Plans afoot to enhance town’s tourism
WHILE tourism in Tunbridge Wells is booming and businesses have reported a return to pre-pandemic levels this summer (Times, August 9), both visitors and residents alike have been left a little disorientated, asking: “Where do we go?” For those visitors who decide to take a train to our town, alight at the station and wander […]
Local & Live Festival ‘the most successful to date’
DESPITE the sun’s late appearance at Calverley Grounds, thousands of people descended on Tunbridge Wells over the bank holiday for a weekend of local music and good food, making this year one of the festival’s most successful ever – for music lovers and businesses alike. The Local & Live music festival, involving three days of […]
Rail ticket office considered for closure despite being region’s fourth busiest
THE TICKET office at Tunbridge Wells station is among those to be considered for closure as part of planned cutbacks, despite being one of the most-used in the whole of the Southeastern network. Research by the Times shows that the local office should remain open, based on the criteria being used by Southeastern Railway to […]
Tunbridge Wells Pride returns after year’s hiatus for a day of celebration
THE streets were filled with festivity as the LGBTQIA+ community came together to support Tunbridge Wells Pride across the town last Sunday (August 20). Poignantly, the LGBTQIA+ community also used the opportunity to celebrate trans rights pioneer and former Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillor Mark Rees, who died on July 26. The day opened with a […]
Experience the escape room you’ll never want to leave
As the trend for immersive puzzle experiences continues, Lilly Croucher and a team of friends tried MEGA BITE, the latest addition to ClueCracker on St John’s Road… After signing up to be locked inside a room for an hour with zombies and puzzles, I did start to wonder what I had let myself in […]
Ex-Alliance leader quits party to form new independent group
TENSIONS within Town Hall have led to a split in the Alliance party, as the previous leader stepped down last week and formed a new political grouping. Former Alliance leader, David Hayward resigned from the party last Wednesday (August 16), admitting that the party’s arrangement with the Borough Partnership was a “mistake”. In a public […]
Cross Keys pub to reopen
A much-loved family pub is set to reopen again after being closed for almost five months. The Cross Keys on St John’s Road will officially reopen on Friday August 25, just in time for the bank holiday weekend. On their new Facebook page, the pub wrote: “So excited to say all our hard work has […]
School bus route cancelled after drop in passengers and ‘cases of vandalism’
A BUS route that services passengers in Tunbridge Wells has been cancelled after the vehicle was vandalised by students, costing the operator more than £1,000 in repairs. Hams Travel announced last week they would be cancelling service 1 from Groombridge to Tonbridge via Hill View School, next month. A statement on their website said: “Due […]
Major road to reopen early ending weeks of long tailbacks and delays
Pembury Road, one of the main routes into Tunbridge Wells, is set to reopen this Friday, ending weeks of frustration for motorists who faced major traffic congestion. The roadworks, which started on July 24, were scheduled to take six weeks, but after works progressed quicker than expected, the gas network now says the road could […]
Second runway at Gatwick will create ‘motorways in the skies’
PLANS for a second runway at Gatwick would mean thousands more planes using the airport and be “a massive blow to the quality of life” for people across Tunbridge Wells. That’s the warning from local MP Greg Clark following the next step in Gatwick’s scheme to repurpose the Northern Runway. The plan has now been […]
