Meet the men who are shedding the burden of loneliness
A MAN in a shed is no longer a story of loneliness thanks to a national movement, which has made firm foundations in the local area and is growing all the time. The Men’s Shed movement originated in Australia two decades ago, born out of an acknowledgement that older men can struggle to build social […]
Middle Earth comes to Tunbridge Wells
SCENES for the new season of Amazon’s prequel to Lord of the Rings are currently being shot in Tunbridge Wells. A production company set up in Hollands Farm near to the Hare pub in Langton Green this week. Film crews have been spotted in the Common, filming around Harrison’s Rocks, as well as in Groombridge […]
Legion seeks veterans for Remembrance Service
A CALL has gone out for Armistice and Remembrance ceremonies in Tunbridge Wells this November, which are expected to attract thousands to the town but which could be missing some important faces. John Cohen, Chairman of the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) local branch is currently reaching out to veterans who are not in touch with […]
Council’s flagship Amelia among buildings honoured by Civic Society
THE town’s arbiters of taste have honoured 11 architectural and public art projects in a bumper post-pandemic year that landed the Amelia Scott cultural hub two Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society (RTWCS) awards. The annual ceremony, held at the Town Hall on Thursday evening (October 13), revealed the decisions of a panel of seven assessors, […]
Village film festival attracts more than 250 entries
A FILM festival in Rusthall at the weekend attracted more than 250 short-film festival entries from 47 different countries. Organised by the Rusthall Community Cinema (RCC), the Rusthall Film Festival (October 15-16), grew out of a short-film project and attracted movie makers from around the world to enter the event, which was live-streamed across the […]
Mental health charity holds panel to mark World Menopause Day
HORMONAL changes around the menopause can lead to physical and emotional symptoms, but the addition of ‘watershed’ moments like children leaving home or parents aging can affect women’s wider wellbeing as well. With its mission to ‘get well, stay well and thrive’, local charity West Kent Mind (WKM) says that mission includes the menopause. In […]
Unemployment on the rise despite record vacancies due to shift to Universal Credit
THE number of people out of work in Tunbridge Wells rose last month, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released last week, despite record vacancies in the town. Tunbridge Wells recorded 1,640 claimants in September, up 1.9 per cent since August, and representing a 2.3 per cent claimant rate. This compared […]
Masks to be re-introduced at Tunbridge Wells Hospital
MASK-WEARING has been re-introduced at the NHS trust which runs Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury. Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) has said the move was due to ‘the recent increase in COVID infection rates in the community’. MTW had dropped the requirement for patients or visitors to wear face-coverings at the end of […]
Opera House to host real ale festival with only British-grown hop varieties
THE Opera House in Tunbridge Wells is to host a 12-day real-ale festival featuring only British-grown hop varieties – with overseas brewers going as far as brewing their beers in England for the event. Opening today (October 12) and lasting until Sunday, October 23, the festival at the JD Wetherspoon owned pub will showcase 15 […]
School launches its new ‘Elite Football Programme’
TUNBRIDGE Wells independent school Beechwood has created a new football progamme that will be available from next September, with scholarships available. ‘Elite Football Programme’ students will start in the next academic year, and the school has recruited Greg Thurstans and Matthew Rose, who combine backgrounds in football, coaching and development and education. “From next September, […]
