to the main entrance being closed.

OPFC reportedly spent £30,000 on ‘noise control’ last winter, and for the

last six months has been working with Vanguardia, ‘the country’s leading sound and noise consultants’.

Mr Tranter acknowledged: “The noise does have to be managed properly.” But he insists that the previously agreed levels of have never been exceeded.

“We are a local company, we employ local people and we want to work locally. We have received massive support in the community – and we are all ears when it comes to their concerns. We are committed to doing the right thing.”

Residents in the new development nearby, at Knights Wood, have been very understanding after the company kept them informed.

“They tell us they have heard music up to around 10.30pm and then nothing after that.”

The council’s Senior Environmental Health Officer, John McCullough, has questioned the staging of threeday festivals until 3am.

Last night, however, Alfresco’s Festival Director Mark Davis told The Times that ‘nothing is sorted yet and only this morning we had an offer to stay at Colebrook Lakes.’

Superbug found at Tunbridge Wells Hospital THE discovery of a highly drug-resistant superbug for the first time at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury has been described as a ‘significant event’ by the Trust’s board.

A spokesman for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust confirmed a patient had been discovered to be infected ‘recently’ with the bacteria Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), but

said it was not contracted within the hospital.

The revelation came to light in minutes of a Trust board meeting on July 19. They noted that the patient was isolated once the infection was discovered and that the hospital’s screening processes were ‘operating properly’.

As a result, Sara Mumford, Director of Infection Prevention and Control said during the meeting that she did not intend to change the Trust’s response to such cases.

CPE is carried by most humans harmlessly within the gut, but it can become deadly if it enters the bloodstream.

Most at risk are those who are already sick or frail as many last line antibiotics are ineffective because the bacteria produce an enzyme which breaks down the antibiotic.

This means a combination of different types of

antibiotic or more toxic drugs need to be used, upping the risk of treatment.

About 40 to 50 per cent of patients with a CPE blood infection die.

A spokesman for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: “We can confirm we have recently treated a patient who tested positive for CPE following admission to Tunbridge Wells hospital.

“This was not an infection that the patient developed at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. The patient was cared for appropriately and in accordance with our strict infection control processes for managing cases of CPE infection.

“It is generally recognised that there are two types of antibiotic that may be used for the treatment of this type of infection.

“We are unable to comment further due to patient confidentiality.”

Villagers relieved after the U-turn at Groombridge Place

By Phil Spacey RESIDENTS living close to a centuries old manor house have spoken of their relief after the estate’s owner dropped plans for an open air cinema and live music to run as late as 3am.

Groombridge Place, which is owned by Justin Bodle, submitted a request to modify their licence in May in order to sell alcohol until 1am on Sunday to Thursday and to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The application states they wished to host ‘late night viewings’ at an ‘outdoor cinema’ as well as live bands.

The owners withdrew the application citing a desire ‘to focus on other projects’ However, the prospect of thousands of late night revellers descending on the village led to concerns from Groombridge residents who were left irritated by attendees of last month’s Joy Festival, several of whom parked their camper vans on tight residential streets.

But much to residents’ relief, the owners withdrew the application citing a desire ‘to focus on other projects’.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “Groombridge is a lovely, vibrant rural community full of clubs, societies and interactive people who of course have differing opinions.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but naturally quite a few residents were concerned about the prospect of thousands of people descending on the village for events at Groombridge Place, and they are pleased the latest application has been withdrawn.

“However, I’m sure the village as a whole hopes to have a symbiotic future with our neighbour Mr Bodle, who lives at its centre.”

PEACEFUL Groombridge Place

Local News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Council to debate civic complex scheme amid the growing acrimony

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE row over plans to build a civic complex and theatre in Calverley Grounds will come to a head tonight [Wednesday] when the Full Council debate a petition aimed at thwarting the project.

Recriminations, accusations and counter-accusations have come to characterise the public debate over the most controversial development proposal in the town for decades.

Advocates of the scheme – including the council leadership and most of the Conservative members – argue the current Town Hall and Assembly Hall theatre are no longer fit for purpose and the cost of renovation of the existing buildings is uneconomic.

They also claim a new 1,200-seat theatre and civic complex will boost the local economy, rejuvenate the town’s culture offer and provide much-needed office space for local businesses.

Opponents – led by petition organisers Save Our Park, the Friends of Calverley Grounds plus some Tory councillors – fear the economic burden of the £72million project will be a drain on taxpayers and worry about its impact on the Grade II listed park.

Each side has accused the other of pedalling ‘myths’ and outright lies.

Last week, the Times ran an exclusive unedited interview with Council Leader David Jukes and

stalwart project supporter Cllr Tracy Moore in which the pair accused the petition organisers of nimbyism [not in my back yard]; stating they had a ‘vested interest’ in halting the development and of using ‘frightening’ assertions based on ‘misinformation’ to get people to sign up.

NEWS

LIB DEMS MUDDY THE WATERS WITH REFERENDUM CALL Liberal Democrats are calling for a referendum on the plan for a new town hall, offices and theatre.

Lib Dem Councillor Ben Chapelard (St James), Leader of the opposition, said: “The council will need to find £2.4m every year for the next 50 years to pay back the loan to build a new civic centre and theatre.

“Repaying the loan will have to come from increases in

council tax and cuts to council services.

“The magnitude of the cuts needed to repay £2.4m annually will be enormous. It will affect the residents’ day to day experience of council services.

“It is only right that residents should have a say as to whether these cuts and tax rises are a price they are prepared to pay for these

public buildings.

“A borough-wide referendum allows everyone who will ultimately be responsible for the debt to have a voice.”

The council strongly reject any suggestion that tax rises will be used to pay for the scheme.

Any referendum is likely to cost around £72,000 equivalent to 0.1 per cent of the project cost.

Each side has accused the other of pedalling ‘myths’ and outright lies In an email sent on Monday to borough councillors Friends of Calverley Grounds Chair Nicholas Pope hit back. He said the story was ‘a clear example of where representatives of the Borough Council have gone out of their way to misinform readers and discredit those that oppose the development.”

Mr Pope takes aim at council assertions the ‘park is not at risk’ by saying over two per cent (993 square metres) will be built on and many mature trees will be lost.

He questions Cllr Moore’s assertion that the scheme is approved by Historic England by claiming the support is ‘informal’ and ‘does not relate to the current design, or probably any earlier designs either’.

Cllr Moore’s claim that sixth-form pupils she had visited were ‘broadly enthusiastic about the project’ is also targeted by Mr Pope, who claims that a teacher present at the talks suggested the pupils were ambivalent at best.

Mr Pope describes Cllr Jukes’ comment that the petition claims 20 per cent of Calverley Grounds will be covered by concrete as ‘blatantly untrue’, adding: “The Save Our Park petition has never made such ridiculous claims.”

During this evening’s meeting, members will be voting on whether or not they agree with the principle of the 1,900 name petition. They have three options: Outright rejection of its premise, acceptance of the premise ‘in principle’ and a decision to start a process of reviewing the project, or a middle ground of referring parts or all of the scheme back to a committee ‘for investigation’.

WHAT IF THE PETITION IS ACCEPTED?

PROJECT IS WRONG PRIORITY

As it can only be accepted ‘in principle’, the council is under no obligation to scrap the scheme outright if the vote goes against the leadership, only to ‘note’ the result.

However, a large question mark will then hang over the next Full Council vote on whether to proceed to the next stage when more funding will be needed.

Labour Cllr Dianne Hill said: “The Party isn’t in principle opposed to a renovated, revitalised and maybe new Civic Complex, but we are opposed to vanity projects that are hugely expensive and ignore the daily needs of most of the town’s residents. Why isn’t this Council investing money on imaginative ways of building houses to rent?”

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Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Plea for help in boosting tourism by flower power

By Sarah Bond SHOPS and businesses are being urged to step up and play their part in helping the town bloom.

That’s the plea from council Cabinet member Cllr Jane March, who was speaking to the Times during this month’s visit to Tunbridge Wells by judges from the Royal Horticultural Society’s In Bloom competitions.

They were in town to view this year’s entries in the RHS South and South East in Bloom 2017 regional contest.

“I am incredibly supportive of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom,” said Cllr March. “And I would love to get more of the town’s businesses involved, because I think that’s where we fall down – sometimes we don’t win, and it’s because we haven’t

got enough businesses taking part. It’s a glaring omission.”

RTW in Bloom committee member Peter Every said: “It’s getting a bit close this year. We are on the cusp of a gold award, but need to be more sure in the face of our advancing rivals.”

“That’s why we need the businesses.” added Cllr March. “We badly need a business boost for Bloom! Every single business and shop could put up some sort of display, and even talk to us about help with watering. We could really work together on this one. Volunteers can help them, too.”

As the Cabinet member for Tourism, Leisure and Economic Development, she stressed that more support from the commercial sector would also provide an important boost for the town’s tourism and economy.

“It would make Tunbridge Wells more of a destination for people. People come when they feel relaxed and can look around at something beautiful,” she said.

Tunbridge Wells has won gold in the South and South East competition for the past five years as well as silver in the national Large Towns category in 2010.

The RHS competition is broken down into several categories, and the town has increased its number of entries this year, which were viewed by the RHS judges on July 13.

They include three parks – Dunorlan, Grosvenor & Hilbert and Calverley Grounds – going up against each other

SUPPORTERS: Peter Soyke, Mayor’s Escort, Cllr David Elliott, Chair RTW in Bloom, Mayor Cllr Julia Soyke, Katharina Mahler-Bech, Bloom committee, Reg Harrison, judge, Cllr Jane March, Reg Leach, judge, plus Bloom committee members Kasia Olszewska, Ian Johnstone and Peter Every in the Large Park category for the first time.

Teams of volunteers have received support from the borough council, the Kent High Weald Partnership and leading sponsors Coolings Garden Centre, One Warwick Park Hotel, Royal Victoria Place, Co-op Funeral Care and Hotel Du Vin. Mr Every said: “The large towns are starting to dwindle in the competition because of council

cuts, but we are continuing with it.

“It would be great for Tunbridge Wells to win the regional competition and be able to go through to the national competition again.”

The awards will be announced on September 27.

For more information, visit: www.royaltunbridgewellsinbloom.org.uk

8

BUSINESS

Local Business News

Global bull run gives Jarvis record results CONTINUED buoyancy in global equities is behind the latest set of record results for Tunbridge Wells stockbrokers Jarvis Securities, its Chairman has said.

Interim results released last week revealed the Aim-listed firm’s pre-tax profits had increased by 37.5 per cent in the six months ending June 30, to £641,000.

Upgrading The increased profitability was driven by high trading volumes, with momentum failing to dissipate despite ‘further political uncertainty’.

Chairman Andrew Grant said: “I am delighted to report another record set of results. Trading volumes, which picked up so dramatically after the Brexit vote last year, have continued to remain high… the amount of

cash under administration is at an all-time high, and there are signs that interest rate rises may materialise in the near future, which will further add to profitability.”

However, Mr Grant stressed that, ‘like many firms in the industry’, Jarvis Securities was currently focusing on upgrading its systems to become compliant with stricter regulations that come into force next year, rather than concentrating ‘exclusively’ on expansion.

Overall revenues rose by 22.3 per cent to £875,799 during the period.

Company shares closed up 2.83 per cent at 454p on July 20, the day the results were released.

BULL MARKET On the rise

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Chamber’s charity golf tournament

HILDEN PARK DRIVERS: (l-r) Mike Abbs of Impressions Property; Victoria Ansell of Castle Corporate Finance; Paul Matthews of Hilden Park Accountants; Jackie Matthias of the West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry; David Bolton; Andrew Appleton of Hilden Park Accountants

THE recent West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry Annual Charity Golf Day, which took place at Lamberhurst Golf Club, raised £612.50 for the St George’s Community Children’s Project in Tunbridge Wells.

The tournament was won by the Hilden Park Drivers team, with Chantler Kent Investments in second position and I D & C in third.

Sponsors of the event included Crowboroughbased litho-printing firm Crucial Colour, Eridge trophy makers Inkerman and Hilden Park Accountants.

NEWS IN BRIEF

New enterprise adviser scheme for pupils Durlings joins RTWT THE West Kent Partnership is launching its Enterprise Adviser Network this Friday in Tonbridge as part of a new initiative to connect schools and colleges with employers.

Individual ‘Enterprise Advisers’ will be matched with local schools to develop closer links with local employers, while using activities and information to promote the career paths and employability of pupils.

Funding for the project has been secured from the Careers & Enterprise Company – which supports the Advisor Network initiative nationwide – and The Hadlow Group.

Nicolas Heslop, Chairman of the

West Kent Partnership, said the advisors will act as a ‘catalyst’ in raising student aspirations, adding: “The purpose of this initiative is to create powerful, lasting connections between local businesses and identified schools.

“On the one hand it will address the skills needs of our local economy, but equally important is the potential to improve outcomes and provide greater opportunities for our young people – the workforce of the future.”

The launch will be held at West Kent College between 11.30am and 1.30pm on July 28. Businesses can contact wendy.wood@sevenoaks.gov.uk

CHARTERED Surveyors & Property Consultants Durlings have become the latest business to join Royal Tunbridge Wells Together [RTWT].

A spokesperson for the company says the organisation’s goal of promoting the town as a high quality destination for retail, business, leisure and culture ‘will ultimately benefit us all’.

Law firm advice success LEADING Tunbridge Wells law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has helped broker the expansion of one of England’s largest horticulture companies after advising on its fifth acquisition in a year.

The deal saw Surrey-based Nurture buy Frost Group for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will increase Nurture’s turnover to £35million.

Local Business News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

BUSINESS

9

Celebrity launch of £11m care home New deal helps technology

company push into Europe

AT THE OPENING: Hallmark Care Homes Managing Director Avnish Goyal, Fiona Phillips and Mark McDonald (centre) flanked by the staff A NEW care has home opened its doors in Tunbridge Wells following an £11million investment from one of the country’s leading residential care providers.

Chamberlain Court Care Home on Mount Ephraim was opened on July 12 at a ceremony attended by television presenter Fiona Phillips, who is also an Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society.

It joins the 15 other facilities run

by Hallmark Care Homes across the UK and boasts a dedicated cinema room, hair salon, barber, therapy room and café.

Speaking at the launch, Ms Phillips praised the ‘passion and

enthusiasm’ of the staff and highlighted the importance of creating a community atmosphere for older people who may otherwise feel isolated.

The General Manager at Chamberlain Court Care Home, Mark McDonald, said: “We hope to be a well-respected member of the Royal Tunbridge Wells community. At Hallmark Care Homes we take pride in our reputation of providing highquality relationship-centred care to the residents and I am excited to be able to lead the team here at Chamberlain Court.”

‘ENTHUSIASM’ Celebrity guest Fiona Phillips

IT’S all change at one of the town’s leading digital firms as they sign a €1million deal in The Netherlands with one of the world’s largest facilities management companies.

The news comes at the same time that Crimson Tide announced their move into larger premises in Tunbridge Wells. They now work out of Oakhurst House, part of the old Mazda building on Mount Ephraim, on a ten-year lease.

And earlier this month the company released the latest version of their main product, mpro5. The versatile piece of mobile software effectively helps streamline a company’s back office functions by feeding through real-time data from staff on the ground that can be quickly analysed and recorded.

This new iteration of the software is three to four times faster and offers users great customisation options. Organisations as diverse as the Metro Newspaper, St James’s Hospital in Dublin, Nestlé and local councils utilise the mobile-compatible

software to track orders, file audits or monitor medication. In total, it is now in use in over 100,000 locations.

Foundation The recently signed Netherlands contract is worth a minimum of €200,000, with the potential to rise to a maximum of over €1million, and is for a 48-month period. The service will begin in September; until then, the other company cannot be named.

Crimson Tide Executive Chairman Barrie Whipp commented: “We have been making a number of strategic growth investments internationally, and this contract represents an excellent foundation for our expansion in Northern Europe.”

It continues the pattern of overseas growth that saw the firm more than double their pre-tax profits last year.

Acquisitions add to growth at AdEPT SHIFTING its business model to managed services and away from fixed-line deals has continued to pay off for AdEPT Telecom, its latest figures have revealed.

Following a period of highprofile acquisitions, the Tunbridge Wells-based firm recorded a pre-tax profit of £3.4million for the year ending March 31, up from £2.9million the previous year.

The statement, released last month, also revealed revenue grew by 19 per cent to £34.4million during this period, when the firm bought Comms Group UK, CAT Communications and OurIT Department.

The Non-Executive Chairman of the Aim-listed company, Roger Wilson, said: “Following these acquisitions, the group is able to offer its existing and targeted customer base a fully converged

unified communications and IT service.”

He continued: “The acquisitions completed during the year, combined with organic sales, have increased the rate of transition of the group towards a complete managed service provider, with revenue from managed services accounting for more than 55 per cent of the total in the year ended March 31 2017.”

10

NEWS

Community News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Going the extra mile for meningitis

TEAMWORK FOR AFRICA (l-r) Ademide Sijuwade, Thomas Burles, Ruth Walker, Eliza Oyo, Joseph Cooper, Louis Legg, Nadia Leather

Student has a brainwave about sharing knowledge AFTER tearing up her French books following her GCSE exam, one pupil at St Gregory’s Catholic School realised there must be a better use for her old learning materials.

Following a bit of research, Year 11 student Eliza Oyo discovered Books2Africa, a Canterbury-based charity that sends donated tomes to institutions throughout the continent rather than have them being pulped or sent to landfill.

She took the idea to the school and with the support of her history teacher, Ruth Walker,

organised a student and parent collection.

The response was emphatic, with thousands of books filling more than 100 boxes of books collected over the final weeks of term.

Tonbridge Grammar School contributed another 90 boxes, which were put together and personally delivered to the charity’s depot by Eliza Oyo and Ms Walker.

Reflecting on the experience, Eliza said: “Even if only one person has a better future because of what we did today it will have been worth it.”

A GROUP of local business leaders have formed a cycling team to take part in a prestigious three-day event to raise money for meningitis awareness.

The six-strong squad have spent the last six months training for this weekend’s Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, a 100-mile bike ride following the route of the 2012 Olympics road race.

Calling themselves the Meningitis Mile Munchers, the team comprises Peter Cornwell, owner of The Beacon pub in Rusthall, Jane Drew of Nuffield Gym, James Richards of Maddisons Residential, Sarah Duncombe-Jones, a teacher at Weald of Kent Grammar School, Steve Bass, Managing Director of Bass Engineering, and Steve Clark, MD of Chilstone.

They aim to raise £3,000 for Meningitis Now, a charity that researches the disease and supports families affected by it.

Around 3,200 people get bacterial meningitis each year in the UK, and for 10-15 per cent of people it proves fatal.

Approximately one in five live with permanent disabilities,such as brain damage, hearing loss, loss of kidney function or limb amputations.

Steve Clark first worked with the charity last year at the Chelsea Flower Show, where his company, Chilstone, designed and built a stone temple to honour

those affected by meningitis.

He said: “It was a truly humbling experience meeting people that had survived the disease but also those who had lost children.

“So to carry on this work I have recruited some of my fitness friends. Recently we staged an awareness and fundraising day at Nuffield Gym while also attenTRAINING DAY (l-r) Steve Bass and Steve Clark

ding a variety of classes with other members and also parents and their young families who were attending swimming and ballet classes.”

To support the team in the July 28-30 challenge, please visit: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ team/Meningitismilemunchers

Community News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

11

Classic cars roar into life for the local Lions

COSY IN HERE The team of knitting volunteers

Follow the tea cosy café trail to support our older citizens TONBRIDGE’S cafés are banding together to help raise funds for the town’s Age UK centre.

Throughout August, 11 coffee shops will form a trail to explore – by showcasing a selection of tea cosies that have been hand-knitted by a group of volunteers.

The woollen designs range from colourful bees to Her Majesty The Queen, and if any of them really catch the eye there will be an opportunity to take one home with you via a bid in a silent auction.

All funds will go to the local Age UK centre to help them continue to offer independent living support to the elderly, including befriending, chiropody, computer lessons and social services.

NEWS

A SELECTION of vintage motors spanning over 80 years took a tour of the Kent and Sussex countryside for the Tonbridge Lions Club’s fourth Classic Car Tour.

The 49 entrants started at Tonbridge Castle, with the signal for the off given by Mayor Roger Dalton, before driving through picturesque country lanes and ending up at Barnsgate Manor near Uckfield for lunch.

Afterwards, they returned to the castle and were met by the club’s President Gordon Hill and his wife

One of the Tonbridge Office Managers, Jenny McDougall, said: “We are really hoping the town will support this fun initiative and take the time to visit the venues to view the hard work put in by our knitting volunteers, and then participate in the silent auction.

“We enjoy helping the older community and want people to know what we do and where we are.

“Many clients are housebound and rely on our support workers to shop and clean for them, or a befriending volunteer to visit and have a chat.”

To pick up a trail guide and discover the locations, pop into the charity’s office at 5 Bradford Street, Tonbridge, TN9 1DU, open weekdays 10am-4pm

BEST OF BRITISH The Mayor flags up the 1934 MG PA

Peggy before enjoying a cream tea in the grounds.

A varied cross-section of classic cars took part. Among the oldest were a 1934 Lagonda 16/80, a 1934 Talbot AV 105, and a 1934 MG PA. Lions Club member Mike Edwards, Chairman of the Committee, said: “This was the fourth year we have held the event and the feedback from the participants was again very complimentary.

“We plan to hold the event again next year.”

CHOSEN TO SERVE JP Louise Bryant

Trio of lieutenant appointments…

THREE new Deputy Lieutenants of Kent have been appointed, including one woman from Tonbridge.

Louise Bryant, JP, has lived in the town since 1999 and sits as a Magistrate on the Adult and Family Panels of the Central Kent Bench.

She has had an impressive career, having qualified as a chartered accountant and a barrister and having recently served as the Chairman of the Kent Judicial Business Group. Mrs Bryant also studied Modern Languages (Portuguese) at Oxford University and owns a coconut farm in Brazil.

Tonbridge charities have benefitted from her skills, especially the town’s Citizens Advice Bureau.

The role of Deputy Lieutenant of Kent is primarily a ceremonial one, representing The Queen and the Royal Family. Duties include greeting and accompanying royalty and heads of state during official visits to the county, the presentation of honours and awards on behalf of The Crown, and participation in citizenship ceremonies.

Lord Colgrain of Sevenoaks and Mr Clive Stevens of Margate were also appointed.

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NEWS

County News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Great War heroes to be recognised in Ebbsfleet AN AUTHORITY in North Kent will defy local government guidelines by naming 16 new roads within Ebbsfleet Garden City after local war heroes.

Dartford Borough Council chiefs believe it will give the new development, which is yet to be completed, a sense of history, and will tie in with next year’s centenary commemorations marking the end of the Great War.

Roads The proposed road names – Croucher, Danzey, Day, Embleton, Eyres, Farmer, Freeman, Giles, Hoadley, Humble, Mason, Outred, Ovens, Raven, Simmons and Tickner – are those of soldiers that lost their lives during the conflict and served together in the same regiment.

Their names are currently found on memorials within the wards that the Ebbsfleet development falls within.

The recently issued advice to councils not to name

streets after people because they may one day be linked to inappropriate activities comes after locations named in recognition of DJ Jimmy Savile, who was exposed as a paedophile after his death, had to have their signs changed at great expense.

But Dartford coucil Leader Jeremy Kite, speaking to Kent News, said his authority would continue to honour local heroes they felt were deserving of such recognition.

“It’s a load of nonsense, and part of this tendency to suck the goodwill and spirit out of anything that makes a community,” he said.

“Councils should be trusted over renaming roads after local people, and they are then accountable for those decisions.

“But we would not fall into the trap of naming a street after somebody who won Big Brother or The X Factor, we do it for people who have made a lasting and significant contribution.

“This is just another example of terrible blandness that is starting to creep in.”

Church to finally recover from wartime raid by the Luftwaffe THE mystery of a leak in the roof of St Peter’s Church in Folkestone has finally been solved after 75 years. It was caused during an attack by German planes in the Second World War. The leak was well known to churchgoers and locals alike. Churchwarden David Wilson said: “The roof has been leaking long enough for everyone to believe that it has always leaked.”

Restoration work, estimated to cost around £250,000, on the 150-year-old church had been halted in order to investigate a damaged spire.

After work by engineers, 30mm bullet holes were found in both the lead roofing and central timber, where remnants of the bullets could still be seen.

Church records show that there was an attack

by German bombers and other aircraft on the

nearby harbour, recorded on March 27, 1941, at 9.23am – the same date the leak was first noticed.

The records reveal the damage to the spire was not the only destruction in this raid, reporting: “One of the bombs landed in the road near to St Peter’s Church, fracturing the gas main. The resulting explosion caused heavy damage to the Church. The organ was also heavily damaged.”

The church was further damaged in 1996 when a fire broke out, destroying the majority of the roofing.

Existing holes in the lead are due to be patched over and a new splint will be added to the structure to support the damaged timber.

Mr Wilson added: “It is good to now know the cause and rectify it – even if it has taken some 75 years.”

Councillors buck trend by voting for pay restraint SEVENOAKS councillors bucked a recent local trend of councillors awarding themselves pay rises after turning down a recommendation which would have hiked their Leader’s allowance by 24 per cent.

Sevenoaks District Council Leader Peter Fleming would have seen his allowance rise to £20,000, from £16,000 currently, had the advice from the independent remuneration panel been acted upon last week.

Although it was suggested the basic allowance – available for all members of the council – should stay the same, at £5,359, Cabinet members and those who chair committees were also set for a boost.

A spokesman said councillors had thanked the independent body for its work, but had decided to reject the recommendation of the panel, which had been made up of

three residents in neighbouring local authorities.

“Instead, council agreed to set up a working group to consider a number of issues, including the budget implications of the proposal, which will report back to the Governance Committee and then council in November,” he added.

Budget Their decision not to press ahead with any hike in allowances comes after Kent County Council voted to give its members a 15 per cent pay rise, against the advice of the independent remuneration panel.

In addition, in December last year, Tunbridge Wells councillors rejected a recommendation by the panel to cut their basis allowance from £5,500 per Peter Fleming annum to £5,000.

County News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Wunderbar! German Bierfest comes to Kent A LITTLE bit of Bavaria will be coming to Kent next month when the German Bierfest pitches up in Ashford.

Festivities at the family-friendly event will run from August 10-12 at the North Park site, which includes a 1,200-seat capacity beer garden, an open-air German village and an exclusive DJ. In addition, visitors will enjoy a selection of souvenir huts selling gifts, exotic drinks like sekt, and food such as bratwurst.

Beer fans will be delighted to know their tipple of choice will be served by the stein – a double pint – in a 300-capacity beer tent with traditional long benches.

Event manager Marvin Kluge said: “We are setting up the 1,200-seater beer garden as part of an

open air festival.

“We call it sommerfest in Germany, as we celebrate the spirit of summer and, typically, we do this with beer.

“German Bierfest Ashford is about much more than just beer. It is a celebration of life and an appreciation of culture.

“All staff will be dressed in special Bavarian costume, Lederhosen for gentleman and Dirndl for ladies.”

There will be a children’s area where they can enjoy activities such as Hau den Lukas and other German games, while souvenirs will include Tyrolean hats, sweet gingerbread and other gifts.

Entrance to the open-air areas is free, but table booking is needed to enter the Bier Tent.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hornby investor boosts holding in Kent toy firm

Swanley is named one of the top property hotspots

THE largest shareholder in Kent model-maker Hornby has increased its stake in the company to 71 per cent after launching a takeover bid.

Phoenix UK Fund, part of Phoenix Asset Management, has ‘received valid acceptances’ for 13.7 million shares in the Sandwich-based toy business.

It comes after it increased its stake in the business above 55 per cent last month, following the acquisition of shares held by New Pistoia, which had made a failed bid to oust the company’s former Chairman, Roger Canham, in April.

PROPERTY in the town of Swanley has been listed eighth in a list of the top ten property hotspots after prices there rose by £22,099 in the first half of the year, according to website Zoopla.

The increase, which is equivalent to 6.49 per cent, means the average house price in the area is now £362,671.

The top property hotspot in the country is Belper in Derbyshire, while Britain’s biggest ‘cold spot’ – the place where property prices have fallen the most in the last six months – is Richmond in North Yorkshire.

Medway school exclusions Hare Krishna peace march TOWNS in the Medway unitary authority have the highest rate of expulsion from their schools than anywhere else in the South East, according to government figures.

The number also ranks them among the worst in the country.

Statistics for permanent and fixed-term exclusions show in 2015 and 2016, 81 children were excluded, 78 of those from secondary school.

The secondary school exclusion rate is more than twice as large as any other local authority.

MONKS from the Hare Krishna Temple in London embarked on a five-day walk for peace across East Kent last week.

Led by a temple on wheels pulled by two bulls, the monks taking part in the Padayatra (Sanskrit for go by foot) began at Canterbury Cathedral, where they were blessed by the Dean, and finished on Friday at Folkestone Harbour.

They undertook the uplifting endeavour in response to the recent atrocities and tragedies that have taken place in the UK.

NEWS

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14

NEWS

National News

NEWS IN BRIEF

Escaped Cotswolds wolf shot dead as ‘last resort’ A WOLF has been shot dead after it escaped from a wildlife park in Oxfordshire.

Ember was discovered outside the perimeter fence at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Burford at about 11am on Friday.

In a statement, the park said shooting the three-year-old animal, who gave birth to five cubs this year, had been a ‘last resort’.

Meanwhile eight penguins were killed by a fox at Chessington World of Adventures after it broke into their enclosure.

Downton vandals held TWO 17-year-olds have been arrested after a set of antique train carriages which featured in the Downton Abbey television series were vandalised.

The seven teak cars were targeted as they were parked in a siding at Pickering in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Young children hungry HALF of children receiving supplies from foodbanks are aged between five and 11, according to The Trussell Trust, which runs more than 420 foodbanks.

There were over 67,500 three-day emergency food supplies given to children in July and August 2016, 4,000 more than the previous year.

Half went to five to 11-year-olds, just over a quarter to under four-year-olds and a fifth to 12 to 16-year-olds.

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Police shootings and pursuit deaths on rise THE number of fatal police shootings in England and Wales has reached the highest level for more than a decade, new figures show.

A watchdog said the six fatalities recorded in 2016-17 was the largest annual number recorded since it began collecting the statistics in 2004.

The tally includes the shooting of Westminster attacker Khalid Masood in March.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) also revealed there were 14 deaths in police custody – the second lowest figure it has recorded.

There were 28 deaths related to police pursuits of vehicles – more than in any year since 2005-06.

Reassurance

Dame Anne Owers, Chair of the IPCC, said the rise in fatal police shootings had to be taken in the context of many thousands of authorised firearms operations.

The latest figures show there were more than 14,700 such operations in 2015-16.

“The deaths happened across six forces, and one was terrorism-related,” Dame Anne said.

“It is important that each incident is thoroughly and independently investigated, to provide public reassurance.

“Investigations into three of the 2016-17 incidents are complete and, as in the great majority of firearms investigations, we have found no indication of misconduct by any firearms officer.”

Police chiefs and the IPCC are to examine whether changes to police pursuit safety or training are needed following a rise in road traffic fatalities.

SEEKING JUSTICE There were 24 police pursuit A protest was held over the death related incidents in 2016-17, in of pursuit victim Rashan Charles which 28 people died – more this week ahead of the IPCC report than double the 13 deaths over the previous 12 months.

Prince Philip’s last hurrah will be next week THE Duke of Edinburgh’s final public engagement before he retires at the age of 96 will take place on August 2, Buckingham Palace has said.

Philip will attend a Royal Marines’ charity parade outside the Queen’s London residence before he steps back from his official duties.

Earlier this year it was announced he would retire after the summer.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said that the parade would ‘bring His Royal Highness’s individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time to time’.

Challenge The parade will mark the end of the 1664 Global Challenge, which raises money for The Royal Marines Charity.

This year it has seen marines from around the country running 16.64 miles each day for 100 days, totalling a distance of 1,664 miles.

The number is symbolic for the naval fighting force, which traces its roots back to the year 1664.

Philip became its Captain General in 1953, replacing King George VI after his death.

It was announced in May that the Duke, who turned 96 in June, would step down – though not for health-related reasons.

He has spent 51 days this year carrying out public engagements – more than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen, who has so far spent 49 days making public appearances.

National News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Train passengers are happier – but improvement is ‘fragile’ A RISE in rail passenger satisfaction is fragile and under pressure, a transport watchdog has warned.

Some 83 per cent of people were satisfied with their last train journey according to Transport Focus’s spring survey of 27,000 passengers.

This is an increase of three percentage points compared with the same period last year and is the joint-highest figure since autumn 2012.

Satisfaction with punctuality and reliability of services rose from 73 per cent to 77 per cent.

Overall satisfaction in London and the South East improved from 79 per cent to 82 per cent.

Southern Railway – which has been engaged in a long-running row with unions over staffing and driver-only trains – recorded the lowest overall score of 72 per cent, up from 69 per cent last year.

No train company’s satisfaction figures declined. But Transport Focus’s Chief Executive, Anthony Smith, said: “These green shoots are fragile and need nurturing.

“This recovery will be under pressure from upgrade works, industrial relationship problems and rising passenger numbers.

“So the industry needs to keep a relentless, ongoing focus on performance and reliability.”

Southern’s improvement came from increased satisfaction with the availability of on-board staff and staff at stations, Mr Smith said.

He added: “There is some way to go to reach a more acceptable position.

“Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Southeastern have the lowest scores.”

Charlie Gard’s mother returns to court in bid to bring infant home CHARLIE GARD’S mother returned to the High Court in London yesterday (Tuesday) seeking decisions about the circumstances in which their son would be allowed to die.

Mr Justice Francis will make a decision today on whether Charlie can go home.

On Monday the child’s parents abandoned attempts to persuade a judge to allow their terminally ill 11-month-old son to travel to America for experimental therapy.

Their lawyer has now told the judge that Connie Yates and Charlie’s father, Chris Gard, wanted to take Charlie home, and indicated that Great Ormond Street Hospital doctors thought such a move would be problematic.

Obstacles Barrister Grant Armstrong, who represents the couple, suggested that hospital officials were placing obstacles in Charlie’s parents’ way.

The judge said Great Ormond Street had indicated that there were practical difficulties. He said they had suggested a ‘hospice option’.

Barrister Katie Gollop QC, who leads Great Ormond Street’s legal team, said practicalities

were of the ‘greatest importance’ but Charlie’s parents had proposed no clear plan.

Ms Gollop said the hospital wanted to fulfil the ‘last desire’ of Charlie’s parents.

But she said medics wanted to avoid hazards or mishaps and wanted to ensure Charlie was safe.

She said providing intensive care to Charlie outside a hospital setting was not simple.

The hospital had suggested mediation but Charlie’s parents had not wished to use the services of a mediator, she said.

The couple abandoned their legal fight after concluding that Charlie had deteriorated to the ‘point of no return’.

But the judge then oversaw a further hearing in the case in the Family Division of the High Court.

The couple had previously said they wanted to ‘spend our last precious moments’ with Charlie.

Ms Yates said she did not expect her son to live until his first birthday on August 4.

The hospital has not said when Charlie’s life-support equipment will be turned off.

But in late June, when litigation appeared to have come to an end after European Court judges refused to intervene, a hospital spokeswoman said there would be ‘careful planning and

STILL FIGHTING Connie Yates returns to the High Court

NEWS

15

GROWING PAINS Costs in the South East increased by 30 per cent

Holiday childcare costs have risen by more than half THE cost of holiday childcare has risen by more than 50 per cent since 2010, Labour has said.

Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said the situation was made worse because incomes had fallen in real terms over the same period.

The North East has been hardest hit with rises of 111 per cent, followed by Wales at 100 per cent, the West Midlands at 82 per cent, and Greater London at 73 per cent, according to analysis of surveys by the Family and Childcare Trust.

Ms Rayner said: “The Tories are quite simply failing working parents, who are seeing the cost of their childcare skyrocket, their wages fall, and their government failing to give them the support they need.

Blunder

discussion’ before the treatment ended.

Mr Gard and Ms Yates, who are from Bedfont in west London, had asked Mr Justice Francis to rule that Charlie should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial in New York.

Doctors said the therapy would not help and that life-support treatment should stop.

“Childcare costs have shot up since the Conservatives took office in 2010, and both wages and government support have failed to keep pace with either the cost of childcare or the needs of families.”

The figure for Britain as a whole is a 51 per cent rise, with the South East increasing by 30 per cent The Tories said Labour ‘blundered’ because the party was in charge of childcare in Wales, where they said rises had been double the average.

Children and families minister Robert Goodwill said: “This blunder from Labour shows their own failure on childcare – as families in Wales, where Labour are in charge of childcare, face twice the increase of costs as in England.

Mr Goodwill added: “But we want working parents to have more help with the costs of childcare so from September we are doubling that offer to 30 hours for working parents – worth up to £5,000 per child.”

16

BUSINESS

National Business News

Fever Tree cheers ‘exceptional growth’ as UK sales more than double in six months DRINKS firm Fever-Tree has upgraded its profits forecast after revenues fizzed up in the first half of the year.

The firm, which launched in the UK in 2005, said sales rose 77 per cent to £71.9million in the six months to June 30, while pre-tax profit jumped from £11.8million to £24million in the period.

Fever-Tree, which specialises in selling mixers such as ginger beer and Sicilian lemonade, said its performance was driven by the UK, where it saw ‘exceptional growth of 113 per cent’. The ‘gin and tonic trend’ saw sales in continental Europe rise by 64 per cent.

In May, one of the founders of Fever-Tree - deputy chairman Charles Rolls - toasted a £73million windfall after cashing in on the firm’s recent success by selling a stake in the group.

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Electric Mini to be UK-made A HUGE boost to the UK car industry was announced yesterday [Tuesday] as BMW revealed that a fully electric Mini is to be built in Cowley, near Oxford.

The new model’s electric drivetrain will be built at its plants in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Cowley, near Oxford.

A handful of new jobs might be created at the site, which currently produces 1,000 Minis a day.

The car will be a variant of its three-door hatch model and will go into production in 2019.

BMW said in a statement from Munich that electrification was one of the central pillars of the group’s corporate strategy.

All of its models were able to be electrified, with a full electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain being offered in addition to a combustible engine.

Additional electrified models will be launched in the coming years and beyond 2020 with the company expecting them to account for between 15-20 per cent of sales by 2025.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “This landmark decision is a vote of confidence in the determination of our Industrial Strategy to make Britain the go-to place in the world for the next generation of vehicles.

“BMW’s decision recognises the strength of the excellent workforce, our record of innovation and the productive relationship between the automotive sector and the Government.

“The automotive industry is a great British success story and the Mini is a big part of that. UK car production hit a 10-year high last year, with 1.7million cars made and over 800,000 people employed across the wider industry.”

SWIMMING IN IT Founders Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow

that it will support the growth of Jimmy Choo through ‘retail store openings and further development of its online presence’, adding that the shoe firm will operate under its existing management team, including chief executive Pierre Denis.

In March, Jimmy Choo cheered record revenues and profits thanks

Amazon to create 450 jobs in Shoreditch HQ AMAZON’S UK chief has expressed his desire to maintain a ‘diverse workforce’ following Brexit as the internet giant revealed it is to create 450 research and development jobs at its new London headquarters.

Doug Gurr said that the firm employs a large number of EU citizens, adding: “We benefit hugely from a diverse workforce, we’re very optimistic and hopeful that will continue to be the case going forward.”

Guardian cutting costs

BIG CHANGES Mini Cooper S Hatch

Michael Kors bags Choo shoe brand in £900m sale LUXURY shoe brand Jimmy Choo is to be acquired by US fashion brand Michael Kors in an £896 million deal.

London-listed Jimmy Choo put itself up for sale as part of a strategic review in April and on Tuesday [July 25] Michael Kors said it is ‘the ideal partner’ for the firm.

The group said in a statement

NEWS IN BRIEF

to a boost from the Brexit-hit pound and strong sales across Asia.

The designer firm saw annual revenues climb 15 per cent to £364million in the year to the end of December, while earnings lifted 16 per cent to £59million over the period.

Shares in Jimmy Choo rose 17 per cent in Tuesday morning trading.

THE owner of The Guardian is charging ahead with a major efficiency drive after slashing more than 300 jobs in a ‘painful though necessary’ move last year.

Guardian Media Group which owns The Guardian, The Observer and the international Guardian Weekly is pushing forward with its three-year turnaround plan to boost revenue and lower costs. Last financial year they saved £19million after cutting around 300 full-time staff.

Noel wants better deal THE former host of Deal or No Deal has increased his compensation claim against Lloyds Banking Group to £300million.

Noel Edmonds had previously sought £50-70million after falling victim to fraud at the hands of HBOS staff, six of whom were jailed earlier this year.

It resulted in the destruction of his former business Unique Group.

World News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Kremlin did not call for Kushner meeting A MEETING between Donald Trump’s son-in-law and the chairman of a Russian bank did not take place on Kremlin orders, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin said.

The meeting in December between Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the US President, and Vneshekonombank’s chief Sergei Gorkov was included in a statement by Mr Kushner to US Congress as part of the probe into Mr Trump’s possible connections with Russia.

Mr Kushner said he had been asked

to meet Mr Gorkov by Sergei Kislyak, the then Russian ambassador.

Vneshekonombank is a stateowned development bank. The Russian president’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: “These contacts do not require any authorisation from the Kremlin and they were not carried out on behalf of the Kremlin.”

Mr Kushner is giving testimony behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee investigating possible collusion between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

Wildfires still raging in holiday hotspot HUNDREDS of firefighters are battling blazes fanned by high winds in more than a dozen zones in the Riviera region of southern France.

About 100 people have been evacuated in Ramatuelle, while five hectares burned in Saint-Tropez.

A huge fire in the Luberon region is now said to be under control.

The largest blaze took hold in northern Corsica, with nearly 5,000 acres burned.

There have been no reports of injuries among residents or tourists.

HIGH AND DRY Planes tackle the blaze at La Croix-Valmer

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SPORT IN BRIEF POINT TAKEN Donald Trump addresses a scout jamboree

Madrid line up Mbappe for record £161million

Trump hails ‘major’ trade deal with UK DONALD TRUMP has talked up the prospect of a ‘very big and exciting’ post-Brexit trade deal between the US and UK, amid controversy over whether Britain would relax food standards to secure an agreement.

In an early-morning tweet, the US President hit out at the ‘protectionist’ EU and said work was under way on a ‘major’ deal with the UK. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who is in Washington for talks with US trade representatives, said that Brexit offered an ‘unprecedented opportunity’ to reshape Britain’s independent trading ambitions.

He played down critics’ fears that British markets could be opened up to US agricultural products currently blocked by EU food standards rules, including chlorine-washed chicken.

The comments came as a crossparty House of Lords EU Committee warned that the Government’s desire to secure free trade agreements after leaving the European Union could result in a ‘race to the bottom’ on animal welfare standards as UK producers are forced to cut costs.

Mr Trump said on Monday that talks between Dr Fox and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer marked the opening of a ‘new chapter for stronger trade’ which could make the trans-Atlantic special relationship ‘even better’.

And on Tuesday morning, he followed up with a message: “Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!”

REAL MADRID have agreed a £161million deal for teenage Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe, according to the Spanish media.

The newspaper Marca reported that the European champions had agreed a fee for the 18-year-old that would shatter the current world record transfer, beating the £89million fee paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba last summer.

Mbappe’s breakthrough season saw him score 26 goals in all competitions for the French champions.

Double record for Peaty ADAM PEATY broke the world record for the 50 metres breaststroke twice in one day at the World Championships in Budapest.

The Olympic champion had won gold over 100m on Monday and returned the next morning to improve his own world record by 0.32 seconds to 26.10sec.

The 22-year-old from Uttoxeter then clocked 25.95sec in the semi-final, 0.73sec clear of his nearest rival.

Grand slam hero retires FORMER Ireland scrum-half Tomás O’Leary has announced his retirement.

O’Leary started four of Ireland’s five games when they won the Grand Slam in the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

The 33-year-old, who won 24 caps, also lifted the Heineken Cup twice with Munster in 2006 and 2008.

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Letters

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

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

schools, this government has had to do something about it – a £1.3billion funding announcement that almost certainly would not have come if they’d got their sweeping majority.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you your vote doesn’t matter. Although some matter much more than others – but the case for PR [proportional representation] is a whole other issue…

Gavin Belson Tunbridge Wells

Conservatives’ palpable negligence School funding U-turn really shows that your votes actually do count Oh how satisfying it is to see the Conservatives have to admit that schools desperately need cash, and to have to climb down from the pretence that their funding levels were adequate while schools wrote to parents begging for money.

Putting my own personal views aside, and speaking tactically, the Conservatives got over-confident. While entirely depending on your middle-class base, you still have to shore up the things they care about. And for a huge number of typical swing voters, that is the state of their children’s schools.

By all means make the cuts necessary in the over-bloated Civil Service, foreign aid and benefit payments, but please won’t somebody think of the children?

The notion put forward that the Conservatives were punishing the next generation for the mistakes of their elders, spin or not, I know resonated with a lot of people I talked to, and that was reflected in the ballot box.

And by losing their majority, and hearing MPs report back that they had faced a backlash on

Democracy allows you to disagree In response to Amanda Woods suggestion [July 5] that ‘democracy appears to mean nothing now’, I would suggest that Ms Woods fails to understand that democracy allows you to disagree with a person or viewpoint and express this, and choosing not to vote for MP Greg Clark was not an undemocratic option.

Maybe the fact that people chose not to vote for Mr Clark was based on the appeal of Jeremy Corbyn (in spite of a hostile mainstream media campaign).

As someone who is relatively low-waged, the last seven years have represented a real-term wage decline in spite of successive Tory governments claiming to be helping ‘ordinary working people’, and as part of ‘generation rent’, my prospects of ever owning a home are appearing even less likely every moment this government remains in power.

Also, the Tories having borrowed more than all

What a relief to hear that the government has finally seen sense on the school funding debacle and is now reversing its decision to cut back the already measly allowance granted to each student in schools even further.

This current Tory Party leadership’s quite palpable negligence for schools has been utterly depressing given the amount of diminished resources our schools and pupils have had to put up with.

I just hope that Education Secretary Justine Greening – who is plundering the pot from elsewhere, namely Free Schools’ budgets, to now boost the coffers of state schools – is going to stay true to her word and give our children and those who educate them a fair chance of gaining a good education.

Surely any serving government should make education a priority, given that our future generations are reliant on quality teachers and properly funded educational establishments in order to do well? Never has Tony Blair’s infamous ‘Education, Education, Education’ speech seemed so relevant.

Sarah Billington Langton Green Labour governments combined in the last seven years makes me incredibly angry (especially when their members can say they support our emergency services and yet when they have an opportunity to remove the public sector pay cap they all vote against this, in spite of spending £1.5billion on a bung deal with the DUP).

David Coulson Via email

We will judge complex on its merits I would like to thank Victor Bethell [July 12] for drawing attention to the popular Liberal Democrat petition for glass to be included in doorstep recycling collections.

He forgot to mention our other recent success – fighting to stop the Conservatives moving to passive CCTV coverage. In addition, the Liberal Democrats’ cinema site campaign was backed by no less than 15,000 people, and appears to be

bearing fruit as the owners have submitted a building application.

I fear he may have misunderstood both the civic site proposal and our position on it. Peter [Lidstone] was making the point that the proposal is not without merit. However, we believe the current proposal will place an unreasonable burden on the ratepayers of Tunbridge Wells and put our already strained public services at risk.

I can assure him that we will be judging such an important and expensive development on its merits and potential impact on the ratepayers of Tunbridge Wells.

Gillian Douglass, Chairperson Liberal Democrats Tunbridge Wells

Local artists design local cards Following on from the letter [July 12] by Michael Holman, Chairman of Refresh Tunbridge Wells, promoting the murals on Tunbridge Wells station produced by local artists Chris Burke and Elaine Gill, Cards For Good Causes proudly announces a collaboration with both artists for some spectacular new Christmas cards with local designs.

They will be exclusively available for purchase in our pop-up shop in the United Reformed Church from October 14-December 19.

It is hotly anticipated that both artists will be available to attend an official opening with another local character Ringpullman.

Further details to follow in due course.

Karen Bryant/Grahame Bullard, Co-Managers – Tunbridge Wells Cards For Good Causes

Deal could create second-class citizens As an MEP, I get to vote on the final Brexit deal in the European Parliament. I will not vote for any deal which undermines the rights of the three million EU citizens living in the UK. The current proposals from the Conservatives would leave EU families, couples and individuals with fewer rights and less protection than British expats are being offered by the EU. This is wholly unacceptable.

Subjecting family members to minimum income requirements and forcing them to make two applications to remain in the UK would reduce EU nationals to second-class citizens.

This even contradicts the Vote Leave manifesto, which promised to treat EU citizens ‘no less favourably than they are at present’.

EU nationals have made the UK their home in good faith. Their rights, freedoms and protections must be defended, and upheld by the European Court of Justice.

As an MEP, I have a duty to enhance and extend rights, not reduce them. Any Brexit deal that seeks to remove or weaken the rights of any European citizen cannot receive my support.

Keith Taylor Green Party MEP for the South East

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

TO that most splendid of outdoor venues, the Castle in Tonbridge, for an outside screening of the film Mamma Mia! Perfect evening until… the young lady seated two rows in front stood up, tried to dance and then just collapsed on to the people sitting in front of her. Chaos ensued. No need to call an ambulance, though.

She was simply ‘tired and emotional’, or as her friends said ‘ratted’. Why do they do it? So sad to see. Himself may take a tumble from the odd bar stool, but he does it with some grace.

IN order to round off the evening, the Calverley party took themselves away to a popular restaurant. At the end of the meal, being the gent that he is, Himself insisted on paying the tab. When the young waitress returned to the table with the pay meter (or whatever one calls it), Calverley asked her to add a ten per cent gratuity. She looked perplexed. “Anything wrong?” he asks. “Yes, I don’t know how much ten per cent is, how would you work that out?” she replied. So much for Mr Blair’s battle cry of ‘Education, education, education’.

QUESTION: What is the only road in the UK where you have to drive on the right-hand side instead of the left? That’s correct, the one that leads off The Strand in London to the front door of The Savoy Hotel. Calverley was reminded of this when an Uber cab he was in tried to go down it the wrong way last week.

What a near miss, with black cabs coming out the right way. The custom came about during the Second World War in recognition of all the Americans staying at the hotel and helping us beat the Germans. How times change.

NEW words and phrases seems to come into use now every day. Media reports last week told how, when a church collapsed in Cardiff while being demolished, two workers ‘self rescued’. And that was a quote from a fireman, sorry that should probably be a Fire Rescue Person. Imagine how 999 calls might now work in this day of budget cuts? “Do you really need the emergency services, or can you self-rescue?”

KIDS can be so cruel. There’s a teacher at a particular school who quietly relishes the fact that students call him ‘Bonk’. He believes it to be a term of affection. Try spelling it backwards, Sir, you might not be so happy…

Chin, chin readers

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

EDUCATION Times

Education

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WITH THE

Food for thought

NEWS IN EDUCATION

Sprinting success

The new function room at Sankey’s has hosted the first Hayesbrook School pop-up restaurant SINCE last November, the Year 10 Food Preparation and Nutrition class at The Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge, have been working on creating their international-themed menu.

They have also been discovering the ins and outs of running a successful restaurant and fine-tuning their hosting skills – all under the expert guidance of Matthew Sankey, of Sankey’s in Tunbridge Wells.

‘It was pretty emotional seeing the first few dishes leave the pass’ As a result, they hosted their first pop-up restaurant at the venue on a busy Saturday earlier this month.

The lunch and evening service were both a huge success, and with over 40 covers the students had to work hard to maintain a high standard of service and quality food throughout the day.

Parents, families and friends filled the restaurant and could not have been more complimentary.

One parent said: “We are incredibly proud and are very grateful that our son has had the opportunity to experience such an event.”

Miss Higgins, teacher of Food Technology at Hayesbrook, added: “We are all so proud of what the boys have achieved. Matthew has provided an invaluable and enjoyable experience for all involved, and it was great to see the confidence of the boys growing as the day progressed.

“The supporting staff and chefs were fantastic with helping the boys before and during service to ensure high standards were maintained.”

Restaurateur Matthew Sankey said: “It was pretty emotional seeing the first few dishes leave the pass into the restaurant. The day couldn’t have gone any better.

“For me, the best part was being able to see their confidence grow

ARE YOU BEING SERVED? Hayesbrook students get a taste of catering for the public throughout the day, and I hope that they can use this experience in the future. I’m hoping that at least some of them develop their skills and make their way in our amazing industry. I know I’ve already had a couple of them apply for work over the summer, which is great.

“The last eight months have been really rewarding for me, too. I’ve never taken on a task like this and I’ve learnt a lot, it’s been a win-win.

“The last word from me, though, must go to my team at Sankey’s.

Spike, Mike and Callum worked

incredibly hard with the lads to share all their knowledge. I couldn’t have done this without them.”

Year 10 student Jake said: “It was really invigorating, what an experience! Mr Sankey deserves so much credit for allowing us to run his function room for the day, and I think everybody involved really immersed themselves in it.

“My outlook on how a restaurant operates has changed for the better, and now we understand the real challenges involved in running a successful restaurant.”

TWELVE athletes from Vinehall School in Robertsbridge competed in the National Prep Schools Championships at The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham last week.

The team competed in eight categories, with pupil Zachary Nwogwugwu winning the Blue Ribbon event U14 boys 100m race to become National Champion. In the recent Sussex Championships, fellow pupil Freda Hughes was crowned Junior Sussex Champion in the 200m sprint.

The school’s team coach, Nick Butcher, commented: “We have some fast children at Vinehall at present, and are coaching them to maximise their potential.

“We are already planning our campaign for next year and we hope to repeat our success at local, regional and national levels.”

Rhyme and reason CHILDREN’S poet Jim MacCool will be welcomed by Temple Grove Academy next term to celebrate National Poetry Month. He will host two one-hour performances of his Poetry & Song show on October 2. School Assistant Head and Literacy Leader Emily Crow is ‘thrilled to have secured a visit from one of the busiest poets in the country’.

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Weekly Comment

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Richard Byatt Treasurer Tonbridge & Malling Green Party

Richard Byatt has lived in West Malling for over 25 years. He worked in Tonbridge for 12 years as editor of a B2B journal, was communications director of a professional body and is now a freelance writer and researcher. Richard is a keen cyclist and walker and is particularly interested in protecting the wonderful environment and wildlife habitats we have in Kent. He joined the Green Party in 2014 and is treasurer and media lead for the local party. He is a member of West Malling Parish Council

Our councils have big problems but it is up to us to fix them LOCAL government is in trouble. Starved of funding by central government, yet given more responsibilities, it has become inward looking and defensive. Whether it’s Kent County Council councillors awarding themselves a 15 per cent increase in allowances (and we know not all voted for it) or development proposals that ignore local opinion, there is a disconnect between local authorities and the people they are meant to serve.

I don’t share the view that local politicians are ‘only in it for themselves’. I’m a parish councillor, I know the hard work that is done at that level and I’m sure this is true at borough/district and county authorities, too. But when over 50 people turn up at a meeting of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council expecting to hear a debate on the sale of public open space, and instead discussion is closed down by a narrow procedural motion, then something has clearly gone wrong.

Part of the problem, of course, is an electoral system that does not properly represent the spectrum of views across the community. This leads to ‘oneparty rule’ and can breed complacency.

The phased withdrawal of the Revenue Support Grant (which funded almost 80 per cent of council expenditure in 2010) over the next few years will leave local authorities reliant on council tax and

business rates. This means that rather than funding local government according to need across the country (as is done with national services), each area will have to raise finance from its own tax base.

This puts pressure on local authorities to approve often controversial developments which will generate rates income. Some, including Tonbridge & Malling, are selling off public assets, including open space, to plug a hole in revenue budgets – a trick that can only be done once. Local decisionmaking can be ‘captured’ by commercial interests, particularly as authorities opt out of providing facilities and services themselves.

‘Many councils have moved too far… to exclude matters of interest to the community from public scrutiny’ Despite the cutbacks, local authorities still control big budgets – they need qualified, experienced and professional staff. Local authority workers should expect terms and conditions no less favourable than the private sector. But many councils have moved too far in aping the commercial

GRASS ROOTS PROTEST The public turned out in force to protect Tonbridge’s River Lawn open space sector use the confidentiality provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude matters of interest to the community from public scrutiny.

A significant reason for the disconnect between voters, councillors and decisions made by local councils is the ‘leader and cabinet’ system, forced on authorities by central government. Tonbridge & Malling has 54 elected councillors, representing 24 wards, but just six (all Conservative) are members of the Cabinet which is ‘responsible for most day to day decisions’. All the ‘ordinary’ councillor can really do is make recommendations.

Fortunately, under the Localism Act 2011, authorities can return to traditional decision-making by committees – a move the Green Party supports.

So what can be done? Perhaps the most important action is for us all to hold our councillors and our councils to account. This means (unfortunately) reading agendas, minutes and reports, going to meetings, asking questions and making our views known, directly and through campaigning.

Some officials and politicians will resent more public scrutiny, but I believe most will welcome it – we are, after all, why they are there!

WEST KENT’S ULTIMATE PROPERTY GUIDE – FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING TO BUY, LET OR SELL

The Times is proud to work with:

WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

bracketts

est. 1828

Chocolate box charm Surrounded by fields, a stream and ancient woodland

22

PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Your at-a-glance guide to

SLOW HALL, FRANT £945,000

UNDER £250,000 MAYLAMS QUAY, TONBRIDGE GUIDE PRICE

£195,000-£220,000 A modern one-bedroom apartment sitting in a beautiful location alongside the River Medway and within a short walk of Tonbridge High Street, station and castle. There is an open-plan living/kitchen area and a

fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, including an oven, fridge/freezer and dishwasher.

The apartment also has a double bedroom and bathroom. The leasehold term remaining is approximately 138 years.

CONTACT Ellis & Co 01732 770077 www.ellisandco.co.uk

UNDER £400,000 SILVERHURST DRIVE, TONBRIDGE

£375,000

A Gough Cooper semi-detached home in North Tonbridge that’s ready to move into. It also has scope for extending both to the side and rear of the property, subject to usual consents. The accommodation comprises a living room with separate dining area and a door

leading to the garden. There is also a fitted kitchen and, upstairs, three good sized bedrooms and a family bathroom. The rear garden has both lawned and decked areas. The front of the property has a driveway offering off-road parking.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

To suit your budget

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

PROPERTY

23

great properties by price range…

UNDER £500,000 SOUTH VIEW ROAD, HIGH BROOMS

£385,000-£400,000

Updated by the current owners, this extended property includes a sitting room at the front of the house, an open-plan kitchen/dining room with a wood burner, breakfast bar, Velux windows and double doors to the garden, and a ground floor bathroom.

The main bedroom has an en-suite shower and there are two further bedrooms as well as an attic room.

Outside is a decked terrace, an area of lawn, a timber garden store and a timber playhouse.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth 01892 822880 www.bkestateagents.com

UNDER £600,000 BARCHESTER WAY, TONBRIDGE GUIDE PRICE

£475,000-£500,000 A four-bedroom detached property in need of some updating. This extended chalet house has a large through living/dining room and a kitchen/ breakfast room. The living area includes a feature fireplace. Two of the bedrooms are on the ground floor, and the family bathroom is on the first floor with the two larger bedrooms. There are well-maintained gardens with a garage and drive.

CONTACT Bracketts 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

UNDER £1MILLION SLOW HALL, FRANT

UNDER £900,000

£945,000

BOWER MOUNT, EAST PECKHAM

A Grade II-listed attached village house which was formerly three cottages, a granary and a bakery.

Period features include exposed beams and timbers, oak floors and an original bread oven. The entrance hall has slate flooring, and the sitting room has sash windows, polished wood flooring and an exposed brick fireplace with open fire. The family room/snug has a bay window with outlooks over the garden, and – curiously – an old prison door. The kitchen is bespoke, and there is also a dining room and

£850,000

cellar. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms (one en suite) and a family bathroom with roll top bath.

Outside is a walled cottage garden with brick terrace and areas of lawn, and a garage.

CONTACT Hamptons 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

A Victorian property with many original features. During World War II, Land Army girls stayed here when it was a farmhouse. The property comprises four reception rooms, four bedrooms, a kitchen/breakfast room with walk-in pantry. The master bedroom has a ‘Jack and Jill’ arrangement to the main bathroom. The garden is approximately 1/3 of an acre and laid to lawn. There is a further small courtyard area, a garage and two workshops.

CONTACT Firefly Properties 01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk

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PROPERTY

Architectural Advice

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

DESIGN WITH THE TIMES

John Bullock

Architectural services

Party agreements Planning works that may affect neighbours can land you in unforseen holes. Expert Mark Michel gives his advice YOUR QUESTION: Dear Design with the Times, We live in a semi-detached house in Tunbridge Wells, close to the common, and are planning an extension to our home.

We are increasing the ground floor to create a large kitchen and dining room and, having read your column last October, believe it would be classed as permitted development.

We have discussed this with our neighbours and they would like us to enter into a formal process and obtain a Party Wall Agreement. Please can you advise how this process works?

OUR ANSWER: This is a situation that often crops up, and while some home extenders choose to agree this informally with their neighbours, others prefer a more formal route – and this is something which needs handling by a specialist.

We asked Mark Michel, MSc, MRICS, from MMA Chartered Surveyors to offer his expert advice: How does The Party Wall etc Act affect my alterations?

Most home owners first become aware of this piece of legislation either when a good architect raises it; they have received an unsolicited letter from a mysterious company (usually in London or Manchester) offering their services; or when a neighbour (invariably as the contractor starts on site) advises that the intended work falls within the party wall act and asks why hasn’t notice been issued?

The latter is by far the worst scenario!

The Party Wall etc Act 1996 places various obligations on owners wishing to undertake alterations to their properties, and which may affect neighbouring properties. It also sets out a framework for resolving disputes between neighbours without recourse to courts.

The main obligation arising under the act is that the building owner proposing the work should give notice

of their intentions to the adjoining owners/neighbours.

Does it benefit me?

For the owner undertaking the work, the act gives certain rights to undertake works which may affect the adjoining property, including the ability to remove eaves overhangs, cut away chimneys, raise party walls, etc. It also gives the right to access neighbouring land to carry out works covered under the act.

For the adjoining owner (this is not necessarily always the occupier) affected by the works, it provides reassurance that the works will be undertaken within certain working hours in a professional way, and without unnecessary inconvenience. It also includes provision for dealing with damage with recourse to the courts.

What kinds of works require notice?

These conveniently fall into three categories: • New walls (including extensions and garden walls) astride or at the boundary (Section 1). In many instances, owners undertaking extensions want to build astride or at the boundary to maximise width of the extension. If an adjoining

Having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal Academy of The Hague, John Bullock launched John Bullock Design in 2003. With offices in Tunbridge Wells High Street, John has won awards for his work and is committed to delivering the best outcomes for clients. www.johnbullockdesign.com

owner agrees, the new wall can be built astride the boundary. This creates a new wall which the adjoining owner can use later (subject to serving notice). If the adjoining owner disagrees, then the new wall must be wholly on the building owner’s land. The actual position of the boundary can be a matter of some hot debate. These works require one month’s notice.

• Works to existing party walls or structures (walls/floors separating adjoining dwellings) (Section 2). This gives the building owner proposing the work the right to undertake various works which may affect the party wall/other structure separating dwellings. The most common examples include raising the party wall (say to create a dormer or undertake a roof conversion) or, rather oddly, undertaking a basement conversion; to demolish/rebuild a party wall; cut away chimney breasts; and/or insert beams into a party wall. These works require two months’ notice • Excavation near to an adjacent building/ structure (Section 6). It surprises many building owners that they must serve a notice on their neighbour, even though the hole they plan to dig will be entirely on their own land. The reason is that excavating close to any structure carries a risk that the foundations to the neighbouring property/structure may be disturbed.

These works require one month’s notice.

‘The main obligation arising under the act is that the building owner proposing the work should give notice of their intentions’

Excavation works fall broadly into two categories • Those within 3m of an adjacent structure and which may extend below the level of those foundations.

• Those within 6m and which extend below a 45° line drawn from the base of the adjacent foundations.

How do you serve notices?

Notices are usually in a prescribed format containing information such as the building owner’s name and address, the adjoining owner’s name and address, the address of the affected properties, and information as to the nature of the intended work. It is a requirement that plans and sections are included with excavation notices, but good practice to include them with other types of notice as they can help the neighbours understand the proposals.

Draft notices can be downloaded from many internet sites, including the planning portal. However, a word of caution – many notices are incorrectly completed, or contain insufficient or wrong information, and this can result in the need to begin the progress again.

Do I need a party wall surveyor?

That depends. It is often worth consulting a surveyor to give advice as to whether your works will fall within the remit of the act, and also with a view to preparing notices on your behalf.

More importantly, while it is invariably better that building owners discuss their proposal with neighbours prior to issue of notices, there are times when neighbours may well object, whatever.

In this instance, it is worth getting a party wall surveyor involved at the earliest possible stage.

Architectural Advice

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

What if the adjoining owner disagrees with the proposals?

Firstly, it is important to know that the Party Wall Act cannot be used to prevent a building owner carrying out their work.

Failure by adjoining owners to respond to notices or appoint a surveyor gives rise to a ‘deemed dispute’. In extremis, the building owner may appoint a surveyor to act on the adjoining owner’s behalf.

If the adjoining owner disagrees with the works, then both the building owner undertaking the work and the adjoining owner must appoint either an agreed surveyor, or independent surveyors, with a view to resolving any dispute. It must be remembered that once appointed, a party wall surveyor is under a duty to be impartial.

Both building owners and adjoining owners can find this difficult to accept.

The surveyor will then inspect the drawings, buildings, etc, with a view to preparing a document known as a Party Wall Award.

What is A Party Wall Award?

This is a document which sets out the nature and extent of the works being undertaken, the way the works are to be carried out (including working hours), any rights of access, and what happens if things go wrong.

The award also invariably includes a schedule of condition detailing the condition of the adjoining property.

This is probably the largest part of the surveyor’s work. It is a detailed list documenting the condition of the adjoining owner’s property. It is essential that this is done accurately so that any subsequent damage can be properly attributed.

It is amazing how an adjoining owner will swear blind that the crack in

their property never existed before all that banging started next door.

Although it often appears that the adjoining owner receives the greater number of benefits, those received by the building owner can be very important, particularly in protecting themselves from spurious claims for damage.

The only situations where the benefits gained from a Party Wall Award do not outweigh the cost of preparing is for very minor works, eg repointing, renewal of flashings or the insertion of damp-proof courses. These are all tasks where, technically, a Party Wall

Notice should be served, but the likelihood of significant damage to a neighbour’s property is minimal.

Finally, just because the adjoining owner consents to the works, the building owner’s responsibilities do not disappear. If there is a dispute between the owners later in the process, surveyors may still be appointed to resolve it. However, it becomes more difficult to prove that the damage didn’t arise because of the work.

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Our grateful thanks to Mark Michel, MSc, MRICS, MMA Chartered Surveyors. Mark would be pleased to provide up to 20 minutes free advice and can be contacted on 0845 302 7430 or by emailing: enquiries@mmasurveyors.co.uk

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PROPERTY

Barnfield Farm

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

AT A GLANCE BARNFIELD FARM HIGH STREET, HAWKHURST ■ Grade II listed with period features ■ Ripe for refurbishment ■ Drawing room ■ Dining room ■ Sitting room ■ Study ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Utility room and shower room ■ Master bedroom with en-suite ■ 4 further bedrooms ■ Family bathroom ■ Attic double bedroom ■ Gardens and grounds ■ Swimming pool

Listed Elizabethan farmhouse enjoying superb views is perfect for an improvement project

The house is close to Marlborough House School and is within the Cranbrook School catchment area

■ Former lawned tennis court ■ Greenhouse and Garden store ■ Off-road parking ■ In all about 2.92 acres

GUIDE PRICE

£895,000

Available for sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Advertising

PROPERTY

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PROPERTY

Shangri-La

Impressive family home in a picturesque village

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

AT A GLANCE SHANGRI-LA BROAD OAK, BRENCHLEY ■ Built by Berkeley Homes in 1989 ■ Entrance hall and cloakroom ■ Through sitting room with door to garden ■ Dining room ■ Study ■ Large kitchen/breakfast room ■ Utility room ■ Master and guest double bedroom suites ■ 3 further double bedrooms ■ Family bathroom ■ Integral double garage ■ Garden, terrace, shed and timber chalet ■ Parking for several cars ■ In all about 0.4 of an acre

GUIDE PRICE

£1,200,000

Available for sale through JacksonStops & Staff Tunbridge Wells 01892 521700 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

This contemporary property comes to the market for the first time since new and offers plenty of space amid sweeping lawns

PROPERTY

Interiors

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Gubi G10 Pendant Light, reduced to £287.10 from £319

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Illumin Philo Pendant Light by Dyberg Larsen, £89

Make rooms look blooming lovely with floral designs guaranteed to grow on you…

DR AM

DECOR TIP: Plants and flowers will always stand out against a dark backdrop of deep grey or black

Florals never fade or go out of fashion, thanks to our enduring passion for reflecting nature and the great outdoors in our homes – and right now, they’re in full bloom everywhere.

But just as you wouldn’t have a wilting bouquet of flowers in your home, any floral look you introduce should be fresh and bang-up-to-date, too.

Luckily, today’s designers are making sure their interpretations are a world away from the old-hat chintz and fussy ‘grandma’ looks of yesteryear. They’ve embraced petalpower with bright, bold, new designs, aided by up-to-the-minute digital techniques.

So pick one of these looks – no water needed, and they’re guaranteed never to wither.

A

TI C B L O OM S

Striking, pared-back, nature-inspired designs and bold colourways are perfect for a no-fuss or frills approach to this look.

Graham and Brown Milly Apple Wallpaper, £16.99 a roll

Paula Taylor

aV elv e Pink Ro s

“Giant florals have been the stars of the catwalk shows, and now, from wardrobe to walls, we’re reviving floral patterns”

tP

Brighton sofa in Liberty Fresco Lagoon, currently reduced to £2,171 from £2,412, Sofas and Stuff

“Giant florals have been the stars of the catwalk shows, and now, from wardrobe to walls, we’re reviving floral patterns and embracing large-scale designs in bright, vibrant colours for a statement look,” says Paula Taylor, colour and Ra 0 from gged Ro trends specialist at 8 1 se £ ffe Graham & Brown u o www. grahambrown. com/uk

Think pastel pinks and wallpapers featuring petals and pretty blooms, for a fresh, feminine spin on florals.

“Unusually, the trend will carry through late into winter” Rebecca Snowden, interior style advisor at Furniture Choice (www.furniturechoice. co.uk), says: “When people talk about florals, it tends to be centred around spring and summer fashion and interiors, with powdery pastel pinks a hot favourite both for the catwalk and the home this year.

“Unusually, the trend will carry through late into winter.

“And those pastel hues will move into deeper, darker reds and pinks.

“Plum and deep magenta against a smoky black background will conjure a dramatic, gothic effect.”

Woodchip & Magnolia has a stunning Eunoia Watercolour Floral Wallpaper, £99 a roll. www.woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk Graham and Brown Painted Tulips Wall Mural, reduced to £35 from £60

Woodchip and Magnolia’s Botanical Wallpaper Nostalgia, £85 a roll

Promotional Feature

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Calling all business owners – how you could be sitting on an opportunity of a lifetime WHAT if we told you that you could be sitting on an opportunity that could help transform your business and set you on the path to success?

Thousands of business owners around the country are losing out on potential sales and instant financial gains. How? They own commercial and industrial sites in the centre of towns and villages; sites that do not add value to the business and can hinder its growth.

‘Are you the owner of a commercial property or industrial site in a town or village centre?’

The increased success of internet sales, shopping centres and supermarkets are making it increasingly difficult for retailers and merchants in commercial buildings and industrial sites to compete. Family-owned businesses are struggling to stay afloat and landlords often cannot find new tenants. In fact, in the first half of 2016, as many as 15 high street shops closed every day, and the number of new openings fell to its lowest level for more than five years.

While a prime location in the centre of a town or village used to be vital to achieving success, changes in consumer spending habits in the last two decades have changed the rules of the game.

Today, many of the companies that own these locations are now better suited to retail parks, which

offer both competitive prices and on-site parking.

Industrial sites and commercial properties with multiple floors have the highest potential. These second-floor spaces are often seen as a by-product of business operations and are not utilised.

However, while it may appear that the bulk of the property’s value lies in the bottom floor, today that is simply not the case. Nearly a quarter of a million homes in the UK lie empty – wasting both space and money.

By transforming these commercial properties and industrial sites into residential spaces, the population in the area will grow. This will lead to more business for local companies, especially those who have acquired loyal customers.

Are you the owner of a commercial property or industrial site in a town or village centre? If you are, then it may be time for you to find out what potential opportunities await you and your business.

At SJD Projects, we advise property owners like yourself on the potential of your site and introduce you to property developers looking to add to their portfolio.

If you have any concerns about moving the location of your business, we can also find you a new space in which your business can thrive – especially with your newly-acquired funds.

Contact Stephen Donnelly today to find out more information. Our advice is free of charge and, in most cases, the developer will cover all the relevant fees. Email: steve@sjd-projects.com

MAXIMISE YOUR POTENTIAL There could be profits in unused buildings or parts of buildings

PROPERTY

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Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Old Popeswood Cottage

PROPERTY

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AT A GLANCE OLD POPESWOOD COTTAGE LIMES LANE, BUXTED ■ 14th century with later additions ■ Recently refurbished to high standard while retaining original features ■ Entrance hall ■ Sitting room ■ Dining room ■ Snug/study ■ Kitchen/breakfast/family room ■ Utility room ■ Cloakroom ■ Master bedroom with dressing room ■ 3 further bedrooms ■ 2 bathrooms ■ Detached studio/home office with WC ■ Double garage with storeroom ■ Garden outbuildings and boiler house ■ Garden

Old meets new in a secluded setting down a private lane

■ Approximately 0.545 acres

GUIDE PRICE

£1,100,000

Available for sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Refurbished rural idyll dating back to 14th century benefits from separate home office

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PROPERTY

Old Croust Farm

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

AT A GLANCE

OLD CROUST FARM DOG KENNEL LANE, HADLOW DOWN ■ Grade II listed with inglenooks and other period features ■ Sitting room ■ Dining room ■ Kitchen ■ Utility room/cloakroom/storeroom ■ 3 double bedrooms (two of which interlink) ■ Bathroom ■ Gardens, fields and woodland ■ Outbuildings incorporating barns, stables and storage ■ Summerhouse ■ In total about 19.84 acres

GUIDE PRICE

£930,000

Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk

Enchanting cottage set in 20 acres

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FEATURES

Wine

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

You heard it on the grapevine…

Meet the Times’ new wine critic James Viner. Here he reveals what his top insider tips are to ensure your palate and pocket get the most out of all the best grape varieties out there. And, as it’s the start of the summer holidays, he’ll also recommend the best wines to ensure your holiday barbecues go with the right kind of bang Top Tipple Tips

• Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine whites from the Loire (Domaine de l’Ecu, which is organic) • Chilean reds (De Martino ‘Legado,’ singlevineyard range) • Côtes du Rhône-Villages reds (Escaravailles’ Rasteau) • Wines from leading co-operatives, eg La Guardiense (Janare) in southern Italy; Plaimont Producteurs (Gascony) and La Chablisienne (Chablis) in France

Spend a few pounds more and you’ll get a lot more for your money Whether because of expanded market demand, greediness, aspiration, or the creation of so-called ‘iconic’ wines in the market place, many wines are overpriced. There’s also an increasingly capricious price/quality correlation with wines over £20/25.

As a rule of thumb, remember that the most attractive value for money tends to be found in the middle of the price spectrum, around the £8-£20 mark.

That’s because fixed costs like shipping, packaging, marketing and local taxes and duties account for by far the majority of the price of the cheapest wines, meaning you pay a tiny amount for the cost of the liquid itself. Over half the money spent on a £5 bottle goes straight to the government’s coffers; but this typically falls to less than a quarter for a £20 bottle of wine.

following are readily available online in the UK:

The power of provenance It’s a good idea to look out for wines that are bottled as near as possible to where the grapes were cultivated. Check the label to discover if the producer and bottler are one and the same. The

• Kaleidoscopic South African white blends (especially Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines and AA Badenhorst) • Anything from Domaine Jones in LanguedocRoussillon

SNIFFING OUT THE TRUTH James Viner

Say a Spanish ‘sí’ to dry sherry Delicate-salty-iodine Fino sherry, especially Manzanilla, has for some time been, and remains, the most low-cost fine wine you can purchase. It’s also fabulous at the dinner table.

Green-appley Manzanilla – the palest, lightest, driest and most piquant of Finos – is magnificent with seafood.

Drink with tapas, fish and chips, sushi, smoked salmon or mackerel, that Italian classic fried seafood dish ‘fritto misto’, boquerones, (sardines) ceviche, oysters and charcuterie.

La Guita is a widely available benchmark (on deal now at Great Western Wine).

And don’t miss out on en rama (raw) releases, which are bottled without refining or filtration.

A cool idea For barbecues, make sure the reds are served lightly chilled, especially if it’s above 68°F/20°C outside. And for those cold and cosy winter months, remember that red wine is best served at room temperature, which is between 55-65°F/13-18°C. Check it out Be wary of marketing tools such as punts (indentations in the base) and heavy bottles, which add considerably to shipping costs and the carbon footprint, and therefore lead to a higher price tag.

Wine

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Simply serve with sunshine What should you uncork this summer as the BBQ coals turn white hot? Having invested in a new barbecue in the spring, and tried out lots of dishes and sub-£15 wines at recent supermarket trade tastings, this week I present four flavour matches for summer BBQs which are considered perfect.

The prices might be low but the quality is high. Remember, for inexpensive whites and rosé wines, choose the most recent vintage available. These vinous crackers will complement the array of grilled meat, vegetables and fish being served. For recipe inspiration turn over. Cheers!

Summery BBQ Fridge-Door White Choice…

2016 Waitrose Cuvée Pêcheur Vin de France (£5.49, Waitrose)

It’s getting difficult to find a really interesting wine for less than £6, but it can be done still.

Medium-bodied with racy acidity and a refreshing wash of orchard and lemon fruit, plus a hint of white blossom, this summery Gascon blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard is a crisp giveaway crying out for barbecued fish/ Halloumi cheese, chicken dishes and salads. If you prefer your whites to be light, likeable and not loud and menacing, then this is the wine for you. It’s also a slimline 11.5%, which will appeal to many, I’m sure.

An out-and-out bargain.

Alc 11.5%

Frothy, Food-Friendly Retro Dry Red Italian Choice…

2016 Lambrusco Rosso Reggiano DOC ‘Concerto’ Medici Ermete, Italy (£11.99-£14.80, Hennings Wine & Hedonism Wines)

This is one of my favourite dry, lightly sparkling, slightly sweet-sour red wines from Emilia–Romagna. It’s from a top producer and offers raspberry-like acidity and vibrant red fruit and violet flavours and aromas with herbal notes that envelop and delight your taste buds. Perfect for antipasti, pizza, spicy Indian and Thai cuisine, though you could drink this equally well with the main barbecue course of hot and spicy BBQ ribs, pork and fennel sausages, grilled chicken, lamb, pulled pork or even steak, burgers and oily/meaty/spicy barbecued fish such as grilled sardines or tuna, such is its poise and élan. Drink at 12-14°C, a little warmer than Champagne, with people you really like; only they deserve an authentic, dry barbecue-friendly Lambrusco this good. It’s a million miles away

from the outmoded, cheap, sweet, industrial version you might have had at the dinner table in the 80s. Alc 11.5%

Vivid Spanish Rosado All-Rounder…

2016 Pizarras de Otero Rosado, Bierzo, Spain (£7.49, Mix 6 Price, Majestic) I adore the Mencía (Jaen) grape and this is a dazzling deeper-coloured rosé version from northwest Spain which tastes like a mosaic of tangy raspberries, red cherries, wild fruit and herbs. The very delicate peppery finish makes it picture-perfect alongside a barbecue. It’s a great inexpensive all-rounder that will suit a multitude of foods. Drink on its own or with mezzetype dishes, spicy mains, shellfish, chargrilled tuna/salmon/sardines, grilled aubergines/red peppers and all kinds of Mediterranean-flavoured barbecued red meats (especially if there’s a chilli or smoky marinade), including pork chops, chicken dishes or salads. Welcome this delicious, crunchy rosado with open arms. Salud! Alc 13%

FEATURES

Full-Bodied South-African Red for the Braai…

2013 De Morgenzon DMZ Syrah, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£8.50, The Wine Society)

An ideal candidate for summer BBQs (especially red meat barbecued over the coals), with a nice dunking in oak barrels and some bottle development, too, this is a seriously penetrating and satisfying Stellenbosch surprise. Rammed with black cherries, red plums, black pepper, spice and a savoury tarry-charry meatiness, it’s a very superior barbecue red with a lot of bravado on the finish. Drink with steak, sausages, meaty kebabs, hamburgers, spicy couscous salads or chops. At four years old it’s reaching its peak, so treat yourself to this terrific slice of South Africa. The price is baffling, though – it’s worth so much more (welcome to the wonderful world of The Wine Society!)

Alc 14.5%

For more information on wines, you can contact James via Twitter @QuixoticWine

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FEATURES

Food & Drink

A taste of summer Now the sun is out it’s time to spark up the barbie. So here are some delicious recipes for al fresco perfection

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

GRILLED LOBSTERS WITH CHIVE BUTTER Lobsters and Champagne are a special treat. First, boil the lobsters, then cut them in half and finish on the grill with lashings of flavoured butter and, of course, serve them with icy cold bubbly What you need:

Chive blossom butter

2 teaspoons sea salt 4 lobsters (about 680-900g/ 11/2-2 lbs each) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 lemons, cut into quarters, to serve

1 bunch of chives with blossoms 225g/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper A large stock or pasta pot Serves 4

What you do:

and place on a wooden chopping board. Cook the remaining two lobsters in the same way.

When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, cut them in half from head to tail using a sharp knife or scissors.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the lobster halves, cut side down, on a medium-high barbecue/grill and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn them over and dot with the flavoured butters.

Continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the butter has melted.

Serve immediately with more butter, lemons, and ice cold Champagne.

Separate the chive blossoms from the stems. Roughly chop the blossoms and finely chop the stems.

Put the chopped stems and butter in a food processor and process until smooth.

Stir in the blossoms and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Fill the stock pot three-quarters full with water and add the salt.

Bring to the boil and carefully add two of the lobsters.

Cook for ten minutes, then remove

Food & Drink

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

FEATURES

MINT AND LEMON THYME LAMB SKEWERS Chargrilled meats and pickles are always a good combo. Lamb shoulder holds up well on a hot grill, and marinating overnight helps tenderise the meat. You could also use leg of lamb. If you have a lemon tree or rosemary bush in your garden, break off some branches as these make excellent skewers What you need: 680g/11/2 lb lamb shoulder 1 lemon 6 fresh bay leaves

Mint and lemon thyme rub 1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped 1 tablespoon dried mint 2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme leaves 60ml/1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 1 lemon Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper 6 x 30-cm/12-in wooden skewers soaked in cold water before use, or rosemary branches Makes 6 skewers

What you do: To make the rub, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rinse the lamb under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the lamb into 3-cm/1¼-in cubes and put in a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle the Mint and Lemon Thyme Rub over the lamb and toss to coat evenly. Season with black pepper (the salt from the preserved lemon should be enough to season). Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Slice the lemon in half, then cut each half into half moons.

Remove the lamb from the fridge and, while still

cold, thread on to the prepared skewers or rosemary branches, along with the bay leaves and lemon slices.

Cover the skewers and allow to come to room temperature.

On a medium-high barbecue/grill, cook the lamb skewers for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and turn them over.

Cook for a further 6-8 minutes, turning frequently to make sure all the sides are brown and crispy, and serve.  Recipes courtesy

of The Mediterranean Table £19.99, published

by Ryland Peters and Small. See right for book offer.

The Mediterranean Table, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£19.99) Photography ©Ryland Peters & Small Book offer: The Mediterranean Table is available to Times readers for the special price of £14.99, including postage & packaging (rrp £19.99) by calling Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quoting the reference KC3

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FEATURES

Gardening

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Tall stories: Rise to the challenge of a new planting trend As vertical planting makes its mark at many of this year’s top gardening shows, experts outline ways of aiming high in your own outdoor space VERTICAL gardens are a regular feature of horticultural shows nationwide, their green walls of foliage creating colour and form on otherwise uninteresting backdrops.

While some designers make them look like works of art, featuring intricate mosaics of different foliage, everyday gardeners with limited space can also create great visual additions without too much fuss.

You can buy anything: ● Simple black canvas pockets with a number of holes in them for the plants, which attach to the wall ● Salad and herb vertical planters ● Living art frames displaying a combination of plants ● Troughs which will house lush green plants over a wide area of wall, equipped with water reservoirs which will provide a steady trickle to the plants as they need it ● Or you can even make your own “Systems tend to be [made] of small modules

that can be handled by the average person and built up into something larger by being attached to a vertical surface or to each other,” says Paul Smith, Business Manager at wholesaler Brundle Gardener (www.brundlegardener.co.uk)

‘There are more elaborate planters on the market and automatic irrigation systems’ What plants can you use?

“The planting holes often aren’t as deep as a veg trug and are generally for shallow-rooted plants.

“They’re going to fill a gap or provide you with vertical gardening in a small space where you are stuck horizontally, but you’re going to have to consider what plants can grow in a planter that size,” says Paul.

“Putting plug plants in is the best – you’re not going to put in a plant that’s been planted in a

Gardening

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

five-inch pot because you won’t get the necessary depth in the planter.

“But you can get bedding plants or herbs and salads in their early stages.

“You’ll need to harden off plug plants before planting them out, but they should be fine in a sheltered spot.”

Think about size Consider, though, that the larger the vertical garden the more complex it becomes in terms of maintenance and installation. If you are going to install a garden above head height you need to think how you are going to water, weed and feed the plants.

Many planters come in fixed dimensions and cannot be cut to size. If you start cutting planters, you need to reseal the end or else water will just run out.

In many vertical gardens, water is recycled through the planting system, says Erick Mackay at Irrigatia (www.irrigatia.com) – which produces an automatic solar-powered watering system.

With larger constructions, you may have more success going for lush foliage plants rather than flowers. Good specimens for wall planting include ferns, euphorbia, ajuga, heuchera and geraniums. Ivies are ideal for permanent planting.

Place shade-loving varieties at the base of the area and sun-lovers, such as geraniums, thyme and sage, at the top.

Add some spring bulbs for a happy surprise when it is still cold, and try some wild strawberries for the children to pick all summer. Ideally place the planter in half sun and half shade. Compost can be standard multi-purpose compost. After four to six weeks, start feeding the plants.

Try succulents Succulents can also work in vertical planters mixed with shells or other ornaments, and some manufacturers sell frames in different shapes and sizes.

Be waterwise There are more elaborate planters on the market and automatic irrigation systems which allow you to branch out with planting.

Doesn’t the water just run out on to your decking or patio?

“It’s not much different from a terracotta pot with a hole in the bottom,” says Paul.

“You can water vertical gardens with a watering can or use a drip irrigation system. Planters should have raised drainage holes in the base, forcing the planter to hold some water in its base to be drawn up into the soil and the roots.

“If your plants don’t benefit from wet roots, you can drill multiple holes to allow the water to cascade down on to the next plant until it gets to the bottom.”

‘With larger constructions, you may have more success going for lush foliage plants rather than flowers’

FEATURES

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FEATURES

Motoring

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

FIRST DRIVE

Audi SQ5 The SQ5 is the hottest version of Audi’s Q5 currently on sale. Jack Evans finds out how hot it really is WHAT’S NEW? The Audi SQ5 was the first diesel S-badged car the German manufacturer had ever created. With oil-burners being given something of a bad reputation in recent years, this latest SQ5 comes as a petrol-only – though it’s likely that a diesel will be quietly introduced later on.

Under the bonnet sits a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol churning out 349bhp and an impressive 500Nm of torque. There’s no doubting it has performance on its side, as well good looks and plenty of badge appeal.

Where the old SQ5 triumphed was its ability to compromise between performance and everyday usability – and it would appear that this latest car has pulled off the same trick.

LOOKS AND IMAGE The SQ5 looks neatly refreshed over the car it replaces. It benefits from LED running lights up front, sat either side of a chrome grille that is more prominent than ever. The satin silver wing mirrors remain as a trademark ‘S’ car style cue,

and the overall effect is one of subtle performance.

One negative can be found when you move to the back of the car, however.

Look closely and, rather than finding four individual exhaust pipes, you’ll see four blanked-off plastic panels – hardly the performance touches that you’d expect on a car like this.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY Because the SQ5’s performance makes no impact on the standard Q5’s size, it still remains a spacious place to be.

There’s plenty of room for driver and front passenger, while those in the rear get a good amount of leg and headroom.

Boot space sits at 610 litres, rising to 1,550 litres with the rear seats folded down. This is around the average mark for the segment, with the Mercedes GLC offering 610 litres of seats-up luggage room, rising to 1,600 litres with them set flat.

So the Audi is great if you’re looking for plenty of practicality, but within a relatively compact-sized car.

BEHIND THE WHEEL From the moment you step into the SQ5, you’re aware that it’s set up slightly differently to a standard SUV. The flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with paddle shifters feels more purposeful, while the throaty grumble emitted once you press the red starter button ensures that you don’t mistake the engine under the bonnet for a standard 2.0-litre diesel.

The car’s performance is admirable.

Upon heavy acceleration, there’s a good amount of shove, with the Quattro all-wheel-drive system ensuring that there’s no wheel spin no matter what the conditions. Surprisingly, the ride is also very good despite the 21-inch alloy wheels. Around town it feels rather firm, but the by-product of this set-up is very little body roll. You can corner flatly and without fuss, even at higher speeds.

VALUE FOR MONEY Prices for the SQ5 start at £49,715.

However, our car, fitted with options

FACTS AT A GLANCE: MODEL: Audi SQ5 Model as tested: SQ5 ENGINE TESTED: 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6 POWER: 349bhp TORQUE: 369Ib-ft MAX SPEED: 155mph 0-60MPH: 5.2 seconds MPG: 34mpg EMISSIONS: 195g/km BASE PRICE: £49,715

such as a sports differential, 21-inch alloy wheels and adaptive cruise control, came in at £60,285. There’s no mistaking it – the SQ5 is an expensive car.

But its all-round usability and effortless performance does make it a great everyday SUV, and one that would be ideal for those who want plenty of practicality backed up with a sports car drive.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? The SQ5 would be ideal for the family car owner who doesn’t want to forsake an involving drive for practicality. It looks relatively understated, performs well and yet has enough space for four to travel in comfort. It’s also quick enough to give an everyday sports car a run for its money, while offering all the build quality you could want from an Audi product.

‘Its all-round usability and effortless performance does make it a great everyday SUV’

ADDED OOMPH The SQ5’s practicality is backed up with a sports car drive

Puzzles

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

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4

9

3 6

6 14

23

16

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.

7

9 2 5

6 1 1 9 5

13 10

23

19

21

2

10

22

R

R

3

1

24

24

T

4

8

8

10

3

23 2

4

24 17

24

6 23

26 19

26

3

11 3

10

3

23

24 23

15

1

7 1

2

6 7 8 1 9 3 4

6

Codeword:

8

8

3

6 4 3 2

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

2 1 6 3 7 7 1 8 3

7 8

2

9 2 3 9 6 5

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 next week’s paper

D E M E S N W A I A B R A M R X P F B I S T S O R OM A N Y A I NQ U I R N U B L A T A N O R S WA K E S 9 8 5 4 3 2 7 6 1

3 2 7 6 5 1 4 9 8

E S A C H A E R A E N ON O M S E E D

Jigsaw Sudoku:

Sudoku:

1 6 4 7 9 8 2 3 5

E S A G L O L I P S W I J T A R G A Z H V I V I S N N I E S S T T T T E X A E A L R I D D L

5 1 3 9 2 7 8 4 6

6 7 9 8 4 5 3 1 2

2 4 8 3 1 6 9 5 7

8 9 2 1 6 3 5 7 4

7 3 6 5 8 4 1 2 9

4 5 1 2 7 9 6 8 3

8 7 3 9 6 2 5 1 4

6 4 2 5 8 1 9 3 7

5 1 9 7 2 4 6 8 3

2 8 5 6 9 7 3 4 1

4 3 1 2 7 9 8 5 6

1 9 6 4 3 5 2 7 8

7 5 8 3 4 6 1 9 2

9 6 4 8 1 3 7 2 5

3 2 7 1 5 8 4 6 9

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

4

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

3

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

1

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★

CODEWORD

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FEATURES

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

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

64

Fill your vacancy now in print or online.

For more information contact Jordanne Reville on 01892 576 049 jreville@markerstudy.com

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

66

FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

How a creative collective has made a fine art out of running an inspirational gallery The ArtSpring Gallery in Tonbridge High Street has just celebrated its first birthday. Here, founder Jill Goldsworthy tells Eileen Leahy why it is driven by the desire to connect with the wider community as well as showcasing local artistic talent Can you tell us a little bit about the history of the ArtSpring Gallery?

The idea to launch a gallery happened at the end of 2015, when four local artists from Jill Goldsworthy the Tonbridge Creative group decided that the time was right to try and set up a permanent gallery in the town.

Having organised local exhibitions and a pop-up shop in Tunbridge Wells, we invited 14 other local artists to join us in order to set up a new collective where individual ideas could be pooled.

How easy was it to source a location?

An empty shop was found at the north end of Tonbridge High Street and the process began. Legal and financial advice was sought, a formal constitution was established, and all 18 artists signed up for a firm commitment. Once the keys to the shop were handed over it was all hands on deck to redecorate and fit out the space to

display paintings, photography, prints, ceramics, glass and jewellery, with the emphasis on contemporary fine art. We opened in July 2016.

What was the gallery’s initial concept?

To provide a permanent showcase for local artists, create a mutually supportive network and to bring art to the local community.

The group knew that in the past few years the demographic of Tonbridge had changed. New apartments had been built, a significant population was relocating from London, and the town was starting to support a number of more individual shops, cafés and restaurants.

There was no permanent exhibition space in the town for displaying art, and the intention was – and still is – to bring art to the community in a vibrant and interesting way.

What else makes you different from all the commercial galleries out there?

We are set up as a not-for-profit, unincorporated association and share the risks as well as the successes of running the gallery, with each member taking on a role and a sense of ownership.

How has ArtSpring evolved over the past year?

The gallery has so far been deemed a success, providing a permanent exhibition space for local artists and a place for members of the community to enjoy the experience of looking at fine contemporary art as well as talking to local artists.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY The gallery celebrates with a special cake and prize draw

ArtSpring exhibits new work in the gallery every two months, and the window display is changed every two weeks. In this way, interest is kept alive and visitors are encouraged to return.

We have organised a number of events, including demonstrations by some of our artists,

Arts & Culture

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

FEATURES

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CONTEMPORARY SHOWCASE For art of all kinds

to encourage more people through the front door, making a visit enjoyable, welcoming and friendly.

How many artists do you have exhibiting in the gallery?

The collective currently has 18 members, and we have a waiting list of artists who would like to join as others leave. So far, just three have moved on and replacements have been recruited.

We also have one guest artist at a time exhibiting their work. Members take turns in stewarding one day every three weeks so that visitors can always talk to one of the artists about the work in the gallery.

How has the gallery been received in the Tonbridge community?

Response from visitors has been fantastic.

audience. We have even had visitors from America and Japan. One American visitor tracked down one of our jewellers, Kate Hasted, whose work she had bought at Brighton events in the past. She came to the gallery and bought several pieces to take back home with her as she loved them so much.

How did you come up with the name ArtSpring?

The name was originally brainstormed at a meeting of the Tonbridge Creative group for their first exhibition at the Tunnel Gallery at Tonbridge School in 2013. It reflected the time of year of the exhibitions, the sense of a source of art, and also that of something new and fresh.

Apart from social media and word of mouth, do you do any other marketing?

On the first Thursday of every month we are open until 8pm and invite people to come along, have a glass of fizz and a look around.

It started as an experiment and is now a permanent feature because it has been so successful.

The reason is because it gives those visitors who find it difficult to get to us NOT JUST FOR THE BIRDS during the day a chance to The gallery also has a late-night come along and enjoy a free opening evening once a month glass of Prosecco and talk to some of the artists.

What are your future plans for the gallery?

We have all been delighted with its progress since it opened, and are hoping that we may be able to support local students by offering them a chance to exhibit their work as a stepping stone of encouragement for their careers.

We also hope to be part of developing the artistic community in and around Tonbridge.

When local MP Tom Tugendhat officially opened the gallery, he said: “Art can be uplifting and provide a positive focus in difficult times; the work in this gallery no longer belongs to the artists but to the community as a whole.”

Comments such as: ‘This is just what Tonbridge needs’, ‘A gem on the High Street’ and ‘Fresh, well organised, professional, elegant and vibrant’ are just a few notes from the visitors’ book.

ArtSpring Gallery is now one of the top ten most interesting places to visit in the Tonbridge area, according to Tripadvisor.

Do you attract mainly local visitors?

No, we have had visitors from further afield, and our social media offering reaches a wider

For more information, visit the Artspring Gallery at 167 High Street, Tonbridge, or go to www.artspringgallery.co.uk

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FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy

If you would like to see your events featured in our weekly What’s On pages, please email eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Local events ANGELS IN AMERICA At The EM Forster Theatre

>> WEDNESDAY Trinity’s latest exhibition is entitled A Son’s Tribute to Father’s Art and showcases the work of the late artist Cyril Bolam, who lived in the area up until his death in 1989 and had work accepted at the Mall Galleries in London. Curated by his son, Jeff, it reveals many works which have hitherto been unseen. Jeff notes: “Since he died 28 years ago, many of my father’s paintings have not seen the light of day, having been stored in attics, so I am exhibiting them now as a tribute to him and in the hope that people can enjoy their energy, colour, life and beauty.” The work includes many different painting styles and subject matters, including landscapes, boating scenes, still lifes and Mediterranean villages. The show is free to enter and runs until Saturday August 5.

All this week, the Oast Theatre in Tonbridge will be performing Three Men in a Boat. See this classic 19th-century novel by Jerome K Jerome brought to life by a trio of talented performers who play the key characters Jerome, Harris and George and plenty of others, including a terrier named Montmorency. Tickets cost £10 or £7.50 for members. To book, call 01732 368349 or visit www.oasttheatre.com If you didn’t catch it first time round at the cinema, then remember you can still see Despicable Me 3 at The Hop Farm’s Moonlight Drive-in Cinema today and tomorrow. The latest instalment in this hugely successful movie franchise sees Gru and his gang of Minions facing a number of tricky challenges as he comes face to

face with his long-lost twin brother from Freedonia. Tickets cost £25 per vehicle. More information at www.moonlightcinema.com >> THURSDAY At 7pm, The EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge will screen the National Theatre’s NT Live – Angels in America, Part 2, Perestroika. This award-winning play by Tony Kushner is set in the 1980s in the US in the middle of the AIDS crisis and Ronald Regan’s presidency. The action focuses around a group of New Yorkers trying to make sense of their life and relationships in a society slowly being eroded.

Andrew Garfield, Denise Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle and Russell Tovey star. Tickets cost from £14 for adults. For more information, see www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk Hever Castle’s open-air Festival Theatre will be in action again this week as it plays host to the Bromley Little Theatre and their performance of Nell Gywnn, which audiences are sure to enjoy.

Starting tonight and running until Saturday, it’s a lively production of Jessica Swale’s bawdy and bold play about the world of Restoration Theatre and how the lowly orange seller Gywnn went on to become the 17th-century’s most famous actress and King Charles II’s lover. Tickets: Reserved Covered Seating Saturday £18, Midweek £16.50, Matinee £15. To book, call the box office on 01732 866114 or visit www.heverfestival.co.uk >> FRIDAY It’s the summer holidays, so if you’re not jetting off just yet you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s plenty to keep your little ones occupied over the coming weeks. One of the special events taking place is the Knights & Princesses of Groombridge Place,, running until August 6.

You are invited to travel back in time discover what life was like during medieval times courtesy of interactive shows, storytelling and much more. The events will take place between 10am and 5.30pm. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs £35.95.

This evening from 8pm, Trinity Theatre will be screening the film Churchill. Starring Brian Cox, it is much-acclaimed story about Britain’s famous Prime Minister depicting the dramatic 24 hours leading up to the launch of D-Day landings. Tickets start from £9. For more details, see www.trinitytheatre.net >> SATURDAY This weekend, if you fancy venturing a little bit further afield, then why not consider a trip to Tenterden’s Kent & East Sussex steam railway? All summer children can travel free as long as they are accompanied by an adult who has purchased a regular travelcard. The ten and a half mile journey takes place on a beautifully restored locomotive which travels through the stunning Wealden countryside to Bodiam, where you can hop off and enjoy a trip around the castle. The promotion runs until September 3, and throughout the summer you can catch Punch & Judy and magic shows each Monday and Wednesday as well as a face painter on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Adult fares cost £18. For more information and to book, visit www.kesr.org.uk Closer to home, the ever popular annual Pantiles Vintage Fair is back this weekend. On today and tomorrow, it’s a must for anyone who’s a fan of retro fashion, unique buys to enhance your home and collectable items, including everything from rare books to vintage cars.

From 7pm, the Illyria theatre company will be performing Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors in the glorious grounds of Burrswood in Groombridge. One of the Bard’s earliest plays, it’s a ripe old romp through a plot that involves slapstick dialogue and plenty of character confusion and mistaken identity. Bring your picnic and a chair in order to enjoy this summer’s evening treat. Tickets cost from £18. For more information, see www. burrswood.org.uk

FEELING CHUFFED You will be with the Kent & East Sussex Railway summer offer

TEMPTING Nell Gwynn at Hever Castle

>> SUNDAY Classical fans will enjoy the André Rieu concert being screened by Trinity Theatre this afternoon at 3pm.

Streamed from the Dutch composer’s home town of Maastricht, this legendary annual event will feature the world famous musician’s 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra, sopranos, tenors and some very ‘special guests’.

Hosted by Charlotte Hawkins, it will include an interview with Rieu the moment he steps off the stage. Tickets are £19 per adult and concessions apply.

>> MONDAY Bewl Water’s popular children’s camps are on once again for the summer holidays. So if you find it a challenge to keep your little ones occupied then this club really steps it up a gear courtesy of its exciting outdoor activities aimed to keep youngsters fit, entertained and making new friends. Running on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from July 24 to September 1 inclusive, activities include bike riding, nature hunts, walks and Mini Rover safaris, as well as sports and games, such as rounders, frisbee and a Laser Tag Challenge. Full day activities run from 8.30am until 5pm and cost from £37 per child. Half-day activities run from 8.30am until 1pm and cost

PICK OF THE WEEK The War and Peace Revival show Daily until Saturday July 29 The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood The greatest celebration of military history and vintage lifestyle in the world comes to the Hop Farm this week. This five-day military and vintage festival will both educate and entertain courtesy of its ‘living history’ scenes, which provide a unique picture of life in conflict and will include everything from recreating battles and trenches to families at home. There will also be thousands of military vehicles to see, such as tanks, artillery, and Jeeps. Tickets cost from £20 a day or £100 for all five days.

To book visit www.warandpeacerevival.com

What’s On

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton Live music

ENJOY ANDRÉ RIEU in Maastricht, at Trinity £19.50 per child. For further information see www.bewlwater.co.uk Over at Bore Place in Bough Beech, a Teddy Bear’s Picnic will be taking place from 9.45am.

Best suited to children aged 3-6, it offers a chance to explore the venue’s vegetable garden, get up close to the dairy cows and make and bake delicious scones. The children will then have the opportunity to prepare their own picnics before heading off to enjoy a delicious al fresco feast.

Tickets cost £15 per child, who must be accompanied by an adult. Dress appropriately for the weather.

For further information, see www.boreplace.co.uk >> TUESDAY If you fancy doing something a little bit different with your children this summer, how about getting involved in today’s Rolling Pin-making session at Grosvenor & Hilbert Park? Starting at 10am for 90 minutes, it will show adults and children how to make their own rolling pin by splitting and whittling wood from Hilbert Woods. Appropriate for those aged 6 and over. Tickets cost £5 and booking is essential. For more details, email: steff.dagorne@tunbridgewells.gov.uk

It’s a jam-packed week across the local scene with an array of fantastic local gigs and concerts to be enjoyed. My top two picks of the week are Dino Baptiste and Darby Todd at Jazz on The Pantiles this Thursday evening.

Dino’s exemplary boogie woogie-inspired piano musicianship is truly breathtaking, and Darby Todd is regarded as one of the best live drummers in the UK today. They are not to be missed!

While Saturday night sees the Local & Live Sessions return to Trinity Theatre with popular local acts Alex Beharrell and Jack Burns taking centre stage…

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk and www.thegreylady.co.uk

WEDNESDAY Holly Stanford Band, The Tringham Sisters, Funmilayo and Jack Leon Mackey FRIDAY Pollito Boogaloo SATURDAY Private Party SUNDAY Sean de Burca, Lucy Jarrett, Anna Howie and Leon Benson WEDNESDAY Philip Clemo’s Dream Maps live and Evi Vine THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at www.twforum.co.uk

THURSDAY Evil B, Dead Intent, MC Y-Zer, Starz n Deeza and Will.B FRIDAY The Varlies, duchjo, The Big Squeeze, Soul Sensation and Katy Virgoe SUNDAY Unfest Sessions (1pm start)

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

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THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

FRIDAY Soul Night SATURDAY J.E.M. THE BULL INN Frant Road, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY Kharma Duo Jack Burns

THE SPA HOTEL Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards, booking recommended on 01892 520 331

FRIDAY Live Jazz: Lesley Alexander THE DUKE OF YORK The Pantiles, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards

THURSDAY Sophie Mullen TRINITY THEATRE Church Road, event information at www.trinitytheatre.net

SATURDAY Local & Live Sessions: The Alex Beharrell Band, Jack Burns, Paul Dunton Orchestra THE BEDFORD 2 High Street, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm till late. More information at www.thebedfordtw.co.uk

SATURDAY Sean Fennessey & Friends SUNDAY Kelly Bourne

THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late.

MONDAY Open Mic Night THE CROSS KEYS St John’s Road, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm. Website www.crosskeystw.co.uk

MONDAY TWUNT: Ukulele Jam Session

THE PANTILES BANDSTAND The Pantiles, open all day, donations welcome Evening event from 7pm

THURSDAY Dino Baptiste and Darby Todd THE SUSSEX ARMS Sussex Mews. Music from 8pm till late. For more information, visit www.twforum.co.uk

FRIDAY WAX and Thomas Harvey SATURDAY The Bastards Of Paradise and Vanishing Points

Dino Baptiste

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NEWS

Sporting Times

CONTACT US:

Please send your sports stories to newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

Wells show Twenty20 vision with twin wins on finals day

By Andrew Tong CRICKET: TUNBRIDGE WELLS are through to the latter stages of the National Club Twenty20 for the second year running after a brace of contrasting victories in the Kent finals day at Beckenham.

This Sunday (July 30) Wells take on the Sussex champions, Horsham, at the same Foxgrove ground in the first of the regional rounds.

Last year a youthful and confident unit took part in a televised national finals day at Derby last September, the first side from Kent to reach that stage of the competition.

They eventually lost to the Norfolk club Swardestone, who went on to win the title.

Thrilling At the County Ground last Sunday, Wells won a thrilling semi-final against Bexley and then overcame Tenterden in emphatic fashion to take the county pennant for the second year running and represent Kent on the national stage.

The heavy rains from the previous day meant that the matches were played on a damp surface and low scores prevailed.

Wells went out to defend their title at a ­disadvantage, missing four regular bowlers while two batsmen were also unavailable.

On the way to the finals Wells had defeated

Tonbridge in the opener and two more local rivals in the shape of Holmesdale and Sevenoaks Vine.

Then the club pulled off an impressive win over Beckenham in the quarter-finals at Foxgrove.

Wells amassed 206 for 2 after an opening stand of 133 between the T20 captain Chris Williams (87 off 51 balls with nine fours and three sixes) and Julian O’Riordan (57).

The hosts sent out their big gun in response, Kent all-rounder Alex Blake causing havoc with a rapid 62. But the chase faltered as wickets fell regularly and Beckenham were bowled out for 169, 37 runs short.

Having beaten the Kent Cricket League leaders so emphatically, they faced second-placed Bexley in the first of the two semi-finals. They could only put up 116 for 8 in their 20 overs, Chris Williams scoring 34 and the returning David Smith 37.

A strong response was required and Saturday skipper Alex Williams grabbed 5 for 22, with four victims clean bowled in a show of genuine pace.

Bexley were all out for 107, losing by nine runs with 0ff-spinner Marcus O’Riordan taking 3 for 21.

Tenterden were to prove no match for a buoyant Wells side in the county final, as they were reduced to 93 for 9 with Alex Williams again to the fore, taking 3 for 13.

The target was reached in just 11 overs for the loss of two wickets. The in-form Chris Williams saw them home safely on 55 not out off 30 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Angels in seventh heaven Phoenix Sport 2 Tonbridge Angels 7

By James Rowe FOOTBALL:

TONBRIDGE ANGELS Manager Steve McKimm had a glut of strikers available for the fourth pre-season friendly against Phoenix Sports They certainly made their hosts pay with a second-half bombardment that threatened to reach double figures.

Phoenix Sports arguably had the better of the first quarter of an hour and should have gone ahead on 13 minutes from a clear header on goal which went just over the bar.

It was an expensive miss; from then on Tonbridge started to take a grip on the game. Tommy Whitnell, playing in the hole just behind the two strikers, converted Dan Thompson’s cross after 17 minutes.

Whitnell was on target again in the 42nd minute, this time from a cross by Liam Smith, who was having a fine game out on the right flank.

The second half was largely one-way traffic as the Angels took control. On 49 minutes Thompson and Andre McCollin combined beautifully to

bamboozle the Phoenix defence, McCollin finishing with grace and ease.

Five minutes later a Tonbridge corner was not dealt with efficiently by the home defence and the ball ran to Craig Stone, who drilled the ball home from just outside the penalty area.

The 59th minute saw a wicked cross from Jay Siva turned into his own net by a bemused Phoenix defender and then two minutes later Smith got into the act with a sharp shot from close in.

Alex Akrofi hit the bar in the 63rd minute and at this stage it looked as if Phoenix Sports were about to throw in the towel.

But they kept going and in the 67th minute their free-kick was not dealt with by the Angels defence and at last the home side got on the scoresheet.

Two minutes later they scored again after the Angels goalkeeper Anthony di Bernardo misjudged a corner.

Then in the 80th minute Alex Akrofi added his name to the scoresheet in grabbing Angels’ seventh goal as the club found top form ahead of the new season.

ALL’S WELLS: (Back row, L-R) Dave Smith, Callum Preece, Jorge Ehren, Michael Churchill, Jamie Baldwin, Nick Sale; (front) Charlie Russell-Vick, Chris Williams (captain), Alex Williams, Mike Waller, Julian O’Riordan, Marcus O’Riordan

Rain wrecks Saturday leagues The Kent Cricket League programme was badly affected by heavy rain. Tunbridge Wells’ match against Premier League leaders Beckenham at the Nevill was curtailed after the home side had made a promising start, reaching 171 for 2 in 37 overs with Chris Williams scoring 75.

Sevenoaks Vine’s match on the coast at

McKimm said: “Yes I’m pleased with the result but I’m not getting carried away as they had one or two missing today whereas I had a few options.

“We’ve tried out a few things with the formation this afternoon, three at the back and three up front at various times, and that’s been helpful.

“I was disappointed with the two goals conceded

Sandwich was one of few that went ahead. The hosts posted a total of 230 for 7, and the Vine were dismissed for 214, losing by 16 runs. That meant they stayed rooted in the relegation zone, failing to make up ground on Wells above them.

In Division Four, Tonbridge were skittled out for 58 at Rainham, who in turn struggled to reach 61 for 9 in 33.5 overs in reply, Matthew Smiles grabbing 5 for 17 in the one-wicket defeat.

as they came from our mistakes and I’ve gone through that with them, but overall I’ve got to be pleased with the way things are going.”

Angels open their new campaign in the rebranded Bostik Smart Adhesives League, formerly known as the Ryman Premier, with a home fixture against Hendon on Sat August 12.

Tonbridge Angels league fixtures 2017-18 August Sat 12 v Hendon (H) Tue 15 v Margate (A) Sat 19 v Brightlingsea Regent (H) Kent Senior Cup round 2 Tue 22 v Maidstone United (H) Sat 26 v Harrow Borough (A) Mon 28 v Folkestone Invicta (H) September Sat 9 Harlow Town (A) Tue 12 v Thurrock (A) Sat 16 v Leiston (H) Sat 23 Burgess Hill Town (A) Tue 26 v Dorking Wanderers (H) Sat 30 v Kingstonian (A) October Tue 3 v Margate (H) Sat 7 v Wingate & Finchley (H) Sat 14 v Hendon (A)

Sat 21 v Tooting & Mitcham (H) November Sat 4 v Enfield Town (A) Tue 7 v Thurrock (H) Sat 11 v Staines Town (A) Tue 14 v Dorking Wanderers (A) Sat 18 v Needham Market (H) Sat 25 v Metropolitan Police (A) December Sat 2 v Merstham (H) Sat 9 v Worthing (A) Sat 16 v Dulwich Hamlet (H) Sat 23 v Harrow Borough (H) Tue 26 v Folkestone Invicta (A) Sat 30 v Brightlingsea Regent (A) January 2018 Mon 1 v Billericay Town (H) Sat 6 v Lowestoft Town (H) Sat 13 v Leatherhead (A)

Sat 20 v Leiston (A) Sat 27 v Burgess Hill Town (H) February Sat 3 v Needham Market (A) Sat 10 v Staines Town (H) Sat 17 v Merstham (A) Sat 24 v Metropolitan Police (H) March Sat 3 v Dulwich Hamlet (A) Sat 10 v Worthing (H) Sat 17 v Kingstonian (H) Sat 24 v Wingate & Finchley (A) Sat 31 v Harlow Town (H) April Mon 2 v Billericay Town (A) Sat 7 v Tooting & Mitcham (A) Sat 14 v Enfield Town (H) Sat 21 v Lowestoft Town (A) Sat 28 v Leatherhead (H)

Sporting Times

Wednesday July 26 | 2017

NEWS

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Strong display at Owler in spite of course confusion

TOP SHOT Scenes from the Softball Cricket Festival at the Nevill last week

World Cup victory will be a ‘game changer’ for the girls Andrew Cloke of Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club thinks the female version of cricket on the ‘cusp of something profound’. Andrew Tong spoke to him...

CRICKET: ENGLAND’S exhilirating victory in the final of the World Cup on Sunday, in front of a record crowd of 26,500 at Lord’s, will be a ‘game-changer’ for women’s cricket.

That’s the view of Andrew Cloke, the guiding light behind the women’s section at Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club.

England beat India by nine runs after the latter collapsed and lost seven wickets for 28 runs while seemingly cruising to victory.

The remarkable result sparked jubilant scenes and fuelled headlines in the national news bulletins and the front pages of newspapers.

Andrew has an added interest in the fortunes of the England team because his daughter Izzy, who turns 17 on August 1, is on the fringes of national selection with the ECB Performance Academy.

Tunbridge Wells has a vibrant female contingent at the Nevill, covering age groups from Under-9 Minis to U-11s, U-13s, U-15s and the adult side – sponsored by Savills and One Warwick Park.

The inspiration came from Steve Green and his wife Alison, who started a junior section in 2009 because a number of girls were coming along to the club with their brothers.

“That was the catalyst, we had 10 or 12 in 2010 but by 2015 we had more than a hundred women playing here,” says Andrew.

The U-13s is ‘well populated’, while after that the girls tend to be promoted into the first team to get them used to adult cricket.

“That’s a significant drop-off point,” admits Andrew. “At that age it’s all about finding ways to keep them involved because other interests are kicking in by then.

The club fosters its female players by treating them exactly the same as their male counterparts.

First of all they are widely selected to play for the men’s teams. “We actively encourage girls to play alongside the men,” says Andrew.

“We behave as one club, we send out the same teamsheet to everyone, with the women’s teams.

“Everyone is invited to the same social occasions. There is no differentiation between men’s and women’s cricket.”

This attitude was given a huge fillip when the club recruited a player from Melbourne Cricket Club in Australia, Anna O’Donnell, in 2015.

The medium-pace bowler played with the men in Kent League Division Three and was leading wicket-taker in the third tier with 50 scalps.

‘If you get a good crowd of girls, they want to be together’ The adult ladies’ team also began playing competitively in the Women’s Cricket Southern League Division Three two years ago.

They were promoted with an unbeaten record at the second time of asking, and are now competing in the second tier.

The greatest boost to the girls’ game came with the spread of the sport at independent schools after its traditional rival was discarded.

“The big opportunity has only just materialised,” explains Andrew. “It started when rounders was dropped from the National Curriculum in January 2015.

“Cricket remained, and now independent schools are actively engaging girls and organising inter-schools competitions.”

This summer, the former England star Lydia

Greenway has been coaching at Mayfield, which has started a team amid huge enthusiasm.

The move has brought benefits to local clubs too. “Parents see their daughters playing at school and we are now getting lots of inquiries about playing for the club too.”

“I think it’s a game-changer, we are on the cusp of something profound, especially after England won the the World Cup. “It’s like a pincer movement, with the pressure coming from schools and the international game at the same time.

All this comes against a backdrop of growing interest in women’s sport in general. “It’s really exploding at the moment, with the hockey girls winning gold at the Olympics last year and the success of our rugby and football teams.”

So what makes cricket so appealing to women and girls? Andrew says: “Crucially I think it’s because it is a team sport,” says Andrew.

“I place a huge emphasis on team camaraderie rather than achievement. The girls love travelling to away games together.

“If you get a good crowd of girls, they want to be together as a friendship group. It’s different for boys, who are happy to be thrown into the mix. ” Last Friday, the Nevill hosted a Softball Cricket Festival aimed at introducing women and girls over the age of 14 to the game.

Four teams took part including two adult sides from Bells Yew Green, who run a very successful female section with Richard Gentry.

“It was very encouraging,” says Andrew. “We need to worry about the game generally, not just about ourselves as a club.”

With such a positive attitude, women’s cricket looks set to make giant strides in the near future.

TWO members of Tunbridge Wells Triathlon Club, Grant Aitkin (M50) and Kieran Fitzpatrick (M35), competed in the National Middle Distance Championships (1900m swim, 87km bike, 21km run), racing in the Owler Triathlon.

Both put in impressive displays with Aitkin finishing in 5hr 09min to come fourth in his age group and Fitzpatrick recording a time of 4:53 in fifth place for M35.

The swim had been relocated to Lydd in response to water quality concerns and a split transition to the Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford posed logistical challenges.

Several of the elite competitors missed a crucial turn on the run leading to frustration in the chase for the podium places.

Julian Himmerich (M25) and Helen Waite (F40) raced in the Owler Standard Distance Triathlon (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run).

Both were well placed, with Himmerich finishing fifth in 3:26 and Waite in sixth place with 3:37.

John Fuller (M45) completed the Owler Middle Distance Aquabike in 4:11 to be fourth in his category.

Bertie Horne set a personal best over Olympic distance at the AJ Bell Triathlon in London. Billed as the world’s largest triathlon, thousands competed in mass waves, swimming 1500m in Victoria Dock before setting off on a 40km closed road bike route through Westminster.

The race concluded with a 10km run at the Excel Centre in Canary Wharf. Horne crossed the line after 2:32, in 22nd place in the M20 age group.

In the Sprint Race, Clare Roche finished first in the F60 section in 1:35 and John Kendal was 13th M50 in 1:28.

Pippa Whitby raced in the Redhill Sprint Triathlon at Thorpe Park (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run).

Well positioned after the swim, she worked hard on the bike before consolidating her position with a strong run. She finished in 1:27, 15th female overall in a very competitive field.

WHAT A HOOT Grant Aitkin, Kieran Fitzpatrick and Josh Fuller in the Owler