No more Comet anymore....

I see that Comet is about to go into administration. That's another big name to fall of the many since this financial crisis began. Tonbridge High Street just won't look the same without Comet. Oh, hang on, wait a moment. There is no Comet on Tonbridge High Street and hasn't been since about 1990 (if indeed there ever was one.) In fact, come to think of it, there aren't any electrical retailers on Tonbridge High Street any more. No Curry's, no Dixons, no PC World, no Tandy (remember them?) nothing unless you count the mobile phone shops and Robert Dyas, who themselves nearly went under not that long ago. Soon there'll only be cafes, hairdressers, kebab shops and Mr. Books left!....

Tonbridge Cricket in 1919....

I love this old photo of the Whitefriars Press Cricket team for the 1919 Season. I'm not sure where they played, probably on the Sportsground park. I have no connection with any of the men. But I still love the picture which captures just a split second in time but speaks to us 93 years later. I wonder how many of these proud men had served in the First World War, how many of their friends and family had paid the ultimate price. People in old group photos are often serious looking as I suppose it's hard to hold a smile indefintely but I think this group of men had a special reason to feel this way after what they'd been through. I wonder what they were thinking at the precise moment that the shutter was released. Probably something like "Hurry up so we can get on with the game!" but maybe their thoughts were wandering to deeper matters. The young lads in the front row were probably too young to have served in the war but many of the men behind would have come through it, relieved, possibly angry, certainly changed for ever. Some of the faces look strangley familiar to me. Perhaps some of their grandsons and great grandsons have visited my shop at some point as their names, faces and spirits live on in their descendants. Mr. Authers (Hon. Sec.) was clearly not concentrating on the photographer as he seems to have been distracted at the crucial moment. I'm probably totally wrong on this but, I like to think, Mr. C D'Arcy (Umpire) was a right rogue, a smart-arsed joker who fancied himself with the ladies and wasn't put off by the many rebuttals! C. Boorman is, most probably, related to the Boorman family who are well known in Tonbridge. H.E. Simmons looks like someone straight out of The Great Gatsby and was probably the inspiration for Clark Gable's movie appearance! And Captain W. May looks like the serious sort who led by example and was, by the look of his lean lanky frame a good all rounder in the Frank Woolley mold. T Wickenden (Tommy) the young lad sitting at the front, was the grandfather of the old lady who brought in the photograph. Hard to imagine him as a grand father, great grandfather and probably great great grandfather but it's true. Not an ounce of fat on any of them which is probably a good advert for getting back to basic home made cooking and clean living. I really could study this picture for hours. I'll never know much about any of these men, least of all what they might have been thinking but it's great fun guessing. Please get in touch if you know any more about any of them and we'll try to build up a complete profile of the team....

The Autumn leaves....

Yep, Autumn has definitely arrived in Tonbridge. I found myself kicking through leaves down Springwell Road on my walk to work the other day. Beautiful in a way but, in another, quite depressing....

Book Towns....

I didn't see last week's Courier but there's a very nice letter in this weekend's issue pointing out that Tonbridge does indeed have a secondhand bookshop! The article, apparently, told readers that only two towns south of London, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells, had rare and secondhand bookshops. Oh contriare! points out Mr. Eaton in his letter today. Tonbridge does indeed have it's very own slice of Charing Cross Road in dear ol Mr. Books at 142 High Street. "You can even order new books from them," he goes on to say. So no need for anyone to go toddling off to the upstart daughter town when you can get most things right here in good old Tonbridge town. Thanks Mr. Eaton and that fiver will be waiting for you next time you're passing!...

Three Times a Week

I know that I've been somewhat neglecting TonbridgeBlog of late and that some fans of this site will be wondering what the 'eck's goin on. Well I have had a busy old summer what with the shop move and all and then the creative juices kind of take a back seat as your mind focusses on more practical stuff like do I need to buy new bookshelves and staitionery? So to make amends I'll try to post something, however small and insignificant, at least once a day. Alright then maybe that'll be pushing it a bit. We'll try for three times a week....

Shoulder ache....

Can't wait to get out on my canoe again. The nights are drawing in though so I'm leaving it mighty late if I want to complete the Medway Trail section from Yalding to Allington Lock, the other side of Maidstone.  I'll check the weather forecast for this Sunday and, if it's fine, I might just slip into Tallulah (the canoe) and paddle off to Teston. It's been a while though so I'll expect aching shoulders!....

London Town....

Went to London yesterday on a book and book care/repair materials buying spree. (And that's what I like to do on my day off!) Walked from Charing Cross to Baker Street, across to New Oxford Street, Covent Garden, up to Holborn and then back to Charing Cross via Covent Garden. Had a lovely pint in the Sun Tavern on Long Acre which is a place I used to frequent around 25 years ago when I worked around the corner in Drury Lane. The place has hardly changed in all those years. The price has gone up though. PB will perhaps not be too shocked if I say that it was £4.10 for a pint of Alfred Wainwright's Best Bitter. I told the barmaid that the last time I was in there a pint cost around 90 pence! Even so it was very welcome after all that walking. Very pleased with myself that I can still manage to walk around quite a wide sweep of London without a map or other navigational aid.....

Tonbridge Castle at Night....

Spooky that Tonbridge Castle at night isn't it? I often wonder as I quickly walk by after dark what horrors those old walls have witnessed. I'm almost certain the other night I heard the clanking chains from deep down in the dungeons of the gate house, a cry of pain and the cracking of bones and was that screaming from soldiers as boiling oil was poured over them? Surely not all of this was in my imagination! Neyaa ha ha haaa (evil laugh)

And speaking of baking cakes....

A special mention to the imaginatively named local catering company, Planet of the Cakes, whose James Bond themed cup cakes I picked up at a rained off boot fair a couple of Sundays ago. I think the guy said that they were left over from an event the night before. Anyway I picked up the whole box for a fiver and jolly tastey they were too. I particularly enjoyed munching into Jaws which seemed appropriate. But can you name all he other film references?...

P'd Off with the PO....

Masses of people are stopping in wonder at Mr. Books shop window which can't be a bad thing can it? One or two have even been in to say how lovely it is and how, in their opinion, it has "lifted the High Street." This is of course music to my ears. That said I'm having one of those days when nothing seems to go right. I've even had (another) bust up with one of the post office workers over having to wait nearly half an hour in the queue. If it was genuinely really busy in there then you could just about stomach it. But to wait that long when the reason seems to be that only 3 counters out of a possible 8 are open then that becomes totally unacceptable. There were 4 windows serving, which is bad enough, but at least 50%, then one just disappeared off to her break! I'm sure some of you will sympathize with them and say "Why shouldn't they take their break on time?" but in any other business, when it's that busy, you put more staff on the tills let alone take one off. The trouble is I can complain (and blog) until I'm blue in the face but what can you actually do about it? Take my business elsewhere? Oh that's right they have no competition and they've even closed most of the sub post offices down. I've probably said this before but when I first moved to Tonbridge there were no less than five sub PO's south of Tonbridge railway station alone. Now there are none because we were told that they are unprofitable and we don't need them. Well that's hard to take when the queue lengthen by the day at the central PO. They need to sort this mess out and quick. The only excuse they had was "We're trying out the new work rotas!" The lady at the desk actually said this to me as she continued to serve me with the false politeness she's perfected over the years to placate moaning customers such as me, smiling through gritted teeth when she probably felt like screaming at me that it wasn't her fault and that I should foxtrot off or something like that. Well I can tell the Post Office right now: your new work rotas ain't working! In short I'm P'd Off with the lot of em!...

If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake!...

Lots of people looking in Mr. Books shop window at the moment. So what's all the fuss about? Well we started off with World Traveller, we've just finished with Summer of Sport and changed the display over to Baked a Cake. I say "we" but really it's all pretty much my creative director's work. (Otherwise known as the missus!) I did hold the screw driver and make the tea but she did the rest. Come and have a look at the result for yourself....

Tonbridge Half Marathon Latest....

I've just heard that the Tonbridge Half Marathon, taking place on Sunday September 23rd is booked to its capacity of 1,300 runners. That's amazing as the event is only in its second year and they've actually allocated 300 more places this year compared with last. Alas those Tonbridge Blog readers who will be turning out in droves to see Yours Truely will be disappointed this time round. My sweaty red face and jelly like legs will be otherwise engaged, probably sitting in my canoe or perhaps just doing a little gardening or going for a strole to the pub. You see since opening Mr. Books # 2 I just haven't had time to do any serious training so my target time of sub two hours and the chance to have a medal placed around my neck by Saint Kelly of Hildenborough will just have to be put on hold for another 12 months. As Arnie once said though: I'll be back!...

A date with Tallulah....

Well that's the end of another working week for me. It's all right for all you lucky people who don't work on Saturdays sat at home with your feet up watching the last day of the Paralympics or some footy, or maybe down the pub with a few close mates (assuming you have any!) No, for me Saturday is, more often than not, a working day. So I'll be on my way very shortly on my bike homewards ready to get up early(ish) Sunday morning to clean off my paddle to take Tallulah (that's me canoe) out for another paddle along the gentle flowing Medway. I'll be off to practice new strokes tomorrow such as the J Stroke and the Canadian stroke and, no this is not some seedy boating/sexual inuendo! And you thought paddling a canoe was a simple case of sticking it in, pulling and off you go! I'll tell you more about my date with Tallulah next week but in the meantime let's hear some more stories/gripes about life in Tonbridge. Tell the readers of this blog where the best shops and restaurants are; where the best pint is to be consumed that sort of thing. In fact pretty much anything you want to get off your chests....

Olympic Banners a waste of time? (and Money)

It's been a wonderful summer of sport but did we really need all that bunting and those dirty great banners draped across Tonbridge High Street to tell us that?! Or am I just being a miserable sod for having a(nother) dig at the council who, no doubt, spared no expense in putting up these things. Afterall the Olympics hardly needed advertising did they? So what exactly was the point of the banners then??..

Olympic Window Competition....

The winning window in the Tonbridge Olympic window competition was.... wait for it.... this by Country Gardens. In the words of the owner: I have been doing it for long enough so I ought to know what I'm doing! And she certainly seems to. There were lots of other great efforts. Apart from Mr. Books' 1948 style effort of course there was The Gift Box and lots of others. Not a winner but I particularly liked Bonners who had actually madea bit of carpet with the Olympic rings set in it. A bit of fun for traders and shoppers. We should do another one soon. Ideas? Best Halloween window. Bonfire Night. Christmas. Autumn and seasons. Any other thoughts anyone??..

Tonbridge Farmers Market Coming up....

Tonbridge Farmers Market 9th September and then......

Second Sunday of every month.

Sovereign Way, Tonbridge TN9 1RG

9.30am – 1.30pm

You know what they say: Use it or lose it!...

Surfing Scenes from Cornwall....

Because I'm still in holiday mood I thought I'd share this pic with you. It's certainly one way of beating the holiday traffic queues when you want to be first in the surf!..

The Facts about Tonbridge High Street Accident....

Car around 2-30 in the early hours blaa blaa crashed blaa blaa metal signpost. Blaa blaa police hot pursuit blaa blaa young driver blaa blaa drink? blaa blaa drugs? Heck of a mess blaa blaa road closures blaa chaos blaa blaa traders moaning blaa new sign blaa new road blaa blaa unanswered questions blaa blaa chunky police report blaa blaa forget about pedestrianising Tonbridge High Street blaa blaa huge repair bills blaa blaa who pays for that then? blaa blaa blaa....

The New Look Tonbridge Station

What does everyone think about the new railway station frontage? I'm yet to see inside the building but will report my findings when I do. Not sure it'll make the trains arrive any quicker but, hey, you'll have a nicer experience whilst you are waiting! (Right commuters?!) Naturally a picture should appear along with this post but I haven't got around to taking one yet. Just go and have a look for yourselves if you're that bothered....

Car-nage in Tonbridge....

This was the sorry scene that greeted me when I arrived at Mr. Books this morning. Twisted traffic lights, sand and debris strung right across the road near the Chequers Inn. Highways lorries and workmen clearing up the mess, police tape cordoning off the road, several police cars and an ambulance. Was this the Pedestrianise Tonbridge group taking direct action? I thought to myself for a brief moment! If so it was a pretty effective way of clearing the cars, buses and lorries from the centre of Tonbridge. Trouble though is that it was a scarey reminder of how quiet it would be without the vehicular traffic as it you could hear a paper bag blowing down the street. In fact is was almost as silent as the West End of London during the Olympics!

Apparently though it had nothing at all to do with Tonbridge activists and everything to do with someone careering off the road and into said traffic lights at around 2-30 this morning. The road is still closed off at the time of writing; so that's a heck of a long time to clear up some mess. I don't know whether or not anyone was hurt in the incident but an ambulance did arrive a few minutes ago. Come to think about it that's a bit of a delayed reaction if it happened in the early hours! Hope all is okay and that I'm not being too flippant if it was more serious than a traffic light being demolished....

Boogie on Down in Cornwall....

And for those of you who didn't guess from the photo that I was on holiday the last two weeks no prizes or points. Yes I've been off on my annual trip to my spiritual home of North Cornwall. I love the crashing waves that come off the Atlantic in that part of the country; they make me feel so alive. And, I can tell you I certainly spent a large part of my time there in them swimming and bodyboarding. If anyone thinks that that bodyboarding, or boogie boarding as it's sometimes known, is just for kids sploshing about at the shore then have a look at me in action on this YouTube clip. Good to be back of course although I'd be lying if I said that I couldn't have managed another couple of weeks there....

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!...

Barriers to Business in Tonbridge. Part Two....

I said in the last posting that I wouldn't get started on the subject of business rates which is code in the blogging world for: That subject will probably be appearing on this blog very soon! So here goes. Probably the most often sighted reason for businesses failing is that of crippling business rates. I said in the last article that I'd speak from recent personal experience having moved my bookshop very recently to its new location. Let me tell you that experience has been a very steep learning curve for me indeed. When I was weighing up whether or not to take the plunge in moving from just off the High Street (Bank St.) to the more prominent position I'm in now, after rent, the most important consideration is that of business rates. In Bank Street I was enjoying 50% small business rate relief (SBR as the council calls it) and this rose to 100% relief due to a temporary government scheme which I still haven't fathomed although, obviously, I wasn't complaining.  I understand that this scheme finishes in 2013. When I enquired with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC as the council likes to call itself) a person, who I could name but that would be cruel, told me very adamantly that, in my new location, I would still get the 100% SBR that I been getting before. That is to say that I would pay a big fat zero business rates. I thought this was too good to be true so asked him to check it over not once but twice which he said he'd done. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have gone ahead anyway with the shop move but clearly it was a crucial part of my thinking when doing my business plans. So imagine my horror when, about a month in my new premises, I receive a Non Domestic Rates (Business rates to you and I) bill for nearly £2,500 for the year! "Bit of a difference between zero and £2,500" is what I screeched down the phone at another assistant in the council's rates department. She was pretty matter of fact about the whole thing, which only served to rile me even more, and just passed it off as a mistake by one of her colleagues who, in any case had now left the organisation. (Turns out even that wasn't quite correct.) All she was interested in was getting my bank details so that she could process my bill and get another moaning idiot off the phone (or at least that's how it felt.) I enquired later as to whether I could take this provision of mis-information up with anyone more senior to which she replied that there was no one around until the following week and, in any case, it wouldn't make any difference. She was probably right on that score but, not being one to be put off, I got the names and email addresses of al the senior people in that department and wrote to them to vent my spleen. Oh yes and I copied in the Chief Executive of TMBC also (that usually makes the pen pushers sit up and take notice!) In my later exchanges with another seniorish person, who seems to have been allocated this annoying idiot (me) I got other things off my chest like why do charity shops get 80% SBR when retailers like myself only get about 30%? Don't they want to encourage community shops as well? Surely, I told them,  TMBC must have some influence over the government directed policy of business rates and some disgression as regards the level of rate relief given. In the USA and other countries business rates, so I understand, are linked to the turnover of a business so that, as a business grows, the business rates would increase, therefore helping a business past the early stages and not, effectively, discouraging them from even giving it a go. This system to me seems like an infintely more acceptable method of charging for business rates instead of just a blanket charge for all. Unless of course Mary Portas is right. That councils are quite happy to let the High Street become waste lands, gettos of derelict buildings, boarded up shops and row upon row of charity shops each rubbing their hands after receiving their 80% rate relief....

Barriers to business in Tonbridge. Part One....

Anyway, enough of all that nicey nicey arts festival stuff and time for a good old moan. Today Tonbridge Blog asks: Am I living proof of what Mary, Queen of Shops, Portas has been banging on about? Remember she was the one who the Government took on to compile a report into British High Streets and concluded that there were far to many barriers to successfully launching and succeeding in setting up shops. In particular she sighted the demise of the traditional independent shops and the incessant rise of the charity shops. So how much is our dear own old council helping to encourage small businesses and retailers onto our increasingly desparate looking High Street? Having recently moved Mr. Books Bookshop from Bank Street to the High Street I feel quite well placed to examine some first hand evidence based on my own very recent experience. Now, on the whole, I'm a calm natured sort of bloke but it really does start to rile me when you find that you have to chase up the planning department of Tonbridge and Malling Council who, let's not forget, are supposed to be serving us and not the other way around, for listed building consent just to have your shop name painted over the shop window where it's supposed to go. Eight weeks they told me, which is poor to say the least in the current economic climate. Eight weeks it has know been and not a dickie bird out of them. There's no wonder the vast majority of businesses in the north end of the High Street simply ignore the need for such consent and just go ahead anyway. Eight weeks or more is totally unacceptable and goes against their claim to be pro-small independent retailers. It's just not on. Why can they not just send someone along to discuss your plans and give you the go ahead there and then if the application is a simple one? It beggars belief that you have to fill out ridiculously complicated forms, of which of course they want 3 copies of each, and becomes just another of the many hurdles to jump over when setting up a business. I'm sure that it's not the case but, it feels as though, the borough council are actively trying to put you off doing anything enterprising. And don't even get me started on Business rates....

Working the Door for The Three Degrees....

And speaking of the performance by The Three Degrees last Sunday evening at K College myself and another big fella (Alan) from the organising committee offered to be on the door for the evening. Actually I believe the phrase is "working the door." A little known fact about Tonbridge Blog is that I did used to be a doorman, okay let's call it what everyone used to call it, a bouncer. Back in my student days, in order to earn a bit of cash me and my mate Steve used to be "Security Men" on the door of Loughborough Student Union building. Because there was always a little tension between the students and the young people from the town (Townies as we used to call them) quite often, charged up by alot of lager, things would kick off, mostly the trouble was nipped in the bud but, just occasionally, there'd be a mass brawl which could be quite scarey and a little exciting too. So you see for me the Three Degrees concert was not only a very enjoyable performance but also like going back thirty years. In those days I took the job pretty seriously; you had to have your wits about you if there was trouble. So, last Sunday, although the body has slowed down a little, the old instincts I found were still very much intact! I found myself eyeing people up to size up whether they were likely to cause trouble. I looked people over, especially the blokes, to see whether they were likely to be packing, you know, tooled up. I greeted the band members at the door in a doorman-like fashion, directing sponsors, artists and public with a calm, confident and assured smile. Friendly yet no nonsense. Ready to respond if necessary. I was tempted to say to people "Sorry mate no trainers or jeans" but then I realised that they are now allowed these days, encouraged even. If I'm honest I don't know which I enjoyed more. The performances or being back working the door!...

The Three Degrees and Me!...

The Three Degrees, me and some of the Tonbridge arts Fest committee at K College theatre

Well come on it's not every day you get to meet some living legends! The Three Degrees were superb at the the K College Theatre last Sunday Evening as the finale of the Tonbridge Arts Festival. You still got it girls. Way to go!! Sorry I came over all American there for a second....

Tonbridge Arts Overdose!...



The unusually named but brilliant Sorrel Nation on vocals

 




A touch of glass!



Last week was, well and truely, a massive overdose of the arts in Tonbridge. I was closely involved in the whole festival; in my capacity of committee member I was involved in the planning of it over the last, well, year really. In my capacity as loud mouth I was involved in some of the events themselves such as the poetry evening and the literary day on the castle lawn. In my capacity of lover of the arts I went to see paintings, photography, drama, musical performances, pottery and craft demonstrations and much more. Like I said, I overdosed on the arts for a whole week and it was marvelous. Right up to the finale which was the Three Degrees playing K College. Yes that's right, you didn't miss hear me I said The Three Degrees, the actual ones, and not a tribute band, who were doing a rare UK performance at our very own K College theatre. Incredible I know! If you missed all this arts extravaganza I do feel slightly sorry for you, especially since much of it was free or at least cheap. Was it well enough publicized? Difficult one really. I thought it was, the rest of the committee thought it was. Were we all too close to it to really know the answer to that? Probably. Why have I started to ask myself questions and then give the answers? I can't say! But, having said all that, I'm sure we could have done more to promote the festival, it's just knowing where to stop and deciding what's reasonable. Certainly many people have said to me that they didn't know very much about it until it was upon them. That bit we have got to get right for next year's....



That old fashioned printing's hard work!



Great demo of wood turning at The Vision on Sunday at the castle

Poetry at the Rose & Crown last night....



Guest poet, Sarah Salway, in action



Lovely poem called memories

The Tonbridge Arts Festival is alive and kicking. Anyone who's ventured into the town centre over the last few days couldn't have failed to notice at least something. The Big Picture depicting an Olympic scene against the Castle Wall, the bunting and paintings along the riverside railings. Last night's Poetry night at the Rose & Crown proved at least one thing: that poetry, as an art form, is well and truely in fine fettle in Tonbridge. The organisers (and I was one of em) really didn't have much of a clue up to a day before as to whether there'd be ten people turning up or a hundred. The lack of football on the TV probably helped for, as it turned out, there was a sell out audience of around 70 people; all lovers of poetry in one way or another. The range of ages was encouraging, we even had a nine year old girl read out her winning poem from the under 16 competition, as were the varied styles of poetry. There wasn't quite any Scroobious Pip or any hip hop but the range was still pretty broad. The prizes for the poetry competition, which had been organise a few months ahead of the festival were awarded. Congrats to the winners and also everyone else who took part. If you missed out on this competition then keep an eye out for the next one as the prizes were hard cash of £500! Worth putting pen to paper for I'd say especially as it was free to enter. A fabulous evening and a real breath of fresh air. I can feel a regular Poetry at the R&C Night coming on. Watch this space! I'll leave you with the line I used in my introduction to the evening, which I actually paraphrased from the singer, Sting, who once, when accepting some prestigious music award, said that there was no need for any awards at all as: "Music is its own reward" So I'd like to say this to anyone who writes or appreciates poetry: Poetry is its own reward....



Guest poet Susan Wicks reads her powerful poetry



Flash Choir amongst the shopping trollies....

....and speaking of the arts festival in Tonbridge over the next ten days, customers in Waitrose the other day were given just a small taste of the many delights in store. If you are in any doubt of the power of the arts, in this case the "flash choir," to surprise, entertain and to catch you unawares and to take your breath away. Then watch this YouTube clip of them in action.... 

The BIG Picture....

The Tonbridge Arts Festival is under way wth a big bang, well, more accurately, with a Big Picture. Cycling in to work this morning, as I often do on a Saturday, I just couldn't miss the huge painting of Olympic runners the whole height of the Castle wall. On closer inspection you'll see that it is made up of small individual squares, each one painted by a school kid or member of an art group. It's a real community effort and completely encapsulates what the spirit of the festival is all about. It catches you unawares and takes your breath away even if just fleetingly.

Further along by the river there's Art on the Railings which brings a distinct flavour of Rive Gauche right to the heart of Tonbridge. The various artists will be exhibiting (and selling) their art over the weekend. If you don't really have time for such trivialities then really you are in too much of a rush and should slow down the pace a little. Spend ten minutes down by the river at some point over the weekend and I guarantee it'll make you feel better about life and more relaxed....

The Eve of the Arts Festival....

Tonbridge Arts Festival starts tomorrow. You may have seen the Big Picture being erected against the Castle wall by the river as the first clue that something special is about to happen. For me this has been a long time coming. Over a year in fact since the first meeting I attended about the 2012 event. And here we are on the eve of what is sure to be a fabulous ten days of arts overdose. Pick up a programme from various places including Mr. Books (naturally) the Angel Centre and libraries. There are loads of free events and quite a few cheapo ones like the poetry evening at the Rose and Crown hotel and The Word on the Castle lawn, as well as some spectacular events such as the actual Three Degrees performing at K College. Look at the festival web site and get yourselves out and about. It will be a right royal celebration of the arts in your own town....

Tonbridge Carnival Highlights....

I haven't looked at this film on YouTube yet but someone took the trouble to film the whole of the Tonbridge Carnival on Sunday. Anyone with the brass neck to call himself Trevor "Spielberg" Arnold deserves at least to be given a chance! So click here and don't blame TBlog if its no good....

Tonbridge Arts Festival starts next Friday the 15th....

There's a good write up in the centre spread of the Courier's ents guide this weekend all about the Tonbridge Arts Festival. Having worked on this as part of the main committee for over a year now I find it staggering that, with less than a week to go before the ten day event kicks off, hardly anyone seems to know about it. Everyone close to the festival knows how much effort has been put in however there's still a way to go before ticket sales will reach levels at which we can all sit back and pat ourselves on the backs. Despite what it says in the programme which many of you may have received by now, you can book many events online and not just at the Angel Centre. You can also phone the Angel Centre to block book tickets for most events. And yes you will be able to pay on the door for events as it's highly unlikely that many will be completely sold out. Better to book in advance of course but otherwise just turn up. There's a great selection of events to choose from and you can view them all on the festival website. You can even follow it on twitter if you're into that social networking malarkey. I know I am. I'm sure, as they say, it'll be alright on the night. PLEASE!!!!

Sunday in Tonbridge should be pretty exciting....

Tomorrow should be a nice day out for Tonbridge folk. I mean how often do you get the Tonbridge Farmers Market, the Mabledon boot fair, Tonbridge Carnival and fete all in one day? And as if that wasn't enough quite a few shops will be open for business including of course the new look Mr. Books at 142 High Street. So that's a working day for me then but a great day out for most other people. As Winston Churchill once probably never said though: "Find a job you love doing and you'll never work another day in your life!"

Mr. Books is completely round the bend....

Goodbye 2 Bank Street. Hello 142 High Street!

....and take a deep breath! Mr. Books has now moved around the corner to 142 High Street. That's it I'm completely out of the old shop in Bank Street and installed in the new one. It's open although there's still quite a bit of work to be done. The sack barrow is back in storage though and the month long sort out has been done. It proved to be a very worthwhile excercise sorting through over 12,000 books. The new shop window has proved to be very popular as passers by stop and marvel at the array of old trunks and suitcases, hats and typewriters, letters and post cards. What's all that about? Well it's the first of many window themes and this one's called World Traveller. So watch out for the others coming about once a month. I'd love to say that it was all my own work but have to confess that none of it was. All the credit has to go to my Creative Director, otherwise known as my wife. She calls it work but secretly we both know that she loves doing the displays! Anyway must go as there's much more to be done tweaking here, arranging there, sorting and aphabeticising (if that's a word) and other stuff. I had masses of help moving in over the past week or two from a few very kind customers and members of the Tonbridge Civic Society in particular (you know who you are) as wel as my family. You could say it's all been a bit of a community effort which can't be a bad thing. That help is very much appreciated if not always rewarded. I hope to be in business for at least the next ten years so please come in, have a browse, buy some older books, order brand new ones instead of using the dreaded Amazon and just come in for a read and a chat if you like. More later as things develop and time permits....

The Old Mr. Books disappears without a trace!

Mr. Books is going round the bend!

Yes Tonbridge blog has been quiet of late as some of you have picked up on. The reason for this is quite simple. You see I've been slowly going round the bend! I mean this of course quite literally. You see, in my other guise of Mr. Books I am moving from Bank Street where the shop has been for over seven years to the High Street. So I've had my work cut out what with moving about 12,000 books! It's hard graft but it'll be worth it. The new shop should be up and running by the end of May. Back to shifting books and bookcases for me and please feel free to talk among yourselves for a bit....