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WOMEN CHANGE THE FACE OF LOCAL BUSINESS

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Tunbridge Wells in 2009

What you should know about the year ahead

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TUNBRIDGE WELLS, 7 LONDON ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN1 1DG TELEPHONE: 01892 619 550 CLIVE.COM

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, 7 LONDON ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN1 1DG TELEPHONE: 01892 619 550 CLIVE.COM

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Listen...

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Order...Communicate...

Flutter...

Beautify...

Buy...

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THE YEARAHEAD

tunbridge wells 2009:

THE YEARAHEAD

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AND OUT OF THEWilderness…

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Wilderness…

BluesBeating the

Markets are a great source for fruit & veg

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Enjoy the winter sunshine as much as possible

Bloco Fogo on a typical performance

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Langton Green Gallery, Langton Road, Tunbridge WellsTel: 01892 860575

www.langtongreengallery.com

LangtonGreenGallery

Gallery

LANGTON GREEN GALLERY

Bespoke Hardwood Contemporary FurnitureCommissions Undertaken

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A Credit Crunch LadyTHE DIARY OF:

Winter 2008: We’ve done it. We’ve swapped our old

life for a brand spanking new one. It’s not as good as

the old one and it’s certainly not the one we ordered,

but then we didn’t factor a dirty great credit crunch

into our relocation plans. However, despite the past year’s disappointments

I’ve dropped my daughters off at their lovely new

school and my son at his nursery. Reluctantly I

drive home weighing up if a trip to Sainsbury’s is a

worthwhile distraction from the wall of unpacked

cardboard boxes awaiting me. The supermarket back in London was much bigger

and not for the fi rst time since leaving, I begin to

reminisce. I snap back into the present as I pass a fully

illuminated cyclist and am angrily reminded of Tom

(my husband), who is stubbornly refusing to wear a

bicycle helmet. London Summer 2007: Tom and I decide to take

the plunge. We’ve lived in South London for 20 years,

we’ve worked and partied hard and clawed our way up

the property ladder.The housing market is buoyant and despite the

persistent rumblings about a property crash (isn’t there

always…?) we decide the time is right to sell up, move

out, make money, live happily ever after.

We plump for Tunbridge Wells; good schools, fast

trains to the city and not too far from my beloved

London. I spend the autumn term bombing backwards

and forwards looking for the perfect school, sobbing all

the way as I don’t really want to leave the capital.

I never imagined I’d be living in the country (and

for a South London girl one step outside the south

circular is alien and rural). But then I didn’t plan on

marrying, or having children and I was defi nitely never

going to have a mortgage.However, here I am, my free spirit long gone,

convincing myself we are doing the right thing. And

it’s not like we’re moving to Sunderland!

Credit Crunch. The words hit the news. The

housing market is slowing down. I don’t take much

notice to be honest. Naively ignorant of our faltering

economy I blindly march towards the front line and

arrange for an estate agent to visit.

A young man with a well-cut expensive suit and

a quite obviously miniscule amount of experience in

the housing market arrives. No problem, he tells us.

This will be snapped up in no time. We believe him of

course – how wrong we are.A barrage of mixed emotions assaults me during

my trips to Tunbridge Wells. The autumnal beauty of

the countryside gnaws away at my mood, making it

impossible for my brooding to hit its full potential.

The schools I visit are inspiring, full of beautifully

behaved and enthusiastic children. I repeatedly ask the

head teachers about their selection process. I am met

with a sympathetic grin. This isn’t London. We don’t

assess the children. We teach them.

I return to London confi dent that however lonely and

depressed I will clearly be in the Garden of England, it

will be one big happy adventure for our children.

A year on and our well tuned plan has gone

unexpectedly awry. Sitting here in my rented

house in a village outside Tunbridge Wells I refl ect

on the past year.I feel isolated and rootless and I am unjustly

directing all this anger towards Tom, who having

to cycle to the nearest railway station, is refusing to

wear a helmet. Despite his assurance that drivers give him a wide

berth, it is clear to me, in my heightened state of mind,

that he will suffer a fatal accident.

However, time to abandon the sulk and adopt

delicate diplomacy skills. It’s time to tell Tom I’ve

changed my mind. I want to

move back to London. Bea

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layingdowntheLawSO

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Tel. Lara on 07740 721883

www.darlingandwild.co.uk

Order your bespoke bouquets and

wreaths for any occasion

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Thomas Sabo: ‘Take Me Higher’

collection from Pomeroi Jewellers

SO fashion insider:

this month...

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SO women’s fashion

GOTHIC Romance

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TAILORED FOR SUCCESS

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SO men’s fashion:

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STYLE RESOLUTIONS

I Promise Myself to Purchase a Classic Bag

02I Will Acknowledge the Return of the Mac

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I Will Discover my True Style 01

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I Will Buy Real Jewellery – Bank Balance Permitting of Course!

04I Will Master the Art of Wearing Killer Heels

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I Should Invest in a Piece of Fashion History

I Have to Visit a Sample Sale This Year

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I Intend to Get a Fashion Conscience 07

I am Going to Inject Va-va-voom Into my Wardrobe

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I Promise to Take my Talons to the Dark Side 08

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Anti ageing injectionsBotox, Restylane, Juvederm

Facial Contouring,Breast EnhancementSub-Q, Macrolane, Sculptra

Hyperhidrosis (anti sweating) Titan non-surgical face liftsLaser Thread Vein and

Blue Leg Veins removedLaser Pigmentation and

Age Spots removedLaser Skin Resurfacing

Lines, Wrinkles andScar reduction

Laser and LEDPhoto rejuvenation

Hair RemovalAll skin types

Tattoo RemovalAll colours

Moles, Warts andVerrucas removal

Laser Stretch Marks reduction

Chemical Peels and FacialsWide range available

Acne treatmentsSpecial rates for young people

Ultrasound for fat reduction and Cellulite removal.

Colon Hydrotherapy

Med - Spa Cosmetic & Laser ClinicTunbridge Wells

Call now for a FREE consultation on any of our treatments

01892 535577 www.med-spa.co.uk

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RESOLUTIONS NO MORE

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CHANGING ROOMS

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SPLASHING OUT

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SPLASHING OUT

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12 Union Square Eridge Road The Pantiles Tunbridge Wells TN4 8HE

Tel 01892 617462

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*Terms and Conditions apply – for full details please ask in-store. Thames City Insurance Consultants Limited. Registered in England and Wales (No. 858248). Registered offi ce 108-112 Main Rd, Sundridge,

Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 6ES. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA No. 310639).

“A GIRL SHOULD BE TWO THINGS: CLASSY & FABULOUS”COCO CHANEL (1883-1971)

THE CAR AND HOME INSURANCE SPECIALIST

COCO CHANEL (1883-1971)

For another memorable quote and a chance to win a designer handbag worth up to £1,000 ask Thames City Insurance, the UK’s leading motor insurer for ladies, how much they could save you on

your car insurance.

All quotes requested before 31st January 2009 will be entered into a free prize draw after which a winner will be drawn at random and given a chauffer driven trip to the Chanel store in London

where the winner will personally choose their handbag up to the value of £1,000.

†°¢

Freephone: 0800 112 4874 quoting ref: SOTW40 Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2AS

www.thamescity.co.uk

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Shop talk...

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£145off* professional tooth-whitening(now £400)

purely, simply, truly...gorgeous

warm up your autumn with astart your new year with a

t: 01892 616062 e: contactus@i-teeth.co.uk*Limited offer, ends 31/01/09. Subject to availability and suitability examination

i teeth 16 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU

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Peter Cushing GalleryDid you know Peter Cushing was a talented Artist? Would you like to own a fi ne art reproduction of a Peter Cushing painting?

We are the sole distributors in the world for these images, which are printed onto fi ne art Giclée watercolour paper using advanced ink technology that provides prints as close to the original as possible.Click onto www.imigital.co.uk/petercushing to view all 24 images and to order a painting. Prices range from £49.99 to £119.99 plus P&P. Contact: sales@imigital.co.uk / 01233 840418

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OPERA ON TAP

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Mezzo-Soprano Claudia Huckle

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WIN FREE TICKETS

sung in English new translation by Christopher Cowell with the opera by defi nition orchestra

production sponsored by

February 9th at 7.30pmMatinee February 11th at 1.45pmFebruary 11th at 7.30pmGala performance February 12th at 7.30pmPre-performance dinner at 6pm - Lunch for matinee at 12pm Box Offi ce: Assembly Hall Theatre 01892 530613/532072Online Booking: www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

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warmer winters at

the beaconpub • restaurant • fireside entertainment

A hearty supper and the warmth of a fire provide cozy surroundings and the best way to spend the winter. The Beacon offers all this and more. A new seasonal menu, special events, attentive staff and a relaxed atmosphere.

Tea Garden Lane, Tunbridge Wells

01892 524252www.the-beacon.co.uk

up the town

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Mayfair Trained Stylists

01732 461988www.matthewcross.uk.com

7 London Rd Sevenoaks TN13 1AH

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THE spice

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Sporting GoodsHomeopathyBikesArtPetsInterior DesignCateringCafésDIYPhotographyRestaurantsFabricsBeautyLightingUpholsteryChairsLocksmithsRugsPicture Frames Antique Restoration

Love to shop, Love to eat, Love to relax,

Love Camden Roadwww.camdenroad.co.uk (just off the precinct)

Have you discovered Camden Road yet?

In association with your favourite local magazine www.sotunbridgewells.co.uk

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of a Discerning Palate

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Your most loyal

pedagogue...

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Win’s CollectionA special gift for unique people

38 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2PT

Tel: 01892 619378

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400 YEARS OF TRADITIONandan d

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Ladies who launch

Introducing...

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Sponsored byWarners Solicitors

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Helping

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Taking the Biscuit