Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Reasons to be cheerful part one....

Regular commetor, The Tommahawk kid, is right to be upbeat about 2010. As he says in a recent comment next year should be full of promise for the country and especially Tonbridge and the South East. The City has taken a battering and is now bouncing back to its pre Lehman Brothers collapse levels; this has to be great news for the economy despite what you may think about the bankers with their noses in the snout yet again. Also there's the Winter Olympics and, more importantly, the World Cup in South Africa. If England have a promising campaign there, as they are tipped to have, then this too can only be good for the economy, as it rises from the ashes; newspapers, TV companies and the other media companies all benefit from the added interest and feel good factor these top sporting events bring. This has a ripple effect for the rest of the economy. So get behind those boys even if you're not a footy fan because we all stand to benefit if England do well. We will come out of recession, in fact TonbridgeBlog, for what it's worth, thinks that we already are in all but a technical definition. That definition, by its very nature always lags behind what everyone can see is going on in the High Street and in the stock market for example. All the indicators are that 2010 will have the potential, for most at least, to be a very happy new year. Let's hope so for all our sakes....

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Mr. Books is having a sale?!..


By the way, did I mention that the Mr. Books sale is now on. Pretty substantial it is as well with most books at half price or less and many down to only £2. I must be going soft in me old age!

Party conversation: Wrong snow and private equity....

I had two interesting conversations at parties over Christmas. (What do you mean I'm too unpopular to be invited to any parties!) One of them was with some rich geezer who owned a private equity company. He attempted to explain in the most simple terms what it was that his company actually did. Something about putting the money in a box to be released at a future date; quite frankly I'm still baffled and I'm sure it's not that difficult once you've grasped it. It's the sort of thing I wouldn't mind getting my head around as this guy was just about to jet off to Sidney for a few weeks to take in some opera and to stay at his "bolt hole" in Australia, as he put it! He also mentioned that they had a "pied de terre" in the West End of London somewhere exlusive and another in some art deco mansion near Sunningdale and those are just the properties he talked about. Sickening or what! The other conversation was on the entirely different topic of snow. Was it "the wrong kind of snow" that brought Tonbridge, and much of the South East to a standstill just before Christmas after all. According to the fella I was talking to last night, at party number two, yes it was. In other words not the Highways Department's fault afterall but the Allmighty's! A combination of the extremely cold temperature and, unusually alot of snow at the same time meant that the very cold snow would settle, causing the roads to freeze over. According to him this was a once in twenty years scenario so would have been impossible for the authorities to cope with (which is why presumably they just did what they could to keep only the main roads clear and bugger the side roads!) My friend at this party told me that, when he was growing up his family often spent holidays in the Alps and that the snow there is pretty much the same as the snow we had last week. Great for skiing, crap for driving on! So now you know the truth....

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Ho, ho, oh no!...


OK all you Tonbridge bloggers it's time I went off to do my other job. If I've forgotten to send you a card this year or didn't have your address never mind, don't take it personally and accept my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Ho, ho, bloomin ho!...

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Snow joke continued....

Now we've all had great fun this week walking, and sledging, in a winter wonderland and all that and my wellies have had more use in the last few days than ever before, but come on now council the joke's over. Just clear the snow off all the side roads and put some grit down, preferably before the ice starts to compact itself into a three inch layer again. It's funny that you missed the weather forecasts because, here was me thinking that, we all knew about the freeze from about ten days before. While you're at it, for future reference, can you try and remember that there are some shops in Bank Street and Castle Street and it would be quite handy, if you could find a minute, to put a little grit down to make it accessible for customers and the like. Only, that is, if you're not too busy sorting out the roads of Kings Hill....

Strictly Come Dancing in Tonbridge....

TonbridgeBlog didn't realise that this year's winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Chris Hollins, or was it John or Tim (you can tell how big a fan of the programme I am!) is an old Tonbridgeian, that is to say he went to Tonbridge School. I can't tell you any more about him so it's a pretty uninteresting fact really, unless anyone can tell us any juicy information about him. He and his dance partner, Ola certainly had chemistry on the dance floor, that much I could see from what little of the Strictly series I did manage to catch, but whether it went beyond mere chemistry is a matter of conjecture. Maybe we can entice the pair to do a special performance at the Tonbridge Arts Festival next year, now there's a thought!...

Courier runs tree story on front page....


I noticed that the Courier ran a story in this week's Tonbridge edition about the tree on the corner of Bank Street having been removed and later replaced. Now where have I heard that story before?! They did at least find out the reason it was removed, which is more than I did, but I suppose it's flattering to know that our local rag uses TonbridgeBlog as a source of leads for its main news pages. It's certainly not the first time either. It's funny that they never credit me with it and they never give me any leads. Ah well I'll soldier on regardless!...

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Only travel if necessary....


Quite a few years ago, and seemingly in a different life, I used to work for the Daily Telegraph. Just stating out at the time (I'm talking late 8o's here) was a young cartoonist called Matt and he, unlike me, has been there ever since. In fact his small but distinctively querky, little cartoon appears on the front page just about every day. Once again here he manages to capture the moment expertly, as only he can....

P' Off. Customers....

Granted yesterday's weather was a bit freak and caught a lot of commuters out and many people would have cancelled shopping trips and the like. But Sainsbury's and Beales managed to open all day, as did many of the shops along Tonbridge High Street all day, including Mr. Books. I closed at 5 so that I could do my usual Friday stop at the Post Office to post my internet sales off in time for Christmas. When I arrived there the lights were off and the doors were closed with a note on them saying "Due to staff shortages this branch has had to close at 3pm." This branch happens to be the main branch so what are they playing at?! The supermarkets can keep open whatever the weather but apparently out national mail service cannot. Come on Post Office sort your act out!

Goodbye Gerry Stubbs....


I've just this minute heard some rather sad news. Gerry Stubbs, a local poet and very charming man, passed away last week. Gerry turned up to every poetry night when I was running them at The Ivy House up until about a year ago. I used to joke that the poetry nights attracted all styles of poetry from Wordsworth to hip hop and from all ages 18 to 88! Gerry was the 88. He was so dedicated to his poetry that he even had a poetry anthology published at around the same time, by this time he'd have been 89. I still sell his book, Simply Poetic Pride, in the shop and it has some pretty good verses in there, some of them very touching. At the poetry nights he used to hide behind the more frivolous poems when he performed them but, having read his book I know he was capable of more touching, emotional ones. He proudly told us that he's met Glen Miller during the war and had taken part in the D-Day landings. He told me he used to walk everywhere around Tonbridge and that that was his secret for staying fit; and I can also tell you that he certainly enjoyed a pint or two. As his son just told me, he certainly had a good innings. If you're listening Gerry it was nice to know you, and keep on with the poetry up in Heaven....

Snow joke....

OFFERED: Edenbridge Snow
I've been over supplied with snow this month so looking for a good home, plenty to go round first come first served.

This was a genuine entry on the Free cycle site and obviously someone's idea of bringing a bit of Christmas cheer!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Now you tree it update....


The man in the high viz jacket was as good as his word when he said that the Christmas tree would be returned to the corner of Bank Street, facing Church Lane this morning. They must have been up with the larks because it was in place by 9-30 this morning as if it had never gone. And doesn't it look wonderful covered as it is in snow, we could almost be in Lapland! It's starting to feel like Christmas. In fact, since the snow will have probably disappeared by next Thursday, why don't we just celebrate Christmas right now, today and have done with it!...

Traffic update at 10:58! Quarry Hill moving slowly...


Not that TonbridgeBlog is going to start a traffic report service or anything but it does appear that Quarry Hill is open to traffic and moving judging by the buses, lorries and cars that were driving cautiously, but surely up it this morning. I'm not sure about the A21, but I'd imagine that they've managed to keep it going. A white Christmas? Who knows but definately more snow on the way though....

Just look at the size of those parsnips!...


I told you that Shipbourne Farmers Market was worth a visit. I was so delighted with me fruit and veg that I felt inspired to take a photo of it all lovely, still covered in earth, odd shaped and twisted. In other words: exactly as it should be. The trouble is we get so used to the tasteless, perfect looking crap they sell at supermarkets that we forget what real food looks like. The market next week moves from it's usual Thursday to Wednesday to avoid Christmas Eve, but don't get there until about ten 0'clock so I can get all my food first! Tonbridge councils, parish councils, or whoever gets involved in these things, you're missing a trick by not having one in the centre of town every week. One lady I spoke to at Shipbourne yesterday said she had come all the way from South East London just for the cheese stall. Now that's what I call dedication to the real cheese cause!...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....







It's snowing, it's snowing, it's snowing, IT'S SNOWING!!! Well it's so long since we've seen it like this in Tonbridge. That's what one ratter well spoken lady said to me as I walked down Quarry Hill this morning. I had my wellies on and the snow was just about coming up to the top of them. Another lady smiled and said good morning and how wonderful the snow was. Children were out throwing snowballs and running in sheer delight, partly because of the amazing thick powdery blanket of the white stuff; others were already dragging tobogans, behind them off, no doubt, to Lambs Bank for a spot of suicidal sledging. Watch out kids those thorns at the bottom near the fence really hurt; you need to stick your heels in the snow near the bottom before you career into the.... too late! And partly because most of them had just got their best early Christmas present: an extra day off school! In fact everyone was talking and being nice to each other. Why aren't we like this all the time. Mr. Books is open, as are many other shops along the High Street, and let's face it not many people are going to go to Bluewater or even Tunbridge Wells in this weather now are they?! So you may as well trudge along, on foot, into town and do what you should have been doing all along anyway ie. support your local shops! We had an unexpected, but delightful, guest staying last night as my wife's Christmas party at a nearby country pub turned into Shackleton's expedition to the South Pole. On the way back they had to abandon the car half way up Quarry Hill and go on foot the final couple of miles to our house. So Ali, our guest, was given hot choccie and Amuretto before bedding down on an airbed and our warmest sleeping bag on the lounge floor. Still it's all good character building stuff for the girls. The meal at The Poacher in Tudely was, by all accounts, fabulous and the journey home was certainly unforgettable. Anyway all this is really just an excuse to post some pictures of snowy Tonbridge....

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Move over Simon Cowell and make way for the new boy in town...

I've agreed to be a judge again on Tonbridge Has Talent, the final of which is to be held at Tonbridge School on Friday February 5th in the New Year. I really enjoyed being a last minute stand in judge and was quite chuffed to be asked to do it again because of my "witty and apposite comments..." and I don't even know what that means! Last year's winner was an outstanding magician from Judd School; there were entries from all over the Tonbridge area from schools, colleges and community groups and it really was one of those unexpectably brilliant night's entertainment that people tell you about afterwards and you think to yourself: how come everyone else knew about it and not me? So polish up on your singing, juggling, dancing, mime artistry, drumming, comedy and get your act together (literally;) or else just put it in your diary and buy some tickets....

Hidden classics of the future?!..

Stuck to know what to read during this coming Christmas holiday season? Then have a look at this article on the Guardian web site which is about the books that got away; that is to say the books which should have been best sellers but, for some querk of bad timing/bad promotion/bad luck just never got anywhere. You may find yourself reading a real hidden classic of the future, who knows! The article caught my eye I suppose because it's always fascinated me how some books are widely acclaimed while others just seem to become also rans and sometimes you know it's just the luck of the draw. A bit like life I suppose. (Oh I say that was a bit profound!)

Quick nip out and buy a Land Rover....

It's going to snow tonight and for the next few days there'll be a lovely white blanket over the streets and countryside around Tonbridge. I don't know about you but I'm always a bit nervous driving in this weather. I've got one of those dashboard computers in the car with the time, date and temperature displayed; yesterday it said minus 4 degrees and it was flashing at me which made me a bit panicky I have to say, I already knew it was cold by the way it took me ten minutes to scrape all the ice of the car windows so why the drama?! The Highways Authority never seems to get around to gritting the side roads, including where I live, so it's fine once you're on the main road but getting to it involved a few hundred yards of driving on an ice rink. I could do with a 4 wheel drive even if only for about two weeks a year. So TonbridgeBlog's message of the day is be careful out there especially if you live in the country and haven't got a Land Rover....

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas books....

It's nearly Christmas so if you're not thinking of buying a Kindle or a Sony e-book reader or a book from Amazon, and thereby, incidentally, helping to slowly but surely strangle the independent book trade, then there is a book for just about everyone in Mr. Books at 2 Bank Street. Yes it is getting a bit crowded and full but you can just about still get around and you'll have about as much choice as WH Smiths who tend to spread their's out a bit more. Let TonbridgeBlog know which books you are buying this year for people. By the way the people who live opposite my shop have just told me that they moved to this area of Tonbridge (from America) especially because they love books and wanted to live overlooking it. Aah isn't that nice!...

More on Now you tree it....

Apparently we are getting our tree back. I have it on good authority (ie. a bloke in a high viz jacket wearing a bobble hat) that the tree on the corner of Bank Street, opposite Church Lane will be replaced on Friday morning. They had to take it away due to essential electrical works or something of that nature. I'm sure that the council couldn't possibly have known about that before putting the tree up! Still it's nice to know that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing!...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Now you tree it now you don't!...

I thought it was lovely when they put up a lovely 15 foot Christmas tree on the corner of Bank Street and the High St. It was even lit up quite tastefully with twinkling white lights. I thought how nice it was that, for once, the council haven't ignored the further reaches of Tonbridge High Street. Then, this morning, some men in high viz jackets, and a cherry picker arrived and started to take the lights down. I thought that they were just going to change them for some more colourful ones. I've just looked again and, not only the lights, but the tree has disappeared; all that remains are some cut plant ties and a few sprigs of pine scattered across the pavement. Oi council what are you playing at, give us back our tree!...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Farmers market in Tonbridge pleeeeease!...

I took a step back in time this morning and went along to the Shipbourne (pronounced Shibburn for you out of towners!) Farmers Market bright and breazy just as the church clock began to chime nine o'clock. It's more popular than ever as more and more crafty type stalls start to appear alongside the fruit and veg, game, fish, cheese, mushroom, jams and pickles, honey and bread and cake stalls. I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it: Why oh why oh why can Tonbridge not have a WEEKLY farmers market, selling local produce just like Shipbourne. It could be around the church or around the Castle lawn, anywhere except the excuse of a Christmas market that was held along River Walk the other Saturday. Missed it? I'm, not at all suprised! Some one have a word....

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tonbridge Civic Society does Desert Island Discs at 7-30pm tonight....

Tonbridge Civic Society meet tonight at the Angel Centre in the Riverside Suite (upstairs) if anyone's interested. Tonight is a special Christmasy, mince piey type meeting with a sort of Desert Island Discs light-hearted interview of John Smallman_Smith. John is a man who has served the society well over the years, many of them as Hon. Secretary, and was responsible for twisting my arm to join and then to try out the committee. He's a great character and has a fantastic, some may say corney, wit which only certain people can pull off, and John is certainly one of them. Even if you don't know the man it would probably be an entertaining night out; if you do know him then it's almost unmissable. I'm going to try and make it along myself. Non members are always welcome for a tiny fee and you will get a glass of mulled wine or three and some tastey mince pies if you get there early enough....

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Mor on Tonbridge teenagers...


As mentioned in a previous comment and post this is the new basketball court stroke football pitch stroke hockey pitch stroke teenage hang out place on Tonbridge park situated right next to the tennis courts on an otherwise boggy, little used (in the winter anyway) piece of turf. Crap photo I'll grant you but, if you look close enough, there are actually teenagers on there using it and I promise you I didn't stage that like the local rag would have! A good use of council and therefore tax payers' money? I think yes as there's little enough for teenagers as things stand. So maybe a skate park next when funds permit. (By the way, if there are any teenagers reading this, the headline was a deliberate mistake and play on words/letters and it was just a joke so go easy on me! But since none of you can actually be bothered to even get out of bed, let alone read this I'm probably safe.... yes that was a joke as well...sort of!...)

Fork out....


That groundsman at Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club needs to get out there again with his fork to drain that pitch before Saturday's game. He's got his work cut out but I'm sure he'll manage it!...