Is Tonbridge bursting at the seams?

The new Courier reporter, Frank Foster, is understandably trying to make his mark on the paper. He is the replacement for Shams Al-Shakarchi who, as a young reporter for around three years, served Tonbridge well. Let's hope that Frank does the job as conscientiously as Shams appeared to and good luck to him. Frank has been phoning around town centre businesses to get a feel for what they think about the new developments in the town centre. Most of these are along the riverside which, after last winter's flooding, brings its own problems, but what about the sheer number of homes being crammed into what is after all quite a small town centre. There's the Medway Wharf area, Botany, next to Waitrose, Cannon Lane and more; blocks of flats seem to be springing up at an increasing rate. Is it better to build here or might it be better to expand a little into the countryside? Will the town centre schools be able to cope? Slade school is expanding with a new classroom and soon a new block but will the other local schools feel the pressure? Will there be enough parking for the inevitable increase in traffic or can people be educated to do without cars and instead walk, cycle or use public transport. For my money I should have thought that it's better to make use of these so-called brown field sites along the river than to leave them, as they were when I moved to the town, as derelict warehouses and factories. Take a look in the Courier on Friday for more on this and sorry to steal your thunder Frank but you are right to say that these are very important questions....

Has Tonbridge blog shot its bolt??

I know that the site hasn't exactly been overactive of late but has Tonbridgeblog shot its bolt quite yet? Probably not. Just looking to be inspired by some juicy local story....

Slowing down in Tonbridge....

The pouring rain in Tonbridge today reminds me of the story one of my more, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind me saying this, quirky customers in Mr. Books told me a little while back. She is a very thoughtful, poetic sort of person and she was observing a family of ducks and how they behaved on a similarly rainy evening. She was so lost in thought and enjoying the moment that she was quite oblivious that she was getting soaked whilst standing there on the bridge. She generally wears a long dress and carries a staff (I did say she's a bit quirky) so she may have looked like one of the characters in  Game of Thrones. Her deep thoughts were broken when a passer by asked her if she was alright as though just looking at the river and marvelling at this simple event was a indication that she was about to launch herself off into the dark waters below! It struck her as rather odd, and me too, that you can't just pause anymore in this busy life and take in its simple beauty. You have to keep moving or you become in some way suspicious....