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Happy Monday, Tunbridge Wells!

The battle to save the Victorian Friendly Societies' Hall on Camden Road rumbles on, with the Civic Society making an emergency push to spare it from the bulldozers. Meanwhile, two new housing developments near Pembury have been waved through, green belt concerns and all.

On the lighter side, legendary violinist Nigel Kennedy returns to the Assembly Hall on Monday for his first UK tour in a decade, and Ardal O'Hanlon brings his surreal stand-up to the same stage on Friday.

WEATHER

Monday: 6°C 🌡️ 14°C | ⛅

Tuesday: 4°C 🌡️ 13°C | ☁️

Wednesday: 1°C 🌡️ 10°C | 🌦️

SPONSORED BY KENT RELIEF

Next Saturday (28th March), will send another articulated lorry of aid to Ukraine - and right now, the push is on.

In the days leading up to departure, it’s all hands on deck. Volunteers from across Kent and Sussex work side by side with local Ukrainians to load up to 15 tonnes of essential supplies. It’s physical, relentless, and genuinely heroic.

But alongside the effort comes a simple challenge: funding the journey. Each trip costs around £5,000 just to get the lorry to the Lviv region - before any of the aid itself is accounted for.

KentRelief has already delivered over 150 tonnes of support since 2022. This next journey depends on the same community spirit.

​If you’re able to contribute, now is the moment it makes the difference.​

KentRelief is a registered charity (1204501), and every donation helps get this lorry on the road.

THE BRIEF

🎱 Snooker Saved?: Tunbridge Wells Civic Society has made an emergency bid to save the Victorian Friendly Societies’ Hall in Camden Road from demolition. They argued the 150-year-old building is historically significant and the council could keep it alongside the their cinema-led RVP redevelopment. The hall, now home to a snooker club with 400 members, has also drawn backing from councillors and a petition with thousands of signatures. But the council still appears committed to major internal demolition. Read more here.

🏉 Another Consultation: Campaigners are calling for a fresh consultation on controversial plans for new homes and a relocated rugby club near Tunbridge Wells, after developers uploaded significant new documents post-submission. The Green Weald Alliance argues the changes are substantial and wants at least 30 more days for public scrutiny, warning of potential legal challenge. The council says it will follow due process and has not ruled out re-consultation. The wider scheme includes hundreds of homes and major sports facilities, but has drawn strong local opposition. Read more here.

🌊 SE Directors: South East Water has appointed two new directors as it begins a six-month programme to strengthen its network. This follows the major outages that left thousands without water across Kent. The company is fast-tracking upgrades, adding backup storage and power resilience, and reviewing treatment works following widespread disruption in December and January. An independent review is underway, with findings due in April, alongside regulatory investigations. The firm says the costs won’t fall on customers. Read more here.

🏘️ More Homes: TWBC approved two housing developments totalling nearly 200 homes on the edge of Pembury. This is despite local opposition over pressure on infrastructure and the loss of green belt land. The schemes include 99 homes by Obsidian Strategic and 87 by Vistry, with a proportion allocated as affordable housing and over £2m in developer contributions. Supporters argued new housing is essential, while critics warned of strain on services and traffic. Read more here.

🎓 Education Cuts: Adult education courses in Tunbridge Wells are under review after government funding cuts and a shift towards job-focused “adult skills”. Kent County Council says it must cut costs, reduce staff, and focus on courses that support work. Some long-standing creative classes have already gone. Local leaders say they are frustrated by the lack of clear communication about what comes next at The Amelia Scott. No final decisions have been made. Read more here.

TW LIFE COMMUNITY BOARD

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THIS WEEK

Nigel Kennedy: Virtuoso | Assembly Hall | Mon 23 Mar, 7:30pm | Legendary violinist's first UK tour in a decade | From £43.75​

Peter Hujar's Day (12A) | Trinity Theatre | Mon 23 Mar, evening | Ben Whishaw & Rebecca Hall in stunning art-world drama | See details​

Trinity Encore: Play Script Readers | Trinity Theatre | Mon 23 Mar – Mon 20 Jul, daytime | Ongoing community play-reading group for adults | See details​

Making Language: Emma Smith | The Amelia | Mon 23 Mar – Sun 12 Apr, opening hours | Contemporary art exhibition exploring language and text | Free entry​

Hanami – Full Bloom & Sunshine | Chiddingstone Castle | Mon 23 Mar (final day), 11am–5pm | View Japanese cherry blossom; picnics welcome | Free entry to grounds​

Vox Pops Indie Choir | The Sussex Arms | Tue 24 Mar, 7:30pm | Lively community indie choir open session | See details​

Trinity Encore: Silver Swans | Trinity Theatre | Tue 24 Mar – Tue 21 Jul, daytime | Ballet-inspired dance classes for over-55s | See details​

Musical Theatre Fitness for Adults | Trinity Theatre | Tue 24 Mar, daytime | Fun fitness class with a musical theatre twist | See details​

An Evening with Mike Brown & Danny Care | Assembly Hall | Wed 25 Mar, 7:30pm | England rugby stars share stories, laughs and Q&A | See details​

Trinity Encore: Movers | Trinity Theatre | Wed 25 Mar – Wed 29 Jul, daytime | Gentle movement classes for older adults | See details​

Trinity Encore: Singers | Trinity Theatre | Wed 25 Mar – Wed 29 Jul, daytime | Community singing group for older adults | See details​

Sentimental Value (15) | Trinity Theatre | Wed 25 Mar, evening | Acclaimed arthouse film screening | See details​

Carmen | Assembly Hall | Thu 26 Mar, 7:30pm | Bizet's opera by Ukraine's Dnipro Opera, live orchestra | See details​

Stable: Flaws | Tom Fleur | Mechanicals | Skybar Tiger | The Forum | Thu 26 Mar, 7:00pm | Four emerging live acts on one stage | See details​

Sky Valley Mistress | The Sussex Arms | Thu 26 Mar, 7:30pm | Heavy psych-rock band live in the basement | From £11.00​

Box Tale Soup's 1984 | Trinity Theatre | Thu 26 Mar, evening | Orwell's dystopian classic retold with puppetry | See details​

Backstage Youth Theatre Workshops | Trinity Theatre | Thu 26 Mar – Thu 16 Jul, daytime | Weekly theatre workshops for young people | See details​

Ardal O'Hanlon – Not Himself | Assembly Hall | Fri 27 Mar, 8:00pm | Surreal, sharply crafted stand-up from Father Ted star | See details​

Eat Static (ex Ozric Tentacles) | The Forum | Fri 27 Mar, 7:30pm | Psychedelic electronic live act, Ozric Tentacles alumni | See details​

Story Time | Trinity Theatre | Fri 27 Mar – Fri 17 Jul, morning | Weekly story sessions for young children | See details​

Andy Zaltzman: The Zaltgeist | Trinity Theatre | Fri 27 Mar, 8:00pm | Sharp political stand-up from The Bugle podcast host | See details​

Supernova Spectaculars | Assembly Hall | Sat 28 Mar, evening | Immersive, sensory theatrical spectacle for all ages | See details​

A Celebration of Tool: 30th Anniversary of Ænima | The Forum | Sat 28 Mar, 7:30pm | Full live tribute to Tool's landmark album | See details​

The Kahunas | The Sussex Arms | Sat 28 Mar, 7:30pm | Live band night in the basement | From £11.00​

Flow (2024) – U | Rusthall Community Cinema | Sat 28 Mar, 6:30pm (doors) | Award-winning animated adventure; flood, animals, survival | See details​

Easter Days Out & Easter Family Fun 2026 | Hever Castle | Sat 28 Mar – Sun 19 Apr | Family Easter activities across historic castle grounds | See details​

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical (2025) | Rusthall Community Cinema | Sun 29 Mar, 2:00pm (doors) | Filmed stage musical featuring Meat Loaf's greatest hits | See details​

QUEENZ: Drag Me To The Disco! | Assembly Hall | Sun 29 Mar, evening | West End drag queens deliver a dazzling disco spectacular | See details​

Table Tennis | Sunnyside Hall | Mon & Sun | Play table tennis every week (1st session is free) | £4​

Badminton & Pickleball | Sunnyside Hall | Fri, 6pm | Play badminton & pickleball every week (1st session is free) | £5​

FURTHER OUT

Romeo and Juliet | Assembly Hall | Tue 31 Mar, 7:30pm | Shakespeare's timeless tragedy brought vividly to life | See details​

Aisling Bea: Older Than Jesus | Assembly Hall | Wed 1 Apr, 8:00pm | Award-winning Irish comedian on her biggest tour yet | See details​

Cars at the Castle – National Drive It Day | Chiddingstone Castle | Sun 26 Apr, 11am–5pm | Classic cars on display, supporting NSPCC Childline | Free entry to grounds​

Imagine the Beatles – Live at the Orangery | Chiddingstone Castle | Sun 17 May, afternoon | Beatles tribute show; bring a picnic to the Orangery lawn | See details​

Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn | Hever Castle | ongoing until Jan 2027, daily | Major exhibition at Anne Boleyn's childhood home | See details​

SPORT

Results:

⚽ 17 Mar Faversham Strike Force 1–0 Tunbridge Wells FC SCEFL Prem [L]

⚽ 17 Mar Faversham Strike Force 1–0 Rusthall FC SCEFL Prem [L]

⚽ 21 Mar Tunbridge Wells FC 2–1 Stansfeld SCEFL Prem [W]

⚽ 21 Mar Rusthall FC 1–2 Sutton Athletic SCEFL Prem [L]

🏉 21 Mar Maidenhead vs Tunbridge Wells RFC Regional 1 South Central (score unconfirmed — result not yet published)

🏑 21 Mar Tunbridge Wells M1 vs Canterbury M2 SE Men's Premier (score unconfirmed — KO 16:00, result not yet published)

🏑 21 Mar Tunbridge Wells W1 0–1 Folkestone Optimist W1 SE Women's Div 1 East [L]

Fixtures:

⚽ 24 Mar Rusthall FC vs Whitstable Town SCEFL Prem

🏑 28 Mar Tunbridge Wells M1 vs Sittingbourne M1 SE Men's Premier

🏑 28 Mar Bromley & Beckenham W2 vs Tunbridge Wells W1 SE Women's Div 1 East

⚽ 28 Mar Tunbridge Wells FC vs Snodland Town SCEFL Prem

⚽ 28 Mar Corinthian vs Rusthall FC SCEFL Prem

🏉 28 Mar Tunbridge Wells RFC vs Jersey RFC Regional 1 South Central

THANK YOU

Hope you enjoyed this week's letter!

Jamie

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