Saying goodbye to Our Enry....

Farewell to Our Enry

Brucie just can't stop those feet dancing

I've been sent some lovely photos from Our enry's funeral taken outside the church after the private family service. You may have seen quite a few similar ones in the local, and indeed national, papers over the last couple of weeks but these, I think, have a much more intimate look about them. Thanks very much for these (you know who you are!)


Some sporting greats in attendance





Postie John snaps Kevin Keegan



Tonbridge Half Marathon Training.... A bit of physio...

So I've got a calf strain and I've reached home, done my cool down stretch exercises as normal, eaten a bowl of fruit and fibre, rested and then taken a nice relaxing warm radox bath and had a lovely long soak. (something I very seldom do these days, normally preferring a shower.) So what should I have done? From my knowledge and research on the subject of calf strains I should have not tried to run on it at all at the first sign of a strain, which in my case would have been less than a mile into my run, gone home, rested the muscle, put an ice pack on the injured area, compressed it, and then raised it up above heart level. What nurses and physios call the PRICE or RICE method of recovery. I do feel compelled at this point to point out that I'm no doctor or medical expert so don't go suing Tonbridge Blog if you're mad enough to end up following this advice. What I definitely should NOT have done is continue to run on the injury, massaged the area and also I shouldn't have had a warm bath. However lovely it was at the time it was only ever going to aid the blood flow to the injured area and cause more swelling to the muscle, thus having the opposite effect of putting an ice pack on. Of course those soothing glasses of wine later in the evening would also have been a complete no no as they would have also aided blood flow and possibly increased the swelling (But how was I to know!) The other thing I've discovered along the way is that there are at least two decent web sites on the subject of sports injuries. There's the Physio Room, which does try to sell you equipment from ads and recommended partners but, along the way, seems to offer some impartial advice. Similarly the Bupa web site has a good section about coping with running injuries and how to prevent them. I was impressed anyway. I'm now going to nip down to the new look Christopher Hull Sports shop in Tonbridge to check out what sort of compression calf supports they have in stock. Or I might go for that professional looking one on the Physio Room's online shop. One way or the other I will get some training in so that I can take part in the Tonbridge Half Marathon and, what's more, put in a half decent time. You see I have what it takes: a positive mental attitude. If only it would tell my legs that!....

Tonbridge Half Marathon Training: Achilles Heels....

My training for the Tonbridge Half Marathon have been dealt a major blow. Not literally, but metaphorically, my Achilles heel has got me again. Calf strain has struck. To be honest I live in fear of the possibility of straining particularly my right calf every time I go out for a run these days. Cardiovascularly (if indeed that's a word) I am in not too bad shape having already got in around half a dozen seven mile training sessions, cycling to work more often than not, walking and canoeing. The really frustrating thing then was, when I went out for my Sunday morning run, I didn't do anything a whole lot different to my usual build up. I ate a banana for sustained energy, drank a mug of tea, attached heart rate monitor, did some stretches and started my run at pretty much jogging pace until I reached Quarry Hill and gently strode down towards Tonbridge railway station. Towards the bottom of the hill, very early in my run, I started to feel slight shooting pains in my lower leg. Actually I often get this and usually just slow down a little until I run it off. Only this time it wasn't going to be ran off so easily. I continued past the station and round the cycle paths alongside the river and park all the time feeling very wary of my leg. I know that my body still isn't used to running and I am not as young as I once was, but I was only going a little over jogging pace at this point so how could it be pulling my muscles? I struggled on with lower leg feeling very tight on past Tonbridge School and around London Road, cutting back in at the school's sports centre entrance. I was worried at this point that my slight calf strain would turn into a full-on tear so I stopped to do some more stretch exercises and massaged the affected area. It felt a little easier after this but I knew that the other 5 or so miles I still had to do would be a struggle to just get round at all. I slowed the pace right down and reached the Slade. At this point I felt a cramp in my calf which was severe enough for me to decide to walk rather than jog. I thought that this would ease the knotted calf muscle but, alas, it was too late and all I could do was walk on. So I did up to the railway bridge at the back of the park and then tried to jog a bit more. Same tight sensation so walked again. I repeated this a few times, knowing in my heart of hearts that this was probably the wrong course of action but I still wanted to find out if I could run through the injury. I managed to walk the rest of my route feeling, all the while, deeply frustrated and angry that I couldn't get going. I was willing but my body was letting me down. So I went home, sulked and rested it for a bit before having a soothing radox bath. I now discover that this was entirely the wrong thing to do if I wanted to aid recovery. I've read up on this particular injury as its been dogging me now for several years and is the principal reason I've come to fear running any kind of distance. More to come....

Pitty end of the stick!....

Well isn't that just typical. Not so long ago Tonbridge had Pauline Querk and that fella off The Bill who played Rob Carver filming the TV series Missing while Tunbridge Wells gets massive A-lister and Hollywood heart throb, Brad Pitt, who will be filming in the not so glamouress derelict building that used to be Morrisons this summer according to reports....

Closure of Libararies. Child abuse?....

Whilst I wouldn't agree with writer Alan Bennett's comment that denying access to books by closing down libraries is "child abuse" I do sort of understand what he's getting at. In an age where children find it easier to just go on their computers and probably games, facebook and the thousands of other distractions available books are taking second, third and often even tenth place. Many children, it seems, these days only read the books they are force-fed at school; but is this enough? That's one issue but Bennett points to another fact that there are still a third of all households in the UK who don't have access to the internet. Hard to believe but apparently true. So the children in those housholds have little or no access to literature other than through their school and libraries. Isn't it crucial that we hold on to these quiet and more importantly FREE sources of knowledge and encourage young people to use them? I would certainly agree with Mr. Bennett on that but I would stop short of accusing the government of paedophilia! Good headline grabber though....

Reasons to be Beerful! Part Two....

Brewer Simon at the Pantiles Festival with some bottled delights

Still with the Pantiles Food Festival I bumped into Simon Lewis who is the founder and owner of Royal Tunbridge Wells Brewing Company who produce such delights as Dipper and Sovereign beers in both cask and bottles. I've done a taste test before and especially like the best bitter which I think is called simply Royal.http://www.royaltunbridgewellsbrewing.co.uk/ The brewery is one of the many micro breweries which are springing up all over the country. Made possible by new technology the wave is a fabulous backlash to the mass produced blandness of some of the big brewery brands. If you like your beer, and I fully confess that I do, then sampling some of these wherever you travel around the country can give added pleasure and interest to your tour!

Foodies' dream at the Pantiles....

Well I did go to the Pantiles Food Festival and it was well worth the short trip to Tunbridge Wells. The range of the food produce available really was quite incredible. Everything from olives to Indian snacks, to nuts, beers, wines, frogs legs and snails (oh yes) breads, sausages, preserves I could go on ad infinitum but suffice it to say you name the food and there was a sample of it there. Couple that with one of the best kitchen shops I've ever been to with Trevor Motram and you have a foodies' dream. The festival certainly attracted a large crowd on Sunday as I hear it also did on the Saturday. The Pantiles is a great venue for such an event, especially on such a lovely sunny weekend, but surely something around Tonbridge Castle and maybe the parish church could be equally special. Does our council have the will and the imagination to pull it off though?...

Thousands of visitors flocked to the festival

Food Festival....

I might nip along to the upstart daughter town (Tunbridge Wells) and take a look at the Pantiles Food Festival tomorrow. It's getting quite a bit of publicity in the local press so it could be worth the short drive over the border! I'll let you know how good it is and how much money I managed to spend. My taste buds are starting to water at the very thought of it. Why can't we have a Food Festival here in Tonbridge around the Castle grounds for example?....

Farewell Our Enry....

I hear that there were a host of stars at Our Enry's funeral the other day right here in Lions Crescent, Tonbridge. Kevin Keegan, Jimmy Tarbuck, Booby Charlton, Barry McGuiggan, Bruce Forsyth, Pat Jennings, Des Lynam to name just a few. I decided not to go and stalk the church like a paparazzi photographer but, predictably, the tabloids did so have a look if you want to....

More from the exciting world of twitter....

Here's some more of your comments on twitter today about Tonbridge zzzzzzzzz
@lululation Any chance you could get a train to Tonbridge?

Does anyone in Tonbridge suffer slow broadband speed? I have good news for you! This from @ClaireCromie  who just happens to be chief reporter on The Kent and Sussex Courier (remind me not to buy it!)

Just entered the Tonbridge Half Marathon (25 September). Feels good to have a fitness goal again. Thanks for that from @AstroEmz

Lorry drivers accused of chucking porno mags from their truck windows in Tonbridge.. says @RTM_JoBourke  (actually that one's quite good, Ed.)

"apparently everyone in tonbridge has a mullet" comments @lewisgrunfeld  Cheeky sod I've had mine cut off!

A touch of the Tate Modern in Tonbridge....

Treat yourself to a visit to the Angel Centre where you'll find a distinct flavour of the Tate Modern right here in Tonbridge. The art exhibition is from the work of foundation degree students at K College (formerly West Kent College) and will be on display until May 31st. It's a real treat to see this kind of work, especially if you're not expecting it and it's free entry. If you feel particularly moved by them you can even buy one. Some of the work is really quite eye catching and innovative. The dressing table and the coats especially though do raise the age old question of what actually constitutes art (but then, surely, that in itself is part of the point) but others I found quite striking and thought provoking. Go and see for yourselves....

Pawnography in Tonbridge....

Is it a sign of the times when the modern equivalent of the old pawn brokers arrives in town. Cash Converters have been steadily expanding on the back of the recession and inevitably, rather like the Black Death, they've arrived in our town. This shop used to be a designer menswear shop called Klan (remember) and the shop unit has been vacant for at least two years if not longer. I thought about opening my shop there but decided that the rent was far too high to justify it. Seems that there's far more money in pawn broking than there is in old books!...

Seussical the Musical comes to Mr. Books!...

It's not everyday that a pretty red head wanders into Mr. Books shop in Bank Street, and today was no exception! The floppy young character was of course part of Tonbridge's scarecrow trail, held over the May Bank Holiday and, in this case was promoting Hillview School's production of Suessical The Musical based on the famous Dr. Seuss books. By the way the two blond ladies in the picture were staff from Hillview who'd been sent out to take the wayward truant girl back to school. I tell you you never know who'll turn up next in this job!...

Tonbridge Civic Society AGM....

The Tonbridge Civic Society AGM is at the Angel Centre (Riverside Suite) on Tuesday. If you get there early enough then there'll be a glass or three of wine, or coffee and tea if you prefer. The business proceedings are never my favourite bit of the evening but I suppose they're a useful and necessary way of summing up the year of the society. Afterwards, so I understand it, they will be a short slide show of photos of some of the many fun events and trips from the last twenty years, so a chance for members to reminisce....

Going Potty?...

People have been making pots of one description or another for thousands of years but, until Monday, I have never had a go so a big thank you to Mike Evans who very kindly gave me a demonstration and, more importantly, let me have a go on his potters wheel. Mike will be part of Open Studios in early June (see last posting) and showed great patience with, it has to be said, a pretty ham-fisted me the other day. I must admit though I was expecting it to be a lot worse than it was and at least the clay wasn't splatting all over the walls and ceiling of Mike's workshop. I managed to make a couple of nice rustic looking bowls, which I've yet to see finished as they have to be fired and glazed and all that malarkey first, so I'll be able to see the fruits of my toil. There is more to pottery than I ever thought but, on a very basic level, I learnt quite a bit even in the hour and a half I spent in Mike's studio on Shipbourne Road. Mike used to be a soft ware engineer and a part time potter, now he's a full time potter and an occasional soft ware engineer. In fact he designed and keeps running the Kent Potters Association web site which looks pretty professional to me. If I had the time I would consider investing in some gear and getting started myself I enjoyed it so much. I'll be writing more about my experience at the potter's wheel in the July issue of The Tonbridge Insider so look out for that. If anyone wants to see Mike in action then look him up in the Open Studios guide. If you really get the taste for it then there are courses available at the Adult Education centre in Avebury Avenue and, probably, at K College....

Open Studios in Tonbridge....

For those who don't know it South East Open Studios starts on June 3rd and runs through until the 19th. There are quite a few artists in the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells area who, almost literally, fling open their doors to allow members of the public to see them at work, see their art and, hopefully, even buy some of it. Pick up the guide book to see who's where and check the times they allow visitors and go along; they are free and available from places like the library, Tourist Info Office, Angel Centre and all over town. It's such a simple idea and yet so brilliant. I shall be going to see as many as I can fit in in the immediate area and perhaps further afield as well. It's a really great opportunity to see the painters, potters, sculptors, photographers, designers (does that cover everything?) at work.....

Book Bores....

Farnham Malting impressive frontage

Just because the people of Tonbridge aren't queueing up every day outside Mr. Books to buy the latest James Patterson of a first edition of Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene it doesn't mean that I can't sell any books you know. There's always this thing they call the interweb and the there's the more pleasant,  traditional ways such as book fairs. In fact only last Sunday I exhibited at the Farnham book fair, held in the wonderful Farnham Maltings building which, as the name suggests, is an old maltings which has been converted into an arts centre and general venue for largeish events. About fifty booksellers all crowded together to to flog their weird and wonderful wares and bore each other to tears about how they missed that near fine (that's bookseller jargon) signed copy of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children which they'd seen at a boot fair for twenty quid (in their dreams!) and how e books are slowly killing the book trade. Great way to spend a Sunday though amongst like minded people. Keeps me off the streets at least and I managed to make enough money to feed the family for another week or so!...

To Switch (Your Energy supplier) or not to switch. That is the question....

Is it just me or is it a nightmare trying to find out how to save money on your energy bills. It's such a tedious process that I'm left wondering if it is deliberately so. It seems that the gas and electricity suppliers rely on customers either not being bothered to switch to another company or else being so baffled by the various tariffs that they don't know whether or not they'll be better off. Confused? I certainly was but it's certainly worth pursuing because the savings aren't minuscule by any means. If you are on EDF's standard tariff, as I am, then it seems that the savings can be as much as £400 a year just for taking out one of their basic contracts and paying by monthly direct debit instead of quarterly! Not to be sniffed in these hard times. That would pay for a few meals on holiday, perhaps even pay for a holiday if you're camping. If you switch to British Gas or one of the other suppliers the savings might be even greater. The thing is EDF don't make much of an effort to tell you about this and, if you're busy then the chances are you don't even know what tariff you are on. It seems that you get practically nothing for being a loyal customer these days (surely the opposite should be true and you should get the best treatment and prices) so you may as well be promiscuous and start switching or, at least threatening to do so. All I'm saying is do yourself a favour and invest an hour or so of you time and you could save quite a chunk of money. Don't and you definitely won't....

Farewell to Our 'enry....

As most people in Tonbridge know Henry Cooper, Our 'enry, died after a long illness on May 1st. It's always a terrible tragedy and a reminder of our own mortality when somebody as high profile as this dies. I'd have liked to have met him, and indeed had his biography in my bookshop waiting for him to wander in one day, have a chat about the day he decked Mohammed Ali, then sign his book personally to me. But alas it wasn't to be. I understand that friends and family will be saying farewell to the great man tomorrow at Corpus Christi church. I'm sure Tonbridge will be host to some boxing and sporting greats. Maybe Kevin Keegan will be there to say splash it all over for the last time....

Any Man City fans in Tonbridge?

Can't think that there'll be too many Man City fans dancing in the streets of Tonbridge tonight but well done anyway guys. Does the FA Cup have the same meaning as it did when I were a lad though? I had a flashback earlier to the days when me and my big brother would go to the corner shop to buy a bottle of shandy and a packet of Bovril crisps each to prepare for the big match. (it was part of our little routine to get us in the mood.) Oh yes we were happier in those days though we were poor! Maybe it still is the same if you're still young but I honestly can't see how it can be any more what with all the foreign players and the huge sums of money slushing around....

The exciting world of twitter....

What Tonbridge people are tweeting about today:  "in tonbridge and so tempted to have a KC's hahaha" says @louiseturriff

Afternoon swim with my daughter (@ Tonbridge Swimming Pool) says @Rob_Shoard

 swallows are nesting already, haven't spotted them in Tonbridge yet. says @thelangleyhotel

Charity shops in tonbridge have done me proud today. #bargain  declares @hattygordon

Beautiful morning in tonbridge... The birds have got their #tweet on! observes @SophieBohanan

And those are the best ones! I think I'll start following them all....

Comment moderation....

By the way comment moderation is on for posts over 90 days old so if you want your views to be immediately seen then it's better to post your comments on more recent posts. Comment moderation just means that I have to see the comment first and then approve it, which can mean a delay in comments being up on the site. It is mainly to avoid annoying internet spam, which usually directs readers to unsavoury web sites, from infiltrating Tonbridge Blog....

The dangers of blogging!...

I loved that joke on The Stewart Lee Comedy Vehicle the other night about the Rapper called Ironik who was a big fan of Twitter. He tweeted that he'd bought a diamond necklace, then he tweeted that he'd got a taxi home, then he tweeted he'd arrived at his appartment building, then he was mugged when he put the key in the door. He got to know the meaning of his name if not the correct spelling! It's something all bloggers and twitterers should take note of. Anyway I've got to go now as I need to get to the the Nat West Bank to make sure I get my week's takings in before it closes. I'll let you know when I get there!...

How any good book shop should look....

Bookshop Iraqi style

And people say Mr. Books shop is messy!....

Stirring up a stink....

Apparently there's one 'ell of a pong across Tonbridge at the moment. It's not the stink of corruption, of match fixing or anything of that nature but a real live, get up yer nose stink. Many have complained about this pen and ink before with the odd passing comments on Tonbridge Blog but I've never been bothered enough to put pen (and ink) to paper about it. Why? Well, to tell the truth, I've never actually caught the smell of it before. (maybe I have a perculiar sense of smell or something!) Apparently it's a sweet perfumy type smell which can be rather annoying and persistent once you get a whiff of it. The source of the odorous problem seems to be from Drytec, a contract drying company which produces chemical fragrances, based in Morley Road which, admittedly, is on the edge of the town but really is pretty much in the Town Centre or it may as well be as the nature of pongs is that they do tend to drift in a windward direction. The residents of the Lions Crescent and East Street area do seem to be at the wrong end of it more often than not but it has been smelt as far as Quarry Hill and beyond. Environment Health are aware of the problem so, it seems fairly safe to assume that there isn't a significant health risk but it still doesn't get round the problem of the terrible whiff in the air. If you, unlike me, have a problem with these smells drifting over your home or workplace then let's hear your thoughts and views below. If you feel strong enough about it there is a number at Environmental Health you can ring which is 01732 844522 or contact them by email jacqui.rands@tmbc.gov.uk or alternatively crispin.kennard@tmbc.gov.uk  go on have your say....

I do like to be beside the seaside....

Strolling along the prom

Had a bit of a working weekend so not a great deal to say other than the Whitstable Book Fair was very pleasant, in the lovely setting of Whitstable Castle right by the sea. I could smell the fresh sea air drifting through the windows of the castle and felt rather jealous, for much of the day, of all the families sitting having picnics in the grounds of the castle and near the beach while I toiled away trying to sell books. The fair itself wasn't particularly lucrative although just about worth getting out of bed at 6-30 for. I did manage to snatch an hour afterwards before driving home to have a walk down to the harbour, past all the wonderfully colourful beach huts which the town is famous for. Having been brought up on the coast it does rather stay in your blood so, in a sense, it was nice to be "home." I wouldn't mind one of those huts right on the edge of the beach but they are a bit on the pricey side. I looked them up yesterday and they can be as much as £25,000. Yes that's right; for a wooden hut with no bedroom or toilet! As they say it's the location that counts. The harbour itself looks to have been developed into a bit of a yuppies paradise with smart quayside bars and restaurants selling freshly caught seafood. I didn't have time to stay to eat on Sunday but made a mental to come back with the family sometime soon. It was a hot day so I treated myself to a well deserved ice cream and sat on the pebbles watching the evening sun go down and the boats go by. Just for those few brief minutes it felt like being on holiday....

Whitstable Castle and grounds

Tonbridge: A Woodstock of the mind?...

The Hay on Wye Festival has a new sponsor this year: The Daily Telegraph, taking over from the Guradian who sponsored it for at least ten years before. I'm not sure how that will go down with the middle class, left of centre, Guardian reading, right-on, flowery wellie brigade, who comprise quite a large contingent of the Hay audience, but I for one will be sad not to be there this year. There's bound to be the usual array of stars from the literary world all there to do talks to help promote their books to a very receptive audience. Increasingly there are also stars from the music world doing evening concerts and top comedians doing special Hay gigs. In addition there'll be many trade stands all keen to tap into this fairly affluent and opinion forming group of people. But for me the Hay Festival is much more than this, far greater than the sum of it's parts. Bill Clinton famously described it as a "Woodstock of the mind" Tony Benn said that "In his mind it has replaced Christmas" and playwright Arthur Miller was more jovial by asking "Hay on Wye. Is that some kind of a sandwich?" You'll find politicians, actors, writers, poets, comedians, businessmen, children, grandchildren, grown ups and grand parents from all over the country, and many from overseas, all mingling together in a gloriously relaxed, thought provoking atmosphere. A giant cocktail of culture all in one tiny little complex. And if all that's not enough, a short hop away from the tented village of the festival there's Hay on Wye, the town itself, nestling in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons and beautiful Black Mountains of Wales with over forty secondhand bookshops satisfying every taste. I'm aware that I'm beginning to sound like a tourist brochure in saying all this but believe you me it really is that good. My first visit there, about eight years ago, was certainly a major influence in my setting up a bookshop and book fairs in Tonbridge.  If you're not doing anything at the end of May and early June go along there for a few days and open up your minds. I guarantee that you'll want to go every year just like I do. But sadly not this year so maybe I'll have to create a Woodstock of the mind right here in Tonbridge instead!...

Thanks Mr. Clegg it was nothing!...

Actually I really mean it; it was nothing. I mean I did nothing and still Nick Clegg saw fit to send me a thank you letter. The Lib Dems might well have taken my advice and done absolutely nothing themselves in the run up to the elections and referendum on voting change. Let's face it they couldn't have done any worse! Is entering this Coalition starting to really backfire on his party? Will they ever recover? At a time when people are wondering if they'll have a job this time next year or whether they'll be able to provide for their own families. Wasn't this possibly the worse moment he could ever have chosen to have a referendum on electoral reform? Apologies to those not in the slightest bit interested. Tonbridgeblog doesn't often do politics so you'll have to forgive me.

Dear Mark,

I wanted to get in touch immediately to thank everyone who has worked so hard in the elections. This was always going to be a challenging time. For the first time in most of our memories we were fighting as a party of Government – and a government dealing with the economic mess Labour left us in.
But there is no getting away from the fact that this has been a bad set of results - both the election results for the Liberal Democrats and the referendum outcome. I am certainly deeply disappointed. I know many of you are too. I am especially disappointed that so many hardworking and dedicated councillors, MSPs, AMs and campaigners have lost their seats.
I think it is clear that we need to do more to show people in the party and beyond what we are doing in Government and, perhaps more importantly, why. Because we are achieving a great deal. The BBC estimates that we are implementing 75% of the policies of in our manifesto, compared to just 60% of the Conservative manifesto.
Of course, as Liberal Democrats, we are all bitterly disappointed that the referendum on the Alternative Vote has been lost. We will always remain passionate supporters of reform. But we must respect the will of the British people. This time, we were unable to convince them of the merits of this particular change.
We've taken a knock. But I know from experience how resilient we are as a party. For my entire life, people have sought to write off the Liberal Democrats but we've always defied the critics and bounced back. We'll do so again. We'll get back up, we'll dust ourselves down and we'll get on with what we have to do. We have gone into a Coalition Government in the interests of the country. We have a mountain to climb to bring back prosperity, jobs and hope to Britain. But it is a job we've started and it is a job we will finish. And to do it, we’ll need your help and support.

Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Let it Rain....

I never thought I'd hear myself say this but I WISH IT WOULD RAIN! Yes that's right and I'm sure farmers all over Kent would agree with me. I know the sunny weather is nice if you want to sit on the patio drinking Chardonay or if you want to have a day out at a theme park or something. It was all very glorious for the Royal Wedding last weekend but enough's enough. I bought some nice shrubs from Notcutts (as reported a few weeks ago on this blog) and it hasn't rained properly ever since. I'm sick of having to water them every evening and would like the great God of Rain to help me out a little. My problem is of course miniscule next to that of the farmers who must have to have very large watering cans indeed! So let it rain, rain down, cats n dogs, pour down from the heavens. Perhaps if we all do a rain dance all at the same time we might see the clouds open up....

Talk at Tonbridge Library....

Every so often the Tonbridge central library hold talks by up and coming, and sometimes famous, authors. I'm not quite sure where Peter Lovesey fits in on this scale but he is at the library on Wednesday 18th (which is my brother's birthday incendentally) at 7pm. There is a small charge of £2 but I'm sure that crime fiction fans will think it's worth it. There will be free wine and steak sandwiches and he'll be signing copies of his new book Stagestruck after the talk. (Obviously I made that bit up, the bit about the free wine and sandwiches; just wanted to see if you were still paying attention!)

Tonbridge Insider May Issue out now....

And what's more it's free! If you don't receive your copy you can always view it online like a virtual magazine (all very clever stuff!)

Election Fever strikes Tonbridge Again!...

As I sit here listening to my favourite radio programme of the week (Prime Minister's Questions live from the House of Commons) I am struck by the lack of interest there seems to be among the people of Tonbridge about tomorrow's local elections and, even less so, about the referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV.) Very few customers in my shop have even mentioned it over the last week or so. Turn out is expected to be as low as 25%. That's only a quarter of those eligible to vote are likely to be bothered enough to even turn up at the polling booth which is usually within easy walking distance. If you stop to consider this then it's rather shameful. I won't start preaching about how people died in order to get the vote in this country and how they still do in other countries. I won't talk about the value of democracy and the freedom which that gives us all. I won't mention any of that stuff about the Suffragettes' struggle to get the vote for women (still less than 90 years ago; it took a world war to finally achieve it.) No I won't go on about any of that! It can't be that difficult can it. Go to the polling station, put a cross in a couple of boxes, walk away and get on with your day. It really is that easy. It's usually quite an uplifting experience; you get that smug feeling inside like you have done your bit. In your own small way you have influenced the outcome. Whichever way you feel about politics go and vote, even if it's just to officially abstain at least exercise your right. At least then you can moan about it down the pub with the knowledge that you tried to do something about it....

Herons on the Medway....

Well I did it on Friday. I refused to be sucked into the media mania about the Royal Wedding and paddled off down the river in my new canoe. No offence to their royalnesses but sitting in front of a TV watching choirs sing and people waving flags just wasn't for me and, in any case, there were bound to be constant TV re-runs later in the day as indeed proved to be the case. Now I have canoed a little bit in the past but it had been a while so I opted to test my new toy out first by going around the so-called park loop. I wanted to make sure that it was safe (and most importantly didn't leak) before being more adventurous and sailing off downstream. Even around the park, which I have known so well for over 20 years now, you can get that feeling of being all alone and in the wild; this is especially so because the steep banks don't allow you to be able to see across the fields. You are suddenly confronted with obstacles such as over hanging branches and the occasional other craft. In fact not long into my epic voyage I had to shout ahoy (actually more like oi!!) very loudly to a large barge called Abigail which was coming around the bend in the river at the far end of the park. Luckily I'd remembered that you go on the right hand side of the river so I managed to avoid an early disaster. It was a close shave though I have to say. I paddled on as far as the bridge before the flood barrier and then back towards where the barges and house boats are moored alongside Barden Road then around by the weir and back towards the castle and the slipway next to the swimming pool. After an hour and a half and a quick coffee from my flask it would have been sensible to have called it a day for a first time out. But my appetite for adventure was quickly coming back to me and I just had to sail on.
Feeling more confident in my craft I now pushed out and climbed aboard Tallulah, as I've decided to call her. Tallulah in Native American means "Leaping Water" so the name seemed seemed appropriate (if a little dramatic for the Medway.) Not far from the slipway I approached the Big Bridge were where I couldn't help but notice the bunting hanging outside the Castle Inn; I also got a blast off Beyonce's "...should have put a ring on it...." and wondered how many other wedding-related records the DJ had managed to scrape from the bottom of the barrel. Luckily I was soon past this last bit of civilisation as the Town Lock was fast approaching. I'd been looking forward to going down the fish gate which I'd heard all about. These clever little inventions allow fish to swim up so that they can breed up river and, more importantly for me, they mean that you don't have to get out of your vessel to carry it around the lock gate as they are wide enough for a canoe and designed for the purpose. I was a little nervous about going down and especially since a man on the quayside said that he wanted to watch some one (I think he probably thought: some fool) go down. However within a few seconds I was down the other side, still afloat and relieved that the next obstacle was Eldridge's Lock quite some way down steam. Soon I'd be under Canon Lane Bridge and out into open countryside. Beyond that point the river becomes a little narrower and calmer except for the occasional gust of wind as Friday was a little on the blowy side. By this time I was starting to relax and really get into my stroke which meant that I could start to enjoy being surrounded by all that beauty. I couldn't believe that it had taken me this long of living in Tonbridge to explore the very river which had given the town it's life for over a thousand years, crazy really if you think about it. Canoeing, I soon discovered, is a peaceful way of getting around as well, you hear very little except for the occasional bird, a buz of an insect or a leaping fish and, of course the constant gentle noise of your own paddle and boat as it gently glides through the water. I did have a couple of scarey moments though when I nearly capsized getting back aboard after Eldridges Lock and then going down the quite steep fish gate at Porters Lock when I took in a fairly large gush of water but, by and large, I felt safe and stable. I was feeling well pleased with Tallulah on her first outing. After Porter's Lock I phoned through to my support vehicle (my wife) and issued instructions for her to meet me at Hartlake Bridge, where I knew that there was a canoe platform. Somewhere along that stretch of the river I noticed the best sight of the day. A huge bird flying low just over the river with a wing span almost as wide as the river was at that point. It was a Heron. I didn't even know that they were common enough to see one that easily but there was no mistaking it as, just further down stream, I saw it only twenty yards away standing on the bank. It looked just like one of those wooden ones which people buy to put next to their pond but this one suddenly and dramatically decided to take off and continue its majestic flight. By the time my wife helped me up at Hartlake Bridge I realised that I'd been canoeing for well over five hours; and it had seemed like nothing such was my enjoyment of this new experience of seeing Tonbridge from a different perspective. Once the canoe was safely strapped on the top of the car I could reflect on a day which had certainly been enjoyable, active and (almost) totally Royal Wedding free....

Comment about the weekend news below....

If anyone wants to comment about anything that was in the news this weekend from the local flower arrangers club meeting to the assasination of Bin Laden then you can do so below. Go on get something of yer chest right now....