Morning 👋

The race to secure our 106-hectare commons before the March deadline feels like a defining local moment - rare bees, butterfly species and 300 flowering plants on the line. Meanwhile, another water outage in Pembury has reopened big questions about resilience after last month’s £30m disruption.

On the brighter side, culture is thriving. Alice Roberts brings history and power to the Assembly Hall this week, and the Festival Theatre’s Hever season promises open-air magic all summer long.

WEATHER

Monday: 10°C 🌡️ 12°C | 🌧️

Tuesday: 6°C 🌡️ 12°C | ⛅

Wednesday: 8°C 🌡️ 15°C | ☀️

THE BRIEF

🐝 Commons Crunch: Tunbridge Wells residents are racing to buy their 106-hectare commons after the land was put up for sale. Campaigners fear a key parcel, now a 170-space car park, could be turned into 104 flats if deregistered. The Friends charity has until 26th March to secure funds. The commons host rare bees, 28 butterfly species and 300 flowering plants, and are protected by specific legal safeguards. But campaigners say this is a rare chance to secure long-term stewardship. Read more here.

📖 Literary Line Up: The Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival returns from 1st to 10th May with a renewed focus: Books, Ideas, Action. Led by Creative Tunbridge Wells, the 10-day programme spans Trinity Theatre, The Forum and Calverley Grounds. Highlights include Gyles Brandreth on 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh and Donna Ashworth with Davina McCall. New for 2026 are local author showcases and a regional writing competition. A festival village will anchor the May bank holiday weekend. Read more here.

🫗 Another Water Outage: Homes in Pembury were left with low or no water on Saturday after a burst main disrupted supplies from a storage tank. South East Water said engineers are working round the clock and tankering water into the network while repairs continue. The incident follows last month’s major outage affecting 30,000 homes across Kent and Sussex, which drew political criticism and cost the company £30m. Read more here.

🎱 Local Lottery Win: A retired woman from Tunbridge Wells has won £1m in the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker raffle after 30 years of playing. She plans to support animal charities and look for a new home. The win comes as The National Lottery continues its search for an unclaimed £10.6m ticket in Bexley. Read more here.

🗣️ No More Speeches: Iain Dale has been banned from driving for six months after magistrates rejected his claim that disqualification would cause “exceptional hardship”. The LBC presenter, from Tunbridge Wells, was caught driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone and already had nine points on his licence. At Crawley Magistrates' Court, he argued a ban would stop him giving free school talks. He was fined £666 plus costs and surcharge. Read more here.

🎭 Hever Festival: The Festival Theatre has unveiled its 2026 season, running May to September across Hever Castle, Chiddingstone Castle and Penshurst Place. Family matinees include The Jungle Book, Pinocchio and Treasure Island, alongside puppetry, tribute shows and Mary Queen of Rock!. Glow Fest returns as In the Walled Garden on 20th June, with immersive performance and dining. History workshops and open-air Shakespeare also feature. Read more here.

TW LIFE COMMUNITY BOARD

1st March – A Land Without Music?

The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra’s next concert on Sunday 1 March proudly champions British music in answer to the old claim that England was a “Land without music.” Vaughan Williams’ Tallis Fantasia offers sublime serenity, while Fenella Humphreys brings passion and lyricism to Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto. Walton’s blazing Symphony No. 1 closes the evening: bold, brassy and intensely dramatic, it’s a towering achievement of 20th-century symphonic writing.

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 80

WALTON Symphony No. 1 in B-flat minor

​www.rtwso.org​

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THIS WEEK

Dominion - The Rise And Fall Of An Empire | Assembly Hall | Mon, 7:30pm | History, power and Christianity - Alice Roberts live, fascinating stuff | £38​

Celtic Illusion | Assembly Hall | Tues, 7:30pm | Irish dance meets jaw-dropping magic — looks unreal | £31.25+​

Jason Donovan - Doin' Fine Encore | Assembly Hall | Thurs, 7:30pm | Jason Donovan singing all the hits - pure nostalgia | £45+​

Michael Portillo | Assembly Hall | Fri, 7:30pm | Portillo live - politics, railways, brilliant stories | £34.25+​

Moonlight & Magnolias | Trinity Theatre | Wed to Sat | Chaotic Hollywood farce about making Gone With the Wind | £15+​

The Penguin Lessons | Rusthall Community Cinema | Sat, 6:30pm | Heartwarming Coogan drama about rescuing a life-changing penguin | £5​

NT Live: The Audience | Rusthall Community Cinema | Sun, 2pm | Helen Mirren as the Queen - intimate, powerful political drama | £5+​

Transglobal Underground | The Forum | Fri, 7:30pm | Wild global dance vibes—proper sweaty, electric night | £22.50​

Aqualine | The Sussex Arms | Sat, 7:30pm | Raw, gritty alt-rock - feels loud and properly intense | £8​

Irish & Trad Sessions | The Sussex Arms | Sun, 4pm | Proper Irish trad session -pints, fiddles, great vibes | Free​

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

Mother's Day | Spa Hotel | 15th Mar | Honestly, perfect excuse to properly spoil Mum 💐 | £39+​

The Curious Case of the Masqued Magician | Trinity Theatre | 8th Mar | Sherlock Holmes meets magic - looks genuinely brilliant for kids | £14​

Mothering Sunday Afternoon Tea | Penshurst Place | 15th Mar | Fancy afternoon tea - scones, bubbles, lovely Mother’s treat | £42​

Ideal Living | The Forum | 12th Mar | Ambitious art-rock with strings and brass -sounds epic | £12​

PROPERTY

3-Bed House | Speldhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells | Double-bay beauty near great schools and station, lovely garden too 🌿 | £675,000​

1-Bed Flat | Monson Colonnade, Tunbridge Wells | Gorgeous period flat, huge rooms, right in town centre ✨ | £230,000​

2-Bed Flat | Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells | Warehouse-style flat, massive open-plan space, seriously slick finish 🔥 | £450,000​

SPORT

⚽FOOTBALL

17th Feb:

• Whitstable Town 4 - 2 Tunbridge Wells
• Rusthall vs. Stansfeld (POSTPONED)

21st Feb:

• Erith & Belvedere 2 - 0 Tunbridge Wells
• Whitstable Town 3 - 0 Rusthall

24th Feb:

• Tunbridge Wells vs. Chislehurst Glebe

25th Feb:

• Sutton Athletic vs. Rusthall

28th Feb:

• Tunbridge Wells vs. Phoenix Sports
• Rusthall vs. Hollands & Blair

🏉RUGBY

28th Feb:

• Farnham vs. Tunbridge Wells

🏑HOCKEY

21st Feb:

• Tunbridge Wells (Women's) 0 - 1 Blackheath & Elthamians
• Tunbridge Wells (Men's) 2 - 3 Marden Russets

28th Feb:

• Sevenoaks vs. Tunbridge Wells (Women's)
• Guildford vs. Tunbridge Wells (Men's)

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THANK YOU

Hope you enjoyed this week's letter!

Jamie

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