The civic, heritage and amenity Society for Southborough

including the community of High Brooms

Inside this issue

Newsletter Editor Michael Howes 41B Mount Sion Tunbridge Wells TN1 1TN Tel No; 0776 225 2396 mikeymailuk@yahoo.co.uk Design & Production Ian Kinghorn Photography Ian & Rhys Kinghorn Society Postal Address 19A Gallard‘s Close London Road Southborough Tunbridge Wells TN4 0NB

Front Cover: Winter view of Holden Pond, Southborough—photo taken by Rhys Kinghorn.

Pages 3 Chairman’s Message Pages 4— 8 Portas Review Page 9 Community Page 10 Heritage Open Days Pages 11 Society Matters Back Cover: Diary of Events Published by the Southborough Society www.southborough-society.org.uk Registered in the UK as charity no: 260979

The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the named author or the editor and so do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society.

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The Chairman’s Message

Although I am writing this piece in the hiatus between Christmas and New Year I know that it will be well into January before the newsletter is in your hands. Nevertheless I trust everybody had an enjoyable Christmas and may I extend to everyone my best wishes for 2012.

The coming year promises to be a busy one for the Southborough Society. Our major project this year is the designing & fixing of Commemorative Plaques to recognise where some notable people have lived in Southborough. Thanks to generous support from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council we are planning to install upto nine plaques this spring to commemorate well known residents such as Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, Christopher Fry and Ernest Rowe.

We will be continuing our series of winter talks with the next one on Tuesday 13th March at St

Matthew‘s School in High Brooms when Fiona Woodfield will be giving a talk on ―The History of Transportation in Southborough & High Brooms‖. Then at the AGM in May Michael Howes will be giving an illustrated presentation on the Commemorative Plaques the Society has arranged as detailed above.

I enjoyed giving the first talk this November on the Welte Organ at Salomons and in January Peter Riley and Michael Dunn gave a presentation on The History of Southborough Cricket. Press copy dates prevent me from commenting on this particular event but I hope that everyone who attended found it interesting and enjoyable.

2012 is also, of course, the year for the Queen‘s Jubilee and Ian Kinghorn has agreed to act as the Society‘s representative on the Southborough Town Council‘s task group to plan local celebrations of this event. It is hoped that Southborough will be the site of one of the 2012 beacons to mark the Jubilee on 4

th June. In addition we are supporting the 20

th Anniversary

celebrations of the Southborough, High Brooms & District Overseas Friendship Association in October.

The annual photographic competition will be staged as usual in the Summer and we are grateful to Southborough Council for granting permission to exhibit the entries in the display cases at the Royal Victoria Hall.

The Kent High Weald Partnership is working with Southborough Council to develop a new Management Plan for Southborough Common and I would urge members to attend one of the consultation events which are being held as workshops in January & February – usually at the Royal Victoria Hall. The first workshop, Southborough Common in the Landscape, is being given by Fiona Woodfield on Wednesday 25

th January.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to Enid Wood who has reluctantly decided to step down from the Executive Committee. Enid, along with her late husband Bob, has been a member of the Southborough Society for many years and her contributions to the Committee are much appreciated.

It is some time since the Executive Committee has been ―complete‖. We are still looking for an Hon Secretary to take the minutes at the quarterly committee meetings and to deal with a small amount of correspondence. If you would like to join the committee in this role or know of anyone who may be suitable then please do let me know.

Finally I continue to welcome any comments or suggestions from any member of the Society so please feel free to contact me by telephone – 01892 684930 or email at mtsalomonson@blueyonder.co.uk

Matthew Salomonson Chairman

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Portas Review

High Streets: today’s hot topic by Fiona Woodfield

In December, the importance of high streets was much in the news with the publication of the ―Portas Review of the future of our High Streets‖. It seems to me that Mary Portas struck the right balance in asserting that high streets and town centres are something of “real social as well as economic worth to our communities” and must not be neglected and erode away, whilst being in no doubt that “how we shop as a nation has quite simply changed beyond recognition – forever”. On the same subject, ―Save our High Streets‖ is the title of a current campaign of Civic Voice – the umbrella organisation of civic societies. Their website www.civicvoice.org.uk in turn links to relevant material on a wide range of other sites. So this seems a good time to reflect on what might be of interest or relevance for our own town. An historical perspective Southborough and High Brooms are very clear examples of how things have changed beyond recognition. The two main shopping areas in London Road – on the Parade and in the centre of Southborough – go back roughly a hundred and fifty years, the period when most of the houses in the town were built. These two groups of shops were soon followed by more in High Brooms Road, some of which still trade today. In addition, other streets were well populated by shopkeepers – for example, there were two short parades in Pennington Road and a significant number of shops in Colebrook Road. Finally, across both parts of the town there was a scattering of corner shops, giving a total much greater than the number of shops in the town today. The goods and services available in Victorian times covered almost everything one might need for everyday life. Households on low income, perhaps paid on a daily basis (certainly no less frequently than weekly), living in houses with just a cold pantry slab for storage of perishables, walked to the shops each day for vegetables, meat and bread. More unusual household needs were also met within the town. Grand households with uniformed staff could patronise outfitters on London Road who advertised for sale the necessary ―livery‖! Household goods were made locally too. To give just one example, leather was tanned on Holden Road, harnesses made by local craftsmen and then the products sold in a shop a few hundred yards from the tannery (in the premises now occupied by Hair Workshop, 26 London Road). But we must not forget that global trade was a reality even in the nineteenth century. In the Regency era, John Usborne of Holden House traded timber from locations as diverse as Canada and Russia. And New Zealand lamb was in local shops in the nineteenth century.

By and large, the pattern of local retail continued unchanged for the best part of a hundred years, albeit with a relentless diminution of shops in side streets. The number of small butchers, bakers and greengrocers began to tail off significantly in the 1970s – perhaps rather later than one might expect. They were, of course, affected by the spread of supermarkets with their wide range of products and keen prices all on one

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Portas Review

site and by widespread car ownership. In addition - and highly significantly - once shopping by car was the norm, the proximity of Southborough and High Brooms to Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells irreversibly changed the type of shops in the town. Recent changes In more recent decades - and In common with communities across the country – our town has seen corner shops, butchers, bakers and greengrocers continue to disappear. In evidence to the Portas Review, Civic Voice tried unsuccessfully to make the case for reserving slots on the High Street for these particular outlets. This seems rather unrealistic. We in Southborough could have shared our experience of a greengrocer in Crundwell Road given ―reserved use‖ for many years (no doubt with the very best of intentions) but eventually no longer commercially viable. The growth areas - and not always welcome developments - in our town have been of charity shops (reflecting changes in charity fund raising methods) and outlets where food is ready prepared, such as pubs and shops turning into restaurants or the advent of new hot takeaways of various flavours (reflecting changes in cooking, eating, school lunches and socialising). Civic Voice is not alone in lamenting the proliferation of charity shops. Portas mentions in passing the adverse effect not so much of charity shops as the multiplicity of any particular type (be they charity shops or fried chicken outlets). The only specific outlet she is determined should be kept within new legal bounds is betting shops. An interesting phenomenon in Southborough has been the increased use of shop premises for businesses that in earlier times operated from workshops – for example, selling and fitting windows, kitchens and tiles. Other specialist shops – such as the well-established Snowear - which have arrived in the town in recent years may well be attracted to a location distanced from town centres with higher rents but close enough to draw extra customers from both the two larger neighbouring towns.

Corner of High Brooms Road and Powder Mill Lane—circa 1930

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Portas Review

Empty shops The national rate of unoccupied shops is a daunting 1 in 6. We should be encouraged that, even in challenging economic times, the number of empty shops at any one time along London Road has not changed significantly. Nor do persistently empty premises seem to be a major blight here. (It should be noted that one shop in Tonbridge is a listed building which has been boarded up for at least two decades.) Portas stresses the value of free parking, from which we currently benefit. Portas tackles a number of aspects relating to the use of empty premises. She stresses the need for local communities to have access to details of the owners of the premises, with an excellent proposal for a public register. For cases of long standing neglect, she supports the New Economics Foundation‘s suggestion of a new ―Empty Shop Management Order‖, a measure well short of compulsory purchase but enabling local authorities to take over neglected premises, renovate and rent them out, such as to ―start up― enterprises. Portas‘s proposal to more easily change ―use classes‖ on the high street focusses on facilitating quicker use of redundant shops and more use of empty upper floors – neither of which seem to me to be major issues for our own town. A significant number of our retail premises have always had residential use on their upper floors, for example. Indeed, if this recommendation were accepted by the government, there could be a downside that the owners of existing shops might more easily be able to get permission for alternative use, reducing the number of shops overall to below a critical mass.

As regards the temporary use of empty premises, Portas commends the ―Meanwhile Project‖ with its inspiring website at www.meanwhile.org.uk. A further interesting idea – from an earlier publication by think tank Res Publica - is that community groups should have the right to use or trade in empty premises. As far as I can gather, this would be only after a certain period of neglect or inability or unwillingness to sell or lease on to commercial users. One local premises I can think to which this proposal might be relevant is the ground floor below the Town Council offices (landlord: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council). Remembering how fruitless our efforts were about a decade ago (in spite of commendable persistence of one committee member) to cheer up the windows of empty shops with history displays I am obviously keen on the ―meanwhile‖ approach. Can we envisage a peripatetic community museum, with displays changing when a permanent tenant moved in to the first premises and the museum moved on to the next vacant shop?

Purpose of a High Street Portas seems to regard the move of most food retailing from the high street to supermarkets as a given. I am sure that reversing that trend is a lost cause. Interestingly, she is particularly concerned that other services once the preserve of the High Street are also becoming part of what supermarkets offer. She cites trips to the doctor or the optician as just two of the health and well-being, socialising, culture, creativity and learning experiences which provide a reason to be in a high street or town centre rather than driving to a supermarket. But she says nothing specific as to how that particular tide might be turned.

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Portas Review

How does Portas see economic and community life being breathed back into our high streets? She is firm that no two high streets are the same and each one will need to find its bespoke approach to revival rather than adopting some generic solution. She takes the view that high streets of the future must be the hub of the community, places that people are proud of and want to protect. High streets must offer something that the internet never can. Service, specialism and customer experience are, in her view, the key selling points of high street retailers. She recommends a ―town team‖ to provide a coherent plan for a high street. Drawing together the numerous interested parties – including both those with a commercial and a community interest - might seem a daunting task. Portas is right to say that single ownership of a high street is rare - indeed , the shops and other premises in our town are probably an extreme example of multiplicity of ownership. This cannot make planning a coherent overall strategy easy. At the moment, the development of our town centre and the advent of any new businesses are governed by whoever happens to take on the next lease. Portas suggests that the ―town team‖ could have the power to decide the appropriate mix of businesses and services in the town, using the Neighbourhood Plan provisions within Greg Clark‘s Localism Act. “Any proposals [for shop or business use] that do not fit the agreed plan simply won’t be able to go ahead.” Far from being simple, this is controversial. In theory, it might mean that the owner of a retail premises would no longer be able to lease or sell them to whomever was offering the best price.

Corner of Holden Park Road and Taylor Street circa 1920s

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Portas Review

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Two key issues come to my mind. How would the town team determine the right mix of retail and other provision? And how could they actually make this mix a reality on the ground? Some years ago, at a meeting about the town centre, I asked a Borough Council officer to give me some specific examples of what kind of shop he envisaged would both improve the town centre of Southborough and be viable commercially. His only suggestion was a delicatessen – and we have of course seen not one but two such outlets come and go on the Parade in recent years. Diversity is what Portas wants to see in every High Street up and down the land – but of sufficient quality not to be regarded as a motley assortment. She believes high streets are uniquely placed to deliver something she describes as new: “The new high street will not just be about selling goods. The mix will include shops but could also include housing, offices, sport, schools or other social commercial and cultural enterprises and meeting places.. ..where shopping is just one small part of a rich mix of social activities.” In theory, our town has a lot of these building blocks in place already. But can we realistically envisage the possibility of achieving that elusive rich mix and seeing a town centre of which we could be proud?

Subscriptions from April 2012

As detailed in the Summer Newsletter, subscription rates are increasing in April 2012 and the new rates are as follows:

If you currently pay your annual subscription by Standing Order then please contact your bank as soon as possible to increase your Standing Order.

1 year membership

5 year membership

Individual

£6

£23

Family

£9

£36

Community

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High Brooms / Southborough Morris Dancers by Jenny Kneller. Since last summer Tunbridge Wells has been without a Morris dance side. Happily a new side has formed to carry forward the tradition, Brooms Bricks and Bowlers Morris based in High Brooms.

The founder members, most of whom live in High Brooms / Southborough, settled on a name with local resonance, hence the reference to brooms and the brick works, and wearing bowler hats with a very stylish feather trim as a nod to traditional Tunbridge Wells commuters. All the founder members were new to Morris and some new to dancing, so they enlisted the help of Liz Scholey, a local dance teacher and Morris dancer and her husband John, a dancer and musician who is also the Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Crier. The side is learning and performing dances in the Border Morris style. These dances, originally from the Welsh borders, are exuberant with relatively easy stepping but lots of stick clashing and whooping! Brooms Bricks and Bowlers (BBB) are looking for new members to join them, dancers, musicians and supporters. Absolute beginners are welcome and, like any type of dancing, Morris will help you keep fit as well as being great fun. They would particularly like musicians to join as Border Morris sides traditionally have big bands for lots of (tuneful) noise. So if you are interested in preserving and evolving local traditions, enjoy dressing up and face painting, and love having a good time, including a little social drinking, then come and meet BBB Morris at one of their practice sessions and try dancing and/or playing.

The side will be practising hard during the winter ready to dance next summer and is hoping to be invited to local festivals and events. Practices are held in the Toc H Hall High Brooms on Sunday mornings 11.00am —to 12.00 noon. For more information contact Jenny Kneller on 07941 494585 or Liz Scoley on 07738 709080.

Heritage Open Days

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Heritage Open Days in Southborough and High Brooms I would like to thank everyone who came to visit us at Holden House on The Heritage Open Days weekend. I had such a wonderful day meeting so many interesting and friendly people. Thank you also to Fiona Woodfield and Ian Kinghorn who helped not only on the day but with the planning leading up to event, I really could not have done it without their support. One of my favourite stories was from a young lady who arrived carrying some antique china; at the end of the tour she gave them to me and explained that many, many years ago a friend of her grandmother had been a butler at Holden House and he had ... shall we say ... 'borrowed' the set when he left his employment. They have remained in her family ever since and she came across them and felt it was time they returned to Holden! It was such an amusing story. So I now have them sitting in my cabinet where they will always stay. Sadly, my only regret is that I did not get more time to spend with each person who came. Due to there being tours on every hour I often had to make a speedy departure in the middle of talking to someone who was telling me some fantastic history of the house. There were many people who had stories of their association to the house either from having worked here themselves many years ago or family members who had, or time they spent at the house and gardens as a child. One particular lady was telling me that she worked here for the owner 'before' Godfrey Phillips lived here, which is a missing piece of history for me as I do not know who the owner was; I would love the lady to get in touch and tell me her memories. To everyone, thank you for sharing your stories with me, they are very precious indeed and I would like to ask them a huge favour if you could take a few minutes and write them own and send them to me I would be extremely grateful. There were many of you who I had lots of questions for or I missed part of the story and don't remember your name to contact you to find out more. It was a fantastic day meeting you all and reminding us that we are part of such a wonderful community. Please drop me a line with your memories to: Holden House, Holden Road, TN4 0LR Kind Regards Julie Levack

Heritage Open Days 6th to 9th September 2012

Our thanks to Jan Nixon, who has stepped down as the Society's Heritage Open Days representative, for her splendid contribution in making this weekend such a success in Southborough and High Brooms. We are now looking for someone to replace her, to work alongside the local co-ordinator of Heritage Open Days. The main time of activity in Southborough and High Brooms is from the beginning of August, arranging such tasks as distribution of posters and leaflets, finding volunteers to do bookings or lead walks, liaising with the venues and getting assorted bits and pieces to and from the right places before and after the weekend itself. The role should suit someone who would like to do something for the Society which is fairly self contained. Maybe someone only available in school holidays would like to help us, or one or more students looking for experience in events management, as Fiona could draw them into the wider programme. If you are interested, please contact Fiona on woodfieldfiona@hotmail.com or 01892 544429

Society Matters

President Lt Col Maxwell Macfarlane Tel No: 01892 532708 Chairman

Matthew Salomonson Tel No: 01892 684930 Vice-Chairman Vacancy Hon Secretary Vacancy Hon Treasurer Shahbaz Khan Tel No: 07738 478693 Other Committee mem-bers Mrs Jo Beech Tel No: 01892 534901 Michael Howes Tel No: 077622 52396 Ian Kinghorn Tel No: 01892 525360 John Kennedy Tel No: 01892 543612 Bill Lush Tel No: 01892 529482

Membership Secretary Mrs Rachel Boughton 54 Yew Tree Road Southborough TUNBRIDGE WELLS TN4 0BN Tel No: 01892 542528 rachelboughton@btinternet.com

Webmaster John Britton johnbritton@live.com

New Members The Southborough Society welcomes new Members. For an application form visit the website or contact the Membership Secretary (see the panel opposite for the contact details)

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New Members

We convey a warm welcome to the following new Member: Mr A Turner

Hire of Society Equipment.

Powerpoint Projector

The Society has acquired a new Powerpoint Projector

and stand that can be hired out to Society members at a

cost of £10 per day or £15 per day to non members.

Gazebo

The Society‘s Gazebo is also available for hire, to

Society members at a rate of £10 per day or £15 per day

to non members.

To arrange to hire the Powerpoint Projector you should

contact Matthew Salomonson, and for the Gazebo you

should contact Maxwell Macfarlane.

Autumn Issue.

The Editor apologises for the mis-spelling of Brian

Parritt‘s name in the article ‗Gentle Memories‘, published

in the last edition.

DIARY OF EVENTS

Visit the Southborough Society website at www.southborough-society.org.uk

Tuesday 13th March 2012— An illustrated talk on the history of transport in Southborough and High Brooms - ―Transported through the Centuries‖ will be given at St Matthews School, High Brooms at 8 pm. This talk will be given by Fiona Woodfield. Friday 30th March 2012 - This is the deadline for the submission of any stories or letters for inclusion in the Spring edition of the Newsletter. Contact the Editor, Michael Howes - details on page 2. Tuesday 10th April 2012 - Southborough Town Hall Meeting, 7 pm at Victoria Hall, Southborough. Tuesday 15th May 2012—The Society‟s Annual General Meeting will be held at Christ Church Hall, Broomhill Park Road, Southborough at 8pm. The AGM will be followed by an illustrative talk on the Southborough Society‘s Commemorative Plaques. The talk will be given by Michael Howes. Sunday 17th June 2012—Lions Gala Day at Meadows School, Southborough. Saturday 25th to Monday 27th August — Lions Art Show, The Common, Southborough. Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th September 2012—Heritage Open Days

The civic, heritage and amenity Society for Southborough

Including the community of High Brooms

Your Society needs your Ideas for Future Talks

We are always on the lookout for any new and interesting Southborough related topics to include in our annual series of winter talks, so if you have any suggestions please contact our Events Coordinator Ian Kinghorn on 01892 525360 or email ian.kinghorn@btinternet.com