Liberal Democrat garbage binned.

For a few weeks I have received a pile of Liberal Democrat leaflets.  Mostly garbage informing me that the Lib Dims were 'winning all over the country', that 'millions of voters were switching' to the party and that 'the choice is simple - real change with Jo Swinson as Prime Minister or more extremism and broken politics with Corbyn and Johnson'.  We were informed that 'the Conservative vote was collapsing across Tunbridge Wells.

All tosh - Swinson lost her seat, the Lib Dems lost seats nationally and the Conservative candidate in Tunbridge Wells secured 55% of the vote.

Who to vote for?

As a supporter of Brexit I would have voted for the Brexit Party but their candidate withdrew.   The Conservative candidate is at heart a Remainder.  His disgraceful acts in not supporting three-line whips resulted in the Whip being withdrawn. He is lucky to have been reinstated.  The Liberal Democrats Remain stance means I cannot vote for them which leaves the Labour Party. Many faults but I might vote for them in protest at the behaviour of the Conservative candidate in the last Parliament.

Soon be over

Not long to go now and we will be spared the lies, false news and misleading statistics being published by the political parties in their election campaigns.

Twerp of the Year Award

So many people to choose from!  I have selected the Rusthall Foghorn as my choice for 2019.  Locals will know to whom I refer.

Should KCC subsidy of Age UK Tunbridge Wells continue?

In 2009 Age Concern and Help the Aged merged and in 2010 adopted the name Age UK.  This was a merger of national organisations.  Local Age Concerns either continued as independent charities and retained the name Age Concern or changed their name to reflect a connexion with Age UK.  Tunbridge Wells Age Concern is now Age UK Tunbridge Wells, whilst Southborough and High Brooms  has retained the Age Concern name.

Southborough and High Brooms Age Concern once operated two day centres using premises at Christ Church Southborough and St Matthew High Brooms. Both centres have closed as the charity was of the opinion they were not financially viable.  The trust funds are used for other purposes.

Tunbridge Wells has soldiered on and continues to operate a day centre but it is reliant on KCC funding for the centre to continue.  KCC has indicated that funding will be withdrawn with the usual Liberal Democrat Pavlov's dog reaction.  A petition has been raised urging KCC to continue funding.  What the petition does not do is state how much funding is received from KCC and what proportion it is of total annual income.  Odd.


How many Age Concern/Age UK day centres are there in Kent?  How many currently receive KCC funding and what proportion is it of total income?

Over many years the charity sector has been warned of that the days of reliance on public funding are over. Funding streams must be diversified for charities to survive.  Some charities have succeeded, others have not.

Tunbridge Wells Age Concern, as it was then known as pre 2010,  once operated lunch clubs for older people at two locations.  One was in Rusthall, the other I think was in Paddock Wood.  Both closed.  Our then Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Wratten suggested Tunbridge Wells Borough Council should step in with funding.  Some things never change.  In the event Rusrhall Lunch Club was formed through the local churches and continues to this day.

Groucho Marx on politics

Groucho Marx quote:

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding is everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.

Neatly sums up the antics of the Tunbridge Wells Alliance and the associated mob of trolls.

New theatre proposal rejected by council.

By 27 votes to 12 the proposal for a new theatre and council offices was rejected by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.  The opportunity to provide the town and surrounding area with a modern theatre has been lost and so Tunbridge Wells will be saddled with a decrepit building which will never be capable of being improved to current standards.  The town will continue to hold second class events in a third-rate building.

Sadly the majority group on the council has caved in to a bunch of failed politicians, those with a self-interest in blocking the development and assorted loud-mouths.  In years to come the folly of the decision will become clear.

Me: Elton John Official Autobiography

How can you have an 'official' or 'unofficial' autobiography?.  Biography yes, but autobiography??

Tunbridge Wells Proposed New Theatre

Tunbridge Wells is in decline as a shopping destination.  Walk round the shopping mall and retail based streets and you will see many empty shops.  The decline in high street shopping is not unique to Tunbridge Wells as more people use internet shopping or out-of-town retail parks.  So what can be done to prevent the town being overrun by charity shops?  There has to be a reason or reasons why people come into the town centre.

The council developed a plan for a new theatre to replace the ageing Assembly Hall, a building that is no longer suitable for purpose and will remain so even if huge sums are spent on renovations.  Start again with a new building that will attract first rate productions.   But sadly a bunch of political has-beens, local foghorns and the self-interested raised objections.  This bunch are happy to see the second-rate and second class continue quite oblivious to the need for change.  When a car wears out you change it.  The Assembly Hall is worn out, send it to the junk yard.

Bury FC gone

Poor ownership decisions has led to the demise of Bury FC.  On the field the club was promoted last season but years of shenanigans by more than one owner has led to the sorry mess the club is in.

I saw Bury play at Saltergate, then the ground of Chesterfield FC.  I never made it to Gigg Lane, the nearest I got was Spotland, the home of Rochdale FC. U have been to a number of grounds of teams now not in the Football League: Notts County, Bradford Park Avenue and Chester.

Councillor Pope not infallible.

Councillor Pope is the leader of the Alliance Party on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The main policy of the party is to stop the building of a theatre and civic centre on part of the Calverley grounds.  At a recent meeting of the council the council  leader quoted Cllr Pope  as stating at a meeting of the Town Forum that the proposed location close to the railway station seemed to be a good idea.

Cllr Pope did not attend the council meeting as he has an indirect pecuniary interest (his wife owns a flat near to the site on which it is proposed to build).

Cllr Pope went into orbit accusing the leader of the council of fabrication and demanded an apology.  He urged his twitter followers to complain.  Now Cllr Pope has admitted he did make the statement quoted by the leader of the council.  Silly man.  Check facts before opening mouth,

See:  https://www.timeslocalnews.co.uk/tunbridge-wells-news/anti-calverley-square-councillor-admits-he-was-in-favour-of-theatre?fbclid=IwAR1TE6U9zOBnLqCKS_fcdOjJLOhJMptVSomoc8dZebk0jakpFlED7nLil5s

Tunbridge Wells Retail

When the Royal Victoria Place opened people commented favourably about the wide walkways and general airiness of the place.   Wander through shopping malls in Maidstone and Eastbourne and you are greeted by low ceilings and no natural light.  Soon the rot set in. Additional floor space was created on the first floor by covering over the space between walkways and, even worse, retail spaces created on the walkways.  The original ambiance has been lost to be replaced by a seediness as one is accosted by salespeople at the  stalls (only a few of them but a few too many).

Possibly it would not have mattered had retail habits not changed - but they have.  Over 16% of retail sales take place over the internet.  Big stores are closing nationwide at an alarming rate and RVP  has not been immune.  Woolworths and BHS have gone.  Traffic congestion and car-parking charges have not helped.

The industrial estate in Tunbridge Wells has been turned into a retail and leisure estate syphoning off trade from the town centre.

The improvements to RVP proposed by the new owners look mostly cosmetic and even where they are not are unlikely to do other than slow down the trend away from town centre shopping.

This is the quandary facing Tunbridge Wells, how to arrest the decline in footfall.  The answer in part may be to establish additional activities and facilities for entertainment and leisure.  What is needed is something new and exciting, not patching up existing second-rate facilities.

There are many issues to be tackled but so far none of our opposition councillors nor armchair critics has come up with a coherent set of specific proposals although they have been long on meaningless hand-wringing drivel.

Red Lion Rusthall

Since the new tenant took over the Red Lion on a long lease from the brewery the establishment has gone from strength to strength.  The pub receives excellent reviews  for its food and entertainment. Moreover there are no complaints about noise levels and unruly customers exiting the premises.  Well done, keep up the excellent work.

Tunbridge Wells Theatre and Civic Centre Proposals Debate.

Reactionary forces are at large in Tunbridge Wells opposing the council's plans to replace the Assembly Hall and Town Hall with new buildings which will take up about 3% of a park close to the railway station, taxi ranks and bus stops.  A planning inspector has approved compulsory purchases and in his report effectively demolished the asinine arguments of the scheme's opponents - a motley crew of political has-beens, political wannabees and people with little comprehension of the distinction between revenue and capital expenditure,  Poor reasons for not supporting the proposals, along with totally unrealistic ideas as to what can or should be done makes one despair, well almost.

The town will continue its downward spiral as a sub-regional shopping, leisure and business centre, suffocated by the aspic brigade with little understanding of the realities of the modern retail world and the needs of business.  On the entertainment front the need is for modern facilities, not a patched up inferior, second-class offering.

The majority group on the council has lost its way, fearful of electoral defeat, whilst the motley collection of opposition councillors see their chance for power.  In all this the needs of the town are being ignored as an insidious negative group-think takes hold.

Election fever in Rusthall

The election for the vacant Tunbridge Wells Borough Council seat in Rusthall is being contested by four parties:  Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP.  Until recently UKIP held both seats in Rusthall, once gaining a seat from the incumbent Tory Council Leader, but lost them.  This time I have not seen any election communication.

The Tories have delivered two leaflets.  Labour and the Lib Dems distributed election leaflets and the day before the election both parties delivered 'last minute' leaflets.


Labour and the Lib Dems both claim that they are the party to vote for to oust the Tories!  Never mind what the parties policies are, vote for us to keep out someone else is the childish message.

Yippee!

Sheffield United promoted to the Premier League and poor Sheffield Wednesday left behind!

Pleased Chesterfield recovered from a shocking first half of the season  and finished mid way in the Conference.

Wakefield Trinity RL are doing well and Wharfedale RFC are safe for another year.

Apathy reigns in Rusthall

Only 6 candidates for the 9 seats on Rusthall Parish Council.  I was opposed to the formation of the council in 2011 and, apart from 2011, there has never been an election for parish councillors.  Councillors have been either returned unopposed or co-opted.  However this year is a first.  The council will start the municipal year with only two-thirds of its seats filled.

The council should never have been formed.  Sadly it is almost impossible to scrap a parish council......but we can hope.

A shared ground.

Talks are at an advanced stage between Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and the planning authority over the construction of a new stadium in the Don Valley to be shared by the clubs.  The limited crowd capacity at Hillsborough and Bramall Lane means that in future neither club would be able to compete with the major clubs in the Premier League, assuming of course that either or both clubs make it to the league!

The new stadium will have easy access to road, tram and rail infrastructure and plenty of car parking.

Currently there are no plans to merge the two clubs.

Parish Council elections

This May all nine seats on Rusthall Parish Council are up for election.  the Council was formed in 2011.  Since the first election all the councillors have been either elected unopposed or co-opted.  So much for the claims by the protagonists for the parish council to be formed that it would lead to an increase in democratic participation.  Instead the electorate has been lumbered with paying for a clerk, offices, website and other expenses and for what?  Answers on a postage stamp.

Rubbish article in The Times of Tunbridge Wells

Rarely have I read such rubbish as published on page 6 of this week's Times of Tunbridge Wells concerning the forthcoming election in Park Ward.  The simpleton who wrote the article doesn't realise that if there are two seats being contended each elector has two votes.  The author of the piece is working on the basis that each elector has only one vote, hence the tripe about 'splitting the vote' should a party put up two candidates.

Carless in Rusthall

We have decided to part with our Renault Clio bought in 2004.  A new fan belt, broken spring, MOT coming up were all factors in the decision.  We shall not be replacing the car.  The cost of insurance, road-tax, servicing, fuel etc. is not worth paying as we do not use the car for days on end.

The local bus services are adequate for our needs (and free when we need to use them).  The occasional journey where public transport is not available or at inconvenient times will see us using taxis.  Over a full year a lot cheaper than running a car.

Rusthall 20mph zone

Aided and abetted by our unnecessary and useless parish council  a few local residents have taken it into their heads that it would be a GOOD IDEA to have a 20mph zone in the village.  Never mind that the evidence indicates that the effect of such measures is nil.  Never let facts get in the way of a feel-good campaign.  I have not seen any indication of the cost of signs, enforcement, humps and chicanes from either the parish council or the campaigners.