New business hubs will help revive town and benefit whole community
The town centre is on the path to a ‘noticeable recovery’ from the days of the pandemic and is to receive a further boost with the creation of work hubs for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A planning application from Town Square proposes the company leases two-thirds of the Town Hall in Tunbridge Wells to […]
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 […]
Vegetable shortage leaves shelves bare and food larders struggling
FOOD larders in Tunbridge Wells have been hit hard as they struggle to get basic supplies of vegetables due to shortages that have left supermarkets shelves empty. There are six food larders across the town, which support hundreds of people each week by providing surplus food from supermarkets in return for a small donation of […]
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 […]
Exhibition highlights plans for museum to honour the man who created the town
PLANS for a Decimus Burton Museum in the town will be promoted at an exhibition this weekend at the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre. Visitors will have a chance to find out more about the famed architect, the project’s designs and the opportunity give their feedback at a pop-up exhibition running from February 24 – […]
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 […]
Restaurants, bars and cafes part of a new multi-million pound venture
A NEW food and drink hot spot is to be created in Tunbridge Wells as it takes the place of two venues which will be demolished. It will be built on the site of the American-style diner Frankie and Benny’s and the next door Hop House pub on the Knights Park leisure and retail complex. […]
Family survive earthquake in Turkey although scores of friends are missing
RESTAURANT Director, Onur Sahin, told of his relief when he found out his family was ‘fine’ after the Earthquake in Turkey hit his southeastern hometown of Mersin. However, relief was tempered after Mr Sahin learned that as many as 100 friends had died in the disaster. The director of Turkish restaurant Zorba, on Upper Grosvenor […]
UK’s biggest country music duo to perform at Pub in the Park event
THE TIMES can exclusively reveal that The Shires, the UK’s biggest country music duo, will be heading to Tunbridge Wells this summer. They will be appearing as part of this year’s Pub in the Park music line-up. Organisers of the hugely successful food and music event, which takes place over the weekend of July 7-9, […]
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 […]
