“We followed the pattern of many Londoners wishing for more space for the imminent arrival of our first born,” said Annabel Fenwick, Director of Just Roof Lanterns, which is based on Norfolk Road.
“It’s the best move we ever made—we adore where we live,” she continued.
“RTW has a strong entrepreneurial spirit that’s perhaps less on the radar, at least to those living outside the town anyway.
“There’s so much new business going on – often facilitated by new parents, fed up with the rat race and the London commute. This is surely backed up by the fact that over a 1000 new companies have formed in RTW over the last year as your paper recently reported.”
However, she warned that while those in the town may believe in Tunbridge Wells, we need people outside the town to feel the same way.
She explained: “As your campaign says ‘We Believe in Tunbridge Wells’ but critically, we need those living outside the town to believe that too so that they stay at our hotels, buy in our shops and come to our events. In essence, we need to sell Tunbridge Wells as a destination.
“We need to say, ‘Hey look at us, we have lots to see, lots to do. Come shop, come play!’”
She argued that it has never been more important for Tunbridge Wells to invest than it is now.
“Royal Tunbridge Wells needs to stay ahead of the curve to stop the town stagnating or worse, deteriorating. That’s why the proposed theatre development is such an important part of the town’s regeneration. And personally, I’d go further and say we need a world class art gallery to boot,” she said.
“RTW needs to think big. Of course there will be some resistance and not everyone will like the plans, but we, and they, need to think of the bigger and brighter picture if the town is to flourish over the next fifty plus years. Doing nothing is not an option.”
