‘The Rainbow Trail’

Walk Tonbridge has and always will be about community, so when I was approached to write a walk for Tonbridge Pride, I was genuinely flattered to be given the opportunity to make a contribution to our town's first ever Pride event.

Over the past six weeks writing and researching this walk, I have learnt so much about our towns LGBTQ+ connections. Not just the achievements they have made, but the struggles they have faced along the way.

I hope that you enjoy this walk and that perhaps it will inspire you to join in with Tonbridge Pride, or at least enlighten you in some way.

Thank you for reading and hopefully I will see you at this years pride!

Begin your walk at North Kent College, Brook Street. A community college that has been conveyor belting out young talent in a kaleidoscope of different vocations ranging from beauty to business and everything in between.

One of these talents is Sophia Stardust. If you don't know who Sophia Stardust is now, then chances are you will by the end of Tonbridge Pride. Sophia is one of Britain's leading drag artists, who has made a name for herself performing at shows across the UK.

Sophia's appearance on the mainstage at Tonbridge Pride, may feel like a bit of a homecoming for her creator Brandon Austin, as he was brought up in Tonbridge, studying here at North Kent College.

Being a teenager is a difficult time for many youngsters, but can be particularly difficult when trying to figure out your sexuality. It was during his time at West Kent (as it was known then) that Brandon decided to come out as gay, describing it as a safe environment, having previously been bullied at secondary school. The support of his friends and tutor, gave him the confidence to be himself.

It was not long after this, that Brandon found himself experimenting with drag. After being introduced to Ru Paul's drag race by a friend, Brandon was inspired to begin performing himself, using it as a way of 'taking a break from life and acting as someone else'.

When Brandon graduated from the college he decided to do so with the panache and flair you would expect from his drag act. He sashayed across the stage, collecting his certificate, before bowing to the audience and dipping into a gravity defying death drop, to the wild cheers of the watching audience. The carefree moment was captured on camera and within days had gone viral, clocking up millions of views and grabbing the attention of news outlets around the world.

It was Brandon that got everyone talking that day, but since then Sophia Stardust has been the one that has risen to prominence. With close to 60,000 followers on Tiktok, she has captivated a huge following of fans both online, and at her residency at the Hard Rock Cafe on London's Oxford Street. Sophia brought her act to Tonbridge, as the poster girl for our town's very first Pride event and is back again in 2024!

Continue down Brook Street and then cross over the road with care before turning left onto Quarry Hill Road, walking downhill, towards the roundabout.

On the opposite side of the road, hidden behind a clump of buddleia - a purple flowering weed like shrub, that spreads like wildfire, you'll spot a blue plaque, emblazoned with 'Harry Andrews' actor, affixed to the wall of The Tonbridge Chambers.

Harry was born right here in Tonbridge, at 1 St Marys Road. This was long before these office blocks were a bus station, even further back when this was the site of a grand old house, flanked by iron gates and chestnut trees.

Some of Harry's most memorable roles were playing military figures, his square jaw and brooding on screen presence gave him a reputation as a tough guy. Yet off screen he was said to be a quiet and private man, especially when it came to his personal life.

One part in particular was his relationship with fellow actor and at one point co-star Basil Hoskins. The two men met whilst filming the war film 'Ice Cold Alex' and went on to live with each other for 30 years, until Harry died in 1989.

In an age where celebrity couples are revered, it seems incredible that the pair kept their relationship private for so long, yet the reality is that for much of their time they were living in an era when enjoying a same sex relationship with another man was a criminal offence. With this in mind it's understandable that they may have chosen to keep their private life that much quieter. 

Despite the hard to spot blue plaque, Harry is still well remembered as an actor and for his contributions to both the big and small screen. He is buried in Salehurst, Sussex, alongside Basil who joined him in 2005.   

In her interview with The Sunday Mirror, Dame Kelly explained that coming out made her feel free after a lifetime of feeling like she had to hide her sexuality - something that was born out of her nearly ten year career in the army.

At the time Dame Kelly served in the military (1989-1997) it was illegal for gay men and women to serve in the armed forces, a law that was not overturned until the year 2000. Any personnel that were found to be gay were court martialled and forced to leave. Thousands of men and women are believed to have suffered this indignity, and some were even imprisoned after being convicted of "homosexual conduct" . When you consider that the prosecuted soldiers were stripped of the medals which they had been awarded for bravery or outstanding military service, the punishments smack of hypocrisy.

With this in mind, it's easy to understand why Dame Kelly was reluctant to make her sexuality public. Living with the fear of having your career snatched from you would be enough to make most people wary, especially if they thought there may be repercussions later on in life. It was this pressure that contributed to Dame Kelly's mental health issues over the years.

Speaking to the Mirror on Sunday, Dame Kelly explained that she was fully aware of the rumours which circulated around her sexuality, but was 'grateful to be breaking the news on her terms'. In many ways this quote summarises the importance of Tonbridge Pride - it's a celebration of people being able to be themselves without having to hide away part of their identity.

I would like to think that like me; the other 80'000 people that were there to witness her olympic homecoming back in 2004, will be equally pleased with her recent achievement, now that she has finally found the courage to be free.

Continue past the station and cross Barden Road. As you walk down the high street you will be following in the footsteps of the town's first ever pride march. On 06 August 2022 crowds assembled at River Lawn, before the march set off, along Tonbridge high street and towards the castle. A sea of rainbow flags, whistles, glam and glitter saw our town celebrate inclusiveness, diversity and acceptance.

The parade returns on Saturday 03 August for this years event. It doesn't matter if you are LGBTQ+ or straight, join in and show your support for all parts of our town's community.

As you walk along Tonbridge High Street you will see Tonbridge United Reformed Church (Christ Church) on your right. Previously this has been used by the BeYou project as a safe space for young people who think they may be LGBQT+ to meet up and discuss their feelings and experiences in a non-judgemental setting. The groups currently meet up online but there are also face to face meetings in Tunbridge Wells, should you prefer to meet up in person.

The BeYou project arranges meetings for children aged 13-17 and for young adults aged between 18-25, as well as regular online meetings for parents of children of LGBTQ+ young people, who may require support or have questions about LGBTQ+ or the issues that may affect their child or a young person they care for.

As we have learnt already on this walk, it's very common for both young people (and adults) to face a number of mental health issues as a result of withholding thoughts and feelings about their sexuality. These struggles can then lead to depression and anxiety, which can be even harder to deal with when combined with bullying at school.

According to the BeYou project, a Stonewall school report project reports that 45% of lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils have faced bullying at school, along with 64% of trans pupils. The figures for young people self harming are even more shocking, with 3 in 5 LGB young people admitting to self harming whereas this figure goes up to 4 in 5 for trans people. As a parent I find these figures absolutely heartbreaking as this could easily be one of my own children one day.

Thankfully the volunteers that staff the BeYou project give up their time and experience to try and make a difference to young people affected by these issues. They are one of a number of charities, organisations and support groups that provide support to the LGBTQ+ community, some of which will also be at the Tonbridge Pride this August.

Follow the High Street and you will pass Castle Walk. With gorgeous views of the castle and the River Medway, this is a lovely spot to sit and chill on a sunny day in Tonbridge, but come Pride day it is going to be a hive of activity! Make sure you pop by as there are going to be a whole host of stalls alongside the river, featuring a range of small businesses. You can expect unique homeware, art, crafts and gifts all from LGBTQ+ inclusive businesses.

As you reach the Northern end of the High Street keep an eye out for Tepa Books, a local business that is so much more than a bookshop.

Formerly Mr Books, the shop once held a family connection to another Tonbridge success story - actor, writer and producer Jack Holden.

Jack was brought up on Baltic Road and went to school at Judd, before graduating with a first from the Old Vic Theatre school in Bristol. He has already had an incredible career both on stage and in film, which suggests his future may be even brighter.

One of Jacks biggest breaks was playing the lead character in the acclaimed play War Horse, a role which he landed within a year of graduating. He has also performed extensively with the Royal Shakespeare company, as well as taking on roles on the small and big screen. You may recognise him with his work alongside Sean Bean in 'Marriage' a BBC 1 drama or the 2017 film Journeys End.

Jack also starred in Cruise, a one man play that he has written and starring in, that took London's West End by storm. The play is based on the true story of Michael Spencer, a gay man that was diagnosed with HIV in 1984 and was told that he had just four years left to live. On the eve of what was supposed to be his last day alive, Michael (played by Jack) ventures into Soho and parties like there's no tomorrow as he prepares for his end of days.

His play received countless five star reviews and was nominated for a prestigious Olivier award. Jack's acting and writing takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as it highlights the importance of love, community and hope.

Keep walking along the High Street and then cross over Lansdowne Road. After a short distance you will come to the Hogwartsesque Tonbridge School.

Since it was established in 1553, Tonbridge School has clocked up an alumni that is as broad as it is long. Amongst the many cricketers, scientists, and politicians; there have been a few writers too - one of which was Rupert-Croft Cooke.

Croft-Cooke is not a household name these days (although I dare say that if you were to mention him in Mr Books, they would know his work), yet in his era he was a prolific and well known writer. During his career as an author he clocked up around 100 books, plus hundreds of screenplays, poems and short stories. His writing was incredibly versatile, as he effortlessly switched between crime, romance, non-fiction and a huge collection of his auto-biographies.

Born in Edenbridge in 1903, he attended Tonbridge School before graduating from Wellington College at the age of 17, from which point on he led a life well travelled which was every bit as fascinating and diverse as the subject matters he had written about. Beginning with a gig as a private tutor in Paris, it wasn't long before he headed across the Atlantic exchanging the arrondissements of the city of love for the boulevards of the 'Paris of South America' Buenos Aires. It was here that he juggled private tutoring with the editing of Estrella an English language magazine that he had founded during his time there. Upon returning to Kent, he opened a bookshop in Rochester, which acted as a revenue stream for his nomadic lifestyle, whilst he waited for his side hustle of writing to pay off.

His travels included several months with the Rosaires travelling circus, a stint which inspired several books about life in the big top including 'The Circus Has No Home'. As Hitler rose to power and the threat of war loomed over Europe, Rupert found himself touring the continent once more as this time he tried to capture the mood of the man on the street. When war inevitably broke out Croft-Cooke enlisted into the army, a career path that took him to the tropical climes of Madagascar and then laterly India where he remained until 1946

It was during his time in India that Rupert met his lover and companion Joseph Sussainathan. Joseph was a much younger man that had been employed as his secretary. When Rupert returned to the UK, Joseph came too and the pair made a home together in Ticehurst, Sussex.

All was going well until one ill-fated night in 1952 at the notorious Fitzroy Tavern. Back then The Fitzroy was a bohemian melting pot of actors, writers and artists, that had long been popular amongst London’s gay community.

That night the couple had met a pair of visiting sailors, who they invited back to Ticehurst to enjoy a weekend of hospitality. The four men enjoyed food, drink and more, but when the sailors returned to London, they were arrested en-route after drunkenly assaulting two men, one of which was a policeman. Having caught wind of who the sailors had spent their weekend with, the police encouraged them to testify against their hosts in exchange for immunity against their own assault charges.

Both Rupert and Joseph were charged with gross indecency (homosexual relations being the indecent act) and were later convicted and jailed. Joseph was imprisoned for three months and Rupert served a total of 6 months in Brixton and Wormwood Scrubs.

Despite the pain and humiliation of this experience, it was one that made it into one of his many books. Although he did openly admit to his sexuality, Croft-Cooke reflected on his time in prison and the injustice of his sentence. He was one of just 1000's of men that were prosecuted and placed in prison for having gay relations. The alternative to prison was aversion therapy; a sickening attempt to 'cure' gay men by administering them either chemical injections or latterly electric shock treatment.   

Unsurprisingly the couple left Britain shortly after their release from prison, moving to Tangier, Morocco where they stayed for 15 years. Croft Cooke would have been in great company as many legendary gay and bi writers inhabited the city at the time. Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and William S Burroughs are just a few that also sought refuge here.

The pair eventually returned to the UK in the early 1970's, by which point homosexuality had been legalised, although under very strict conditions. Many of the laws designed to persecute gay men (such as gross indecency) were still in place and prosecutions were actually on the increase.

Rupert died in 1979 leaving behind a collection of work that although not considered classics, provide an interesting window into society of his time. Unfortunately he was one of many men that died with a criminal record to their name, purely for being gay. Some historic cases have been quashed with convictions overturned, but this was only an option for the younger men who lived to see a full repeal of the laws.

Follow the pavement alongside Tonbridge School and then continue past the traffic rights as this curves round to the left. Follow the pavement for around 150 metres and then after you have passed the Avenue Entrance to Tonbridge School, cross over the road via the pelican crossing. At this point turn right, doubling back on yourself for around 15 metres before turning into Dry Hill Road.

Continue along Dry Hill Road for approximately 110 metres and then at this point crossover the road and turn into Dry Hill Park crescent. Walk 150 metres to the end of the road and you will come to a junction with Dry Hill Park Road. This should be a lot simpler than it sounds, so apologies if you are struggling to keep pace!

Turn left and then after 150 metres cross over the road very carefully and you will see Hilden Oaks School, our next stop.

Whether you have read one of his books, seen one of his film adaptations or attended a production at the Tonbridge theatre named after him, you will probably recognise the works of E M Forster in one way or another.

Edward Morgan Forster lived here in Tonbridge between the years of 1893-1897. Back then this school was a private residence called Dryhurst, it was home to Forster and his mother whilst he studied at Tonbridge School as a day boy. His school days at Tonbridge are said to have been unhappy and impacted by bullying, a difficult period, but one which inspired his novel The Longest Journey.

In his lifetime E M Forster was a celebrated author but he only published five novels, the last of which was A Passage to India in 1924, some 46 years before his death. In 1971, the year after his death a sixth novel of his was published posthumously.

Part love story and part journey of discovery, Maurice was a semi-autobiographical story that he had written between 1910-1913. You may be wondering why this novel was never published whilst he was alive, though I suspect some of you reading this have probably guessed. Maurice was a love story between two men.

The book reflected Forsters own experiences of sexual awakening but also gave an insight into the pressures of being a gay man in this era. Very aware of the consequences of being openly gay, Forster specifically made the decision not to publish the novel whilst he was alive, as he feared facing prosecution and social humiliation that men such as Rupert Croft Cooke and Oscar Wilde had endured before him

Walk straight ahead and then at the end of Dry Hill Park Road, turn right onto London Road. Continue downhill to the pelican crossing and then cross over the road, before turning left, doubling back on yourself.

Cross over the bridge, then continue uphill for approximately 50 metres and then take the path on the right, leading diagonally uphill.

Walk past the tennis courts and the car park, then cross over the driveway, before following the path between the cricket pitches and the athletics track, part of Tonbridge School and home to Tonbridge Athletics Club.

Established in 1947 Tonbridge Athletics Club the club has been quietly turning out world class athletes and Olympians for 75 years. One of these is Tom Bosworth, who joined the club as a fresh faced 11 year old around 20 years ago.

Tom's discipline was race walking, a sport that combines speed with endurance as walkers compete in distances that range from 1 mile to 100km. His achievements in the sport are phenomenal. Tom holds three world records and has won a silver medal in the commonwealth games. To say he has dominated his field domestically is an understatement - having picked up either gold or silver every year at the British Championships between 2010 and 2021.

In 2015 Tom made history off the track, when he came out on national TV as the first openly gay British track and field athlete. A year later, he proposed to his now fiancee Harry on Copacabana Beach in Rio, where he had recently finished 06th in his olympic race.

Since coming out Tom remains in a minority of openly gay sports personalities, but has worked closely with Stonewall and other charities to try and raise the awareness of LGBTQ+ equality in sport and encourage other gay athletes to come out. He has previously stated 'After I came out, all my performances went through the roof. I would love other people to have that opportunity. 

Tom announced his retirement from the sport after the 2022 Commonwealth games, cementing himself a place in British Athletics history and as a fantastic role model to the next generation.

Follow this footpath to the end and you will emerge into The Slade, one of the oldest housing estates in Tonbridge. Turn diagonally right onto Havelock Road and then at the end of the road, turn left onto Stafford Road and follow this round to the left as the road merges with The Slade.

Walk uphill and then follow the road round as it becomes Bank Street. On your right you will see Tonbridge Old Fire Station, a brilliant local venue that are supportive of Tonbridge Pride. In previous years, owner, Richard Collins has led the parade in his fantastic vintage fire engine!

Upon leaving the Old Fire Station turn right and then right again into the grounds of Tonbridge Castle.

We finish our walk here in the shadow of the town's most iconic building. The castle lawn here has been used for thousands of events over the years but nothing quite like this!

During the day there will be a family friendly tent with entertainment from Britain's Got Talent's 'Mama G', book readings , arts and crafts as well as plenty more activities on offer.

Come 7pm the party hots up as Pride becomes an adult only event. You can expect dj's, singers and comedians appearing on the main stage - many of which will be from the LGBTQ+ community, including the one and only Sophia Stardust!

Thank you for walking The Rainbow Trail and for supporting Tonbridge Pride. If you have enjoyed this walk then please tag your pictures on Instagram using #walktonbridge and #tonbridgepride.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Zoe for arranging this amazing event.