Many free events at Tonbridge Arts Festival....

The Tonbridge Arts Festival is looming now. After over a year of planning the festival will finally kick off on October 15th. I'm looking forward to it. I'm especially looking forward to the events which I'm personally involved in like the Book Fair on Sunday 17th and the Poetry evening with Aoife Mannix at Mojos on Weds 20th (followed by an open mic session) and the Lit Quiz at the Chequers pub the day before where I will be quiz-master, Question Mark, (I thought you'd like that!) for the evening. There's also some other top notch musical events, art exhibitions, interactive art projects and much more. Check out the details in the official programme which you can pick up from various places including Mr. Books Bookshop and Tonbridge libraries. Many of the events are free entry but, in some cases, you still have to book in advance which you can do over the phone on 01732 581010 or in person at Tonbridge central Library on Avebury Avenue. For the paid for events call the Angel Centre Box Office on 01732 359966. Alternatively look at the festival web site

Red Ed and True Blue Tonbridge....

So what does Tonbridge think about Red Ed becoming Labour leader? Will it make any difference in True Blue Tonbridge? Is it good news for David Cameron and his team? Have the Tories anything to fear or are they laughing all the way to the House of Commons Bar? We shall see, time will tell. But one thing's for sure he will appeal to the average voter and especially the younger ones far more than an Old Etonian Bullingdon Club toff (not that I've personally got anything against them you understand I'm just being objective here.)

Good band that Goodship Band....

Blimey I've never seen so many comments as those against the posting about local group The Goodship Band. They must have quite a following. One even talks about throwing her thong at them! What an image! Maybe she's Australian and she's talking at about her flip flops! Anyway I'm now wondering why the band isn't part of the Tonbridge Arts Festival instead of a Phil Collins Tribute Band and the newly revived Bucks Fizz!! The organisers (which by the way includes yours truely) should think about a proper local bands night for next years festival if it's too late for this year. In the meantime if you're reading this Jez and the guys from the band TonbridgeBlog isn't averse to the odd freebie ticket for you next gig. Hint hint....

Bareface or Michael Portillo. That is the Question....

Two possibilities for entertainment tonight. On the one hand I'm on the guest list to see my favourite local band of the moment, Bareface, whose Clash inspired New Punky sounds have been rocking Bank Street and the North of Tonbridge High Street during their rehearsals of late. The gig is at Tunbridge Wells Forum, where I haven't been for about 15 years, days when I could still just about get away with being down with the kids. Then there's the much more sensible option of An Evening with Michael Portillo being held at Tonbridge School. (Where else?!) Being a big fan of the suprisingly entertaining BBC programme, This Week, this presents me with something of a dilema. Bareface? Should I stay or should I go? If I stay there might be trouble, if I go it could be double! Portillo, great speaker, great thinker, probably the best Prime Minister we never had in recent times. Hummmm. Barface. Portillo. Portillo. Barface. What do you reckon?...

Tonbridge organ donation scheme....

I've been sent a letter by Tonbridge parish church asking me if I want to be an organ donor! What the? What are they asking me again? *Does double take and then looks gobsmacked* But it's true they really are and do you know what I may even actually take part in their innovative little scheme. But don't worry Tonbridge Blog's body will remain intact for it is not organs of the meaty variety to which our good companions of Church Lane refer. They have come up with a neat little idea for raising much needed cash for their Church organ (if the penny hadn't dropped) which is apparently in much need of repair. They want a hundred quid from companies to sponsor a pipe! (I'll take the big fat one in the middle please) for which the sponsor gets mentioned in despatches and God looks down upon very favourably for a few years. Sounds like a great deal to me. One which I'm definitely in tune with. You might say it's music to my ears!...

Mayor's Garden Party....

The car park next to Tonbridge Castle, officially known as the Upper Castle Fields Car Park, is closed today and tomorrow for The Mayor's Garden Party, oh how flippin jolly! Come off it it's only on for a couple of hours on Friday isn't it. The council does realise that it's not the Pope coming doesn't it?! Why do all the shoppers and office workers, not to mention the shops in the old part of Tonbridge, have to be inconvenienced by this for two whole days? Do you know the thing that really gets my goat, which really p's me right off? That's right: I didn't get an invite. Again!...

Tonbridge Arts Festival October 14th to 24th....

I'm not going to go on about Tonbridge Arts Festival because I am involved a little in the organizing of it and my West Kent Book Fair is part of the programme of events so it could become boring for some of you but, if you don't know about it yet, you will be hearing more on this blog and in the local press. The festival, which runs from October 15th for ten days, has a web site also where you can see the up to date programme. If performance arts, visual or literary arts are part of what makes you tick you should get involved in some way. Go and see a few of the many events, most of which will be free or low cost entry. It might just inspire you to do some artistic yourselves....

A load of old croc....

I like Crocs! There I've said it and I never thought I would. There must be some part of my brain that resists just following trends and fashions because, as with other things in the past, I resisted the urge to buy some Crocs about four years ago when they first came on the scene. I remember being on holiday in Fowey, Cornwall, at the time and thinking what a great idea they where. A variation on the beech jellies kids always used to wear and sort of laid back and fashionable at the same time. They seemed to capture the very essence of being on a coastal holiday and yet I didn't buy any I suppose because I noticed too many other people had already jumped on the bandwagon and I didn't want ti appear to be copying others. Well this year, mainly due to a wet campsite and having nothing else suitable with me, I thought I'd take the plunge and do you know what they are probably the best pair of casual, dossy shoes I've ever owned. Really comfortable, water proof (well they do let water in the sides but who cares when you're rock pooling or paddling anyway!) they slip on or, when you move the strap around the back, they stay on like sandles, they are so light you hardly notice they're on, they treat your feet nicely with their trade mark "Crosslite" foot bed. In short they are brilliant every day summer footwear. Actually I only mention all this because I notice, quite coincidentally, that Crocs are advertising on, of all places, Tonbridge Blog via google ads. Must be because I mentioned beach holidays and Cornwall and boats and that type of thing in previous posts. I now notice that they have a complete range of clumpy looking shoes, flip flops, boots and sandles just sitting there on their web site waiting for new feet to slide into them! I can feel a second pair coming on....

Home Town....

"Well I never thought I'd still be hanging around my home town." They're talking about Tonbridge of course so it's not all positive but, nevertheless, a great song by local band, The Good Ship Band. Front man, Jez Harley, is a barber in his spare time at Retro Blue but I'm sure would rather be on tour with the band. Maybe if he spent more time away from Tonbridge he'd appreciate it more (just a thought.) The band mixes a sort of folky, bluesy, rocky type sound with some gritty lyrics, or at least that's the impression I get having listened to them on YouTube for all of three minutes. Have a listen and then go to one of their gigs if you get the chance....

Good deed for the day....

Well I've just done my good deed for the day! Somebody left their purse on the bench at the corner of Bank Street and I noticed it sitting their just waiting to be stolen. So I took it upon myself to find out whose it was and, searched through every card and slip of paper, discovered a drivers licence inside with an address on it and managed to contact the owner of the purse who, only a few minutes later, has just collected it and was extremely grateful. (In fact the process was so quick that she didn't even realise that she'd lost it!) During my search for identification I ascertained her name, that she used to attend Hillview School for Girls in Tonbridge, that she'd been to China Whites in London (old promo ticket) that she liked sandwiches (Subway voucher) that she'd been to a concert at the Hop Farm (she saved the ticket) in the summer, that she had a Halifax bank account (card) that she had a lucky penny (one of those flattened ones) that she was a little scatty (but nice) and that she hasn't changed the address on her drivers licence and therefore, technically, is a lawbreaker! All that with just one look through someone's purse! Hercule Poirot eat your heart out and Chloe D**** be more careful in future!...

Local Beers: Taste the difference....

I think I may have mentioned that I revived my life long like for beer (well adult long anyway) at the beer festival held at the rugby club early on in the summer. With over a hundred different beers to choose from from all over the south east who can blame me. I even searched out, such was my new found obsession, a small brewery whilst on holiday called Lizard Ales who had a wonderful golden ale called Frenchman's Creek, named after the Cornish novelist, Daphne Du Maurier's, book by the same name. It's all very well wanting to support your local small breweries but try buying the wonderful, lovingly produced stuff when there isn't a beer festival on though. I don't go down the pub that much these days but I've discovered a liking for bottle conditioned beers which most of these breweries now supply. The trouble is that Sainsbury's and Waitrose only have a very limited number of them on the shelves prefering, for the most part, to stock the big breweries brands. I suppose, in a way, you can't blame them because that's where the bulk of the sales will inevitably come from due to large advertising and marketing budgets etc. but surely there should be more than one choice, out of the many Kent breweries, in each of the main supermarkets of Tonbridge. How do the little guys get a foothold in the market without being available for sale in the bigger outlets? Come on Waitrose and Sainsbury's lets have more and better choice of beers on your shelves with a local bias; every little helps and you really can taste the difference!...

Tonbridge has great Karma....

I like the piece on Tonbridge Insider magazine's Q&A. Elizabeth Dadson, who owns the health and beauty spa Aquavie, provides the focus of attention this month. I'm always impressed when business owners seem to be passionate about what they do as she appears to be and, apart from being quite dishy looking judging by the photo (all that beauty therapy no doubt,) she seems to have her head screwed on and have a fairly thoughtful and philosophical approach to life. Only problem is she commutes from London! Come on Elizabeth get yourself moved to this gloriously tranquil town of ours there's great Karma here!...

No Clark's shoes in Tonbridge?!..

It's come to something when you can't even buy a pair of Clark's shoes in Tonbridge anymore! I've just heard that Peter Newman's shoe shop, long established in the town, went bust earlier this summer. It has been bought out by someone else (possibly from the family my sources say) but alas no Clark's. Why the heck not? That means that Tonbridge school children will have to wear uncomfortable cheap footwear or else be dragged along to Tunbridge Wells or beyond for their decent school shoes. What's the town coming to?! Wish I'd known sooner though as I've always fancied opening another bookshop there called Little Bridge Books. I might have pitched for it....

No Freedom for Tonbridge Sixth formers....

I feel sorry for all those 16 year boys and girls of Tonbridge who are about to start in the sixth form or at colleges. They have got very used to using their Kent Freedom bus passes and now, just as they need it the most, when they feel confident enough to travel further afield without parents interference, they have their cards swiped away from them by Kent County Council! As if that weren't bad enough they can't even buy the equivalent bus pass. If you go to school in Tunbridge Wells and live in Tonbridge, as many do due to the quirks of the school selection policies, you have to buy a four weekly ticket from Arriva (at a cost of £58) which entitles you to travel anywhere in the Tonbridge T. Wells zone but not further North than Hildenborough, and not to Crowborough or Hadlow or East Peckham area. All of which they could do only a few days ago before their passes ran out. If KCC won't extend the scheme to include sixth formers then why can't the bus companies get their heads together and come up with an affordable pass which lets them travel in the same zones as before? I know that councils and big companies move slowly but they have had nearly five years to come up with something!...

Are Tonbridge car drivers getting ripped off at the petrol station?...

The price of petrol has always been a real bugbear of mine. Maybe it's because, at heart, I'm a tight Yorkshireman (by parentage at least) but, ever since I've been old enough to drive, I've noticed the differences in prices from one petrol station to another, from one area to another. There never seems to be any logic to it. For example up in my home town area around North East Lincolnshire there are several major oil refineries on the Humber Bank nearby so you might therefore expect the price to be lower; actually it's usually significantly higher. Now according to a certain Gordon Hill who has been in contact with TonbridgeBlog it seems that Tonbridge is one of the worse hit towns when it comes to the price at your pump. Think about it: 5p difference per litre equals two quid every fill up. Some motorway service stations charge well over 10p more than the usual price. With petrol prices pushing £1.20 a litre that's no joke. Why do we put up with it? Because we're naive? because we have to? because it's more convenient not to go out of our way? Who knows but it could be time for Tonbridge motorists to make a stand....