Tonbridge Town, Kent

Have you ever heard of Tonbridge in Kent? No, not Tunbridge Wells, TONBRIDGE!

This conversation is all too familiar when someone asks where you're from when you grew up in a little place like this.

RIP Dorothy Perkins

It is certainly a town of contradictions and it is very different to Tunbridge Wells. For a start, Tunbridge Wells boasts a decent shopping precinct, the historic Pantiles, and a decent enough night life; Tonbridge, on the other hand, has few of the pluses of its sister-town. Having lived in Hampshire for over ten years, when I return to the 'bridge, I am able to see what has changed a lot more clearly. One disappointing feature (and a sign of the times) is the state of the High Street shops. There wasn't much in the way of a shopping experience growing up, but it is a sad sight to see so many shops closed that have been a staple part of the town for years.