018 FEATURE The Writing’s On The Wall


www.indexdigital.co.uk


This month, Masjid Al-


Noor, the town’s only mosque, will be opening to visitors for the


fi rst time, and that’s very exciting.” Masjid Al-Noor Chairman Abdul


Subhan is looking forward to welcoming newcomers. “The idea is to get together, have tea and talk. The Imam will answer any questions. Many people will not have been inside a mosque before so we want to help people understand what Islam is all about,” he says.


There’s more in store...


Tonbridge Castle also promises to be a hub of activity during the weekend,


playing host to a medieval fair, the Jane Austen Society and the Tonbridge Parish Bell


Ringers, among others. Elsewhere, RAF memorabilia enthusiasts can check out West Malling’s Twitch Heritage Centre while, in Wateringbury, there will be a Blue Plaque Unveiling Walk around its seven blue plaque properties. Among others, these honour Shakespearean actress Dame Ellen Terry and local brewer Ralph Fremlin.


Nowadays, more and more commemorative plaques are springing up all over Kent. Tunbridge Wells has recently unveiled 27 to celebrate the lives of people who were strongly associated with the town, joining the 15 erected in 2006. Determinedly more socially diverse, the latest batch includes newspaper editor Rachel Beer, pioneer female aviator Pauline Gower and anarchist Henry Seymour. In due course, these will form part of a heritage trail. The project was a joint venture between the town’s borough council and local civic society. More details are available in the


interesting and informative booklet, The Writing on the Wall – The Commemorative Plaques of Royal Tunbridge Wells, published this June by the Tunbridge Wells Civic Society. The town’s commemorative plaque scheme is similar to that of English Heritage, the guardian of the London scheme, except that the plaques are red instead of blue.


The fame game


So who decides who should have a plaque? The Civic Society’s Dr Alastair Tod explains: “As in London and elsewhere, members of the public propose new people to be commemorated and it’s the job of the civic and historic societies to do the research and ensure that nominated people meet the selection criteria.“ According to the rules – which are


standard across the country – people must have been dead for over 25 years (20 years in Tonbridge) and have a close connection to the place. “Tunbridge Wells is a passing through sort of place,” says Alastair. “But the latest group are rooted more locally and refl ect the reformist and rebellious tradition of the town.” Not everywhere follows the ‘rooted locally’ rule as strictly. A kebab shop in West Malling (above) has a plaque commemorating where The Beatles fi lmed part of their 1967 fi lm Magical Mystery Tour. Bringing the concept more fi rmly into the


21st century, the town’s blue plaques have QR codes enabling smartphone users to learn more about the people or places featured.


© David Hodgkinson


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142