Spring 2015

Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society

Summer Events Annual Garden Party The Postern Saturday, May 16th, 6-8pm By kind permission of the owners, Mr and Mrs David Tennant. Open to members of the Civic Society and their guests. Tickets, which must be bought in advance, are £12.50 each, and are available from Christo Skelton, address opposite. Please make cheques payable to RTWCS, and enclose a sae. The Postern is to the east of Tonbridge, on Postern Lane. There is adequate parking nearby. Directions will be provided. Please see page 18 for details of the house and garden.

Visit to Canterbury Wednesday, July 8th Plans are not yet completely finalised for our visit to Canterbury, but it will follow the pattern of our very successful visit to Greenwich last year. There will be a coach from Tunbridge Wells, and then John de Lucy will lead tours around the city and the cathedral. The cost is expected to be £24 to include the coach and entry into the cathedral. We will allow time for lunch and coffee breaks but these are not included in the price. Please contact John on TW 540560 for further details, and to book a place. Pic: Wikimedia Commons. ABrocke.

Front cover: The Victorians weren’t above a little exaggeration when it came to advertising Tunbridge Wells. These were not the High Rocks, but the rocks next to Mt Edgcumbe. From an 1853 Guide produced by the South-Eastern Railway, in the collection of the Bodleian Library. The book is accessible for non-commercial use via Google Books. (One hopes that the open cess-pool under these rocks noted by the Commissioners in 1846 had been dealt with.)

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Contents

Personally Speaking ...

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From the Planning Scrutineers by Alastair Tod ...

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Chairmen’s Letter by Brian Lippard ...

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So...what is the situation regarding the Commons? ...

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John Cunningham explains the recent ‘Question Time’ forum.

Tunbridge Wells Sketchbook ... 10 Chris Jones and the work of William Blamire Young.

Flyverbegravelsen paa Svinø ... 15 Remembering a young Southborough airman.

I’ll See You in My Dreams ... 16 Charmian Clissold-Jones has been talking to a young drummer.

The Postern ... 18 Venue for this year’s garden party.

Putting Faces to Names - David Bartholomew ... 20 Other Events ... 21 Programme Notes ... 22 Forthcoming Events ... 24

Editor: Chris Jones. 52 St James Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2LB Tel 01892 522025 Email [email protected] Secretary: Christo Skelton. 4 Caxton House, 19 Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1UB. Tel 01892 513241 Email [email protected]

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News & Views Personally Speaking by Chris Jones The place where the sun don’t shine ... In January we went to Union House, to see Dandara, the new owners. They weren’t ready to present their ideas for the future, but interested in what we thought would be acceptable. The general view was that the existing building would and should be demolished, and thank goodness for that. How anybody could have imagined that it was a good idea is difficult now to grasp. Stygian gloom and puddles of what one hopes is rainwater. We have perhaps learned since the 1960s. When Targetfollow bought the Pantiles they came up with the slogan ‘Jewel in the Town’, recognising its importance. In such a sensitive location, Dandara might like to base their new designs on the principle of ‘do no harm’. Quiz Answers - i) ... Congratulations to Caroline Auckland (and to Ed Gilbert) for spotting that the creative link between Paddington Bear and Tunbridge Wells is that Peggy Fortnum, the illustrator of the Paddington books, attended the Tunbridge Wells School of Art. While I am very happy to celebrate Ms Fortnum’s work, my main interest is to raise the profile of the School of Art. I hope to have an article about it in a future Newsletter, so if anybody has any memories, please get in touch. Quiz Answers - ii) ... Nobody managed to answer the second question: ‘the great-grandmother of the ‘Mitford girls’ was a prominent resident of Tunbridge Wells - who was she?’ David Bushell was closest but didn’t quite make it. It is an intriguing story. The girls’ grandfather was Algernon Bertram Mitford. His father was Henry Reveley Mitford and his mother (their great-grandmother) was Georgina Ashburnham. When Algernon was four the family were living in Frankfurt and it was here that his mother went off with some bounder called Molyneux from the British Legation. Mitford senior brought an action against Molyneux and won damages of £1,000. He then got a divorce by special act of parliament. Georgina and Molyneux married and scuttled off to Tunbridge Wells where they lived at Earls Court and practised good works. The Journal said “the amount of goods distributed by this benevolent lady and gentlemen to the deserving poor is beyond conjecture” (they had just presented the police with warm under-clothing and entertaining literature). They are commemorated by that pink granite cross outside the Spa Hotel. Quiz Question - iii) ... I’m afraid this is a bit obscure, but some of you like a challenge: What is the connection between a secret naval base and a house in Tunbridge Wells? Clue:there is a connection to a famous Victorian story-teller.

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From the Planning Scrutineers by Alastair Tod We reported last time on the renewed application for a timber shed in the front garden of a listed house in Cumberland Gardens. This is not merely in the conservation area but on a tourist trail, and the previous application was rejected by the Planning Inspector. The Council has strict criteria for new buildings in the conservation area, and it seemed to us the shed did not meet any of them, so we were shocked when the proposal was approved by the Committee. The officers’ report (seven pages!) describing it as a borderline case was not circulated to councillors beforehand and did not mention the objection from the Society or the Blue Badge guides. We understand there are problems with the current arrangement whereby planning applications are handled jointly with Maidstone and Swale, and wonder whether this is an example. We discussed the proposal to enclose a section of pavement at the entrance to the Opera House with screens and set out tables and chairs. The outside ‘cafe culture‘ is welcome on the whole and this pavement is wide, but it was put to us that here it could be a hazard and block access to nearby shops. In the end we felt that drinkers and smokers tend to gather here anyway, and enclosing an area for their legitimate use might reduce the nuisance. 2014 was a champion year for tree growth and there has been a flush of applications to deal with the consequences in the conservation area. The tree officer supported our opposition to the felling of the monkey puzzle at Oakfield Court, and we have since considered two other cases of significant trees. The occupant of the adjacent office sought to fell a group of three trees, two of them ilex (holm oak), a conspicuous feature of the townscape at the top of Mt Ephraim Road; we suggested that the complete loss of this feature was unnecessary, and at least one of the ilex should be kept, but consent for the felling has been given. We were torn over the problem of a giant sequoia (wellingtonia) on a historic boundary at the back of houses in Clarendon Way. At over eighty feet this is a dominant feature of the area, but the roots are disturbing the adjacent access road and threatening nearby garages. The nearest house in the more recent Folly Fields is less than twenty feet from the tree, and may have caused the roots to grow out in the Clarendon Way direction. In the past we have criticised proposals which brought development too close to established trees, and this is an extreme case. We wait to hear the fate of the tree.

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Chairmen’s Letter* Tunbridge Wells March 2015 This is a busy time of year with several consultations in progress and the recent members’ meeting about The Commons – see separate report on page 8. As part of National Planning requirements, the council is required to identify every potential development site in the borough and give an indication of possible uses for each of them. It is called The Site Allocation Plan (SAP). In responding to this document, we have concentrated on the town of Tunbridge Wells. You may be forgiven for thinking that the council spends a lot of time on planning. However, this document demonstrates what we feel is the lack of a crucial part of the town’s planning process, namely, a “top-down” approach to planning how the town should be developed. For several sites, options are given which include office space, hotels and conference centres. As a result we could end up with all sites having a hotel or none of them with one. A proper town plan would state how many hotels the town required, how much office space is desired and a clear statement as to whether or not we wanted the town to become a venue for conferences. However, whilst lacking any numerical quantification for these items, the SAP is remarkably definitive on the amount of extra retail space needed in the town by 2026; 32,000 sq. m. This figure was derived by consultants employed by the council. To put this figure into context, the existing Royal Victoria Place (RVP) is 28,000 sq. m. Three sites are identified to provide most of this perceived need: extending the RVP – 13,000, the cinema site – 3,500 and the land surrounded by Crescent Rd, Calverley Rd., Monson Rd. and Civic Way ie. inc. the Town Hall – 15,000. What the SAP neglects to say is that their consultants also reported that only 18,900 sq. m. would be needed by 2019. Hence only the RVP extension and the cinema site need be commissioned now to meet this perceived interim requirement. We have at least five years from now to assess the impact of on-line and out-of-town shopping before needing to commission any extra retail over and above 18,900 sq.m. We are concerned that the SAP does not recognise Camden Road as a shopping area. Failure to do this we feel could result in the loss of a unique part of the

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town’s shopping experience. We support the proposal to demolish Union Square in the Pantiles. The WA Turner and adjacent BT Engineering sites are earmarked for future residential development. We think that part of this site should be made available for small business units so that this would give employment opportunities for nearby residents. We are very supportive of the plans for a Cultural Centre. However, we feel this concept would be so much better for the town if it were to be extended to become a Cultural and Community Centre. Possible ideas for extra facilities are:

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meeting rooms available for hire by local groups at reasonable cost incorporation of the Gateway (currently situated at Fiveways) a link to the Town Hall site so that visiting coach parties would alight outside the Assembly Hall and walk through to the library, art gallery etc. • specific provision to research local archive material • a walk-in health centre Philip Whitbourn is in the process of updating his 2013 discussion paper “Towards a Vision for Tunbridge Wells Civic Centre”; aspects of this revised version will be incorporated in our response. Other consultations in progress are:-

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TWBC Parking Strategy TWBC Urban Design Framework (includes street furniture, road junction layouts • KCC’s library, registration and archive proposals We encourage you to submit your own comments. Our submissions will be covered in the next issue. To find the documents go to:http://consult.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/ for the first two and http://consultations.kent.gov.uk/ for the third one. Brian * There are three ‘co-Chairmen’ this year: John Cunningham, Chris Jones and Brian Lippard.

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So ... what is the situation regarding Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons? On 12th February 2015, 129 people, 89 of them members of our Society, crowded into the Tunbridge Wells Council Chamber to hear five men answer their questions and debate the issues raised. Those five men had accepted the invitation of the Society to take part in an ‘Any Questions’-type meeting on the subject of the future of our Commons. All of them had very definite but often different interests and involvement in the subject – Colin Thoday, the CEO of Targetfollow which owns the Commons; William Benson, the Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council which provides most of the finance to maintain the Commons; Cllr. James Scholes, the KCC and TWBC Councillor, who is the longest-serving member of the Commons Conservators, the statutory body which manages the Commons for the public benefit and prevents encroachment; Ian Marshall, the current Chairman of the Conservators and also Chairman of the Commons’ Freehold Tenants’ Association, whose members live on the Commons; and John Barber, Chairman of the Friends of the Commons (TWFC), the amenity group whose principal aim is preserving the Commons. The current situation over the Commons is that the Localism Act of 2011 has provided the opportunity for what are local amenities to be registered as ‘Assets having a Community Value’ (ACV), giving a limited degree of protection to such amenities in circumstances of change or disposal. It gives the opportunity for local amenity

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organisations to register a “right to bid”, if a community asset (such as the Commons, or a pub or a sports ground), were to be put up for sale; it creates in effect a moratorium of six months on the disposal of such an asset. The relations of all those involved over the Commons with Targetfollow, the owner of Rusthall Manor since 2008 and therefore the owner of the Commons, have always been amicable. However the Friends of the Commons, as a Tunbridge Wells amenity group, decided in early 2014, to lodge an application with TWBC to have the Commons registered as an ACV, as a precautionary measure in the event of any subsequent change of ownership. This was granted, giving the Friends a right to bid for six months, if the Commons were ever put up for sale. In June 2014, Targetfollow, the owner of the Commons, put the Commons up for sale. Their reasons for doing so were that it was a necessary response to the registration of the Commons as an ACV. Their announcement therefore triggered the need for the Friends to make a bid for the Commons, which they did but which was rejected by Targetfollow. At the meeting, Colin Thoday said that Targetfollow had no intention of ever selling the Commons and reassured the audience that the Commons were in good and responsible hands. The panel

members generally agreed that as far as the interests of the public were concerned, the Commons were probably not in any danger whoever owned them, since they were closely protected by a number of Acts of Parliament, but the fear was expressed that clever lawyers might be able to find or create loopholes in the legislation; and it was felt that whatever the protection of the law might be, the future of the Commons would be safer if they were in public ownership. On a show of hands, the meeting overwhelmingly expressed a wish for public ownership, only four of the audience voting for private ownership and there were no apparent abstentions. Many other issues and questions were raised. Did the Commons really have any development potential beyond its existing car parks? Was it fair that TWBC (and its ratepayers) who did not own the Commons (which is a widespread misapprehension among the public), had nonetheless paid for its maintenance since 1889? What contribution is Targetfollow making to maintenance of the Commons? Given that physical development is all but ruled out by law, what does Targetfollow foresee doing

with its asset? Would Targetfollow consider retaining the car park but selling the remainder? (The answer was ‘no’.) What did the Panel think is the future of the Commons? The meeting did not resolve anything – that was not its plan, or even intention – but the importance of the meeting was that it was an opportunity for the subject to be aired publicly for the first time in several years; for the audience to hear and judge what five people with very different views about and interests in the Commons, had to say about the subject; and for the panel members to hear what the other panel members and also the general public had to say. It is hoped that it may be the beginning of a closer and more frequent dialogue between all parties and the public, which should lead to better understanding and a more conciliatory approach by all involved. John Cunningham (who chaired the ‘Question Time’ meeting)

The meeting on 12th February. Pic: Christo Skelton

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Tunbridge Wells Sketchbook William Blamire Young was a renowned Australian artist. He was born in Yorkshire in 1862 but left England in 1885 to teach maths in New South Wales. From his early twenties, though, he had been attracted to art. After some training back in England, he produced advertising posters but then moved into landscapes, especially in watercolour. He returned to England in 1912, joined up during the war as a musketry instructor, and stayed on until 1923. Some time during those last four years he was in Tunbridge Wells, recording his visit in a number of sketches. We have been asked by a researcher for help in identifying the locations. Philip Whitbourn has already spotted most of them. You might like to test your own knowledge of the town, and, if you can fill in any of our gaps, please do let me know.

A

B

Above: ‘Rocks on the Common’, but which rocks and which Common? Left: A rather confusing image - the part at the top is a separate, more detailed sketch.

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D

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Left: It says ‘roof of King Charles Church’, and this can be seen between the trees, but where was the artist standing? Below: Appears to be two separate sketches. Against the top one it says ‘1/3 up High St’ - but where exactly?

L

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There are two rather puzzling images, shown below. They seem to represent a block-like gatehouse within a town wall, not at all like Tunbridge Wells. Yet they are interspersed with the other drawings in Young’s sketchbook. It is said that he was fond of the South Downs - perhaps they were done during an outing there. Does anybody have any ideas?

Answers: A. unknown B. Fir Trees, near Fir Tree Pond (note the bath chair). C. Back Parade (Jack Wills). D. Corner of Dudley and London Rds E. Gibraltar Cottage. F. unknown

G. Mt Edgcumbe. H. Old forge (now Fonthill) I. Top of Mt Ephraim Rd. J. Wellington Hotel (Travelodge). K. King Charles (but where from?) L. Bottom - the old forge and other buildings at Fonthill. Top - unknown.

If you think you might recognise one of the ‘unknown’ locations, but can’t quite make out the details, please let me know and I will send you the original scan that we were given. CJ

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Flyverbegravelsen paa Svinø i Dag Et stort Følge viste RE Russell den sidste Ære It is entirely right that in these centenary years we should be remembering the sacrifices and hardship of the First World War. We should also remember those who gave their lives in the Second. May 5th will mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Denmark. A small group in one town will be remembering the 62 British airmen buried in the nearby churchyard. Amongst them was Sgt. RE ‘Ron’ Russell from Southborough. He was twenty when his Halifax bomber crashed in February 1945. His body was washed ashore in June and was given a solemn funeral at Svinø on 14th. There were representatives of the Danish army, police and resistance movement present, and local people who had decorated the church with red, white and blue flowers. Vicar Lindeløv spoke of how Christ had calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee: the storm over Europe was now over but in many homes, millions mourned the loss of their dead. They sang ‘Nearer, my God to Thee’, and then the coffin was carried to the grave by members of the local resistance group. CJ (These details, and the heading, were taken from a local newspaper. A newsreel survives in Næstved archives of the earlier burial of Russell’s navigator, F/O James Ritchie.)

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I’ll See You in My Dreams The Museum’s Oral History Project seeks to collect memories of everyday life in Tunbridge Wells in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It may have been everyday life, but it is fascinating nonetheless, and it is important that it is recorded. Charmian Clissold-Jones spoke recently to Albert Parsons of Hildenborough. Learning to dance, to dance properly of the band descending in stages around that is, was important in the more formal him. The trumpeters were usually higher 1940s. (It was also a very useful way of that the saxophonist. They started with their signature tune, meeting members of the opposite sex.) When the Assembly Hall opened in ‘I’ll See You In My Dreams’: the curtains 1939, it was very special; with palatial would part, and they would see the people surroundings, an art deco style and a dancing in the auditorium. They used to sprung floor designed specifically for dance the Paul Jones (where you dancing. There was a beautiful stage and exchanged partners) and the Palais curtains that opened automatically. Glide; or people would gather round the Dances were held there during the 1940s stage watching the band. After the war, and 50s that attracted up to 700 people. all sorts of antics went on. As the singer Albert Parsons, who initially went to tried to sing, a member of the band would the Assembly Hall to dance (and to meet roll up his trousers and reveal his spats girls), later played the drums there with and suspenders. “The crowd loved it.” the Ray Eyre Dance Band. He described Only soft drinks, tea and coffee were the atmosphere as ‘amazing’. The allowed but occasionally someone would drummer sat on a raised dais with the rest get in who had been drinking outside and they would be swiftly ejected. Dances were held three times a week in the 1940s for the benefit of the troops, British and Canadian, who came in their uniforms. They were The Ray Eyre Band with Albert (Pip) Parsons 2nd from the right. Ray Eyre was the pianist. His wife Irene had a ballet school in Amherst Rd for many years.

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a great attraction for the young ladies from the schools evacuated from London. Mr Parsons was born in 1923, in Tonbridge. As a boy, he and his sister both learnt the piano but he became more interested in the drums. He listened to dance band music on the wireless and on vinyl records. Eventually he got a small drum kit together, practised and had lessons from a professional musician. He first joined a band when he went to work for Crystallate, a firm based in Tonbridge and Golden Green. The group, called the Ace High Dance Band, was formed with fellow colleagues at work. His first gig was in Leigh on March 28th 1940 and he was paid four shillings. Gradually his experience built up and he played with other bands, such as the Memphis Swing Band. The bands didn’t have a singer because no one was good enough. “The main thing was people loved to dance in those days. Providing you kept a good tempo and knew which tempos for the types of dance you were playing, like tangos, rumbas, fox-trots, quick-steps…then the bands became popular.” Usually they played from 8.00 pm to 11.45 pm on a Saturday evening but they had to be out by midnight, Sunday being the next day . Eventually Mr Parsons joined the seven piece Ray Eyre Band which was the best band in the district after the war. It had won the Melody Maker Championship for the area and all the musicians, bar him, had been in the services. He had been in a reserve occupation, working as a jig and

tool draughtsman, producing radar components, Spitfire seat parts and plastic fins for bombs. In the 1960s, the music changed and became more informal: guitars, skiffle, rock’n’roll came along. Mr Parsons didn’t like it, so decided to give up playing and to concentrate on his main job at Crystallate. He didn’t play again for another fifty years. It was only after the death of his wife that he resumed drumming, and, today, at the age of 91, but looking much, much younger, he is still playing with dance bands around the county. So, if you want to know the secret to a long life, it clearly involves remaining busy and being a drummer. Mr Parsons has made many good friends, the music is wonderful and when you hear it you just want to dance. If you would like to act as an interviewer with the Oral History Project please contact Charmian on TW 522025. We hope that the new Cultural Hub will have facilities for the public to listen to the recordings.

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The Postern Our Garden Party this year is to be held at The Postern, near Tonbridge. Chris Jones was trying to research its history but got a little side-tracked. I was reading that 500 page history of Fanny’s behalf, when I read a letter the Woodgate family the other day and from a friend six months later, that she came across some rather charming letters. “looked very pretty & was a good deal They were written by, or about, young admired, but I agree with you ... she does Fanny Woodgate, aged about17. She had not appear to advantage in Dancing.” been staying with friends in Stockwell, and But she was a determined girl. Another was thrilled by the big city. They went to letter said she looked good in mourning, the theatre, and to the bazaar. “I have but that it was a pity to have to “put on purchased [an opera cloak] which I think a sable garb, having made preparations very neat; I shall not tell you the damage for her winter campaign”. But all ended until you have seen it. I shall only say that well: she got her man two years later. it cuts rather deep into my quarter.” Her But how does all this connect to The principal object was to learn the essential Postern? Unfortunately I can’t be sure life-skills. “I have lessons in Dancing that it does. Fanny was living with her twice a week, in Music twice a week, in aunt and uncle, James Hartrup West. Drawing once a week, and in She refers to their home as the Postern, Perspective once a week. My greatest but the Postern can refer to an area of favourite is my dancing master; he explains land as well as to an individual house. It everything so thoroughly ... I am sure we was originally one of the four hunting shall learn twice as much by seeing others parks associated with Tonbridge Castle. dance as by taking private lessons [as at It was ‘disparked’ in the 16th century home]”. I felt most disappointed,on and parts were let or sold off. Parts were used for iron-working - the stream through the grounds of The Postern was at one time called Hammer Dyke, and indeed the house next door is Postern Forge. In Fanny’s time, the 1820s, James Hartrup West owned most of the Postern land. He may well have lived in The Postern, but even if he didn’t, it is a perfect symbol of his and Fanny’s lifestyle.

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The Postern - South front.

The Postern in 1913 - West front ‘creeper clad’.

The house is said to have been built in 1757 by John Eldridge (West’s first wife had been an Eldridge, his own family were London merchants). The evidence seems to be simply the date and initials cut into a brick; but while there doesn’t seem to be anything in the documents to confirm the date, neither is there anything to contradict it. The Eldridges bought land in the Postern from the 17th century onwards. They seem to have been a ‘yeomen’ family from Bidborough. These careful gradations of status seem petty today, but were significant. Studies by the Tonbridge Historical Society would suggest that by 1800 the Eldridges were approaching ‘gentry’ status, and West’s money would have helped in that process. The house is roughly square in plan. The original entrance was probably on the south front (see left). This is rather more ornate that the present approach to the west. Ornate, though, is probably not the right word, rather this is the austere 18th century beauty of proportion. Sales particulars from 1913 describe it as a ‘charming old-fashioned residential property’ (see above left) with three large reception rooms, boudoir and nine bedrooms. The water supply was from a well, and though ‘sanitary arrangements are on modern principles’ drainage was

to a cesspool with overflow onto the neighbouring property. The tenant at the time was Katherine Charrington. Ten years earlier she had been living in Carlton House Terrace with her father, the chairman of the brewery company. In 1952 the house was bought by John Gore Phillimore, a merchant banker. Phillimore commissioned the young Anthony du Gard Pasley (an early member of the Civic Society) to re-design the gardens. At the time there was ‘virtually no garden at all other than a little orchard’. Pasley laid out ornamental gardens on the higher land to the east, divided into yew-hedged compartments. To the south-east he put an arboretum, and a kitchen-garden to the north-east, with views of the orchards beyond. The wooden bridge over the stream to the south-west was his design. We are most grateful to Mr and Mrs Tennant for allowing us to use the garden for our party.

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Putting Faces to Names - David Bartholomew Having lived in Tunbridge Wells all of my life, naturally I have seen the town change in many ways. Not just its evolution over the decades or even the volume of traffic that now makes our daily commute or shopping trips so laborious, these cannot be kept at a level and will always be forever changing. For me, it’s all about the architecture and the town’s heritage. Tunbridge Wells has a wealth of historical and unique buildings for a town of its size and these portray the town’s past, present and future. They are a huge part of what has made our town what it is today and been a major attraction over the years. As a professional photographer and the co-founder of The Tunbridge Wells Project - a photographic record of many of the

towns buildings as they are used today and also a record of those that have been demolished in recent years when I was invited to join the Executive of the RTWCS, it seemed to be a natural decision to do so. The society plays an important role in the town and being part of ‘a voice’ that can help to shape the town’s future and ensure that anything from the protection of our open spaces to sympathetically modernising or replacing a building is achieved, has to be of benefit in the long term for Tunbridge Wells. I look forward to being a part of this and will ensure that any decisions made will be for the benefit of our town and community.

New book by local author Joan of Kent, wife of the Black Prince, mother of Richard II, grand-daughter of Edward I ... oh dear, oh dear, what am I doing, defining a woman in terms of her male relatives? Yet Joan led an amazing life: campaigned in Aquitaine, placated Wat Tyler and the revolting peasants, protected Lollards, juggled three husbands. Penny Lawne, author of this new book, is also pretty amazing: qualified as a barrister, worked for 12 years as a solicitor, retired early to gain a doctorate in medieval history; and has lived for 25 years in Tunbridge Wells.

Leroy Tours - was a travel company that operated from Church Road in the 1960s. Stephen Skelton is hoping to write a history. If you have any memories that might help please contact him: Tel: 07768 583700, email [email protected]

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Other Events There will be a talk on Wednesday, 15th April (2pm) by Dr James Gregory of the University of Plymouth, on the subject: ‘George Smart of Frant and the folk art of eccentric artists’. The talk is part of ‘Material Obsessions’, the celebration of British Folk Art organised by the Museum and Art Gallery. There is a charge of £6. To book, call the Museum on TW 554171, or email [email protected]. The folk art exhibition continues until 31st May.

On Friday, 22nd May, Dr Philip Whitbourn will speak on ‘Tunbridge Wells through the eyes of Tattershall Dodd’. The talk is presented by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cememtery to commemorate the bi-centenary of Tattershall Dodd’s birth. The talk is at the Camden Centre at 7:30. See www.fwpc.org.uk for more details, or call TW 525578. This year’s conference of the Kent History Federation is on Saturday, 9th May at Elham Village Hall. Elham witnessed the first episode of machine breaking during the 1830 Captain Swing riots. Neighbouring Lyminge was a royal vill in the Anglo-Saxon period. The morning session will include presentations on: ‘Rebels with a cause: Civil Unrest in Elham, 1380s to 1930s’; ‘East Kent in the Battle of Britain’, and ‘The excavation of Anglo-Saxon Lyminge’. In the afternoon there are guided walks around Elham or Lyminge, or visits to the Battle of Britain Museum or Tappington Hall. The basic cost is £10. A buffet lunch is available at £8. The visits to the museum and hall are £7. For further details, please contact me (Chris Jones) or see www.kenthistoryfederation.org. The AGM of the Kent Federation of Amenity Societies is at Lenham Village Hall on Saturday, May 16th. Clive Aslet (of Country Life) is to give a talk on war memorials. This is the same day as our garden party, but the AGM should finish by early afternoon. There is also the President’s Lunch on Sept 18th at Ramsgate Yacht Club. Alastair Tod can offer lifts to either or both events.

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Programme Notes Roger Joye previews our talks for the coming quarter We remain hopeful that our talks for members this year will continue to be accommodated wholly at the Town Hall, but we do advise that, in the event of a late change of venue as the year progresses, you should keep an eye open for relevant messages in the newsletters and – much nearer each date – our website and your email inbox. Our speaker on 9th April will be John Hendy from the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust, an organisation whose mission is the preservation and maintenance of the fabric and curtilage of fourteen medieval churches, plus an interest in the remains of four ruined churches. They all lie south and east of the Royal Military Canal, one in Sussex and the remainder in Kent. In practical terms, the RMHCT supports work on such necessary items as roofs and drains. Some of the buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries, and they range from the longest parish church in Kent (All Saints, Lydd) to the tiny St. Eanswith at Brenzett. The interiors also contain some remarkable features. Holden House has been wonderfully restored to its former glory. On 14th May, Julie Levack will tell us something of the history of the house, how she and Alistair came to buy it and the project they took on to save it from becoming derelict. She will describe some of the challenges they faced along the way and difficulties they had to overcome. The house is now a busy family home but also earns it keep from film and advertising shoots. Julie will give some examples of the exciting events held at the house.Some members will recall the house from the wonderful Civic Society Garden Party which Julie and Alistair hosted for us in 2012, and the article in the Summer Newsletter that same year. The talk is a great opportunity to learn more about the refurbishment of this historic house. On 11th June we have something quite different – not a talk, but a contemplative one-man performance by Sussex historian, Geoff Hutchinson, in which he takes on the persona of Rudyard Kipling. He makes use of a broad selection from Kipling’s verse, prose and songs to follow him from his childhood in India, via his home at Bateman’s, to his death in 1936. For all his high-profile activities in public life, and his worldwide literary renown, Kipling was a very private man; by the end he was exhausted and disillusioned. There is particular poignancy in the subject this year, when th 27 September marks the centenary of the death of Kipling’s only son, John, recorded as “missing” at the Battle of Loos within six weeks of being posted to France at the age of 18.

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CIVIC SOCIETY Forthcoming Events

Meetings start at 7.30pm on the second Thursday in the month (unless otherwise stated) in the Town Hall or the Royal Wells Hotel. Remember to bring your membership card. Suggested £2 donation from non-members. Entrance to the Town Hall is via the main door. If you are late and find that it is locked, please ring the bell and wait to be admitted.

Apr 9th

May 14th

‘Romney Marsh and its medieval churches’ An illustrated exploration by John Hendy from the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust Town Hall ‘The Refurbishment of Holden House’ The story of this remarkable project, told by the owner Julie Levack. Town Hall

May 16th (Sat)

Annual Garden Party At The Postern, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs David Tennant. See page 2 for details.

Jun 11th

‘Rudyard Kipling - His Life and Verse’ A performance rather than a talk. Geoff Hutchinson brings the great writer and his works to life. Town Hall

Jul 8th (Wed)

Visit to Canterbury See page 2 for details.

The views expressed in this Newsletter are those of the named author or of the editor and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Society. Published by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society. Registered Charity No. 276545 www.thecivicsociety.org