Pretenders are talk of the town
ROCK & ROLL Hall of Famers the Pretenders are to join an already high-profile line-up at this summer’s Black Deer festival, organisers announced last week. The Pretenders were formed in the UK in March 1978 by American and English musicians, and are fronted by US singer and guitarist Chrissie Hynde. The band was inducted into […]
Bewl wins year-long fight on fishing lodge
PROPOSALS to convert a derelict fishing lodge at Bewl Water in Lamberhurst into four holiday apartments have been approved. It follows a 12-month appeal against the decision of the Wealden District Council who rejected the original application over ‘ecological concerns’. However, a government inspector has ruled in favour of the reservoir, concluding that the small-scale […]
Auctions on The Pantiles as saleroom opens for business
AN auction house fronted by a ‘celebrity auctioneer’ has opened up in the oldest part of Tunbridge Wells, in the hope of connecting with sellers across the South East while bringing buyers to its saleroom. Charles Hanson of Hansons Auctioneers is best known for ‘Bargain Hunt’, ‘Flog It!’ and ‘Antiques Road Trip’, but underneath the […]
Countdown to gala night
ENTRIES to the Times Business Awards have now closed, and it is time for the judging to begin. The shortlist will be announced on March 15, giving 30 finalists time to make plans for the gala dinner on March 30. Someone else who is making preparations for the evening is Deborah Richards, founder of Maddisons […]
New fundraising challenge launched to mark Eating Disorders Awareness Week
This week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week, so here Leonora Langley, author of the book, Let the Souls of Our Children Sing, suggests ways that parents and guardians can support children suffering with an eating disorder… BEAT (formerly the Eating Disorders Association) believe that ‘no one should face an eating disorder alone’ and, in […]
‘Our teachers are passionate about education’
Can you tell us when you started at St Gregory’s School? I started in September 2022, after spending seven years at a high performing Catholic School in West Sussex as a Deputy Headteacher. What attracted you to the role of Head there? I feel I have been called to St Gregory’s. I was incredibly […]
How a Tunbridge Wells school girl set up a safe house and charity for Tanzanian street children
SIX years ago, the Times told the story of Letty McMaster, the grammar-school girl from Langton Green whose visit to an orphanage in Tanzania in 2013 set off a chain of events that changed not just her life but many more. This week, we caught up with Letty as she prepared to head back to […]
Ant Man movie lacks bite
The Marvel hero is eclipsed by his team, says Times Film Reviewer Matthew Dann… I MUST start this review with an admission. I am, generally speaking, not the biggest fan of Marvel films, which I find often tell the same story, with only a change of characters. However, they are big movies with an […]
Ukrainians look back after a year of war
Victoria Roberts meets two people who have come to Tunbridge Wells since the invasion SASHA arrived in Tunbridge Wells from Kharkiv on March 25, with her four-year-old son Stepan, taking refuge with her sister who lives here. Her husband is trying to hold things together at home, continuing with a renovation and working on […]
Deadline extended for this year’s Hollywood-themed gala event
With entries still coming in for the Times Business Awards, the decision has been taken to extend the deadline. The closing date will now be 11.59pm on Friday February 24. “We appreciate that our local entrepreneurs and organisations want to show themselves to their best advantage, so we are giving everyone some extra time to […]
