Half a £billion on car parking fines!...

After Tonbridge Blog's recent lapse into praising the council, in the interest of a balanced view, it might be worth looking at how councils across the country have now gone over the half a £billion mark for revenues raised from parking charges (yes that's right BILLION.) If you don't believe me look at this Telegraph report. In fact it might even be worse than that since this figure, if you examine the figures closer, may be the surplus after costs incurred in collecting the charges. Now, okay, Tonbridge isn't the most expensive place to park but, let's be honest, it's still high enough to put motorists off when there are other towns with more shops not that far off. Some of the charges in other towns and cities really will make your eyes water though if you read the report. I've said this before but I'll say it once more. The council should try to encourage trade into Tonbridge with free parking or, at least, not fine people for over staying. If the emphasis is not on collecting fines then why not go back to the infinitely more sensible method of paying for the time you've stayed as you're leaving. Just like nearly all car parks used to be like and many, like some in Maidstone, still are. As a trader in the town you hear time and time again from customers that they have to go because their parking ticket is running out. Off they dash without spending money in the bookshops, cafes and boutiques! Still at least it looks like we're in for some sunny weather....

The Aussies Are in Town....

Here's one for sports fans and the ladies. A hunky guy just walked into Mr. Books saying how impressed he was with the Olympic themed widow display. He was wearing a track suit top and had an Aussie accent going on so it didn't take a genius to work out that he might be something to do with the Australian Olympic team. Only turns out that he was a certain Joshua (Josh to his mates) Ross who has been the Aussie 100 metres champion many years running. Yep, that's correct, you heard me, right here in rainy old Tonbridge.  So I asked him what he thought his chances were against Usain Bolt and the rest of the Jamaicans and Americans. He said his PB (that's personal best to you non athletics fans!) is 10.08 seconds. That's easily as fast as Mel Gibson in the film Gallipoli but, just those few fractions of a second, will probably mean that he'll be pleased to make the semi finals and ecstatic if he gets through to the final. Seemed like a nice bloke to me and I've promised to tell him where the best boozers are (for after his events of course.) Good luck Josh I'll be cheering for you when I see you run, provided your not up aginst one of Team GB of course. And ladies check this out on the official Olympic web site. I'm sure there'll be a few more of the team around town. I doubt whether many of them will be in Spoons though on Friday night so you might have to go and try and catch a glimpse of them at the running track which will be their training base for the next few weeks. Meantime I'll be walking around trying my best to hold the beer gut in!...

Olympic Torch Comes To Tonbridge....

Peter Ellis of Tonbridge Community Films sent me this link to yesterday's torch bearing event. So, if you missed the live event of the making of the Legend of Saint Kelly and the Olympic Flame, which will be told for ever more in Tonbridge and Hildenborough, I hope you enjoy the edited highlights....

Saint Kelly and the Olympic Flame....

I've just returned from seeing the Olympic Torch and the Flame being lit at the Castle. It was all a bit hastily arranged by the council but actually they did a half decent job of it. The Castle wall turned out to be the perfect setting for showing the torch from up high sort of Olympic styley and it worked. Quite a sizeable crowd had gathered around the bridge and the Watergate for the hope of a glimpse at the legendary flame and the even more legendary Dame Kelly Holmes who was instrumental in bringing the torch to Tonbridge. We were truely honoured with an appearance by Tonbridge MP Sir John Stanley and Gregg Clark (who'd been allowed over the border from Tunbridge Wells!) We had a speech from the new Mayor of Tonbridge and, I think it was 'er off the TV, Caddie Lee Preston, although I couldn't be sure from a distance doing the time filling in bit before the, delayed in traffic, torch actually arrived. Then Kelly came down among us to show us the flame closer up. No doubt, in the process, breaking every 'ealth n safety rule in the book! That she will be one day be renamed Saint Kelly of Tonbridge and Hildenborough seems beyond doubt. And the legend of Saint Kelly and the Olympic Flame shall be told for ever more! I never thought I'd see myself writing this but I am forced to say: well done Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council for pulling this off. (and it didn't even hurt that much to say it!!)

Olympic Torch in Tonbridge latest....

Olympic Torch updates....

News of the Olympic Torch making a guest appearance in Tonbridge is so hot off the virtual press that the council's web site cannot even tell us what time it will be here. Watch this link for updates. What we do know is that it will be sometime on Tuesday and probably in or around the Castle. Should be quite an event and even at short notce it's sure to draw quite a crowd....

Anyone remember John Creig's shop?...

Thanks to the comment from Alandal who pointed out to me what I'd missed in the 1938 Kelly's Directory that 142 High Street, now Mr. Books of course, was a stationers called John Creig. In fact I've been told by some of my customers that Creigs was a bookshop and stationers right up to the late 1950s. After that I think it became Featherstone's, also a stationer. So you see I'm simply carrying on a tradition....

Olympic Torch here on Tuesday....

The Olympic Torch is coming to Tonbridge on Tuesday. Well Hallelujah! Bit of an after thought but at least that wrong has been put right. It seems we have Dame Kelly to thank for this. A headache for the Leisure services team at the council to organise something in three days I'm sure but the rest of the town, not least the traders should all benefit....

Reasons to be Beerful: Part Two....

I was wondering yesterday evening who would come with me to the mini beer fest in TJ's Rugby club (replacing the cancelled one in the marquee) when in walked my son about 8-30 last night. In a flash it came to me. He's 18 now so about time he was introduced to the delights of a real pint. A quick spruce up, change of shirt and off we went down to the clubhouse walking, obviously, right across Tonbridge in search of hop heaven. Well I'm not sure we found it with our first two choices of Shere Drop, a best bitter by Surrey Hills Brewery, or the very flowery, but lovely, Foundry Man's Gold. We did get pretty close though with our last choice of Hopspur, described in the programme as 4.5% Premium Bitters- Amber ale, citrus fruit, chewy biscuit sticky sweetness. A right treat for your taste buds is how I'd descibe it. The mini festival continues today at the club with a further choice of beers available. Think I might just be stopping off there on my way home this evening!...

Stop Press on Beer Fest...

Unconfirmed reports are coming through that there is, after all, to be a beer festival of sorts. As Tonbridge Blog understands it the event is to be moved partially inside the rugby clubhouse. There won't be anything like the same number of beers on offer at any one time as that wouldn't be possible given the space and the time they've had to turn things round. It will be tonight and from lunchtime tomorrow (Sat.) A great shame that the main event isn't happening but at least something has been salvaged. Just hope that my Skrimshander ends up being one of the guest beers. Apologies to readers who really don't care whether or not the event goes ahead and that I've become obsessed with that coppery, chocolatey undernoted nectar, with a slight hint of sea salt, but it is quite delicious!...

Beer Fest Cancelled....

I'm afraid that I have some very bad news to tell the people of Tonbridge. An event that I've been looking forward to all summer has had to be cancelled due to the unseasonal, abominable weather we've been enduring. That's the latest news I have anyway. The torrential rain of the last few days had caused the organisers a real headache and, with much deliberation, they've had to cancel the SIBA Beer Festival which was to be held in a large marquee at the back of the rugby club. My taste buds were preparing themselves but now I'm going to have to make do with a couple of bottles at home or a pint down the P&J! I really feel for the organising team who must have put weeks of hard work into the festival but, with 18 inches of dirty water lapping around your feet it might well have put off a few visitors. Mind you, I'd have still gone even if I'd have had to swim half a mile to get there. Just for one sniff of that Hopdeamon Skrimshander! We'll just have to make up for it next year I guess. If they find a alternative venue which, I have to say, is looking extremely unlikely at this late stage, then of course Tonbridge Blog will try to bring the news to you. In the meantime there'll be lots of unhappy organisers and real ale lovers crying into their beer this weekend....

What's in a town name?...

This from the Place Names of Kent by Judith Glover:
Tonbridge (Pronunced Tunbridge)
Farmstead bridge: bridge beside a farmstead (OE tun brycg - Tonebridge 1086 - Tonebrigga c1100 - Tunbrigg 1206 - Tunbridge 1610)

There were also some odd looking accents over letters, presumeably to tell us how to pronounce parts of the name, but let's not complicate things. So you see there's further evidence that there's no point in worrying about whether Tonbridge should have a "u" or an "o" because the name has changed gradually and evolved over the years anyway. Maybe in another 400 years it'll be called something else like #townofbridgesonahill

Reasons to be Beerfull Part One....

Yes a whole year has gone by since TonbridgeBlog was last able to slur his way through telling you all about how he'd enjoyed the SIBA real ale beer festival and how it had changed my life (in terms of the beer I drink anyway.) Well it has you know because this Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can sample over 100 beers from all over the South East. If you intend to go along there, and I really think you should, then just remember to sample two fingers of a few first before committing to your choice of nectar which you can then raise up to see the full bodied copperyness and talk about the chocolatey over, or is it under, notes (and just generally pretend you know what you're going on about!) After a few halves of course your friends really won't be listening much anyway as they too will be caught up in hop heaven. You'll spend the rest of the evening telling them how much you love them (in a blokey, back slapping, macho, friendship kind of a way of course!) The event is in a large marquee at the back of Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club which normally only serves Larkins which, in itself, is worth the trip but with barrel upon barrel or other stuff makes it almost essential. Obviously this is an occasion to leave the car on the drive at home and don't even think about driving the next morning either. (Always drink responsibly folks. In this case that means don't join the the 10% abv club. Real ale fans will know what I'm talking about!) Let me know you favourites....

Tonbridge High Street in 1938....

One of my latest acquisitions in Mr. Books is a rare 1938 Kelly's Directory of Kent. If you don't know, Kelly's were the leading business directory of the time and for many years before and after. The sort of Yellow Pages of their time, only nicely bound and traditional looking. This acquisition got me thinking about businesses on the High Street. In particular I was intrigued to find out what 142 High Street, the address of my new shop was back then. So I started wading through the listings out of sheer curiosity. After about an hour of looking through every business listing I still didn't find out what was at 142 but, in the process I did start to build up a picture of some of the other businesses at the north end of Tonbridge High Street. In 1938 Brownes the tailors were at 132 High Street; then there was Mollie a milliner at 134; Catling Cafe, later Smiths at 136, Mac Fisheries at 138, obviously a fishmonger; 140 was, and still is Clarke and Coleman Chemist;  Curry's Ltd. cycle agents were at 146. Charles Baker the motor agents were at 150 and the White Horse pub at 162. Opposite was the Rose and Crown, as you'd expect since its a 17th Century coaching house; the Tonbridge Free Press Newspaper offices were at 129 High Street, right opposite Mr. Books. Mansfield a ladies hosiery at 141, Bronsdon tobacconists at 143 and still of that name now. There were grocers, shoe shops, auctioneers, solicitors and everything else you'd expect to find in a thriving little market town. A customer who said he used to live above what is now the Pepper Grinder sandwich bar swears that 142 was a toy shop in the late 1940s when he was a kid but was it in 1938 necessarily? Can anyone fill in the gaps?...

Hand Painted Signage....

On a more positive note about business in Tonbridge I feel rather excited about Mr. Books Bookshop at the moment. Normally I don't like to overtly promote my own little enterprise on this blog. (Well all right then just a little bit sometimes!) But when you have a brand spanking new shop front, which has been hand painted, and looks absolutely superb then maybe it's time to shout from the roof tops. Yes the borough council finally granted my listed building consent, as they told me they would probably do some ten weeks ago, so I didn't waste any time in getting it done. So here it is in all it's glory. My thanks to sign writer Steve Bronson, who I've known for over seven years now and he's always done a great job. Don't let him know that I'm singing his praises otherwise he might start putting his prices up! He doesn't just hand paint everything freehand, which is an art in itself, he also comes up with ideas along the way to make a greater visual impact. According to his web site he's been sign writing, man and boy, since 1987 and, for most of that time he's been self employed. So he must be doing something right. Apart from doing a great job he seems like a nice fella. Give him a try but don't blame TonbridgeBlog if all the paint peels off after a couple of weeks!...