One day puppetry festival pulls in the crowds
AROUND 5,000 people flocked to Calverley Grounds at the weekend to see a life-sized whale and other aquatic curiosities thanks to the return of the Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival The normally biennial event staged a one-day spectacular on Saturday (October 15) with an under-the-sea theme following support from Royal Tunbridge Wells Together and Tunbridge Wells […]
Bus strikes now on hold but ambulance drivers balloted
STRIKES planned on the buses this week have been called off following a pay offer by travel company Arriva that has been put to union members. The strikes, which were to take place on Wednesday to Friday (October 19 -21) across Arriva depots in Northfleet, Gillingham, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, were part of a series […]
Property developer shortlisted for Nevill Row project
BOUTIQUE developer Beau Property has been shortlisted for a national housebuilding award. The family business, from Tunbridge Wells, is shortlisted for ‘best restoration project’ for its Nevill Row development. They are up against household names including Barratt Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Weston Homes. The project of eight, two-bedroom Victorian-style houses, launched in May 2022 and […]
Childrensalon creates short film to celebrate 70-year anniversary
TUNBRIDGE WELLS childrenswear retailer, Childrensalon is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a series of special projects which launched last month. The company was established in 1952 by Rene and Sybil Harriman and has been working with 240 childrenswear designers and exclusive own-brand collections to dress children for seven decades. Childrensalon is one of the largest […]
Consultation into scrapping annual elections to go ahead
VOTERS in Tunbridge Wells will be asked whether the Council should scrap its annual elections in favour of a single ballot every four years, after the Town Hall voted to approve a consultation on the plans. Currently at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, councillors are elected in thirds, with 16 of the Town Hall’s 48 members […]
Derelict for 22 years yet Council is still told to reject cinema site plans
THE Planning Committee at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) is to meet in just a month’s time to decide the fate of the town’s most notorious plot of land. The former site of the ABC Cinema on Mount Pleasant Road has sat abandoned and derelict in the middle of town for more than 20 years, […]
Funnyman takes time out to visit Amelia (and do a little dog sitting)
COMIC Ricky Gervais charmed his way into the hearts of Tunbridge Wells residents as he posed for photos outside the Amelia last week. The ‘After Life’ actor and writer returned to the town for two nights of his latest stand-up show at the Assembly Theatre. After his first performance on Tuesday September 27, Gervais was […]
Just for laughs
October sees a slew of stars appearing at the Assembly Hall Theatre – many of whom are some of the country’s top comedians. They include Sarah Millican, Russell Kane and Jenny Eclair. Here Lilly Croucher reveals why Tunbridge Wells is such a hot spot for humour this month… If you’re a fan of stand […]
Foodbank sees rocketing referrals as the cost of living crisis bites
THE number of families needing help from the foodbank in Tunbridge Wells is expected to increase to near-pandemic levels this winter as the cost-of-living crisis begins to push more people below the breadline. Nourish Community Foodbank, which provides meals and support for families in Tunbridge Wells and the wider area, has seen a 30 per […]
South East business confidence plummets
CONFIDENCE in small businesses in the South East has crashed below the national average, to levels not seen since the 2020 winter lockdown. In its South East Small Business Index, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that confidence had dropped from a rating of 9 in the first quarter of 2022 to minus 32 […]
