Bus drivers to strike next week
COMMUTERS and pupils returning to school next week have been told to expect disruption as a raft of strikes have been planned by bus operators. On Monday, September 5, bus drivers working for Arriva – the largest operator in Kent – are set to walk out over pay. The industrial action will see around 800 […]
The perfect tonic for September as gin festival returns to The Pantiles
The Pantiles is to play host to another celebration of all things jazz- and gin-related as a popular music and drinks festival returns at the weekend. The Pantiles Gin & Jazz Festival comes to the iconic Tunbridge Wells promenade on Saturday and features gins from around the world. Local tipples on show include the new […]
Tory MP calls for housing targets change to ensure homes are built
Annual ‘housing targets’ should be set across England to make sure planned new homes are built said a Tory MP who pointed to unused planning permissions in districts such as Wealden. Conservative MP Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) told the Commons: “The 2020 White Paper promised us a once-in-ageneration reform to planning policy. These present […]
Teamwork makes the dream work
The crisis in recruiting chefs post lockdown has been widely reported, but North Kent College catering department, which has a campus in Tonbridge, is determined to retain and inspire its students – courtesy of giving them the opportunity to work with some of the area’s best chefs. Eileen Leahy finds out more about this collaborative […]
The stage may be paved with gold for young Talentz old and new!
This coming weekend (September 3 and 4), local theatre group The Talentz is hosting auditions for its new pantomime, Dick Whittington. Open to all young people aged 4 to 21 years, it promises to be a fun event and a great springboard for talented young performers. Eileen Leahy discovers more… On saturday and Sunday (September […]
Contactless’ machine boosts donations in street collection by nearly 30 per cent
Street collectors for the Pembury branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) managed to boost their donations by nearly 30 per cent thanks to a contactless card machine. The collection at Tesco in Pembury on August 13 netted £711.50 in cash donations, but passers-by also donated £211 through the contactless card machine, the branch’s […]
‘5K Your Way’ community group makes exercise more manageable to beat cancer
A community group set up to fight cancer through exercise has broken down the task of running or walking five kilometres to make it easier for people to go the distance. The Tunbridge Wells ‘5K Your Way’ initiative aims to encourage those living with and beyond cancer – including families, friends, and those working in […]
Post Office opens in Tonbridge Castle after branch shuts door
Tonbridge town centre has a post office again, after Tonbridge & Malling Council offered space at the 13th century medieval castle. When the new ‘pop-up’ location opened last Friday, the town centre had not had a post office since July, when the town’s WHSmith shop closed, leaving the nearest post offices at York Parade and […]
Crowborough’s Kerrie dubbed a Heart Hero
Crowborough creative Kerry Kent may have been born with a heart defect, but that has not affected her appetite for life, and she has now been nominated as a British Heart Foundation (BHF) Heart Hero this year for her fund-raising efforts. Born with a problem that meant repeated surgeries and a serious infection last year […]
Female entrepreneurs’ roadshow MIYB returns to Tunbridge Wells
Women telling the story of their own businesses can motivate female-led ambition and start-ups, according to organisers of a seminar series on entrepreneurship. ‘Make it Your Business’ (MIYB) groups across the country, each with a ‘local champion’, offer aspiring local businesswomen information and opportunities to network with established female entrepreneurs as well as other local […]
