Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells (often shortened to Tunbridge Wells) is a large affluent town in western Kent, England, about 40 miles (64 km) south-east of central London by road, 34.5 miles (55.5 km) by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex. It is situated at the northern edge of the High Weald, the sandstone geology of which is exemplified by the rock formations at the Wellington Rocks and High Rocks.
The town came into being as a spa in the Restoration and had its heyday as a tourist resort under Beau Nash when the Pantiles and its chalybeate (Iron rich) spring attracted visitors who wished to take the waters. Though its popularity waned with the advent of sea bathing, the town remains popular and derives some 30 percent of its income from the tourist industry.
Royal Tunbridge Wells hosted the Society in 2001. The traditional arrival party was given at the home of Tim and Gail Williams, who delighted in phoning his father Bernard with greetings from the assembled company. A day followed of presentations in the Kent and Sussex Hospital, including one from a solicitor (Pamela Horner, wife of member Joe) on What it Means to be a Professional, highly relevant in these days of accountability and litigation. The visit ended with a tour of Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s beloved 80-acre home in Kent.
Images above show the Opera House (Left) and the Pantiles (Right)