Thursday, June 13, 2013
Warning: Tunbridge Wells folk realise Tonbridge is better!....
Some fellow bloggers from over the border in the upstart daughter town,Tunbridge Wells, have written nice things about Tonbridge. The Anke's a couple, who each have an influential blog on their adopted town, sort of a His and Hers of the blogsphere, came a for a visit last week and Mrs. A has posted a lovely write up of their visit and some even lovelier photos including one of Yours Truely. The new Turkish Restaurant gets a big thumbs up as well. Yes it's true Mr. & Mrs A we have a park and a swimming pool, a castle and much older buildings than your quaint young town. We also have shops, some of them nice independent ones, and some very nice eateries.They are very welcome to come and visit our town any time they like but let's hope that they don't spread the word about Tonbridge too much. I mean we don't want a full scale invasion now do we! Read it here
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5 comments:
Shouldn't this post be titled "Warning: one or two Tunbridge Wells Folk Realise Tonbridge is Better"? After all, as "influentital" as your two recent visitors may be, they surely cannot speak for the majority of the upstart town's residents.
Yes we do have a castle and a nice park (Tunbridge Wells has two of the latter, in the form of Calverley Gardens and Dunorlan), and one or two older buildings (Chequers, Ivy House, Port Reeve's House etc), but whilst it might pain me to say so as a Tonbridge resident, Tunbridge Wells has far more going for it.
For a start there are no decent pubs in Tonbridge, no big-name stores (apart from Sainsbury's and Waitrose), very few independent shops (apart from your own, of course, TB), no cinema, theatre or other entertainment centre and a limited number of decent restaurants.
What Tonbridge does have is far too many hairdressers, charity shops and too many un-educated, chavvy people! (Surprising really given the town's three grammar schools!).
One thing we do have in Tonbridge, is far better transport links, with much more frequent trains to London and the South Coast, plus easy access to the M25, via the A21. These of course mean it is far easier to escape from the place!
Before I get run out of town I perhaps ought to add that despite all its faults, I do actually like living in Tonbridge. I have lived in the town far longer than anywhere else, and leaving some of the unpleasant people aside, for they can be found in any town, Tonbridge still does have some obvious attractions for me.
The castle and the river, both spring to mind, as does Haysden Country Park - I was cycling around there last weekend and, weather permitting, will probably do so this one as well.
As I said in my prvious comments, it does lack a truly decent pub; somewhere you can get a pint of something unusual, alongside the boring "standard" offerings, and somewhere that isn't full of people in football shirts or would-be karaoke performers. Somewhere quiet would be nice too, as much as I like rock and other electronic music in the right context, I don't want it blasting out my eardrums when I'm trying to hold a conversation over a pint or two!
If I manage a decent win on tonight's lottery, then I will put my money where my mouth is and open somewhere decent. Now that's committment to the town for you!
Paul,
Though the town doesn't have a theatre the size of the Assembly Hall it does have two theatres (The Oast and the EM Forster. If you phone Tonbridge School they will post you a glossy brochure telling you wants on at the latter.
I agree with you that the town does lack any pubs that offer a good range of ales. As to football shirts hopefully they were Angel shirts!
I think Tonbridge fairs far better than alot of towns of similar size in Kent. It still has a sence of community. There is always something going on and if you love sport is a real gem.
Colin, I'd forgotten about the Oast plus EM Forster theaters - I'm not a great theater goer, but good to know they're in the town.
Wouldn't mind if the football shirts were Tonbridge Angels, trouble is they're all Chelsea and Man Utd. Says something about the sheeplike mentality of a lot of people I'm afraid.
Colin, I'd forgotten about the Oast plus EM Forster theaters - I'm not a great theater goer, but good to know they're in the town.
Wouldn't mind if the football shirts were Tonbridge Angels, trouble is they're all Chelsea and Man Utd. Says something about the sheeplike mentality of a lot of people I'm afraid.
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