Anke: Royal Tunbridge Wells

Flick to Kick

There I was browsing the BBC News website for a quick catch up with my morning cuppa when I happened upon an article about a football tournament in Scotland. People who know me would gasp in amazement at me clicking on a sports article but this was no ordinary football. It was table football, or Subbuteo to you and me.
While most people have heard of the game, few probably realise that it was invented right here in Tunbridge Wells, well the small village of Langton Green actually, but we're all close friends here.
It was invented in 1947 by Peter Adolph. Apparently inspired by a button from Woolworths, Peter thought that he could improve on the table football games of the time, such as the popular "New Footy". He made a base using the button, weighted down with a washer, enabling the flicker to give spin to the tiny player and to curve the ball, which is what gave it its edge on the competition.
His first editions consisted of a footballer printed onto card or later celluloid, metal goals with cardboard nets, and instructions on how to draw a pitch onto an old army blanket.
The name Subbuteo comes from a mixture of the inventor's hobbies, ornithology and football. Peter originally wanted to call the game after his favourite bird, the Hobby, but the patent office refused this so he did the next best thing and called it after the bird's Latin name, Subbuteo.
The games were originally manufactured and sold from his mother's home but as the game turned into an international phenomenon manufacture moved to factories in Mount Ephraim and Warwick Park as well as others in Langton Green, Tonbridge and Wadhurst. The local people of Tunbridge Wells also painted and put together the little figures in their own homes, working from home then sending completed work back to the factory. You can read some of the memories of these people here.
By the late 60s the game had taken off to such a level that there were even professional leagues and associations, but Peter just couldn't keep up with demand so to provide a future for the company he sold it all to Waddingtons, staying on as a Managing Director of the company. By 1970 it had all become a bit too much for Peter and he resigned, and although he tried to keep on designing new games along the same Subbuteo lines, he failed, and after seeing his creation sold in over 50 countries and translated into 16 different languages he died in 1994.
Production continued in Tunbridge Wells for 34 years until Waddingtons moved manufacture to the North of England in 1981. The game, albeit with a small break in the early part of this century, still continues in production today by Hasbro, interestingly with the players printed on plastic, like Peters originals. Sadly not produced in Tunbridge Wells anymore but this is where it all kicked off, or should that be flicked off?

If you enjoyed that article or learnt something from it why not leave me a comment, after all it took me FOUR HOURS to find those little figures, from Barnett Fry Collectables incidentally, fine purveyors of Subbuteo.

A Pint at the Opera

One of our most captivating views for new visitors, and probably most ignored view through familiarity for locals, that are heading towards the main precinct of town is the imposing Grade II listed Opera House.
It all started in the late 19th Century when our town was lacking decent provision for theatre, so it was decided that to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 we should have a grand building just for the purpose.
An unfortunate series of delays meant that the foundation stones weren't finally laid until 1901, by the then mayor Charles Fletcher Lutwidge, local MP Fred Horner and the actor Herbert Beerbohm-Tree, but by 1902 it was finally finished.
Completed by the local builder John Jarvis, and designed by architect John P Briggs, the Opera House was built at a cost of just £31,000. Early designs show that there was a plan for a perpetual flame on the top of the main dome, but common sense dictated that a place was made for a statue of Hermes instead, although that angered local residents to the point of removal (more of which can be read in this article).
The inside was fitted out at a cost of £5,000 with 1,100 seats of crimson plush, ornate decoration of gold lining the walls and ceilings painted delicately with matching colours, most of which survives to this day.
Alterations were made over the years, including a 23 ton electropneumatic organ being installed in the late 1920s, but by 1931 the fashion for the theatre was being overtaken by the era of film, so in August of that year the Opera House was transformed into a cinema, including the removal of the huge organ, which actually survives today in New Zealand of all places.
Another change of social pleasures forced the building to once again adapt and from the late 60s it became a bingo hall until finally revising itself once again in the late 90s as a public house.
As it wasn't designed as a house of opera, more of a house of theatre, why exactly was it called an Opera House? Charles Strange tells us that "the good people of Tunbridge Wells looked askance at any sort of theatrical performance".
You can actually watch operas today in the grand house and then next is at the start of February, click here for more details.
I'm sure everyone is guilty of walking past every day but next time you wander by, take a minute to just cast your gaze skyward and just appreciate how beautiful it is, or if you have time pop in for a pint and wonder at the details.

15% off in store

To celebrate a new test line in our shop use the code "NEWYEARSHIRTS" to get a fantastic 15% off all t-shirts. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to the cute new babygro too, but at just £13 your little treasure can be the talk of mummys morning next week and at least if they get lost everyone knows where to post them back to.
Just click here or, as always, use the shop graphic to the right.

Ice to see you, to see you....

It may be icy cold out there but that shouldn't stop you getting outside and admiring the wonderful scenery that surrounds us.
Just look at the beautiful sights, shapes and colours you can see if you pull on that bobble hat and mittens and taken a wander into Dunorlan Park.
Click here or any of the pictures to be taken to more from the series.

Click here or any of the pictures to be taken to more from the series.

In the Spotlight

Welcome to the first post of 2009. Has the Credit Crunch put the frighteners on you and your spending habits? Are you humming and hawwing over what you can cut back on? Shopping? Eating out? Going out on excursions? Giving to charity? Don't fancy giving up any of these? Well, the good news is that thanks to a new initiative called The Spotlight Book, you CAN laugh in the face of the economy and not cut back on ANY of these things!
The book of 120 vouchers for local shops, businesses, restaurants and activities which will save you £100s maybe even £1000s if you use them all, is on sale for just £10 from lots of town locations (available from the Tourist Information Centre, your local school, YMCA Centre and selected charity shops).
It's a shame the Greatest Tunbridge Wellian poll wasn't taking place right now, because local entrenapeneur Jennie Maslin, who hit upon the idea as a way to encourage residents to support local businesses, as well as beating the credit crunch and helping charities into the bargain, would surely be a front runner. I was very lucky to be able to help with The Spotlight Book by donating photographs for the pages and am very proud to have helped in my very small way. Thanks, Jennie.
Whats the catch? Well, there isnt one. With Gordon Brown urging us to spend, spend, spend to kick start our beleagured economy, even he's laughing.
If you can't find any books for sale near you click here to e-mail The Spotlight Book team.
Oh and have fun saving the economy too.