Primary children hit all the right notes for singing festival’s return
The return of the Tunbridge Wells Primary School Singing Festival at the Assembly Hall Theatre on June 20-21 was the 15th held in the town but the first in three years due to the pandemic. Organisers hailed the return of the event as a ‘huge success’ with nearly 600 children from 17 local primary schools […]
Depp becomes a patron after being pictured at rescue centre
MOVIE star Johnny Depp is to give his backing to a Tunbridge Wells wildlife rescue centre following his visit earlier this month. As reported in the Times, the Pirates of the Caribbean star dropped into to the Folly Wildlife Rescue Centre on June 2 where he became enamoured by badger Freddie Mercury. His visit received […]
Law firm’s chief steps down after a decade at the helm
Gavin Tyler is to retire from Cripps, based on Mount Ephraim, on April 30 next year after 39 years of working in the law industry. He began his career as an articled clerk at the firm, qualifying as a solicitor in 1986 and specialising in disputes work, and more latterly focusing on employment law. He […]
Record waiting lists continues to rise as Trust struggles to get back to normal
According to figures released by NHS England last week, the waiting list for treatments at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and its sister site in Maidstone increase from 38,715 in March to 40,636 in April – a rise of 1,921 patients – the highest recorded since records began in 2007. It comes amid a backdrop of record […]
Town’s annual music festival under threat due to cash woes
Local & Live has been running in the town since 2006. Since then, hundreds of up and coming acts have entertained the crowds on the main stage in Calverley Grounds as well as the satellite venues around Tunbridge Wells town centre. After it went ‘online only’ in 2020 due to the pandemic, the popular, free […]
MP proposes a new law to ban sex-based harassment in public
The Tunbridge Wells MP was one of 20 parliamentarians chosen to present a Private Members Bill to the House of Commons last week after a ballot of 460 MPs who all wanted to get their own laws introduced. Private Members Bills are legislation that is proposed by bankbench MPs and members of the Lords who […]
Storms interrupts festival’s return but Black Deer ends on a high note
Festival goers were asked to evacuate the main arena just as The Waterboys began their set with organisers blaming ‘extreme weather conditions’ but the festival resumed on Sunday. More than 10,000 people flocked through the gates over the three days, and organisers say the return of the event had ‘exceeded their expectations’. Black Deer, which […]
Rocketing price rises see more areas become £500,000 housing hotspots
Rocketing property prices across the UK mean 15 per cent of homes sold in the country now fetch more than £500,000 for the first time this year, with Kent a particular hotspot, according to Savills. Analysis by the estate agent has shown that the number of £500,000-plus locations increased by 50 per cent during the […]
Iconic St John’s Road building set to be redeveloped into flats
A building currently occupied by a freight and logistics organisation in Tunbridge Wells is set to be turned into apartments following a planning application submitted to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Hermes House on St John’s Road is currently the home of Logistics UK – formerly the Freight Transport Association. According to plans submitted to the […]
Success is ‘crucial’ say Americana festival organisers as event returns to Eridge Park
As with many events, the 2020 Black Deer festival scheduled for June that year was cancelled due to the pandemic, but organisers of the event received a cruel blow the following year when the festival had to be scrapped at the last minute as the lifting of restrictions were delayed. The eleventh-hour cancellation saw event […]
