Married Life!

Yes, I am now newly married. The day was a perfect fairytale and we loved every minute of it. I could go on but it's raining in TW today and telling you about the Italian sunshine or Maldives house reef just seems plain cruel! Just thought I better explain why things have been a bit quiet round here and why your email may be unanswered in my inbox. But now I'm back and pressing ahead with our new offering for 2010.

Schools have been on the phone demanding the new version as they are anxious to be selling to new parents and parents have been enquiring as to what will be happening to any leftover books for 2009 as perhaps I could pass a few vouchers their way! All I can say is watch this space. There are some changes in motion but we think you'll like them. 'til next time!

Been Missing You!

Must apologise that it has been so long since the last post. There are all sorts of reasons for this including the glorious weather but one of the worthier reasons is the new version of The Spotlight Book that we are planning and scheming to make even bigger and better than last year. We want more charities to benefit from promoting it, more businesses to benefit from being in it and more residents to save more money by buying it. Sounds good so far I hope, and there are some exciting changes so bear with us while we polish up the plans and then start collecting offers for you.

We are proud to have what we believe is the best collection of localised discounts and deals for the area and want to continue to offer you fantastic value at some of the best restaurants, shops and leisure facilities for 2010. If there is anyone not in the book that you would like to see in it, email us through the website and we'll approach them for you. And if you are a business looking to do some extra promotion and keen to be part of a strong community project, let us know now so we can make sure we contact you in plenty time. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Any Problems Using Vouchers?

Heard today about a shop in town that refused to accept a voucher on an expensive item and wondered if anyone else has had problems when using a voucher in line with the restrictions on the back? Every single voucher has been signed off by the business concerned so please let us know if you have had problems as we will speak to them about it and use your feedback when considering those invited to participate next year.

3 New Schools Promoting The Spotlight Book

Excited to announce that there are 3 new schools using The Spotlight Book to fundraise as of this week: Bishops Down School, Holmewood House and Southborough Primary School as well as Five Oak Green Girl Guides, meaning it is even easier to get yourself another book once you have used all your favourite vouchers in the first one, wherever you live!

3 of the 4 groups had The Spotlight Book recommended to them by someone in the community - a sure sign people recognise the real value of the books and of the opportunity to raise funds with no risk and are sharing the news with friends.

Make sure and get in touch if you would like to use The Spotlight Book as your no-brainer fundraiser!

Brasserie Blanc: Bad Times. Sankeys: Good Times

Walked past what used to be Brasserie Blanc yesterday as they peeled the letters off the doors. What a surprise to see it be one of the first restaurants to disappear and what a stark difference to the vibrance of Sankeys on Saturday night where they were turning business away. Of course, restaurants are more than just about busy weekends, but Matt Sankey seemed delighted with the business The Spotlight Book had brought them reckoning they had had about 100 vouchers for the first 2 months of the year. This presumably makes them one of the most popular offers in the book.

It gives you a glow to see great restaurants enjoying good custom. Long may it continue in our special town.

If It's Good Enough For Wayne Rooney...

Did you hear the debate started by Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen using a 50% off voucher in one of their local restaurants? The bill came to £13.90 after discount and got all sorts of people talking about whether using vouchers was the right thing to do if you can afford to pay full-price.

Surely we are all equally entitled to benefit from discounts offered by a restaurant, shop or otherwise. Do celebrities get this much attention when they emerge with bags and bags at the sales? Or is it that they took the time to cut a coupon out of a paper to save themselves £14 which Wayne probably earns in a few minutes on the pitch? Regardless, perhaps we should be thankful that in these days of massive credit card debt, irresponsible spending and interest free credit, we have a high profile young couple setting an example of how to be smart with money. And what is it we were all told about looking after the pennies...?

Support Your Favourite Eateries Says Motley Fool

We must vote with our feet to keep our favourite Tunbridge Wells restaurants, cafes, shops and businesses open. Buy a copy of The Spotlight Book and you can do so without breaking the bank.

Here's an excerpt from Motley Fool today:

"The recession is claiming some pretty high profile scalps. One of the latest is TV chef Anthony Worrall-Thompson, who has had to close four of his six restaurants after his holding company was forced into administration.

"Restaurants are desperate for business, so now’s the time to support - and frequent - the eateries you think deserve to stay open."

The Spotlight Book Rocks For Royal Spice!

I have just got off the phone with one of the, IMHO, best curry houses in our area and am delighted to hear The Spotlight Book is surpassing expectations. Speaking to Javed at Royal Spice takeaway on Camden Rd, he said he had been pleasantly surprised at how well it's working and that they have been receiving about 10 vouchers from The Spotlight Book every week since the start of the year. Better still, he was pleased to say they are pretty much all new customers.

This is exactly why we set up The Spotlight Book - to help bring new business to great businesses, save people money and raise funds for charity all in one little book!

I have been totally won over by the amazingly tasty curries and friendly service at Royal Spice and am happy to recommend them to everyone. And if you haven't done so already don't forget to buy your copy of The Spotlight Book so you can use the 2-for-1 and 50% offers Royal Spice were generous enough to contribute. Thanks Javed!

Eating Out On A School Night

Had the Mid-week Moules at Sankeys last night and was glad to hear the owner Matt tell me they'd had at least 6 or 7 vouchers from The Spotlight Book in the first 3 weeks. Matt's theory was that it's because the Sankey's vouchers don't carry a Sunday - Thursday restriction as some of the other restaurants' vouchers do.

Got me thinking about how much more indulgent it feels to eat out on a school night, even if using a voucher so it is cheaper than on a weekend. Does having vouchers to use during the week alter your usual dining out pattern or does your dining out pattern determine which vouchers you use? Is this is the start of a trend to eat out mid-week at 25% discount and stay in at the weekends?

What Vouchers Have You Used?

Not just a 2 for 1 at Pizza Express but a 2 for 1 Dominos pizza and also 2 for 1 at Royal Spice. Special mention must go to Royal Spice who surpassed themselves with their Murgh Morchia on Friday - the most fantastic hot, garlicky curry I have ever had! Highly recommended to everyone out there. And if you have a larger party you can get £20 worth of food for just £10 - can't justify that just for the 2 of us yet but I know a couple that admitted they did! I don't plan to draw attention to every business in the book but these guys are definitely worth it.

If you've had a fantastic experience using a voucher from The Spotlight Book don't forget to let us know.

Even Better Offers - Garbo's

Garbo's offer in The Spotlight Book is 20% off hairdressing Mon-Wed, but for a limited period you can use your voucher to get a massive 50% off cut & colour Mon-Fri.

So if you like the idea of getting a new look at half price, phone Garbo's, tell them you are bringing The Spotlight Book voucher to redeem 50% off and arrange your patch test. It's that easy and means you could get a full head of foils plus cut and blow dry for just £45.50! But only with selected stylists, only if you're a new client and only if you book your appointment in before 27th Feb.

Even Better Offers

Some businesses in the book have contacted The Spotlight Book saying they want to give you an even better offer than the one printed on their voucher. This means using their voucher might get you a 30% discount instead of 15% for example. All these special offers will be posted on this website in the News section and will likely be available for a limited time period only so don't forget to check back regularly for the latest updates.

Welcome To Our New Site

Our goal is to raise £50,000 for good causes in the area. We now have the option to purchase books through the website, making it easier for anyone to buy a book. £5 from every book bought online will be split between the Mayor's Charities. This year the Mayor's Charities are Alzheimer's Society and 1-2-1 Youth Befriending.

New Website Launched!

We're pleased to have relaunched our website. You can now find out details on all the offers in the Spotlight Book as well as a list of all places you can buy the book.