This week in Tunbridge Wells...

Councillors have hit pause on plans for a new town council. They want clarity on Kent’s council shake-up before they act. On Mount Pleasant Road, a popular brunch café has opened its third branch. Comedy fans can catch The Last Laugh at the Assembly Hall. It puts Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse in one dressing room. Art lovers can visit The Amelia Scott, where a free Howard Hodgkin print show opens on Friday.

Have a great week.

WEATHER

Monday: 10°C 🌡️ 15°C | 🌦️

Tuesday: 9°C 🌡️ 14°C | 🌧️

Wednesday: 7°C 🌡️ 14°C | 🌧️

THE BRIEF

⏸️ Town Council Paused: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has paused plans to set up a new Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Council. Councillors voted 18 to 15 at Full Council on Wednesday 14th October, with two abstentions. Council leader Ben Chapelard proposed the pause. He said the government’s pause on local government reorganisation in Kent left too much unclear. He argued that going ahead now could add an extra layer of bureaucracy. He said the plan is paused, not scrapped. Opponents wanted the town council to go ahead regardless.

Cllr Hugo Pound said Tunbridge Wells would be the only part of West Kent without one. Cabinet member Christopher Hall backed the pause. He said the borough council cannot hand over assets such as parks while it still exists. The same meeting agreed new planning rules required by national law. Ward councillors can no longer “call in” planning applications to the Planning Committee. That vote passed 23 to 10.

​Read more here.

💧 Water is Wet: A council report says residents have lost trust in South East Water. A task and finish group looked at the severe water outages of December 2025 and January 2026. Its report went to Full Council on Wednesday 14th October. It found problems with communication, openness and the resilience of local supplies. It said improvements are needed, especially as the borough plans more homes.

The group recommends inviting South East Water back to give a progress update in 2027/28. It also wants a separate meeting on how the company talks to residents. Another idea is a joint “one-stop shop” where people can report problems and track progress. Cllr Andy Fairweather chairs the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He spoke of councillors’ frustration. He said the council has no control over water supply but still deals with the impact on the community.

​Read more here.

♿ Call for Accessible Homes: A local councillor wants councils across West Kent to make accessible homes the norm. Alan Bullion is a town councillor for Southborough and High Brooms. He is disabled and has mobility issues. He wants local authorities to make the M4(2) accessible standard the minimum for all new developments. He says this would help people stay independent and meet the needs of current and future generations.

His call follows Accessible Homes Week, run by Habinteg Housing Association. Its research found 20% of UK adults say they or a relative faced severe consequences because their home did not meet their access needs. Examples include delayed hospital discharges and people forced into residential care. Cllr Bullion pointed to an ageing population. He said building accessible homes now would save money on adapting older homes later.

​Read more here.

☕ New Cafe in Town: Café Lounge has opened its third branch on Mount Pleasant Road. It welcomed its first customers on Monday 12th October. The brand already runs busy cafés on Rochester High Street and The Parade in Meopham. Its Rochester site is known for weekend queues, with fans waiting in the rain for a table. The menu mixes Mediterranean and traditional breakfasts and brunches.

Dishes include shakshuka with feta, aubergine and harissa, plus pancakes, pastries and tiramisu. Drinks range from speciality coffee and matcha to protein shakes, cocktails, beer and wine. The Tunbridge Wells branch opens every day from 8am to 5pm. The full menu runs all day. It takes walk-ins only for now.

​Read more here.

🧵 Puppets!: The Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival returns for its seventh year from Monday 26th to Saturday 31st October. Most shows are free and need no booking. Monday opens with Project Wolf, a medieval walkabout on The Pantiles inspired by Cumbrian folklore. On Tuesday, Thai shadow puppets come to Royal Victoria Place. Wednesday brings Sichuan face-changing to three town centre spots.

On Thursday, Indigo Moon Theatre brings Saraswati, a Rajasthani string puppet, to Royal Victoria Place. The festival ends with two ticketed family shows at Southborough Civic Centre. Gaby Gulliver’s Travels plays on Friday and Three Little Pirate Pigs on Saturday. Workshops on Tuesday and Thursday must be booked. Rail users should note that buses replace trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from 24th October to 1st November.

​Read more here.

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THIS WEEK

Halloween Half Term at Hever Castle | Hever Castle | Sat 17 Oct – Sun 1 Nov | Halloween family fun included with castle admission | See details​

Monsters around the Moat | Scotney Castle | Sat 17 Oct – Sun 1 Nov, 10:00am | Halloween clue trail around the garden | See details​

Halloween Trail | Chiddingstone Castle | Sat 17 Oct – Sat 31 Oct | Spooky trail included with castle admission | See details​

Antique Valuation Drop-In with Adam Schoon | Penshurst Place | Mon 19 Oct, 10:00am | Free valuations from an Antiques Roadshow expert | Free entry

October Half-Term Adventure Camp | Bewl Water | Mon 19 Oct – Fri 30 Oct | Outdoor holiday camp for ages 8 to 15 | See details​

The Last Laugh | Assembly Hall | Tue 20 Oct – Sat 24 Oct, 7:30pm & 2:30pm (Wed & Sat) | Comedy legends Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse share a dressing room | From £27.00​

Stable 2026: Eclipse, The Electric Soul Machine, Vigilante Men & The Wot Nots | The Forum | Tue 20 Oct, 7:00pm | Four-band bill from The Forum’s Stable series | See details​

Trinity Clocktower Tours | Trinity Theatre | Tue 20 Oct & Sat 24 Oct, 10:30am & 11:15am | 45-minute climb up the historic clocktower | Free entry

Gaslight | Trinity Theatre | Wed 21 Oct – Sat 24 Oct, 7:30pm & 2:30pm (Fri & Sat) | Trinity Theatre Club stages Patrick Hamilton’s Victorian thriller | From £15.00​

Opening Celebration – Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden | The Amelia Scott | Thu 22 Oct, 6:00pm | Free launch evening; booking essential | Free entry

Ferocious Dog: Final Ever Tour | The Forum | Thu 22 Oct, 7:30pm | Folk-punk favourites on their farewell tour | See details​

Hawxx | The Sussex Arms | Thu 22 Oct, 7:30pm | Live band night in the basement bar | See details​

Howard Hodgkin: In a Public Garden | The Amelia Scott | Fri 23 Oct – Sun 21 Feb | Major print retrospective of the celebrated British artist | Free entry

Stormo // Believe in Nothing | The Sussex Arms | Fri 23 Oct, 7:00pm | Double bill of live bands | See details​

Norman Jay MBE | The Forum | Fri 23 Oct, 8:00pm | Good Times sound system founder plays a DJ set | See details​

Spook-Tober Half Term Discovery Days | The Amelia Scott | Sat 24 Oct, 10:00am | Free drop-in Halloween crafts for children | Free entry

Beware the Bad Apple! Halloween Trail | Penshurst Place | Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov, 10:00am | Hunt the grounds for poison-apple potion ingredients | See details​

Halloween Crafts | Penshurst Place | Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov, 11:00am | Make spooky crafts in The Old Coach House | See details​

A Celebration of Oasis: 30th Anniversary of Knebworth | The Forum | Sat 24 Oct, 7:30pm | Tribute night marking Oasis’s 1996 Knebworth shows | See details​

Darius Zaltash | The Sussex Arms | Sat 24 Oct, 7:30pm | Live music in the basement bar | See details​

Brassed Off (15) | Rusthall Community Cinema | Sat 24 Oct, 6:30pm | Colliery brass band fights on as the pit closes | See details​

Emma Kenny: Killer Couples | Assembly Hall | Sun 25 Oct, 7:30pm | True crime presenter explores couples who killed together | From £34.25​

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

An Evening with Sarah Raven and Adam Nicolson | The Amelia Scott | Wed 4 Nov, 6:30pm | Inside story of the Sissinghurst and Perch Hill gardens | From £29.00​

Republica: 30 Years of Ready To Go! | The Forum | Thu 5 Nov, 7:00pm | Nineties band mark 30 years of Ready To Go | See details​

Christmas at Hever Castle: A Nutcracker’s Christmas | Hever Castle | Fri 20 Nov – Sat 2 Jan, 11:30am | Nutcracker trail, Father Christmas and twilight illuminations | See details​

Chiddingstone Castle Christmas Fair | Chiddingstone Castle | Sat 21 Nov | Festive artisan fair inside the historic castle | See details​

The Christmas Cavity Calamity Mini Panto | Penshurst Place | Sat 5 Dec – Wed 23 Dec | 25-minute family panto, then meet Father Christmas | See details​

SPORT

Results

⚽ 17 Oct Tunbridge Wells 1–1 Kennington (Kennington won 5–3 on penalties)

⚽ 17 Oct Rusthall 1–5 Phoenix Sports

🏉 17 Oct Bracknell 32–28 Tunbridge Wells

🏑 17 Oct Tunbridge Wells Women 3–0 Ashford

🏑 Tunbridge Wells Men 1 -0 Brighton & Hove

Fixtures

⚽ 24 Oct Bearsted v Tunbridge Wells

⚽ 24 Oct AFC Greenwich Borough v Rusthall

🏉 24 Oct Tunbridge Wells v Maidenhead

🏑 24 Oct Ashford Middlesex v Tunbridge Wells Men (Cup)

THANK YOU

Hope you enjoyed this week's letter!

Jamie

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