Heartbreak for owners as Zero Waste shop loses battle against rising costs
AN ETHICAL shop and café on The Pantiles has closed following struggles with the cost-of-living crisis and recovering from the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Zero Waste Company confirmed it has ceased trading and is being placed into liquidation after the rise in cost and effects of lockdown had made the business financially […]
Opera returns for night of magic
WHAT do Cinderella and the Tunbridge Wells Opera House have in common? Both undergo a magical transformation to enjoy an evening of music and enchantment and it was the turn of both of them last Sunday (February 19) as the Merry Opera Company staged ‘Cinderella 23’ in Tunbridge Wells. The ‘magic’ for the Opera House […]
Photo finish for half marathon as race returns for 40th anniversary race
THE Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon returned to the town last Sunday (February 19), with organisers hopeful that funds raised will return to pre-pandemic levels. The popular running event, now in its fortieth year, is likely to have raised £20,000, Race Director Michael Youlton told the Times. The race, which was cancelled in 2021 due to […]
Mayors give their thanks for years of service from Toy Appeal head
CURRENT and former mayors united last week to thank the outgoing organiser of the Mayor’s Toy Appeal, which collects gifts for children who may not otherwise have anything for Christmas. The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Godfrey Bland, joined with former mayors Chris Woodward, James Scholes and Julia Soyke in a ceremony at the Town […]
Water company offers charities £100,000 cash after taps ran dry
CHARITIES are to be handed payments totalling £100,000 by South East Water. The money comes in the form of a ‘contribution to the community’ reflecting the disruption and distress caused in the ten-day lead up to Christmas when the supply network broke down. From today (February 22), registered charities can submit a request for cash […]
Town sends relief aid to Ukraine including medical equipment
A lorry loaded with £150,000 worth of emergency aid from the people of Tunbridge Wells and beyond was due to arrive in Ukraine yesterday (Tuesday). More than 50 volunteers turned up on Saturday to help load supplies that had a special emphasis on re-stocking liberated Kherson with medical equipment. Working through its network of Ukrainians […]
Council tax hike and second homes are hit but no services cut for now
Inflation this year has wiped out gains to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s budget, prompting the Cabinet to recommend raising Council tax and calling on reserves, but not cutting services – or at least not yet. A 2.95 per cent Council tax increase from the start of the new financial year on April 1 would add […]
Charity battles economic conditions to keep funds flowing from its shops
A HUMANITARIAN charity has battled rising energy prices and short-term leases on the high street, but by consolidating stock in Tunbridge Wells, it is managing to continue sending aid to refugees. RefugEase, which was founded in Rusthall in 2015, has two shops in Tunbridge Wells, on Mount Pleasant Road and Royal Victoria Place (RVP), but […]
Lions call out for sponsored walkers
Charities and community groups are being called to join in with the first Tonbridge Lions-organised sponsored walk since 2019, to boost fundraising efforts across the community. The event, which has not run for four years due to Covid, allows all sorts of groups to take part in a single walk – with all marshals and […]
Secrets of Tutankhamun unmasked at talk for the Hospice in the Weald
A LOCAL descendant of famed Egyptologist Howard Carter is using his family connection to fundraise for the hospice which cared for his father last year. James Lovegrove, whose father Bruce spent his last days at Hospice in the Weald, is the great-great nephew of the archaeologist, who discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun one hundred […]
