Morning!

There’s plenty happening around Tunbridge Wells this week. Plans for new holiday apartments at Bewl Water have won approval after an earlier refusal, while the Eight Bells in Hawkhurst has closed despite strong local support.

Local & Live brings a packed run of gigs to The Forum and Sussex Arms this weekend. Or head to Hever Castle, where its Bank Holiday history weekend brings the estate’s past to life.

WEATHER

Monday: 13°C 🌡️ 22°C | ⛅

Tuesday: 14°C 🌡️ 23°C | ⛅

Wednesday: 15°C 🌡️ 25°C | 🌧️

THE BRIEF

🤽 NIMBY Loss: A government planning inspector has granted permission for eleven holiday apartments at Bewl Water in Lamberhurst. The plan converts and extends the Boat House Bistro into seven one-bed and four two-bed flats, with a small cafe, shop and terrace. Wealden District Council refused the scheme in February. It said the lights would harm the dark skies of the High Weald National Landscape.

The council refused an almost identical plan in December 2023, and an inspector backed that decision on appeal in September 2024. This time the inspector, Mr L Gardener, found the effect of light pollution would be insignificant. The applicants now propose smart glazing that turns more opaque as the evening grows darker, and they supplied a lighting impact assessment. More than 173 people wrote objections and over 1,000 signed a petition. Many objectors were sports and leisure clubs that train on the reservoir. The applicants asked for costs against the council, but the inspector refused. Read more here.​

🔔 Eight Bells Closes: The Eight Bells on The Moor in Hawkhurst has shut. The team took on the lease in June 2024 and hoped to build a small group of pubs focused on local food, drink and producers. They put on popular events, cut spending and changed suppliers, but could not make the numbers work. Chris Rule, speaking for the team, said the closure was not for lack of support. He said the pub was well populated and that local people backed it. He pointed to high rent, energy, labour and ingredient costs.

He said country pubs suffer most because the buildings are large, expensive to run and lack town-centre footfall. The team's last event was a beer festival earlier this month. He thanked staff and customers, and said he hopes the landlord, the Wellington Pub Group, finds a new tenant quickly. The closure comes despite a government decision last month to cut business rates for pubs by 20% from next year. Read more here.​

🫗 Water Protest: Residents in Benenden used thousands of empty two-litre bottles to spell out “help us” on the village green as a water outage continued. Around 400 properties in Benenden, Cranbrook and Rolvenden had initially been affected, rising to as many as 1,800.

Lucy Barron-Reid, who runs The Bull at Benenden, organised the protest, with around 60 to 70 people taking part. South East Water blamed a technical fault at a local treatment works and low storage tank levels. The company said engineers were working to restore supplies and it would collect and recycle the bottles. Read more here.​

🧠 GCSE Results: Pupils across Kent collected their GCSE results, with several local schools celebrating strong performances. At Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, 19.65% of grades were 9s and 67.85% were at least a 7, both up on last year.

Kent College Pembury saw 26% of grades at 8 or 9, while Benenden School reported 42% of results at grade 9. Nationally, 22% of GCSE entries achieved at least a 7. Read more here.​

🔥Refire: Siobhan Daniels, 67, drove a motorhome alone through Canada and Alaska in temperatures as low as -15C. The former BBC journalist sold her home after retiring in 2019 and spent several years travelling before taking on the Alaska Highway.

Her month-long journey took her through British Columbia and the Yukon, facing snowstorms, rough roads and closed campsites along the way. Her diary from the trip has now become a book, Retire and Refire, which launches in Tunbridge Wells next month. Read more here.​

TW LIFE COMMUNITY BOARD

Help KentRelief Get Aid to Ukraine 🇺🇦

KentRelief is preparing its next humanitarian aid truck to Ukraine for late August or early September.

The truck will carry food, medical supplies and hygiene items to people living in frontline villages. It will also deliver lifesaving firefighting equipment to fire stations in eastern Ukraine.

We need to raise £5,000 to cover transport costs. Any donation, large or small, will help us get vital aid to people who need it.

Bank transfer​
Account: KentRelief
Sort code: 30-99-50
Account number: 44520968

You can also donate through CAF, GoFundMe or PayPal via kentrelief.org.uk.

Questions? Email enquiries@kentrelief.org.uk​

Charity number: 1204501

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Want to spread the good word about your business, a project you’re working on, a hire, or just want to say hi to 5,000 friends?

ADVERTISE ON THE BOARD

THIS WEEK

National Theatre Connections Script Reading | Trinity Theatre | Mon 24 – Thu 27 Aug | Young actors read new plays together | See details​

Perspectives by Scotts Project Trust | The Amelia Scott | Mon 24 – Wed 26 Aug | Artwork by Scotts Project Trust art students | Free entry

Archaeology Adventure | The Amelia Scott | Mon 24 – Sun 30 Aug | Hands-on family journey through time | Free entry

Summer Holiday Trail | Chiddingstone Castle | Mon 24 – Sun 30 Aug | Collect a map and hunt for clues | £2.00​

Where Could They Bee? | Penshurst Place | Mon 24 – Sun 30 Aug | Garden trail finding oversized hidden bees | Included with admission​

Crafts to Make and Take Home | Penshurst Place | Tue 25 & Thu 27 Aug, 11am – 3:30pm | Animal and sport-themed crafts to take home | Included with admission​

Camp Wilderness Wednesday | Penshurst Place | Wed 26 Aug | Smores, axe throwing, archery and camouflage games | Included with admission​

Safari Saturday | Penshurst Place | Sat 29 Aug | Dinosaur and wild animal themed family entertainment | Included with admission​

The Hunt For Penshurst's Treasure | Penshurst Place | Sun 30 Aug | Garden storytellers tell a Treasure Island tale | Included with admission​

A Knight's Tale | Hever Castle | Mon 24 – Sun 30 Aug | Medieval-themed activities for the summer holidays | Included with admission​

The Festival Theatre Summer Season | Hever Castle | Mon 24 – Sun 30 Aug | Open-air theatre in the castle grounds | See details​

Hever in History | Hever Castle | Sat 29 – Mon 31 Aug | Bank holiday living history across the estate | Included with admission​

Barry Castagnola: The Last of the Barrys | The Sussex Arms | Wed 26 Aug, 7:30pm | Final preview of his stand-up tour show | See details​

The Guest List | The Forum | Thu 27 Aug, 7pm | Live music night at the venue | See details​

Local & Live: Riotcandy & Entropy | The Forum | Fri 28 Aug, 7:30pm | Early show from two local bands | See details​

Local & Live: Black Gabanza & The Next Agenda | The Sussex Arms | Fri 28 Aug, 10pm | Late-night set from two local bands | See details​

Dead Pony | The Forum | Sat 29 Aug, 6pm | Touring band headlines an early evening show | See details​

Local & Live: English Sporting Defeat & Mint Sherbets | The Sussex Arms | Sat 29 Aug, 10pm | Late-night set from two local bands | See details​

Local & Live: The Fiery Lights & The Breretons | The Forum | Sat 29 Aug, 10pm | Late show from two local bands | See details​

Teen Mortgage | The Forum | Sun 30 Aug, 5:30pm | Touring band plays an early evening show | See details​

Local & Live: Cyrano & Karobela | The Sussex Arms | Sun 30 Aug, 10pm | Late-night set from two local bands | See details​

Local & Live: Wild Horse & Wake Up Leo | The Forum | Sun 30 Aug, 10pm | Late show from two local bands | 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

Open Air Theatre: As You Like It | Chiddingstone Castle | Mon 31 Aug | Illyria perform Shakespeare's romantic comedy outdoors | See details​

John Cleese and The Holy Grail | Assembly Hall | Wed 2 Sep | Comedy evening with the Monty Python co-founder | Book now​

Classics by Candlelight | Trinity Theatre | Sat 5 Sep | Candlelit classical concert from Music In Action | See details​

Hever Castle Triathlon and Multisport Festival | Hever Castle | Sat 26 – Sun 27 Sep | Lakeside triathlon weekend for all abilities | See details​

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

SPORT

Results

🏏22nd Aug - Tunbridge Wells (Men) 206 - 204 Blackheath - TW won by 1 wicket

Fixtures

🏏 29th Aug - Whitstable vs. Tunbridge Well (Men)

🏏 20th Aug - Tunbridge Wells (Women) vs. Hayes (Kent)

THANK YOU

Hope you enjoyed this week's letter!

Jamie

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