From the https://www.timeslocalnews.co.uk By Andy Tong, 6th March 2019.

Why time ran out on the clock house’s tapas adventure.

A combination of factors led to The Clock House on Barden Road closing down last year.

Dan Ward and his wife Polly opened it up as a tapas bar in April 2017 after Mojo’s closed down.

Mr Ward said: “We didn’t want to offer the same food as the "Ivy House" so we decided to try tapas. but after five months we realised it wasn’t going to work.

“It was at the wrong end of town and it was taking half the money of the "Ivy House" even though it was twice as big.”

The Wards have a young family – their two children are one and four years old – and they opened up a ‘Baby Café’ on the premises.

But Mr Ward revealed: “We also had a burglary there but we had very little help from the police.

“A forensics guy turned up but we never heard from them after that.

“We had a young child and another one on the way – that’s why Polly set up the Baby Café there – but she didn’t feel safe there anymore.”

He added: “The rent and business rates were very high, and we had no emotional attachment to the place like we did with the "Ivy House".

“We had built up a lovely business at the top of town but this was a different thing.

“There was trouble coming from people rolling off the trains. Without being disrespectful, it was not for us, we like a tranquil existence.

“But I’ll be back in Tonbridge, without a doubt.”