INDEX – CELEBRATING 25 YEARS AT THE HEART OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS 013
25 YEARS & STILL GOING STRONG
The INDEX Magazine &
longstanding local companies celebrating their success
Here – and as part of our celebrations – we cast an eye over some of the key events past and present in Tunbridge Wells
Neill Barston
T
ake a trip down Tunbridge Wells High Street today and its vibrant cafe culture and arts scene underlines its decidedly confi dent outlook. Having recently
been named one of the top 20 places in the country to live by the Sunday Times, its status as a historic royal spa town continues to attract a growing number of people to live and work in the area. Much of the town’s future development will hinge on the outcome of major proposals for new civic offi ces and a brand-new 1,200-seater theatre in the Calverley Grounds
area. However, the ambitious plans to replace Tunbridge Wells’ historic council offi ces and Assembly Hall Theatre that have been landmark features of the town, have met with concerns from some residents. Consequently, the £90 million scheme is now being halted for further consideration by the council. Clearly, the area remains a fi rm favourite with commuters and families seeking a lifestyle with easy access to some of the fi nest countryside in the region. However, there is little doubt that the town has seen many changes over the past 25 years since INDEX Magazine fi rst launched its fl agship edition in the area. During that time, the magazine has sought to refl ect key developments, which have proved it retains a strong sense of community and typically Kentish identity.
DIVERSITY
The area certainly seems to have grown in diversity over the past couple of
decades – with the population of the town growing around 10% from its fi gure of 116,00. For many in the town during the 90’s, life in a largely pre-digital age was perhaps a little less complex, with our obsession with all things online having only just started to gain a serious foothold in an era before the dawn of social media. Back then, Tunbridge Wells had recently lived up to its regal name tag, with Princess Diana visiting the town in 1992 to formally open Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.
While it has enjoyed its share of success over the years, like many high street locations, it has come under increasing pressure from internet retailing. However, under new ownership, it is now undergoing an £11 million revamp, which it is hoped will see its wide range of stores fi t for the next few decades. As publisher of INDEX Magazine,
Stephen Gurney, explained, it has been an eventful and memorable couple of decades in publishing within the area. While he acknowledged that present trading conditions surrounding Brexit had posed challenges for a number of businesses in the area, he remained
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