Local Conservatives reject ‘unacceptable’ applicant
TUNBRIDGE Wells Conservative Association (TWCA) has rejected a membership application by a former United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) official following the emergence of his controversial social media comments and posts. As the Times reported on March 8, TWCA issued a press release last week with the news that Alun Elder-Brown had resigned all his UKIP […]
Junior doctors strike in dispute over poor pay and conditions
Junior doctors at Tunbridge Wells hospital will be walking out again today, March 15, in their third day of strikes over pay and working conditions. The action is part of a 72-hour national strike by the British Medical Association (BMA) who are demanding a 35 per cent pay rise, which they hope will achieve full […]
Commuter group offers tips to beat latest rail fare rises
TRAIN fare increases last Sunday (March 5) have left local season ticket holders more than £300 a year worse off. Hybrid workers, who do not travel every day, now pay as much as £45 for a peak day return to London. Rail price rises of 5.9 per cent saw the cost of an annual season […]
Closure of ‘unviable’ community café sparks new protest petition
AN ONLINE PETITION to keep a Langton Green community hub and café open has reached 1,500 supporters in just two days, with signatures continuing to be added. Located in the Recreation Ground near the Speldhurst Parish Council office, Langton Pavilion Café’s licence is set to expire on March 31. Customers and supporters have rallied to […]
Grammar schools admitting lowest number of deprived pupils in Kent
NEW data shows that three Tunbridge Wells schools rank among the lowest in Kent when it comes to accepting children from poorer backgrounds. Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School (TWGGS) and The Skinners’ School are joint-third, while Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys (TWGSB) placed fourth as the least-inclusive of 37 grammar schools in the county. […]
Council puts brake on cabbies demanding cash only payments
TAXI drivers in Tunbridge Wells are being ‘encouraged’ to accept card payments and to not always insist customers pay in cash. The Borough Council has been forced to act after passengers have been left frustrated by drivers who insist on cash payments to avoid paying costly card transaction fees. Customers have complained on social media […]
The Forum receives grant from grassroots music venues scheme
THE Forum has received a grant of over £4,000 for ‘futureproofing’ upgrades, thanks to a music charity’s ‘pipeline’ fund for small venues and the grassroots music and artists they support. The Music Venue Trust (MVT) set up the Pipeline Investment Fund in 2022, to ‘secure the long-term future’ of what it called ‘iconic’ grassroots music […]
Local teachers and ambulance workers set to strike once more
Thousands of students will be missing classes again tomorrow (March 2) as teachers walk out if a planned strike goes ahead. Last month (February 1) an estimated 7,000 school students from secondary schools Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, The Skinner’s’ School, St Gregory’s, Bennett Memorial Diocesan and primaries including […]
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 […]
Two headline sponsors sign up to support Soapbox Stars race
THE annual charity go-kart race in Dunorlan Park has secured two headline sponsors to ensure the race goes ahead with maximum impact. Insurers NFU Mutual Tunbridge Wells signed on the dotted line to support the race which was launched in 2018 by local PR Nicole Piesse Turner. NFU Mutual partner Shaun Joubert said: “As a […]
