insideKENT Magazine Issue 10 - Jan/Feb 2012

insideKENT FREE

JAN/FEB 2012

kent’s premier luxury lifestyle magazine

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Helping you start 2012 on the right foot

ROMANTIC DAYS OUT

Love-infused settings for the perfect Valentine’s Day date

SUNNY FLORIDA

A visit to Orlando’s top attractions

WEDDED BLISS Planning your dream Kentish wedding

kate winslet ++

SILVER SCREEN ROYALTY

THE VOLVO V60 DRIVe // SPOTLIGHT ON EDENBRIDGE // LOCAL NEWS AND BUSINESS // IS LIPOSUCTION RIGHT FOR YOU? // LUNCH AT THE ORANGERY // LIGHT AND ATMOSPHERE - THE NEW EXHIBITION AT ALEXANDER‘S GALLERY // PAMPERING FROM TOP TO TOE // NEW YEAR’S STYLE // A GETAWAY TO BISHOPSTROW HOUSE HOTEL // KENT EVENTS AND MUCH MORE

As I think back on 2011, I can say with confidence it was one of my best years yet. I had a beautiful baby boy in April, the insideKENT team moved into new offices in the Kent countryside and we have some amazing new members of the IK team. I can also say with confidence that I’m rubbish at keeping my New Year’s resolutions.

Though I’m rubbish at resolutions, I’m going to torture myself in 2012 as usual and make the same ones I make every year: lose weight, spend more time with family, clean my house more often. How long do you suppose I’ll keep them?

I’ve done some research on New Year’s resolutions and have found the top ten (in no particular order) are: • Lose weight • Exercise more/get fit • More time with family • Spend less/save more • Quit drinking

• Quit smoking • Get organised • Learn something new • Volunteer • Be less stressed

Are you trying any of these resolutions for 2012? Whether or not we keep our resolutions, I know this year is going to be a great one. We’re starting it off with an incredible issue of insideKENT, featuring some pretty fantastic stuff, including our stunning cover star Kate Winslet (p48).

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and we’ve featured all kinds of goodies to inspire you for this love-infused holiday. Plan the perfect date at one of Kent’s most romantic attractions (p72), or have a look at one of our top ten Valentine’s Day gifts (p114). Spice things up with divine lingerie from Maidstone’s Josh Lingerie (p36), or have some ‘me’ time and pamper yourself from top to toe (p46).

With love in the air, it’s the perfect time to plan your wedding. Have a look on page 83 for our 16-page special wedding supplement filled with the best dresses and accessories, plus top tips and venue choices for creating your dream day in Kent.

It’s also that time of year where we give up control - even if just slightly and pass the reigns to our readers. See page 112 for details on our Readers’ Choice issue, where you, our readers, vote for who and what you’d like to see featured in our March/April issue.

Until then, I hope you have a fabulous first few months of 2012 (resolutions or not), and I’d love to hear from you with any ideas or comments at insidekent@sidewaysmedia.co.uk.

Happy New Year!

Donna Martin / Editor

If the cold weather is getting you down, imagine yourself in sunny Florida visiting Disney World, Universal Studios and many more attractions. If you can’t swing a trip this winter, you can at least dream about being in Orlando by reading our feature on page 79.

Cold weather always makes me crave good food (there goes my weight loss resolution). Check out my new favourite restaurant in Thanet, The Orangery (p58), or try your hand at a delicious recipe from celebrity chef Michael Caines MBE (p56).

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Don’t miss a beat. Follow insideKENT on Facebook & Twitter. www.facebook.com/insidekent www.twitter.com/insidekent

insideKENT The Oast, Stone Green Farm Mersham, Nr Ashford, Kent TN25 7HE 01233 226240 insidekent@sidewaysmedia.co.uk www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

Editor Donna Martin donna@sidewaysmedia.co.uk Publishing Director Adam Ready adam@sidewaysmedia.co.uk Design Manager Dave Leo Yogore Project Assistant Karl Fenna Fashion Editor Molly Neznanski Gil Finance Manager Charlotte Ready Account Managers Greg Bettles Paul Martin Sarah Sullivan Contributors Lizzy Cline, Charlie O’Brien, Gemma Morpurgo, Emma Bates, View London, Charlie Durban, Visit Kent, Rachel Gold, Luke Yates, Ian McIntyre, Emma Batchelor, Sarah-Jane Stenson, Explore Kent, Kyle Fisher Photographers Luke Yates Chris Jarvis Publisher

hello@sidewaysmedia.co.uk www.sidewaysmedia.co.uk

For all advertising enquiries, contact Adam Ready on 07824 882086 or adam@sidewaysmedia.co.uk

When you have finished with this magazine, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

© Copyright 2012. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Neither the publisher nor any other person associated with the production and publication of this magazine make any guarantees, warranties or claims as to the accuracy, currency or truthfulness of any of the contents of this magazine. No part of this magazine may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without the publisher’s written consent. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited editorial, images or photographs published. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and the publisher takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. Publisher is not responsible for any variation in image colour due to printing processes.

Cover image © Henny Garfunkel/Retna USA/Headpress

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Bridgewood Manor Rochester, Kent

Saturday 11th February

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Come along to our Valentines Ball and enjoy a sumptuous four-course meal and entertainment from a solo act singing all your favourite songs from the 50’s to the present day. per person

Tuesday 14th February Treat your loved one to a special Valentines treat in our Squires Restaurant this year. Included in your evening is a delicious three-course meal.

£20.00

per person

To book call 01634 201 333 or email www.bridgewoodmanorevents@QHotels.co.uk and quote Code IK01

www.QHotels.co.uk/bridgewoodmanor

Ashford International Hotel Ashford, Kent

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BUSINESS

TECHNICAL BRIEFINGS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TAX RELIEF – IT’S WORTH HOW MUCH?

Very few tax reliefs are as valuable as the relief available to companies undertaking R&D activities. The tax deduction to be obtained on expenditure on R&D can be worth up to 225% of the actual cost incurred and in certain circumstances companies may even be able to claim a tax credit. This article explores this precious relief in more detail.

R&D tax relief is only available to limited companies, and there are essentially two schemes for claiming relief, depending on the size of the company: • The Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Scheme • The Large Company Scheme The rate of relief available under the SME scheme is higher than under the large company scheme, but the definition of a SME for R&D Relief purposes is not necessarily the same as that used by HMRC in relation to other areas of tax and care must therefore be taken.

THE SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISE SCHEME Since 1st August 2008, the tax relief on allowable R&D costs has been 175% - that is, for each £100 of qualifying costs, your company could have the profit on which Corporation Tax is paid reduced by an additional £75 on top of the £100 spent. It also includes a payable credit in some circumstances. The rate of SME R&D Relief increased from 175% to 200% for expenditure on or after 1st April 2011, and the rate will increase again to 225% from 1st April 2012.

In certain situations, even if your company meets the definition of a SME, you may not be able to claim relief under the SME Scheme. But, you may be able to claim under the Large Company Scheme. This means that, if your company is small or medium-sized, you may be able to claim R&D Relief under the SME Scheme for one project and the Large Company Scheme for another.

If your company makes a loss, you may be able to choose to receive your tax relief by way of tax credits, a cash sum paid to you by HMRC, subject to certain conditions being met.

At the moment, tax relief is only available if you spend at a rate of at least £10,000 a year on qualifying R&D costs in an accounting period, but the Chancellor announced in his 2011 Budget that this limit will be removed for expenditure incurred on or after 1st April 2012. There is no upper limit.

THE LARGE COMPANY SCHEME

profit on which Corporation Tax is paid reduced by an additional £30 on top of the £100 spent. If instead there is an allowable trading loss for the period, this can be increased by 30% of the qualifying R&D costs - £30 for each £100 spent. This loss can be carried forwards or back in the normal way.

WHICH COSTS MIGHT QUALIFY? If your company and the project both meet the necessary conditions for R&D, then you can claim tax relief on R&D revenue expenditure. Generally, this means costs incurred in the day-to-day running of the business, and not capital expenditure on assets.

The cost areas which might qualify and should be reviewed are: • Employee costs • Staff providers • Materials • Utilities • Software • Subcontracted R&D expenditure CAPITAL EXPENDITURE Although R&D Relief is only available on revenue expenditure, if you are involved in R&D and you spend money on capital assets, you may be able to claim R&D capital allowances.

WHICH R&D PROJECTS MIGHT QUALIFY? Your company can only claim for R&D Relief if a project seeks to achieve an advance in overall knowledge or capability in a field of science or technology through the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty, and not simply an advance in its own state of knowledge or capability.

Your Wilkins Kennedy advisor would be happy to assist you in reviewing specific projects for eligibility and in quantifying your claim to R&D tax relief.

For more information, please contact Ian McIntyre on 01233 629255 or ian.mcintyre@wilkinskennedy.com

Since 1st April 2008, the tax relief on allowable R&D costs has been 130% - that is, for each £100 of qualifying costs, your company could have the

www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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LOCALBUSINESS

insideKENT talks to Dave and Jo Whitehurst of The Cock Inn, Boughton Monchelsea An Elizabethan chocolate box rural style pub with exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces and endless charm – this is the Cock Inn just a short drive from Maidstone in Boughton Monchelsea. Country cooking using locally sourced ingredients paired with a fantastic choice of ales, lagers and an extensive wine list make this pub a great place to visit any time of year. insideKENT spoke to landlords David and Jo Whitehurst about the ins and outs of running a country pub.

How long have you been in business?

We’ve been in the industry for more than 30 years. It all started when Dave took a tenancy in a local town centre pub in Derbyshire. We then went on to another pub in Matlock, Derbyshire where we introduced high quality food into the pub, using good local ingredients, with everything with a little bit of a twist. We used to cook for Duchess of Devonshire in Matlock. We then came down to The Cock Inn in Boughton Monchelsea 10 years ago to continue the same thing, producing high quality food.

What’s the hardest part about running your own business?

What advice do you have for those looking to go into pub trade?

The hardest part about owning your own pub is paying the bills! The cost of things in general has risen so much in recent years and it can prove a serious hurdle for a lot of struggling pubs. The difference between owning your own pub or business opposed to working in another establishment or for a company is that you get little support, so if something goes wrong, more often than not you have to take care of it yourself.

I would recommend they do one key thing before anything else: choose their five favourite pubs and choose their favourite and best parts about them. Ask the proprietors how they do something well and see if they’re willing to tell you and talk about it. Pick your favourite things from each of these pubs, be it the atmosphere, the design, the drinks, the food, or even the name and see where you could incorporate that into your pub.

But most importantly make the pub your own; make it stand out with your own individuality.

What does an average day entail for you?

What made you want to start your business?

The whole reason we started our business was so we could be self-employed. We wanted the responsibility and lifestyle of being pub owners.

The biggest thing about having our own pub was producing innovative food to a new market.

What is the single best decision you’ve made in your business, and the single worst?

I would say in the whole time we’ve been running our own business, our single best decision was to introduce our ‘comment cards’ and focus on service which is our priority. We’ve had these cards for about 4 or 5 years now and they’re easily the best thing we’ve ever done. They offer the customers the chance to voice their opinion on the food, staff, drinks, atmosphere, and let us know where we can improve. We value our customers – after all, they are the core of our business. As far as mistakes and bad decisions are concerned, I can say there haven’t been many. You just go with what you feel is right for your business, and act upon it and hope that it turns out the best it can, which fortunately for us, it has.

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Dave spends most of his mornings in the cellar, cleaning the pipes and general maintenance. We then move onto front of house serving meals and drinks right throughout the day, we are a hands on operation. One thing that people don’t tend to think about in regards to pub owners is that we work about 16-17 hours every day, so sometimes we just go upstairs after we’re closed and end up crashing out on the sofa!

What makes you stand out from your competition?

There are a few things that we like to think that we do well here. Our main focus has always been about our food. We source all of our produce locally and we take pride in our food and always go that extra mile in preparation and presenting our food well. We like to serve traditional dishes with our own little individual twist, and we’re constantly trying to adapt and help make our food even better – that’s why the comment cards are so valuable to us. Our other quality is our ales. We have many varieties to choose from within the pub and we’ve had hundreds over the years, we’re also very proud of our fine wine list.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If I was to tell you where we would like to be in five years’ time, we would love to say a nice hot beach! But in all seriousness we want to continue improving the business, and constantly strive to obtain perfection. We want people to visit The Cock Inn and tell all of their friends or colleagues about us because they had such a good experience here. Maybe one day we’ll look into a restaurant extension because it would be nice to have some more seats for customers on the weekend instead of having to turn people away!

The Cock Inn Heath Road Boughton Monchelsea ME17 4JD 01622 743166

MONSTER

SALE

STARTS DEC 27TH The Big Yellow Building, St Peters Street, Maidstone.

0800 652 0102 www.lincolnfurniture.co.uk

A wide range of French inspired furniture, home decorations, accessories, specialist paints, fabrics & bespoke painted furniture, all situated within a village coffee house.

01622 844590 W W W. L I L Y P I E P A I N T S E T C . C O M GEORGIAN HOUSE, WARMLAKE ROAD, CHART SUTTON, ME17 3RP

HOME+GARDEN

NEW YEAR, NEW HOME IMPROVEMENTS? The pursuit of finding a reliable tradesman can appear a daunting task, often dreaded to be a troublesome path chequered with cowboy builders, shoddy work and hefty bills. But fear not! Followthese steadfast, handy tips and you’ll be guaranteed to find a top quality tradesman to alleviate your DIY woes. BY SARAH-JANE STENSON

1. Recommendation, recommendation, recommendation! This is the most essential tip to adopt when approaching the task of finding a tradesman. Word of mouth is a priceless tool to gauge reliability and quality of work, so get talking to your friends and family to obtain contacts. To get a good idea about what level of service to expect, ask to visit some of the tradesman’s previous work and actively seek reviews from their clients. A good builder will be more than willing to provide this information to seal the deal.

2. Alternative to acquiring a recommendation, consult your architect who will know a handful of reputable tradesman. As a last resort, opting for advertisements found in newspapers or doorto-door leaflets can be risky, but applying the same rules and seeking references from prior work can easily verify them.

3. Ensure that you know what you want done and lay out a specification to avoid any miscommunication. It can act as a point of reference between you and your tradesman to make sure that your requirements are met.

4. Aim to get 3-4 different quotes to compare prices. Bear in mind that the cheapest may not always be the best and be aware of suspiciously low prices. When you decide your home improvement fate, be practical and get the quote in writing. Do NOT enter into a verbal contract.

This would provide no proof of your mutual agreement if any problems arose.

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5. Simply Google the chosen builder’s company name to seek out any scathing reviews polluting the net. There’s a plethora of tradesmen review websites (such as www.mybuilder.com) featuring their personal profiles, alongside honest appraisals from their customers. Furthermore, consider contacting your local council who may well hold a list of trustworthy contacts of all trades.

means that they promote and adhere to government standards. Companies are independently checked to ensure fulfilment of the criteria and they conform to a code of practice that includes insurance, health and safety, and customer satisfaction. Additionally, firms are able to offer an insurance backed warranty. Visit www.trustmark.org.uk to find out more and search for a tradesman in your local area.

6. To make sure that neither you or your tradesman are out of pocket, set up a payment plan so that you have something to work towards. Never pay too much upfront as a precaution against dishonest workers, and be alert to the potential cowboy builder employing bully tactics to make you pay out more than you are comfortable with. Although, take into consideration that materials may be needed to be purchased beforehand, therefore some initial payment will be required. If possible, pay more so with a credit card or with cheques, rather than cash, as this method of payment is traceable in the event of any criminality.

9. Many people believe the myth that if a builder isn’t VAT registered, they are not legitimate. In fact, it just means that if a building company’s VAT taxable turnover for the previous year is more than £73,000, they must register. Hence, non-VAT registered companies are still trustworthy, but merely trade on a much smaller scale.

7. If you want extra peace of mind about the conditions in which your tradesmen will operate, ask to see a copy of their public liability certificate and policy. In addition, feel free to discuss any safety worries that you have or precautions that you’d like to implement.

8. The Trustmark Scheme is government backed and endorses high quality craftsmanship, directed at the repair, maintenance and improvement sector. If a firm carries the logo, it

10. Finally, if you need a plumber, make sure that they are ‘Gas Safe registered’. The Gas Safe register replaced CORGI a couple of years ago and it is the official list of gas engineers who are authorised to work safely and legally on all gas appliances. Engineers are required to carry a Gas Safe I.D card with them. You are within your right as a client to ask to see this. You should check the photo, start and expiry date, licence number and the security hologram. For electricians, they should be ‘Part P registered’ and a holder of the appropriate certificate, which is renewed yearly.

At Last! A NEW FORM OF HEATING FROM GERMANY Simple to install, Powerful, and no more servicing - EVER! The onslaught of severe cold is a problem faced by central European homes every single year. For 65 years, one German manufacturer has been perfecting heaters that tackle all the factors we worry about in Britain.

Total control and low input radiators allow us to regulate our heating and reduce fuel costs by up to 40%.

year guarantee and needs no servicing ever! All over Europe more people are choosing to heat their homes and offices with this very special form of electric heating in preference to oil gas or E7. In our area, more and more of our customers are making that same decision and when you see this incredible heating for yourself you could be next!

SNOW, 2010

Although relatively new in the U.K. these low input electric heaters have been used in Germany and Austria for a very long time. Being able to control individual rooms means you can put the heat exactly where you need it. Our heaters are slim, quality built and are available in a range of over 200 colours.

For years, this country has focused on wet central heating with its constant servicing and replacement parts. The high maintenance costs, as well as rising energy costs, means that now is the time to look at Sunflow’s quality German heating which comes with a 12

Requiring no special wiring (they simply plug in), you can use them with existing heating or as a complete solution.

Whether you have a cold spot, cold rooms or a cold house - it is time to look at Sunflow for the warm and cozy way to reduce energy use in your home.

Sunflow Ltd. offer a complete solution which can include disposing of your old central heating system, even oil tanks!

Discover for yourself this incredible German heating.

Get your FREE brochure by calling our 24hr Brochure Line on: 0800 158 8270 or email: info@sunflowltd.co.uk

Replacement Service Sunflow can take the worry out of disposing of old central heating systems.

We have a package price that includes the safe and certificated removal of oil, lpg and gas systems, even old oil tanks!

Questions? Call Suzanne on 0800 158 8272

A REAL ALTERNATIVE TO OIL/GAS HEATING - ASK ABOUT OUR REPLACEMENT SERVICE

HOME+GARDEN

Hand-picked

For Your Home

FORAGES.CO.UK IS A YOUNG KENT-BASED ONLINE STORE RETAILING AN ECLECTIC RANGE OF HAND-PICKED HOME ACCESSORIES AND GIFTS, FROM IMAGINATIVE PRINTED TEXTILES TO STYLISH GLASSWARE AND SCREEN-PRINTED WALL ART. Walnut Frame for 3 Photos £47.99

Long Stem Liqueur Glasses £27.95

Receiving its first audience at Earls Court’s 100% Design in September 2011, the online store presents you with an array of beautiful items for everyone to adore at the click of a button, meaning no hassle of parking the car, joining the queue and carrying the bags.

Founded by two fellow graduates of the UCA in Rochester, the pair have seen their shop go from strength to strength being featured in lifestyle magazines such as Country Living and various design-led blogs.

It was after a very unsuccessful and stressful shopping experience in a busy shopping town that Sefika and Sam decided enough was enough. Bored of finding uninspiring gifts and shops filled with the same content, they decided to put their design expertise and their passion for interiors together to create Forages.co.uk.

Forages is a place that you can rely on to find what you’ve been looking for. Everything at Forages has been sourced, thoroughly researched and hand-picked by the fussy pair.

Poppy Cushion

by SJ Guest £44.00

Sefika explains, “I have always enjoyed sourcing products for interiors and always endeavor to imagine the products in various homes and certain lifestyles.

Beautiful Day Tea Towel £10.50

“We truly believe that the products one chooses to purchase should not only reflect their personality, but should be timeless in the sense that you instantly know you will still love it in ten years time and it has a infinite purpose.”

You Wash I’ll Dry Tea Towel £10.50

This is another reason why more often than not, Sefika and Sam will test the quality and longevity of the products they choose to bring to Forages, using them and having them sit on their office desks often up to a month. The products have to shine before earning a place in the ever-growing collection of unique wares at Forages.

Simply Sommelier Decanter £34.99

Browse through the full range of gorgeous home accessories and gifts at www.forages.co.uk

Bamboo Coasters Tree Motif £12.50

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STYLE

THE LATEST IN MEN’S FASHION:

DENIM TRENDS

Hello guys Right, it’s time to get down to the business of looking cool and on-trend this season. Dressing for the weekend and smart casual has its pitfalls. I always advise to stick close to a familiar look, and denim is a great way to achieve a cool yet smart style.

MAD MEN IN DENIM SUITS Inspired by the TV series Mad Men, a more formal look is very hot. Designer Benjamin Kitoko has made a fabulous thee-piece suit all in denim. www.kitoko-boutique.com

DENIM RULES! Denim is taking over the market in a very big way coming into the spring months. I know lots of guys have suffered with the skinny jean look, which is fine if you are slender and have thin legs; however, many men can’t even get them to fit over their thighs, so good news that the more relaxed fit is now on trend.

POLO’S ARE HERE TO STAY Ralph Lauren polo shirts are selling like hotcakes with a multitude of colours to choose from; the biggest seller being bright pink, which I love as it shows confidence to wear those bright colours.

Trend expert Louise from Per Lui (www.perlui.co.uk) tells me that although the skinny jean is still in demand, for a more relaxed fit try Replay or Diesel jeans. They are more generous on the thigh and more slim at the ankle.

Replay tend to come in darker colours as they can be dressed up for a night out with a smart top or shirt. Diesel come in all different washes from light to dark.

WHO CAN SAY NO TO A CRISP WHITE SLIM FIT SHIRT? Speaking of shirts, you can’t beat a crisp, slim fit white shirt with a waistcoat and nice snug blazer. Add it to your jeans with a smart belt and either shoes or boots for a really dapper look. Try a Dunhill solid white shirt from www.matchesfashion.com, or if you really feel brave the Alexander McQueen skull shirt on its own – with jeans this is a real showstopper!

Check out the hip Ralph Lauren faded denim pea coat – very wearable as you can wear it casually or dress it up with a cool sweater and a pair of chinos and scarf.

Have fun and look gorgeous, until next time.

Rachel x

Rachel Gold, one of London’s top men’s personal stylists, gives advice and guidance on how to improve your wardrobe and look.

To book contact www.wardrobejunkies.com

www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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STYLE

NEW YEAR, NEW FASHION PHILOSOPHY

REDEFINE YOUR WARDROBE THIS SEASON, WITH A FRESH TAKE ON MODERN ELEGANCE. RESOLVE TO ADOPT A NEW FASHION PHILOSOPHY THAT GIVES CLASSIC CUTS AN UPDATED TWIST WITH ARCHITECTURAL JEWELRY, TEXTURED FABRICS, JEWEL TONES, AND ANYTHING-BUT-BORING PATTERNS. Stripe Shift Dress £32, Next

Ellos Leather Jacket Burgundy £135, La Redoute Miso Colour Skinny Jeans £29.99, Republic

Large Black Tote with Detachable Internal Bag and Long Shoulder Strap £24.99, A-SHU.CO.UK

Grey Polo Neck Frill Jumper £16, Fashion Union

Black Heeled Boot £70, Barratts

Leather Shell £179, Mint Velvet

Butterfly by Matthew Williamson Large Gold Hoop Earrings £8, Debenhams

Palazzo Trousers £38, Marisota

Black Jeweled Wooden Bangle Cuff £29, Bags of Sparkle

Black Leather Look and Suedette Block Heel Ankle Boots £45, Fashion Union

Woven Barrel Bag £42, Accessorize

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Sierra £90, Bertie

Limited Collection Slinky Vest Top £29.50, Marks & Spencer

Mustard Crepe Pocket Shift Dress £22, Fashion Union Pink Textured Pencil Skirt, Marks & Spencer

Simple Zip Top Clutch £16, Accessorize

Dashing Dupe Black Blazer £130, French Connection

Kimono Style Jacket £38, Dunnes Stores

Pink Stud Heels £75, Fashion Union

Cystal Rocks Earrings £60, Martine Wester

Nostim, Ted Baker

Pleated Framed Bag in Black £15, Boux Avenue

Leather Handbag, Fiorelli

Nude Ballet Loafers with Bow Detail £25, Fashion Union Black Studded Peeptoe Heels £38, Fashion Union

Love fashion? Follow our Fashion Editor Molly Neznanski Gil on Twitter @lolachiffon www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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SPICE THINGS UP Chocolates, flowers, a romantic dinner, a few glasses of wine and sexy lingerie these are the ingredients to a perfect Valentine's Day. Do Cupid's job for him and spice things up with a seductive surprise from Kent-based Josh Lingerie.

Emmanuelle Bra £52 Short £25

Mari Jo Avero Bra £56.95 Thong £26.95

Passionata White Nights Bra £36 Shorts £23

Chantelle Haute Couture Bra £62 Waspie £65.00 Tanga £36

Fauve Evangeline Bra £68 Suspender Belt £40 Thong £32

Marie Jo Avero in Passion Bra £54.95

Freya Elize Bra £30 Thong £15

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Prima Donna Deauville Bra £61.95 Briefs £29.95

Josh Lingerie 41 High Street West Malling ME19 6QH 01732 668184 www.joshlingerie.com

Fantasie Savannah Bra £34 Luxury Thong £18.50

Marjolaine Devine 100% Silk £205

Chantelle Eternelle Bra £58

Jane Woolrich Nightdress £225

Chantelle Thong Body £110

www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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HEALTH+BEAUTY

the perfect smoky eye

by Gemma Morpurgo Photography: Chris Jarvis Model: Francesca Hunt

The most frequently asked question for me is always, "How do I create a smoky eye?"

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier than you think! A lot of us make more work for ourselves, but with the right products, brushes and tips, fearing this look will remain in 2011.

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smoky

perfect PREPARATION The winter can be cruel to the skin, leaving it chapped, sore and dry. Radiators dry the skin out as well as those harsh winter nights. As long as we moisturise and keep up with our skin care regime, there is no reason why we can’t all carry on glowing like we did in the summer.

I would recommend a foundation which is hydrating that still has the power to conceal our sore red noses and heavy under eye bags (don’t you just love winter!). One of my favourite products is MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation – it has the added benefit of avocado extract to quench the skin, and is a gel formula so is lightweight yet buildable in the instance that you would require a fuller coverage. Its dewy finish is perfect for injecting a little life back into your complexion.

So with the skin prepped and looking glorious, it is important to plan the eyes!

CHOOSE YOUR SHADE Brown Eyes: You lucky things, you can wear any colour to compliment your eyecolour! My favourites this season would have to be navy blues, sumptuous greens or opulent plums.

Green Eyes: Without a doubt I would recommend that you try purple, plum or indigo shades. The depth of these shades will enhance the beautiful green of your eyes even further. People won’t be able to take their eyes off of yours.

Blue Eyes: Again, similar to that of green eyes, purple and plum shades look incredible against your eye colour. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, opt for slate grey shadows – these are equally beautiful and complimentary.

• For added intensity and smoldering smokiness, lightly brush a small amount of your selected shadow along the lower lash line.

APPLICATION

• NEVER be afraid of lashings of black mascara.

With your shade selected, this is how to DIY:

You are now armed and ready to turn heads with your stunning new look!

• Conceal the under eyes if required, this will enhance the result further.

• Smoky eyes are naturally going to be fairly dark in appearance. My favourite product as a base is Blackground Paintpot by MAC. You only need the smallest amount, depending on the depth of colour you require. Using a small fluffy brush (MAC #217) apply a small amount onto the lid and in small circular motions blend outward over the eyelid for even coverage.

• Now using your chosen eyeshadow shade, pack a substantial amount onto the eyelid (on top of the ‘Blackground’). Tap any excess off before you apply to the lid to avoid any loose bits dropping under the eye and making a mess.

Now using a fluffy brush again, gently blend your chosen shade over the lid and especially along the eye socket, to create extra depth. If need be, apply more onto the lid, to create the appearance of two eyeshadow shades.

To book your own beauty session with Gemma, contact her at gemma@gemmamorpurgo.co.uk or visit www.gemmamorpurgo.co.uk Follow Gemma on Twitter @gemmamorpurgo or Facebook at www.facebook.com/gemma.morpurgo

• No smoky eye would be complete without eyeliner! You don’t have to go mad with this, although, the braver you are, the bolder and more effective this look can be. In the waterline and along the lower lash line apply your eyeliner pencil.

I love MAC Graphblack Technakohl liner, a waterproof, intense liner, which lasts for hours and does not smudge. www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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HEALTH+BEAUTY

IS LIPOSUCTION RIGHT FOR YOU? Overeating at Christmas, drinking a little (or a lot) too much, taking a break from exercise – all of these things result in unwanted weight gain. So with the pounds creeping on, insideKENT spoke to Cosmetic Surgeon JOHN DAVISON to find out if liposuction is right for everyone.

Do you a see a big rush after Christmas and New Year?

Actually, not really. Most people who see me have thought very carefully, researched me as a surgeon, and researched the procedure they are interested in. Often a fairly carefully planned process. It’s not just ‘I’m feeling fat after the festive season – I’ll go and arrange to have liposuction’. Those people are usually not suitable for surgery anyway.

Having said that, there are the ‘New Year New Start’ patients – those who have wanted something done for a very long time, and finally decide to see a surgeon and get things going.

That includes all sorts of operations like rhinoplasty (nose job), breast enlargements, eyelid operations etc.

Who then is the ideal liposuction patient?

the areas which can be good for liposuction. If you remove or reduce these areas, the change is permanent. We inject fluid, with a cocktail of added drugs to aid the process, and the suction breaks down and removes the target fatty tissue.

What advice do you have on newer liposuction techniques?

I’d advise that you be aware and be cautious.

Cosmetic treatments are remarkably un-regulated in the United Kingdom, so you really have to make all the judgements and decisions on your own. Research things carefully, look on the internet. Forums are great, but watch out for those which are hosted by the company itself – hardly to be trusted.

Why do some new systems prescribe a strict programme of diet and exercise for many weeks after their treatments?

John Davison has a busy and well established plastic surgical practice based in central and East Kent and is on the GMC Specialist register in Plastic Surgery.

He is a member of BAPRAS, BAAPS ISAPS and one of a group of 50 plastic surgeons in the United Kingdom who have launched Liberate, which emphasises the importance of being able to choose your surgeon, and develop a relationship with your surgeon. It is important when considering cosmetic surgery that you are fully informed, but please do not use the internet as a substitute for medical advice by a qualified plastic surgeon.

For more information and enquiries contact 0800 756 9677 or email enquiries@kentplasticsurgery.co.uk www.kentplasticsurgery.co.uk

The ideal patient for liposuction is someone who is reasonably slim and does regular exercise, and has one or two specific areas that they just never seem to shift. It is an excellent shaping tool, produces a permanent result and works very well on the right patient.

How does it work?

The fatty tissue areas around our bodies get bigger and smaller, depending on variations in our body weight, but these areas have different metabolic characteristics. Some individuals always put weight on their bums, some always on their upper arms and breasts. Some areas in some people can be very difficult to shift. These are

A bit suspicious I’d say! Why not try the diet and exercise alone? There are many advertised new high-tech liposuction techniques, advertised by pushy companies needing the income to pay off their very expensive new machines. The gold standard is conventional liposuction using the tumescent fluid technique. I certainly see many patients who feel cheated after having treatments using some of these newer techniques.

I think it’s fair for me to say, “No downtime, no discomfort, no bruising - no effect!”

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COMPETITION

KEEP YOUR SKIN

glowing TRANSFORM COSMETIC SURGERY GROUP IN KENT OFFERS A FANTASTIC RANGE OF THE LATEST NONSURGICAL TREATMENTS TO HELP YOU LOOK AND FEEL YOUR BEST, EVEN THROUGH THE COLD WINTER MONTHS. SO, TO HELP BEAT THE WINTER BLUES, insideKENT HAS TEAMED UP WITH TRANSFORM TO OFFER ONE LUCKY READER THE CHANCE TO WIN A FOUR-COURSE TREATMENT OF MICRODERMABRASION - THE SIMPLE, PAIN-FREE WAY TO GET SMOOTH, GLOWING SKIN. Winter winds and frosty weather can damage the skin’s surface and leave your complexion looking dull.

Microdermabrasion treatment is the perfect way to ensure your skin retains its sparkle throughout the colder months.

Microdermabrasion gives skin a smoother surface and brightens dull complexions. It promotes the growth of healthy new skin cells and improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven pigmentation by polishing the top layer of skin and vacuuming away dead cells.

Although the skin renews itself naturally about every 20 days, in our 30s, this rate slows down as the process becomes less efficient as a result of skin damage. Exfoliation helps to remove dead skin cells to improve the skin’s texture and reveal a healthy, glowing complexion.

Microdermabrasion not only gives you smooth and improved skin texture and colour, it helps to stimulate collagen production and promotes the growth of healthy new skin cells.

Transform uses the latest technology for the procedure, with a diamond chip wand to polish the skin. The treatment takes approximately 45 minutes and you can go straight back to your day-to-day activities afterwards with minimal redness and swelling.

The treatment is ideal for those who have fine lines and wrinkles, dull complexions, acne scarring, sun damaged skin, stretch marks and pigmentation, as well as complimenting the overall wellbeing of your skin.

The Transform group is the UK’s number one cosmetic surgery and non-surgical company. With over 35 years of experience they carry out more procedures and treatments than any other provider.

With over 98% customer satisfaction rate you can be safe in the knowledge that Transform are experts in what they do.

WIN!

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Enter at www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk/transform For those who aren’t lucky enough to win, you can book a free consultation, request a free brochure or find your nearest Transform clinic by calling 0500 59 59 59 or visit www.transforminglives.co.uk.

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Transform Maidstone Clinic 3&4 Tolherst Court Turkey Mill Ashford Road Maidstone ME14 5SF www.transforminglives.co.uk

A warm welcome at

HEALTH+BEAUTY

FEET BLISS

It may be cold outside, but things are definitely warm at Feet Bliss – Canterbury’s Walk-In Fish Spa and Beauty Salon. Entering from the cold into a charming, relaxing and elegantly decorated environment and dipping your feet into the crystal clear warm water of their fish spa tanks is the perfect remedy for those in need of a little pampering time. And let’s be honest, we all need some pampering time once in a while.

Fish spas have popped up all over the UK like wildfire, and with good reason. The latest craze feels great and leaves your feet feeling positively soft and lovely. In October last year, year, however, however, the media created a stir regarding the safety of this treatment, deliberately misleading and scaring people into thinking fish pedicures are dangerous and high risk. Total Total rubbish. rubbish.

The truth is, there is virtually no risk at all in good practice fish spa operators such as Feet Bliss who comply with Health Protection Agency Standards.

“So long as proper procedures are followed, Fish Spas are perfectly safe,” says Ric Bertora, owner of Feet Bliss.

For infection to occur, there has to be two criteria present at the same time, firstly the water has to be contaminated, and secondly the person entering the water has to have an open wound in their skin.

“At Feet Bliss, neither of these conditions are possible. Firstly, no one with open wounds or cuts may use the fish spa, so the water cannot be contaminated in the first place. Nor can anyone catch anything if they don’t have an open wound.

The fish used don’t have teeth so cannot pierce the skin, so you wouldn’t suddenly develop an open wound while in the water either.”

On top of that, clients’ feet are pre-rinsed and the tanks’ filter systems constantly recycle and sterilise the water via a complex filtration system and strong UV lights which kill 99.9% of all bacteria. There is a total water sterilisation up to 8 times per hour, so by the time one person has left a tank and another entered, the water would have been completely sterilised at least once.

They also perform regular water changes and regular filter maintenance.

“Unfortunately the media has scared the public with absolutely no evidence or confirmed cases of infection occurring at a fish spa anywhere in the UK, all in the interests of selling newspapers, which is a shame as the treatment is wonderful and has many benefits.”

the sting or irritation. You will be amazed with the results.

They also offer gift vouchers for any occasion as well as combination treatment packages which represent excellent value for money, money, so so ifif the the stresses of modern day life are taking their toll, do pop in for a treatment. If you have a group of friends and fancy a private fish spa treatment, after hours private hire of the salon is available which is perfect for hen parties, birthday parties or just a fun evening out with friends.

Situated on Canterbury’s Canterbury’s main main street street near near the the historic West Gate Towers Towers and and featuring featuring aa full full length picturesque wall mural and soothing music, Feet Bliss is the perfect place to unwind and is a must visit next time you are in town.

If you don’t fancy having your feet nibbled, Feet Bliss also offers a wide range of other beauty treatments, such as natural manicures and pedicures (with a deluxe option available using the amazing feeling and skin-nourishing paraffin wax), aromatherapy, full body massage, eyebrow tinting and waxing.

For those of you who find waxing painful, you should definitely try the special wax at Feet Bliss.

Their wax is virtually pain free which prevents ingrown hairs, redness and the painful sting associated with other types of waxing. Unlike other waxes, their wax doesn’t stick to the skin, so it peels off gently, just removing the hair without

20 St Peters Street Canterbury CT1 2BQ www.feetbliss.co.uk 01227 784 469

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HEALTH+BEAUTY

HOW HAS THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND TURNED INTO THE FIELD OF ROTUND ROSES? B

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MARK USTYMENKO AFTER

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MARK USTYMENKO BEFORE

Who’d ever have thought it? Kent is the most obese county in Britain.

In a recent list of the worst towns in the country for obesity, Swale made the winners’ podium in third place with 30.2% of its people being obese, while Medway waddled in fourth with 30%. When all the figures for each town are added up, Kent wins the star prize as the most obese county in the land. The national average is 23%, so we are almost 50% worse than that.

The figures are even more scary when you include people who are merely overweight but not by enough to be classed as clinically obese.

The British Heart Foundation’s 2010 survey showed that 67% of men and 60% of women are either overweight or obese. Let’s face it, if you sit in a pavement café and watch the world go by you’ll see more beer bellies, more love handles and more batwings than ever before.

What many people don’t realise is the huge risk they are taking with their health when they allow their weight to creep up over the years. For example, did you know that: • A weight gain of just 11 pounds (5 kilos) could double your risk of Type 2 Diabetes • A woman who gains more than 20 pounds between age 18 and mid life doubles her risk of post menopausal breast cancer • Obesity increases your risk of several other cancers including colon, kidney and gallbladder • Obesity contributes to a range of other

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conditions including arthritis, fatty liver, gallstones, sleep apnea, kidney disease, infertility and irregular periods According to the Organisation For Economic Cooperation and Development, Britain is the fifth most overweight of the thirty-three developed nations, and we could save a staggering 70,000 lives a year if we got our act together on obesity.

If, like most thin people, your response to this is that you have no sympathy and they should ‘eat less and exercise more’, I have news for you. It’s way more complicated than that. Experts have identified at least seven factors that can contribute to obesity. The first is your physiology, whether you are ‘apple’ shaped or ‘pear’ shaped.

Another is your biochemistry, how well your internal organs work. If all else fails you can always blame your parents, as genetic inheritance can play a part in your being prone to obesity.

Culture is also a factor, such as in the Middle East where being obese is seen as a sign of prosperity. Not sure that excuse works in Broadstairs…

Socioeconomic factors play a part, such as those on low income eating more junk food full of ‘empty calories’ that pile on the flab while having zero nutritional value. Finally, people’s behaviour around food is a factor – comfort eating because of relationship issues, craving chocolate

in the middle of the night – we’ve all been there.

So it’s complicated. My reasons for being overweight could be very different to yours.

Broadstairs now has a new weight loss clinic run by doctors called Weight Medics. I spoke to Carol Partington, Patient Care Manager at the clinic. “This is the only weight loss programme where you see a doctor at every visit, you receive an eating plan and, if required, appetite suppressants to reduce your hunger.

We have a special machine that tells you your body fat and your metabolic rate, so the doctor can work out how many calories a day you need to eat to lose weight steadily. We can even deliver portion-controlled meals if you’re too busy to shop or prepare food. Programmes start at just £2.32 a day, less than a takeaway coffee.”

If you want to get started straight away, there’s a free report waiting for you at www.weightmedics.co.uk or call Carol Partington on 01843 347031.

Weight Medics 73-75 High Street Broadstairs CT10 1NQ 01843 347031 www.weightmedics.co.uk/broadstairs-clinic

COMPETITION

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As the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest teeth whitening company, Diamond operates in 500+ spas, gyms and salons across the UK, and also offers a mobile service for those who prefer to have the treatment in the comfort of their own home. The gentle and safe treatment used is designed with the comfort and safety of clients in mind and produce superior instant results to other whitening options.

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For your chance to win*, enter online at

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*One entry per person. Must be 18 years old or older to enter and receive treatment.

Entries must be received by Wednesday 29th February. Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email by 15th March. This treatment is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding ladies. Clients should be up to date with their dental health and not have any underlying dental issues such as gum disease.

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HEALTH+BEAUTY

TOP TO TOE Weight loss, getting out of debt and spending more time with family are great new year’s resolutions, but what about ‘me’ time? Dedicate some more time to pampering yourself from top to toe with some of these fabulous pampering products.

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Hair Intensive Repair Hair Duo Organic pioneers Green People create natural, effective hair care without SLS /SLES, parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances, to bring you the purest hair care that nature can offer. Winner of The Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards 2011, this shampoo and conditioner set provides great results for damaged locks. £21.50, www.greenpeople.co.uk

Enrapture Amplify Jumbo Waver The luxury new Amplify Jumbo Waver allows you to easily create big, tousled ‘s’ waves, texture and volume for a rock, beachy or bohemian look. £74.99, www.enrapturehair.com

Face

Lips

Madara Deep Replenishing Face Cream A quick fix for winter damaged skin. No matter what your skin type, most of us suffer from dehydrated skin. MÁDARA Deep Replenishing Face Cream helps to improve the skin’s ability to retain water, making the skin look younger and more radiant. Key ingredients include nettle, linseed, calendula, rowan and sea bucktorn. Apply in the morning after your cleansing routine. £25, www.madara.co.uk

Strawberry Crush Glossy Lip Balm Infused with nourishing fragaria ananassa (strawberry seed) Oil, pure golden beeswax and sweet almond oil, this fabulous new glossy salve is perfect for lips needing moisture and protection. £4.95, www.rose-apothecary.co.uk

Body Aloe Body Toning Kit This kit is designed to trim, tone, tighten and minimise the bumpy texture of cellulite. It helps to stimulate circulation, and cleanses the skin to shed extra inches. Kit contains Aloe Body Toner, Aloe Body Conditioning Crème, Aloe Bath Gelée, a loofah mitt and plastic wrap. £70.44, www.forevershopnow.com

Remington i-Light Developed in association with a leading dermatologist, the i–LIGHT is fast, painless and highly effective. Using cutting–edge Intense Pulsed Light (‘IPL’) Technology – the same used in professional hair removal clinics – it safely removes hair for an ultra silky smooth feeling that can last for up to 12 weeks. £199.99, www.argos.co.uk

Lime Bath Bombs These bath bombs are all handmade, using the simplest ingredients and the finest essential oils. They are left to set over time, which produces a high quality bath fizz which both looks and smells fantastic. They spin and swirl in the warm water of your bath as they fizz, releasing a beautiful scent and essential oils into the water. £7.99, www.ayedo.co.uk

Hands Rose & Glycerine Hand & Nail Treatment Salve A rich, intensive preparation to treat dry, chapped hands, ragged cuticles and brittle nails, this nail salve contains a special blend of nourishing oils and waxes to moisturise and strengthen the hands and nails. £4.95, www.rose-apothecary.co.uk

Footbath Salts Give your feet a royal treatment. Lavender eases tension, peppermint cools and deodorises, and tea tree possesses powerful anti–bacterial properties. £2.69, www.rose-apothecary.co.uk

Feet

Shower Feet Cleaning your feet doesn’t have to be such a stretch.

Shower Feet sticks firmly to the bottom of your shower or bath to make washing your feet easier than ever before. This cleansing shoe uses over a thousand soft bristles to give your feet an exfoliating massage from top to bottom. £9.99, www.jmldirect.com

Pedi Pro Deluxe The upgrade to the best-selling Ped Egg foot file, the Pedi Pro Deluxe uses 4 AA batteries which power a high-speed rotating microfile. It gets rid of hardened skin, calluses and corns. It also comes with buffing pads which can be attached to exfoliate and give your feet a smooth finish. £19.99, www.jmldirect.com

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kATE WINSLET COVERSTORY

FROM READING TO SILVER SCREEN ROYALTY

by Lizzy Cline and Emma Batchelor

DESPITE BEING PART OF THE HOLLYWOOD ELITE, WINSLET RETAINS A REFRESHINGLY WARM-HEARTED AND DOWN-TO-EARTH APPROACH TO LIFE, WHICH MAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO HER RELATIVELY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN READING, BERKSHIRE.

WINSLET ARRIVES FOR THE PREMIERE OF THE MOVIE CARNAGE AT THE 68TH EDITION OF THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL IN VENICE, ITALY © JOEL RYAN/AP/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES

With a string of successful films, industry awards and award nominations to her name – including being the youngest person ever to accrue six Oscar nominations – Kate Winslet is arguably one of our most successful acting exports to the US. The embodiment of beauty and grace, Winslet not only has the ability to illuminate the silver screen, but seems to truly define the notion of Hollywood nobility and royalty.

But Kate’s beginnings were a far cry from her current glamorous lifestyle. The second of four children, Winslet believes her upbringing was far from privileged, citing her family life as very “hand to mouth.”

Her parents were jobbing actors, who supplemented their income by working as a barmaid and a swimming pool contractor. But that does not mean she had an unhappy childhood.

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“Mum and dad were very much friends, and up to life,” Winslet recalls. “There was no anxiety for anything when I was growing up; they just taught me to be me.”

Descendant from a long line of thespians, including her grandparents, who founded and operated the Reading Repertory Theatre, and her uncle, who was a permanent fixture in London's West End theatre district, the theatre and love of acting runs through her blood. It’s hardly surprising then, that Winslet knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an actress.

Winslet began studying drama at the age of 11, at the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead, Berkshire, and at the age of 12, was cast in a Sugar Puffs advert, where she danced opposite the Honey Monster.

KATE WINSLET, SEAN PENN AND PENELOPE CRUZ (LEFT TO RIGHT) WITH THEIR AWARDS FOR BEST ACTRESS, BEST ACTOR AND BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE, AT THE 81ST ACADEMY AWARDS AT THE KODAK THEATRE, LOS ANGELES © IAN WEST/PA ARCHIVE/ PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES

Her first real taste of success, however, came when she landed a role on the BBC’s Children’s sci-fi serial, Dark Season. This role was followed by appearances in the made-for-TV movie, AngloSaxon Attitudes in 1992, the sitcom Get Back, and an episode of popular medical drama, Casualty, in 1993.

But despite the work beginning to flow in, Winslet still felt like the awkward one out, “My weight fluctuated and I was a chubby kid. I was always the wrong one at the audition, it seemed.”

Attempting to gain some footing in the film industry, Winslet auditioned for a part in Peter Jackson's film Heavenly Creatures. She was cast as Juliet Hulme, a teenager who assists in the murder of the mother of her best friend. This turned out to be a pivotal role for Winslet, who says she owes much of her success to Jackson.

Winslet smiles broadly when she recalls the time she found out she had got the part, “I was working in a tiny delicatessen and was literally putting together a customer’s turkey sandwich, when the phone rang. I told my agent to hold the line while I finished putting the mayo and such on the bread. That was my last day working there!”

The film included Winslet's singing debut, an a cappella version of "Sono Andati", an aria from La Bohème, which was included on the film’s soundtrack. Released to favourable reviews in 1994, Winslet received her first notable critical appraise from The Washington Post, which published the comment, "As Juliet, Winslet is a bright-eyed ball of fire, lighting up every scene she’s in.” Winslet went on to receive an Empire Award and a London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress of the Year for her performance.

Winslet also received recognition for her subsequent role in Sense and Sensibility (1995).

But few could have predicted the success that followed from her next role, as Rose DeWitt in Titanic (1997), where she played the lead alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Gwyneth Paltrow, Claire Danes, and Gabrielle Anwar are all said to have been considered for the part, but when they turned it down, Winslet campaigned heavily for the role. Her persistence, as well as her talent, eventually convinced director, James Cameron, to cast her.

Titanic not only went on to become the highest grossing film at the time, taking more than £1.843 billion ($2.6 billion) in box-office receipts worldwide, it also led to Winslet being nominated for most of the film industry’s high-profile awards, and she even scooped a European Film Award.

More important for Winslet, however, were some of the friendships she forged with other people involved in the film, including Leonardo DeCaprio, who remains a close friend today. “There are not many that I hold in as high esteem as Leo, he is such a wonderful person; an overwhelming presence.” The feeling is obviously mutual, as DeCaprio described Winslet as an amazing woman and, “an ultimate professional who keeps pushing herself to an emotional truth in her work.”

Fame was a new development for Winslet, and one which she still confesses to be unaccustomed to. “It seems daft that I’m famous, and I’ve not really got to grips with that. My skin still crawls if you call me a movie star. I get embarrassed. I think, ‘don't be ridiculous’. Maybe it's because I'm British. To me, Julia Roberts - that's a movie star, but when people call me one, that, I think, is an enormous compliment but, my God, is that a responsibility!”

The year following the release of Titanic, Winslet auditioned for the small but pivotal role of Lucy Steele in the adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, starring alongside Emma

Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. The film became a financial and critical success, resulting in even more awards for Winslet, including a BAFTA, a Screen Actors' Guild Award, and nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.

In 1996, Winslet starred in both Jude and Hamlet, which led Time Magazine to state, "Winslet is worthy of the camera's scrupulous adoration.

She's perfect, a modernist ahead of her time.”

When she was interviewed about her BAFTA award, she paid homage to her country of birth, saying, “It's very important for me to make the statement that I am English and just because I've done one really big film, it doesn't mean that I don't want to keep a finger in the fantastic British film industry and do films like this. I’m really proud of being English… But I never dared dream of such a success... I realise it's extraordinary for a British actress.”

Charismatic, caring and family-focused, Winslet is also well known for her charity work. In 2001, she voiced the character of Belle in the animated motion picture, A Christmas Carol: The Movie, based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel. For the film, Winslet recorded the song "What If,” which was released in November 2001 as a single. The proceeds of the single were donated to two of Winslet's favorite charities, the N.S.P.C.C. and the Sargeant Cancer Foundation for Children. A European top ten hit, the song reached number one in Austria, Belgium and Ireland.

Since then, Winslet has gone on to demonstrate her versatility as an actor through a plethora of characters that are as diverse as they are mesmerising. Her perfect performances have continued to draw positive comments from film critics, and she has received accolades for films as wide-ranging as Quills (2000), Iris (2001), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).

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COVERSTORY

WINSLET ARRIVES FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE 68TH EDITION OF THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL IN VENICE, ITALY © DOMENICO STINELLIS/AP/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES

When questioned on her film decisions, she seems to be primarily driven by a connection with character she portrays. “I wouldn't dream of working on something that didn't make my gut rumble and my heart want to explode. As the actress playing any part, it is in me to understand the character, and to ultimately love the character.”

Her other 2011 venture, Roman Polanski's Carnage, which premiered at the 68th Venice Film Festival, again shows Winslet’s versatility as an actor. An adaptation of the play God of Carnage by French playwright, Yasmina Reza, the black comedy follows two sets of parents who meet up to talk after their children have been in a fight that day at school.

Winslet was just 26 when she received her third Academy Award nomination, and later went on to become the youngest actor to receive five nominations at age 31, for Little Children (2006); surpassing Bette Davis’ record, who had been 33. Winslet then added to the record with a further Oscar nomination for Best Actress, for her role in The Reader. When she was not nominated for her work in Revolutionary Road, where she teamed up again with Leonardo DeCaprio, Winslet became only the second actress to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress, without getting an Oscar nomination.

Winslet says the key to her versatility is to constantly challenge herself. “After each movie, I always think, how different can I possibly be?

Is this going to challenge me, is this going to inspire me, and is this going to make me love my job more than I already do?”

Most recently (2011), Winslet has returned to the small screen in the US miniseries Mildred Pierce, an adaptation of James M. Cain's 1941 novel of the same name. She plays the part of a selfsacrificing mother to a narcissistic daughter, during the Great Depression, who finds herself separated from her husband and falling in love with a new man. Broadcast to moderate ratings, the five-part series earned generally favourable reviews and Winslet received an Emmy Award – her first for television.

A devoted mother of two, Winslet believes there is nothing more important than family. “It brings me to tears at times, thinking of my children when I must be away from them. They are my soul and true love.” Although she owns a house in London and New York, Winslet considers her true home to be in the Cotswolds.

But her biggest project in 2011 was appearing in Steven Soderbergh's disaster film Contagion, featuring an ensemble cast comprising Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. The thriller follows the rapid progress of a lethal virus that kills within days. Winslet portrays an epidemic intelligence service officer, who becomes infected with the disease over the course of her investigation.

Her style and radiance have also led to her appointment as ambassador of beauty for Lancôme, marking the first time the actress has fronted a fashion label. She has since been chosen to be the face of St. John Knits and Longine’s ambassador of elegance.

It is these family values, coupled with her bighearted attitude to life, that define Winslet’s true character, and which have driven her to create her own charity foundation, The Golden Hat. The idea for her charity arose from her role as narrator for Fridrik Thor Fridriksson’s documentary, A Mother’s Courage, which charts a mother’s journey as she tries to understand her young autistic son. “I was so moved by the story of the mother who desperately tries to reach out to her son. She ultimately finds a way to enable him to communicate with a letter

board…This basic right is often denied to autistic individuals and they are so extremely isolated.”

Winslet founded the The Golden Hat in 2009 with the help of Lancôme, and the charity received the Yo Dona Best Humanitarian Work prize in 2011. The charity’s mission is to create campuses where autistic people can reside and learn how to communicate, as well as receive training to help them get a job and integrate successfully into society.

The charity’s name comes from Winslet’s campaign to amass a collection of photos of famous friends and personalities wearing the ‘golden hat’. The photos are self-portraits, whose subjects so far include Anna Wintour, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon and Ricky Gervais.

Winslet has also written a book entitled The Golden Hat, soon to be published by Simon & Schuster, which aims to support autism awareness and outreach.

With her unique style and acting ability, which encompasses everything from Shakespearean tragedy to modern-day mysticism and erotica, it is difficult to find one word that encapsulates the true essence of Kate Winslet. Her smile is genuinely contagious, her laughter can fill a room and her sense of humour can be quite laddish, yet, above all else, Winslet has a wonderful intensity for life. Ultimately, it is her own words that best capture her true philosophy on life: “Life is short, and it is here to be lived. There are moments to indulge and enjoy, but I always know when it's time to go home and wash my knickers.”

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FOOD+DRINK

Voting for TASTE OF KENT AWARDS tops 10,000 as last year’s winners savour the sweet taste of success

Kent Artisan Food Producer of the Year - Corinnes Creative Kitchen

Best Kent Brewery - Whitstable Brewery

Kent Juice Producer of the Year - Owlet Fruit Juice

Now in its eighth year, interest in the Taste of Kent Awards continues to grow as over 10,000 consumers throughout the county rushed to take part in the online voting of the Produced in Kent inspired awards. With voting lines closing on 3rd January 2012, the finalists can do little more than wait now for the expert panel of judges, mystery shoppers and diners to decide who will be crowned Kent’s food and drink heroes at a glamorous awards dinner on 2nd March 2012, at the newly refurbished Oakwood House Hotel in Maidstone. So whilst we all play the waiting game, insideKENT decided to pay a visit to three of last year’s winners to see what impact their Taste of Kent Award wins have meant to their businesses.

Corinne’s Creative Kitchen was delighted to win ‘Kent Artisan Food Producer of the Year’ in 2011.

The business was set up by Corinne Goodman in 2007 and produces a wide selection of Asian foods based on the cuisine of Corinne’s early years in Madras. Corinne has built a successful small business supplying her delicious spicy food to farmers’ markets, farm shops, shows and events and she makes every effort to fly the Produced in Kent flag by using respected local suppliers and organic meats and vegetables wherever possible. She has also built an impressive sideline running dynamic and fun cookery classes.

“I was excited to hear that I had been nominated,” Corinne Goodman recalls. “So when I actually won the award at the dinner it was absolutely fantastic – a great feeling! On a personal level winning a Taste of Kent Awards gives you a huge boost to know that you are getting your business right and that the general public likes what you do. Not only do I feel I’m doing something really worthwhile, but winning the award has had a significant impact on my business.”

Corinne estimates that she has seen an upturn of between 10-15 per cent in turnover since winning the award and she’s witnessed

an uplift in the number of garden parties and dinner parties she is catering for – whilst her already popular cookery classes have rocketed in popularity.

Owlet Fruit Juice has over 20 years experience of making high quality fruit juices from fruit grown locally in Kent. The company has won a string of national awards and competitions since 1993 for its range of apple, pear and berry juices and was delighted to add its first ever ‘Kent Juice Producer of the Year’ to its trophy cabinet last year at the Taste of Kent Awards.

The farm is situated just beyond the centre of Lamberhurst village and Owl House Fruit Farm grows several different varieties of apples, pears and cherries. The apples and pears are pressed for their juice, whilst the cherries are sold to local farm shops and grocers. Speaking of the company’s win last year Colin Corfield said, “We were very, very pleased by the win of our first ever Taste of Kent Award and felt it was a huge vote of confidence from our customers. Because the first stage of voting is an open vote to the general public, we felt the win was a fantastic endorsement from our customers and those who have tasted and enjoyed our juices.”

Owlet has gone on to maximize its win by publicising it on its website and through its leaflets

which has continued to help raise their profile and reputation as a quality juice producer in the Garden of England.

Rafik Abidi heads up Whitstable Brewery which picked up ‘Best Kent Brewery’ at last year’s awards. The small brewery runs a Whitstable base of pubs, restaurants and hotel on the beach and supplies the free trade in Kent, Essex, Surrey and Sussex, together with a number of supermarkets and local retailers.

Since the company won its Taste of Kent Award last year, Whitstable’s exciting range of beers has gone on to pick up several more awards, as the company’s standing and stature continues to grow in both Kent and nationally.

Rafik Abidi said, “Working in a micro brewery is very hard work but rewarding especially when you get this kind of recognition! We were up against some tough competition in last year’s Taste of Kent Awards, with the other finalists of a high standard, so to be picked out as overall winner in the county means a lot.”

Like the other finalists, Whistable Brewery has made the most of its win – incorporating the Taste of Kent Awards quality emblem on its new labels and including it in its marketing which has helped the company continue to go from strength to strength.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

The glittering awards for the Taste of Kent Awards 2012 will be hosted in a brand new location – Oakwood House Hotel in Maidstone on 2nd March 2012. The black tie evening will feature a beautiful four-course dinner with local produce, dishes and wines and will be followed by the awards ceremony.

A limited number of tickets are on sale to the general public – for more details go to www.tasteofkentawards.co.uk

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FOOD+DRINK

cinnamonspice HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW CHEFS PREPARE YOUR FAVOURITE DISHES WHEN DINING OUT? YOU DON’T HAVE TO WONDER AT CINNAMON SPICE, ASHFORD. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE UPON WALKING INTO THE RESTAURANT IS THE LARGE PLASMA SCREEN SHOWING OFF THEIR EXPERT CHEFS HARD AT WORK. BY GREG BETTLES

However, on my visit to Cinnamon Spice, not only did I and my fellow diners get the opportunity to see the preparation take place, I got the opportunity to make our very own starter. Owner and young restaurateur of the year, Ash Miah, had prepared for us to enter his professional kitchen and go behind the scenes to see what it takes to make the perfect Bangladeshi starter.

I had the honour of wearing the full chef outfit - white hat, white coat, apron and all! As I first walked into the kitchen, I was taken aback by how professionally organised the space was, and how the chefs took great pride to keep the kitchen in perfect working order. Ash took us through the preparation and cooking step by step, and told us how different herbs and spices are used in the dishes; it was a fantastic insight into the flavours and methods used.

The starter of Chicken Purée was superb – light and not too overpowering, and like any good dish it left me wanting more; and the fact that I cooked it with my own two hands made it that much better.

Whilst we let the chefs prepare our mains without the assistance of my spectacular new cooking skills, I was taken in by the modern décor of the restaurant. Warm, dark colours are used to generate a calming surrounding, accompanied by the low-level lighting, giving the restaurant a sleek edge.

I went for the very traditional Chicken Tikka Masala for my main, and the chefs had concocted the perfect mixture of thick creamy sauce and tender chicken, offering that perfect melt in your mouth taste. I chose to have a Bombay Sagaloo with my meal, which was beautiful. The spinach and potato worked well and boasted a combination of beautiful flavours, and thankfully didn’t overpower my Masala, but offered me a fantastic alternative.

Some of my fellow diners commented on how fresh the food tasted – it was clear the dishes were cooked with not just expert knowledge but with care and attention.

Of course this meal would not be the same without naan bread and choice of rice. I tried the

plain, pashwari and garlic naans, which were all fantastic. They were fresh and served deliciously warm, which enabled me to cut it effortlessly, and tasted simply marvellous.

The overall experience was exceptional, and it’s clear that Cinnamon Spice has a lot of regular customers by how many of the customers were greeted by their first names. I am proud to say Cinnamon Spice is most certainly going to be a regular venue for our insideKENT team ‘meetings’!

Cinnamon Spice Unit 4 Eureka Place Trinity Road Ashford TN25 4BY 01233 668731 www.cinnamonspicekent.co.uk

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RECIPE

BRAISED TURBOT AND SCALLOPS

with Leeks, Wild Mushrooms and a Chive Butter Sauce

Serves 4 • 4 x 100g turbot, skinned and filleted • 1 large leek • 50ml double cream • 100g baby spinach • 80g mixed mushrooms • 60g unsalted butter • 20g fresh peas • 10g garlic puree • 5g lemon butter • 4 large scallops, diced • 4g chives, chopped • Salt and pepper

Fond braisage

• 60g shallots, sliced • 120g button mushrooms, sliced • 30g unsalted butter • 120ml Noilly Pratt • 30ml water

Emulsion for vegetables

• 325g unsalted butter • 250ml water • 10g salt • 4g whole white peppercorns

1) Firstly make the fond braisage. Heat the butter in a pan and add the shallots along with a pinch of salt and cook for about 2 minutes, until soft and transparent. Then add the mushrooms and cook these until they are slippery in look. Add the Noilly Pratt and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Then add the water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside for use later.

Bring to the boil and cover with a lid then place in the oven for 4 minutes. After this time remove from the oven and leave to rest for 2 minutes, and then drain off the braising liquid into a separate pan. Season the braising liquid with salt and pepper, add the scallops and lightly poach then remove from the liquid and set aside. Add a drop of cream to the liquid and thicken to a sauce by whisking in the butter.

2) Then make the emulsion, by placing all the ingredients together in a pan and bring to the boil. Blend thoroughly with a bamix or blender.

6) Finally. firstly cook the spinach in the emulsion, take it out then cook the wild mushrooms in the emulsion. At the same time reheat the creamed leeks. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce, check the seasoning and add the chives.

3) Cut the green of the leek in to 1cm dice, then cut the rest into 4, lengthways, and slice into thin strips. Blanch in salted boiling water and refresh into iced water.

4) Place the cream in a pan and reduce until a thick coating consistency, add the garlic puree then add the mixture bit by bit to the leeks until correct consistency is reached.

7) Place the leeks, cooked peas, spinach and wild mushrooms on to the plate, then the piece of turbot and the scallops and spoon over some of the sauce.

5) Preheat the oven to 200°c / gas 6. Brush the turbot with lemon butter and season with salt and pepper. Place some of the fond braisage into a pan and then place the fish on top.

MICHAEL CAINES is one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. AA Chef's Chef of the Year in 2007 and awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry, Michael is an Operational Partner and Director of ABode Hotels and Michael Caines, in overall charge of all food and beverage operations throughout the fast-growing group. He is also Executive Chef at Gidleigh Park, the acclaimed and prestigious country house hotel on the edge of Dartmoor at Chagford, Devon, where he has earned his reputation - as well as two Michelin stars - serving distinctive modern European cuisine utilising the finest local and regional produce and ingredients. In February 2009 he was also made Executive Chef at The Bath Priory, Bath, Gidleigh Park's sister establishment.

In 2000, he founded Michael Caines Restaurants and took over food and beverage operations at The Royal Clarence, Exeter. A chance encounter with Andrew Brownsword subsequently led to the creation of ABode Hotels. Recent career highlights include cooking at 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister and taking part in ‘The Great British Menu’, a competition broadcast on BBC2 television where contestants compete for the honour of cooking for the Queen’s 80th birthday.

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Wedding Fayre at Canterbury Join us for our Wedding Fayre in the County Room at ABode Canterbury on the 11th March 2012, 11am until 3pm.

Book your wedding today and receive a complimentary nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay in our Fabulous suite for your wedding night.

30-33 High St, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2RX Tel: 01227 766 266

FOOD+DRINK

the ORANGERY B Y

D O N N A

M A R T I N

I’m a sucker for a good restaurant. I’m especially a sucker for a good restaurant in Kent; and even more, a restaurant in Kent using local produce to create innovative meals. So when I visited The Orangery in Margate on a sunny winter’s day, I couldn’t help but be smitten.

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Designed by Andrew Sherrington, The Orangery’s interior is crisp and clean, with smooth white walls sandwiched between polished marble floors and a high bright ceiling. Rather than give my account of my meal as usual, going over each course in detail, I might as well skip to the good bit: The Orangery is quite possibly my new favourite restaurant in Thanet.

The Orangery sources its food from all around Kent – their meat comes from the Butcher of Brogdale in Faversham where the pigs are fruitfed; the vegetables are from Nash Farm in Margate; the eggs and mushrooms are from Canterbury and their fish comes straight from a Margate boat or from the New Romney Fish Market.

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, I can tell you all about the food. But perhaps rather than writing in the standard food review chronological order of starter, main, dessert – this time I’ll tell you about my meal beginning with my favourite course: the pud.

Now, backtrack to the beginning of the meal. I started out with the Butternut Squash, Spinach and Goats Cheese Filo Pastry Slice with a Balsamic Dressing. Butternut squash is one of my favourite autumn/winter ingredients, so I always have to take advantage of it when it’s at its freshest. The dish was deliciously simple, but simple is almost always best; and it definitely proved true in this case. My guest enjoyed Smoked Mackerel Pâté, which was equally delicious.

I was lucky enough to visit The Orangery at Christmastime, and one of the desserts on offer was Mulled Wine Trifle with Winter Berries. Sounds simple enough, yes, but this dessert was so good it actually inspired me to take a stab at my own version for Christmas – something I’ve never done after eating out.

The layers of mulled wine-spiked jelly, soft sponge, creamy homemade custard, winter berries and a dollop of cream was, for lack of a better word, faaabulous. I’m usually not very protective of my desserts, and most of the time I’d be quite happy sharing or even exchanging my last course with a fellow diner. Not this time. My dining companion got one small taste, and that was that. When he tried to delve in for a second spoonful I think I might have snarled. Not a pretty sight, but I couldn’t help it – it was that good.

I have to hand it to The Orangery’s chefs: Head Chef Daniel Johnson, Sous-Chef Ben Dunk and Commis Naithan King. They really take to heart and put into action what it says on The Orangery’s website, “[The chefs] specialise in transforming seasonal local raw ingredients into delicious dishes.”

While we were enjoying our starters, putting the world to rights, it started ‘snowing’ outside our window – an unexpected surprise as the sky was perfectly blue. At closer inspection, the ‘snow’ was actually coming from The Orangery’s snow machine – a clever addition to make the dining experience more magical.

My main meal was another somewhat ‘simple’ dish, but simple in that oh-so-delicious kind of way. I chose the Pan-fried Free-range Chicken Breast stuffed with Chestnut and Sausage Stuffing with Dauphinoise Potatoes and topped with a Mustard Sauce. The chicken was succulent and fresh, and the flavours melded together perfectly.

why I am not – and could never be – a chef. The combination of ingredients made for a mouthwatering meal.

Other choices on the menu included Stuffed Pork Loin with Crackling accompanied by a Roasted Apple and Pear Purée; Roasted Mixed Pepper Risotto with a Boursin Sauce; and Vegetarian Pancake Cannelloni with Pan-fried Leeks, Peppers, Onions and Carrots topped with Cheese and served Grilled in a Creamy Stilton Sauce. I wish I could have tried them all.

The Orangery is open for lunch from 12-3pm seven days a week, and dinner from 6-9pm Monday-Saturday. Looking to hold a private function? The Orangery could be just the place you’re looking for – seating up to 80 guests with a range of different table layouts.

Overall, my experience at The Orangery was fantastic. Scrumptious food, a lovely atmosphere, and the best Mulled Wine Trifle in the world. Well, in my opinion at least. Whether you live in nearby Ramsgate or far away in Rochester, The Orangery is definitely worth a visit.

The Orangery

21-27 Eastern Esplanade Cliftonville CT9 2HL 01843 222310 info@orangeryrestaurant.co.uk

www.orangeryrestaurant.co.uk

My guest enjoyed the Baked Loin of Cod wrapped in Streaky Smoked Bacon on a bed of Sweet Potato Mash, topped with Fried Leeks and a Tomato Reduction Sauce. I would never (in a million years) think to combine cod, bacon, sweet potatoes, leeks and tomatoes, but this is obviously

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FOOD+DRINK

JUST FOUR YEARS AFTER JANE BOWYER SOLD HER FIRST WHEEL OF ASHMORE FARMHOUSE, IT HAS BEEN RATED ONE OF THE 50 BEST CHEESES IN THE WORLD. The award is from the Guild of Fine Food, which tasted more than 2,500 cheeses from England, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Australia and the USA. It was one of only nine British cheeses to make the top 50, having been awarded Super Gold in its category for small hard cheese makers.

Ashmore is a cheddar style cheese of enormous flavour that proved immediately popular with both chefs and the general public as soon as it was launched.

From her small dairy at Dargate, near Faversham, Jane and her band of helpers produce a thunderingly good range of cheeses.

The Farmhouse is joined by Ashmore Ancient, a mellower version with a taste that lingers with all the resonance of a well-cast bell.

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Alongside them is the Canterbury Cobble, semihard, slightly sweet with a nice finishing tang; Kelly’s Canterbury Goat, a superbly delicate hard goat’s with hints of lemon and black pepper; and Gruff, a harder, dryer goat’s that does wonders for salads and risottos.

All are made with unpasteurised milk from Tom Castle’s herd of British Friesians at Petham, where his family have farmed for generations.

The morning milk is taken directly to the dairy where the laborious, day-long process of making cheese by hand takes place.

Once made and pressed, the cheeses are moved into the maturing rom. There they rest on pine planks that have carried thousands of cheeses in their lives. Each day the cheeses are turned and stroked, to ensure the even growth of the mould that gives them their distinctively coloured rind.

And in her soft dairy at Hastingleigh she makes her Bowyer’s brie style, rich, creamy and generous of flavour, and her Chaucer’s camembert style – so good a top Belgian restaurant takes it in preference to the Normandy original.

The simple, genuine pleasure that her cheeses bring have won them an affectionate and enthusiastic following across Kent and much farther afield too.

The Ashmore farmhouse has appeared in cheese muffins in a Kuala Lumpur bakery. The Canterbury Cobble has been taken back to China by a student for his father’s 90th birthday.

The Kelly’s is used by a restaurant in Calais for its Coquilles St Jacques, while the smoked

Ashmore has gone down well in northern France where Welsh rarebit – oddly – is a traditional dish.

Nearer to home, the cheeses can be found in more than 40 shops throughout Kent, at farmers’ markets, an ever-growing number of restaurants and pubs, and at their own cheese counter specialising in the best of British cheeses, at the Goods Shed, Canterbury.

Look out for it in Macknades, Faversham; Wakeham’s Butchers, Bridge; Barn Shop, Challock; Quex Barn, Birchington; Old Dairy, Maidstone; Nutmeg Deli, Tenterden; and The Barn Yard, Rainham.

Pubs and restaurants serving Cheesemakers of Canterbury cheeses include The Sportsman, Seasalter; The Marquis at Alkham; Burlington Hotel, Folkestone; Chapter Arms, Chartham Hatch; Wallets Court, Dover; Coastguard, St Margaret’s Bay; Granville, Lower Hardres; The Hutch, Canterbury; Turner Contenporary, Margate; Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; The Minnis, Birchington; Wife of Bath, Wye; and Kathton House, Sturry.

They are also regularly for sale at Wye, Cliftonville, Whitstable and Elham farmers’ markets.

For more information go to www.cheesemakersofcanterbury.co.uk

FOOD+DRINK

insideKENT exclusive interview

PAUL HOLLYWOOD insideKENT’S ADAM READY SPOKE TO KENT RESIDENT AND CELEBRITY BAKER FROM BBC’S THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, PAUL HOLLYWOOD.

When did you become a baker? Was it in the family?

My dad was a baker, and when I was 17 I ended up joining the family business at one of his shops in Liverpool where I did my apprenticeship. His head office was over in York but most of his businesses were down from Scotland to Doncaster. I ended up working at the Lincoln branch which he bought on the basis I join the business.

How long have you lived in Kent and why did you move here?

My wife’s family are from Westgate-on-Sea. I met my wife in Cyprus and when we came back we initially moved to Buckinghamshire for a year, then I ended up coming down to Kent to be closer to my wife’s family as we were planning to have a family. We ended up basing ourselves in Wingham near Canterbury where I have been for the last 9 years.

on the table and use flour. Don’t use flour, use olive oil. It stops it sticking to your hands, which people hate, and it gives you a lovely elastic dough.

Baking has had a recent surge in g popularity – do you enjoy ?

It went well; the bake off was a success and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Working with Mary Berry was like working with a friend I’d known for years.

And then working with Mel and Sue was like having sisters. Mary was the mother and me, Mel and Sue were the kids. It’s very family, it’s been perfect for the people who come on the show.

You supply Harrods each morning with bread – what time do you start baking?

The guys are normally in work for around half ten, eleven o’clock at night and then work through to around eight or nine in the morning. We also supply Waitrose and they have to deal with that as well. We have around 18-19 current lines in Harrods at the moment.

Are you surprised by the standards of the contestants on the show, and do you still speak them?

Yes, Ed still texts me occasionally to say hello, Rob keeps in touch – I do speak to a few of them. They send me emails on what they are doing. They’re blogging about baking or writing a book or whatever. They’re amateur bakers going into the big bad world and trying to make a living out of baking. They have such a long way to go and the bake off gives them a great platform to do what they want to do. All the people that have been on it have got something from it.

Do you have any tips on bread baking?

The biggest tip I give people is to follow the recipe and make sure your dough is nice and soft, bordering on wet. What you don’t want is a dry dough. Dough gets dry when you’re kneading

Will there be a third series?

Yes, there will be another series. We have already started auditioning. Junior Bake Off has just finished on CBBC and Celebrity Bake Off starts in January.

You have published a best-selling book 100 Great Breads – what is your favourite bread?

One of my favourites from the book is Sour Cherry and Chocolate. It’s such an unusual bread that all kids and adults alike love it. It’s got such a great flavour, the cherries really come through in it. It is a very messy recipe when you add the cherries to it, but bear with it because it ends up as a beautiful loaf.

My book How to Bake which comes out summer this year with Bloomsbury, there are so many good recipes. I poured my heart and soul into this book. It’s going to be a thick heavy book with two chapters of bread, one of which is sourdough. It also has biscuits, pastries, breads, puff pastries; everything you need to bake is going to be in that book.

Any advice for the amateur bakers of Kent?

I’ll be starting baking courses soon – we’re are looking at starting them around spring time. We are going to be inviting people to come spend Saturdays with me and I’m going to be teaching hands-on how to actually bake.

Follow Paul on Twitter @Hollywoodbaker

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ARTS

‘Light and Atmosphere’

A N E W E X H I BI T I O N O F L A N DSCA P E P A INT INGS OF EA ST K ENT

Sparkling Light at Oare Creek (12 x 16 Inches)

Snow at St Nicholas-at-Wade (12 x 16 Inches)

Under Full Sail (10 x 16 Inches)

Sunlight and Shadows, Marshside (24 x 36 Inches)

The landscape painter Turner, who lived and painted for many years in Margate, was famously quoted as saying that “the most wonderful skies in Europe could be found over the Isle of Thanet.” Those same skies that inspired probably the greatest landscape painter of all time are also the inspiration for the work of celebrated English landscape painter Matthew Alexander whose work is currently on display at Alexander’s Gallery.

The paintings of Matthew Alexander are deeply rooted in the great tradition of European landscape art and his work is clearly a continuation of the British Impressionist movement. Inspiration drawn from such sources as Constable, Turner and Seago has helped to create paintings that reflect the subtle majesty of the English countryside, fashioned in a wholly individual and unique style.

Having been based all of his life on the Kent coast, Matthew has always been fascinated by the meeting points of land, sky and water. His lively oils are imbued with the gleam and dazzle of reflected light

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and in the air of drama that lies in England’s gloriously fickle weather.

The artist’s work has previously ranged freely across our country and continent but for this show the works are more carefully focused to reflect the theme of the exhibition.

Paintings inspired by the wonderful light that is associated with East Kent and the peninsula of the Isle of Thanet in particular illustrate this artist’s fascination with the movement of light across the picture plane and his relentless dedication to the capturing of these most transient and fleeting effects.

Matthew Alexander continues to develop an enviable reputation as one of England’s finest landscape painters. He has exhibited in many of the country’s most prestigious galleries and his work is hung in public and private collections at home and abroad.

“As a painter Matthew is able to couple both a faultless eye and a technique that appears limitless in its ease, touch and deftness. His pictures, particularly those of Kent and the Thames, reveal him as the

subtlest of colourists, able to distill and capture that special light (or murk) that we think of as essentially ‘English’. I have to admit that of his many and diverse paintings (and this must run into hundreds) some of my favourites are those little snow scenes around Thanet which have an almost hypnotic quality that reaches out to you.

‘Stop!’ they shout, ‘this snow is cold,’ and your hand whispers to you, ‘go on...touch it! See if it is cold.’”

Keith Cole Composer The Exhibition will run from 7th January to 26th February 2012

Alexander’s Gallery

Barn Studio Canterbury Road Monkton CT12 4LH 01843 821427 info@alexandersgallery.co.uk www.alexandersgallery.co.uk

New Art Gallery for East Kent

A mere seven miles from the beautiful city of Canterbury and on the main route to the newly opened Turner Contemporary in Margate stands the new Alexander’s Gallery.

Situated just outside the pretty village of Monkton the recently completed building, designed by architect Ivan Smith, gives the appearance of a newly converted Kentish Barn and blends perfectly with it’s rural surroundings.

Set among the low horizons of Thanet in the furthest corner of East Kent the gallery provides a wonderfully sympathetic space for the exhibition of fine paintings.

Concentrating on the more traditional values relating to art and specifically painting, the gallery could be seen as providing the perfect antidote to the current ‘idea is everything’ trend in contemporary art and is set to become a must-visit venue on any serious art circuit.

The gallery is a truly family affair being owned by the renowned Kentish landscape artist Matthew Alexander and his wife

Patricia. It is managed by their daughter Charlotte, herself a recent MA graduate in fashion, while their son Joseph runs his own bespoke frame-making and gilding business close-by and makes all the framing for the gallery. The gallery is also now publishing an expanding range of limited edition prints of Matthew’s latest paintings.

Although primarily conceived as an exhibition space for Matthew Alexander’s paintings the gallery is at present building an adventurous exhibition program that will feature paintings by other invited well known and celebrated artists.

The gallery’s recently launched website has up to date information regarding forthcoming exhibitions and events and has a gallery page illustrating the paintings that are currently hanging in the exhibition. www.alexandersgallery.co.uk

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TOWNSPOTLIGHT

Edenbridge SPOTLIGHT

ON

AN IDYLLIC COUNTRYSIDE DESTINATION TO REVEL IN KENTISH HERITAGE

Edenbridge sits nestled within the Garden of England, and conveniently neighbours the Surrey border, which works as a complimentary partnership to create an abundance of rural splendour. The town is intersected by the River Eden, which flows through to join the River Medway, showcasing the best of Kent countryside either side. As the name itself may suggest, it is an Eden of pastoral ideals, rich in farmland and lush green panoramas. With only 25 miles between this quaint destination and the capital,

records from the 12th century. It is a town that has a lengthy past, which has stories to tell and cries out for exploration. The town was originally inhabited by the Romans, with their trace left along the straight line of the high street, in between their London to Lewes route. After the Romans departed, a Saxon named Eadhelm became the leader of the local people, thus the town became known as ‘Eadhelmbridge’, presumably after the famous stone bridge that can be found there. It is likely that it is from this derivative that the current name arose.

Edenbridge was a town of industry. It was established as a tannery town and held this reputation for 500 years until the tannery was closed in the 1970s. The business thrived in the 19th century due to the high demand from WWI. In addition to this, the town became a centre of the Wealden iron industry.

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it’s ideally placed for commuting, whilst simultaneously being surrounded with an environment that could make you forget the hustle and bustle of London. Edenbridge offers a wealth of history and culture to be soaked up, and with this on your Kent doorstop, why not take a trip?

Edenbridge offers a plethora of historical sites that can be visited. Original medieval buildings populate the town, as well as coaching inns, gardens, a museum and churches. One landmark is the Great Stone Bridge which carries its history into the present day. The maintenance of the bridge is provided by the Great Stone Bridge Trust, which was formed around 1511, based upon charitable donations from a deceased local.

The current framework of the bridge dates back to 1836, but the previous was built in the reign of Henry VII. The parapet stones were even removed during WWII to ensure their safety, proving the worth of history in this town.

The town was born at the crossing point of the River Eden, with the earliest evidence of the existence of Edenbridge being found in church

Tradition is clearly important to Edenbridge. In 1279, Henry III granted a charter for a market to take place. Even to this day, a town market is

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BY SARAH-JANE STENSON

still held every Thursday, which is worth a visit.

Other places of interest include the library, which was previously the Parish Poor House; The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul; the old Tannery; and the Ye Old Crown Inn, which was originally built in 1375. If you’re intrigued to delve further into the history of Edenbridge, you can visit the Eden Valley Museum, which offers free admission.

It is situated within a medieval timber framed house built in 1380.

The town is now an alluring attraction for tourists eager to feed their historical appetite. It’s an ideal destination for anyone with a penchant for walking, with an array of tempting routes to weave you around the Kent countryside and to follow a trail of significant landmarks (have a look at Explore Kent’s Edenbridge Walk on the following pages).

Quaint B&Bs are dotted around the town, that leave you ideally placed to soak up some Kentish culture, sample some fine dining and traditional coaching inns. If you feel like being active, Edenbridge has some golf clubs where you could enjoy golf alongside a fantastic vista. Furthermore, why not also visit Hever Castle, the family home of Anne Boleyn, to continue your historical voyage, and close by to Edenbridge.

Edenbridge offers a utopian escape of abundant countryside to feast upon and a heritage just waiting to be explored, so why not break away this New Year and immerse yourself in what traditional Kent has to offer?

SPOTLIGHT ON EDENBRIDGE The Plumbing Academy

Magnolias of Edenbridge

Since 2005, the award-winning Plumbing Academy has been successfully delivering accredited plumbing and gas courses for existing trades people requiring qualifications in the industry, and for people looking for a complete career change. Based in Edenbridge in Kent, the training centre is conveniently located just south of the M25 and is 5 minutes from Edenbridge mainline station.

The increase in the use of Renewable Energy, coupled with new Government incentives, is proving to be a growing opportunity and source of income for the plumbing industry. The Plumbing Academy also offers courses in Solar, Ground & Air Source Heat Pump, Rainwater Harvesting, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Awareness, plus design and installation of Under-Floor Heating.

Gas Safe engineers can combine Renewable Energy training with their ACS assessments for CCN1, (CENWAT) CEN1, CPA1 and individual appliances.

For more information please call the Plumbing Academy on 01732 866500, email info@plumbingacademyuk.co.uk or visit www.plumbingacademy.co.uk.

FoxWood Maclean 2011 year saw many changes in the property market, but there were bigger changes afoot when a long established local agency, Calcutt Maclean Wood, merged with the West Kent agency, Fox and Manwaring to become FoxWood Maclean. With plans to expand into the area between the two existing offices, they are able to offer a comprehensive estate agency and lettings service throughout Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Within the FoxWood Maclean family, they can now also offer professional holiday letting expertise from Mulberry Cottages and Farm & Estate Management through CLM. FoxWood Maclean 11 High Street Edenbridge TN8 5AB 01732 862184 www.foxwoodmaclean.co.uk

Situated in the High Street, Magnolias of Edenbridge offers beautiful furniture, unique home accessories and gorgeous gifts, all handpicked by owners Peter and Di Kingham. They are delighted to discuss any specific enquiry for handmade curtains and blinds, order samples, provide quotes for upholstery and are on hand to give any help or advice. Customers are positively encouraged to browse through the pattern books or around the shop at their leisure.

The gifts and art are selected from favourite suppliers from around the world and include many fair trade items as well as local arts and crafts. Old and unfashionable pieces of furniture are brought back to life with a repainting and re-upholstery service, matching any colour preference you may have.

Magnolias of Edenbridge 4A High Street Edenbridge TN8 5AG 01732 866444 www.magnoliasinteriors.co.uk

Options Beauty Salon Options Beauty Salon has been offering quality, professional beauty treatments from their High Street salon in Edenbridge for nearly 15 years. Specialising in dermalogica skin care, all therapists have experience in all skin types and problems and can prescribe a perfect dermalogica home care regimen for you.

The latest addition to their treatment menu is the Full Day Retreat and the Half Day Retreat, working with the spa brand Comfort Zone they have put together two packages of escape treatments. Choose the full day and you will be pampered from head to toe using massage and ritual techniques to completely relax the mind and body – you even get a light lunch. The half day retreat offers an organic treatment option – a true three hours of bliss, and it’s eco-friendly. The Day Retreats make an ideal Valentines gift, every client receiving a Retreat in February will also leave with a gift from Comfort Zone.

Options Beauty Salon 40 High Street Edenbridge TN8 5AJ 01732 864635 www.optionsbeauty.co.uk

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Edenbridge

EXPLORE THIS NEW YEAR

and blow away the Christmas cobwebs with a leisurely walk

LOCATION: Swan Lane, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6AL DISTANCE: 3 miles (4.8km), allow 2 hours STEP COUNT: approx 6,000 OS EXPLORER MAP: 147 TERRAIN: Field paths and short woodland section STILES: 7 GATES: 9 PARKING: There is parking available in Edenbridge town centre or along Swan Lane REFRESHMENTS & FACILITIES: Local pubs, cafĂŠs and restaurants available on the walk and after

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THE CHARMING TOWN OF EDENBRIDGE AT THE HEART OF THE EDEN VALLEY IN WEST KENT PROVIDES AN IDEAL BASE FOR A RELAXED 3-MILE (4.8KM) CIRCULAR WALK. THE ROUTE TAKES YOU ON A JOURNEY THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE COUNTRYSIDE AND RICH HISTORIC SETTINGS IN THE AREA. Beginning in the Marlpitt Hill area, immediately taking you away from the hustle and bustle of the vibrant town of Edenbridge to the surrounding countryside; a welcome escape from everyday life.

The route passes a restored moat that marks the spot where Broxham Manor stood in the 13th century. The manor was rebuilt and now stands opposite the moat, after twice being damaged in fires. As you continue on towards Broxham Wood, keep an eye out for the deer herd that have made one of the local fields their home.

Edenbridge was originally established at the Roman crossing point of one of the River Medway's key tributaries, the River Eden. The old part of the town was built along a section of the otherwise disused Roman road, the London to Lewes Way at the point where it crossed the river. Iron slag from iron smelting in the surrounding area was used in building the road. In the Middle Ages, it became a centre of the Wealden iron industry.

A local legend claims that in the16th century two ladies of the parish complained about having difficulties reaching the church on the stepping stones across the river. Money was raised locally and a Great Stone Bridge Trust was formed to ensure a good river crossing for the town.

farmers’ market on the third Saturday of the month? The market is well known in Kent, offering tasty local produce such as sausages and venison. Or pick up a late (or early) Christmas present from the wide variety of unique craft stalls available.

There are many medieval timber buildings in the town, one of which, originally a 14th century farmhouse, now houses the Eden Valley Museum. If you are in need of refreshment on your return to the village there is a great choice of cafés, restaurants and inns that are definitely worth a visit. In particular Ye Old Crown Inn, another one of the town’s notable ancient buildings that is hard to miss, with its rare pub sign bridging the High Street.

WITHIN 5 MILES:

To make the most of your visit why not plan it to coincide with one of the weekly markets held on a Thursday, or why not try the

16th Century Chiddingstone Castle Set in 35 acres of grounds including a lake, a rose garden and magnificent woodland and also contains stunning Egyptian and Buddhist artifacts, magnificent Japanese armour and beautiful Jacobean paintings.

13th Century Hever Castle Once the home to Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle is set in magnificent gardens from the majestic formal Italian Garden and topiary, to the informal meanderings of the lakeside and Sunday Walk. The Water Maze

on Sixteen Acre Island and the Yew Maze challenges both adults and children alike.

The Tudor Trail 9.6 mile (15.4km) cycle route from Tonbridge Castle to Hever Castle passing Penshurst Place, Chiddingstone Castle and Haysden Country Park.

Haysden Country Park Awarded a Green Flag, the park includes Barden and Haysden Lakes and a stretch of the River Medway. With a rich variety of wildlife, the Park is designated a Local Nature Reserve and is in part a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. The waterfowl, wild flowers and insect life will interest both the expert and the casual onlooker. A surfaced path around Barden Lake allows easy access for all.

For more walks and great days out in Kent visit www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent, call 08458 247 600, or follow @explorekent on Twitter. www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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Miles of Mystery and History Beneath Your Feet

GRAB A LANTERN AND GET READY FOR AN AMAZING ADVENTURE! JUST A SHORT WAY OFF THE M20 ARE THE CHISLEHURST CAVES; MILES OF DARK MYSTERIOUS PASSAGEWAYS HEWN BY HAND FROM THE CHALK, FORMING A MAZE COVERING MORE THAN SIX HECTARES THIRTY METERS DEEP.

Your whole family can travel back in time as a guide takes you on a 45-minute lamp-lit tour and tells stories of Druids, Romans and Saxons. You’ll see the tunnels that were famous as a shelter during the Second World War, the cave’s church, Druid altar, haunted pool and much more.

Chislehurst Caves is one of the few attractions left where you actually have your own guide to escort you around. Things are explained to you, and you can ask as many questions as you’d like. No two tours are exactly the same, as each of the guides has their own unique style.

Chislehurst Caves should hold the imagination of even the most easily bored, and if nothing else, there are twenty miles of tunnels to wear you out. There is also a gift shop where you can buy anything from pencils to dragons, a large free car park and a licensed café (open weekends and school holidays) serving home-cooked breakfasts, lunches or just tea and cakes.

relaxed and the staff are all helpful and friendly.

The caves can also provide private tours for groups, evening tours, WWII tours for schools and even children’s birthday parties. Where else can you carry a hurricane lamp underground?

You may even get the chance to experience total darkness if the tour is not too big!

Open from Wednesday to Sunday, the guided tours leave every hour on the hour, the first is at 10am and the last at 4pm. During local school holidays (except Xmas and New Year) the Caves are open every day.

Chislehurst Caves Caveside Close Old Hill Chislehurst BR7 5NL 02084 673264 enquiries@chislehurstcaves.co.uk www.chislehurstcaves.co.uk

In spite of the modern trend for hustle and bustle, the caves are run as a family business. They are not over commercialised, the atmosphere is www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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DAYSOUT

HOURS OF

fun

at Vista Leisure B Y

K Y L E

F I S H E R

MY YOUTH IS FILLED WITH FOND MEMORIES OF TIDES LEISURE POOL IN DEAL; MY MUM WOULD TAKE ME AND TEACH ME TO SWIM. IT WAS SO BIG AND EXCITING AS A KID, THE HUGE RED SLIDE AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE WAVES WOULD START WHEN YOU HEARD THE PA SYSTEM ‘BING BONG’ FOLLOWED BY ‘ATTENTION ALL SWIMMERS!’

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THE LEISURE POOL IS AS POPULAR AS EVER; WITH ITS JACUZZI AND SPA POOLS, WAVE MACHINE AND 150FT WATERSLIDE, IT CATERS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

The centre played host to my school swimming lessons and many afterschool fun sessions with friends and family. Now officially a grown up (although some would argue that), it gives me great satisfaction seeing families – particularly children – coming and continuing to have hours of fun in this wonderful community facility.

Tides Leisure Pool opened its doors in August 1988. It instantly became the place for water-based fun and fitness in the area. 23 years on, now operated by Vista Leisure, it is still providing the community of Deal with fantastic activities and great value for money fitness and sport packages.

Whether you’re a pensioner, toddler, mum-to-be or disabled, there is something for everyone at Tides Leisure & Indoor Tennis Centre.

The leisure pool is as popular as ever; with its Jacuzzi and spa pools, wave machine and 150ft waterslide, it caters for the whole family. Unlimited swimming at a reasonable price ensures that you can enjoy the day and not worry about timed swim sessions. Fancy a snack? The Wave Café which overlooks the pool provides hot and cold meals, including healthier options throughout most public sessions.

The pool programme caters for all ages and abilities, including early morning swims, Aqua classes, adult-only swimming sessions, toddler time for parents and babies, disabled sessions and our special Friday afternoon Dip ‘n’ Dine session which provides even better value for money by combining swimming and a set menu from The Wave Café.

launched LTA Mini Tennis ‘Earn Your Stripes’ scheme which supports young players through the various stages and rewards them with badges and certificates to prove just how ace they are.

The centre also provides a number of courses and pay-as-you-play sessions for youths and adults, and we also have other activities that cater for children including a crèche, swim school and trampoline lessons. Meanwhile adults can benefit from our huge range of workout classes and make use our gym instructor’s expertise. You do not have to be a member to participate but it does save money if you join.

Vista Leisure’s membership packages offer the best possible value for money where you can get gym, swim, classes and complimentary use of the sauna and steam rooms at Tides & Dover Leisure Centres all for under £35 a month. Join with a partner and save 10% a month.

One of the best things about working at Tides is being part of the family that strives to please every customer and guest that walks through the front door. The majority of staff are local people that have some connection to Tides the same way I do; they were once a customer or visitor, and it is now them providing the fantastic customer service that our customers expect.

For more details about what’s on offer at Tides Leisure & Indoor Tennis Centre, visit www.vistaleisure.com or phone 01304 373399

Deal Indoor Tennis Centre, the latest addition to the centre, opened in July 2011. The £1.2 million 4-court indoor tennis centre replaced the old air hall known as ‘The Bubble’. Deal Indoor Tennis Centre is ideal for any budding tennis players out there; 11 – 13 week courses are available which run on various days throughout the week for all age groups from toddlers right up to adults.

Our coaching team will ensure you improve whilst participating in fun drills and match play to gain or improve your tennis skills. We follow the newly www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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ROMANCE BLOOMS in the Garden of England

CUPID WILL BE BUSY WITH HIS BOW IN FEBRUARY, SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE IN THE RUN-UP TO VALENTINE’S DAY. While the God of Desire will once again do his best to set lovers’ hearts racing, couples can play their part by making the most of the Garden of England’s wide range of romantic attractions, restaurants and luxurious hotels.

Hever Castle

And with Visit Kent offering dozens of 2FOR1 entry offers at Kent’s top venues and My Kent Big Weekend 2012 - showcasing the best of the county’s tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses to thousands of residents – the time has never been better to enjoy a dreamy St Valentine-inspired day out.

Leeds Castle Nestling in the heart of the Kent countryside, Hever Castle is one of the most romantic castles in the country. Spend a delightful weekend in one of their private houses – Medley Court is a luxurious 5-star Gold Award, four-bedroom cottage and guests benefit from a pass to visit the 13th century double moated castle, once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Guests also have access to the award-winning gardens, lake and parkland in complete privacy during times when the grounds are closed to the public. www.hevercastle.co.uk

Hot Chocolate

Treat the one you love like royalty this Valentine’s Day with a romantic evening at the magnificent Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. Enjoy a champagne reception in the Library, with live music from a harpist, before taking a predinner guided tour of the castle, and then enjoying your meal served in the Henry VIII Banqueting Hall. Guests will then be able to retire to the drawing rooms to relax with coffee and friends and enjoy the sounds of a piano accompaniment.

The Valentine’s dinner costs £145 per person and there is also the option to stay overnight in one of the castle’s bedrooms and enjoy the romance of the historic grounds and gardens. Dine and sleep packages start from £225 per person. www.leeds-castle.com

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park

This Valentine’s Day do something wildly romantic at Port Lympne. Start the day with an African experience safari, followed by a cocktail and 3course meal served in the 1920s mansion. Afterwards, relax over coffee and mints before strolling around the animal park to see some of the world’s rare and endangered animals. www.aspinalfoundation.org/portlympne

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Disco chart-toppers Hot Chocolate will perform live at the Valentine Lovers Party Night at The Britannia Theatre, Dickens World, Chatham, on Friday, February 10th. The legendary pop outfit, famed for hits including ‘Sexy Thing’ and ‘It Started with a Kiss’ will top the bill at the romance-fuelled night, with support from special guests and host DJ ‘The Marvellous One’.

Tickets cost £25 in advance. For more information and bookings call 01634 890421.

Biddenden Vineyards

Add a touch of sparkle to your Valentine’s Day with one of Biddenden Vineyard’s awardwinning wines or pick up a few tasty treats to toss into a homecooked feast. Alternatively, stay the night in The Loft, a cosy apartment attached to the main Farmhouse with its own access.

Sleeping two and set in a rural location with views across the Vineyard, The Loft is the ideal place to spend a romantic night. www.biddendenvineyards.com

Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst

Turner Contemporary, Margate

© Auguste Rodin The Kiss

This fairy-tale 14th century ruined castle is one of the most romantic settings in England. The moated castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens perfect for relaxing walks and memorable vistas. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-scotneycastlegarden

Secret Garden, Ashford

Art lovers can really experience the spirit of Valentine’s Day by taking in Auguste Rodin’s life-size marble sculpture The Kiss, in show at the Turner Contemporary’s Sunley Gallery. The timeless piece, capturing two lovers’ passionate embrace, has been taken into the nation’s heart and was voted the UK’s favourite work of art in a 2003 poll.

The gallery, which takes its name from Romantic landscape painter JMW Turner, also offers sensational views over the North Kent Coast. www.turnercontemporary.org

The Marquis at Alkham, near Dover

Set the mood for the day with a sumptuous meal at the Secret Garden.

The restaurant, to be discovered in a hidden courtyard, is perfect for a light bite for lunch or a delightful dinner date. For those wishing to get a little more hands-on, why not sign up to one of the Secret Garden’s cookery school classes? Courses include Fantastic Fish, Cakes & Pastry, Canapes, and French Cuisine. www.secretgardenkent.co.uk

One of the best loved and critically acclaimed restaurants in Kent, the Marquis at Alkham brings a contemporary sense of decadence to rural England. The five-star restaurant, recently awarded a rising Michelin star, is perfectly positioned in a leafy location near the romantic White Cliffs of Dover. www.themarquisatalkham.co.uk

2FOR1

Explore the Garden of England by train with Southeastern or by bus with Stagecoach and Arriva and receive 2FOR1 entry into Kent's top venues. With an exciting fusion of seaside resorts, vibrant cities, rolling countryside and unique shopping venues, Kent is the place to be this summer.

For more information and to browse and download Kent 2FOR1 offers go to www.visitkentoffers.co.uk.

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FRIDAY NIGHT COMEDY AND SUNDAY LUNCH CARVERY AT

QHotels

The festive season is over for another year and the weather outside is frightful. For most people, January and February are months of hibernation as we batten down the hatches and recover from the overindulgence of Christmas and New Year. After the fun and frolics of December it can all seem a bit cheerless and dismal, which is why two hotels in Kent have decided to bolster our spirits with the continuation of their regular popular comedy evenings starting in January and continuing throughout 2012.

The Ashford International Hotel and Bridgewood Manor in Chatham, both part of the awardwinning QHotels group, will be transforming their stylish venues into dazzling comedy clubs showcasing some of the best live comedy acts in the UK today. Presented in conjunction with the superb and nationally renowned ‘The Comedy Club’, each hotel has a line-up of three top comedians at each of their shows in an epic night packed with fun and laughter.

Laugh out loud and banish those winter blues and at the same time enjoy a delicious twocourse meal with waitress service to your table throughout the show. If you didn’t do enough dancing over the festive season you can strut your stuff on the dance floor until late and if you fancy yourself as a bit of a comedian, enter the joke competition with the chance to win some excellent prizes.

If you really want to make a night of it why not take advantage of the special accommodation offers available and enjoy a fun-filled evening safe in the knowledge that you only have to walk

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upstairs to enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep and a full English breakfast the next morning. There is even complimentary use of the leisure facilities for those determined to stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

If you are looking for something a little more tranquil and leisurely, check out the excellent value carvery Sunday lunches available at both hotels. Choose from a selection of starters, delicious carvery meats with all the trimmings and a mouth-watering array of desserts from the buffet. Enjoy a pre-lunch drink in the bar beforehand or settle back with a coffee in the lounge at the end of your meal. There’s even complimentary entertainment for the kids, and just think – no washing up to do at the end!

Comedy evenings and carvery lunches start from £23 and £14.95 respectively per person. Booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Call Ashford International Hotel on 01233 219988 or Bridgewood Manor on 01634 201333 or visit www.QHotels.co.uk

GETAWAYS

BISHOPSTROW HOUSE, WILTSHIRE

AS WE ARRIVED IN THE HEART OF THE WILTSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE AND DESCENDED DOWN THE LONG, TREELINED DRIVEWAY TO ARRIVE ON THE DOORSTEP OF AN IMPOSING, BEAUTIFUL, IVY-CLAD TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN ENGLISH COUNTRY HOUSE, I REALISED THAT THIS WEEKEND BREAK WAS GOING TO BE PARTICULARLY SPECIAL.

B Y

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C H A R L O T T E

R E A D Y

With parking available right outside the house, we didn’t have far to carry our luggage. After being greeted and swiftly checked in, the friendly and helpful receptionist quickly had the rest of the bags fetched from the car and whisked up to our room, leaving us with no other task than to start relaxing in the spa.

On arriving at the Halcyon Spa we were given a tour of the facilities, which included indoor and heated outdoor pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and experience showers. The spa facilities are not as extensive as some spa hotels, but more than adequate as there were never more than a handful of people enjoying the spa at any one time. It was extremely peaceful and exclusive, and if you keep your eyes peeled you my even spot a celebrity or two!

Having expected to arrive at a usual spa hotel on a busy Saturday afternoon with lots of people wandering around in white dressing gowns, it quickly became clear that Bishopstrow was a cut above the rest. This was going to be much more than a weekend spa break. Already I felt like a V.I.P and realised that Bishopstrow is the perfect place for a special occasion weekend away; an anniversary, a pre-wedding break, an elegant hen weekend or even if you’re just to busy to take a week off, a weekend here could leave you feeling as if you had.

Having been made to feel very at home by the attentive spa staff, (even fitting me in for a last minute massage as I got carried away reading about the pampering treatments on offer) we were relaxing in the warm and peaceful indoor pool area within 45 minutes of arriving at

Bishopstrow. In that short time, Bishopstrow had already began to relax the mind and lift the spirits, with the daily stresses and strains beginning to melt away.

Upon entering our bedroom we were wowed by the sumptuous fabrics and décor, autumnal plum and purple soft furnishings, not to mention fresh fruit and flowers and spectacular views across Bishopstrow’s extensive grounds. The room was very spacious, but cosy and inviting at the same time, and the bathroom was huge; I couldn’t wait to relax in the freestanding bathtub, complete with its own experience shower.

We decided to explore the rest of the house and grounds before dinner (we had to find a way to work up an appetite after our lazy afternoon) and we weren’t disappointed. The rest of the house was just as peaceful and exclusive as the spa had been; warm, inviting rooms beautifully and traditionally decorated along with fresh flowers and open fires. Perfect for enjoying afternoon tea and reading the Sunday papers, or even falling asleep in front of the fire.

If after all that rest and relaxation you are feeling a little more energetic, then head off to gym or Longleat House and Safari Park, Stonehenge and the town of Shaftesbury are all nearby; making Bishopstrow House a great family getaway as well. Children and even the pet dog are welcome, and the babysitting service means Mum and Dad can enjoy a romantic meal for two in the evening.

the bed and draw the curtains. The meal was delicious and combined fine food with hearty portions. Great food, first class service and a warm atmosphere buzzing with conversation came together to make a fabulous dining experience. If, however, you are just too relaxed to make it down to dinner, you can also dine in the privacy of your own room.

Breakfast was equally as impressive, with a continental buffet and full English available, cooked to order. After breakfast we headed back to the spa to indulge in some Elemis treatments. We enjoyed an Elemis taster facial complete with foot massage in the dual treatment room, followed by a back, neck and shoulder massage. Feeling uplifted and rejuvenated we were provided with recommended skin care products from the Elemis range, fantastic if you want to recreate your facial at home. Following the treatment we were shown to the relaxation room with scented candles to recline on a chaise longue with headphones playing soothing music. All in all a luxurious spa experience perfect for couples that passed too quickly – next time I would have to make it an all day event with a day spa package.

BISHOPSTROW HOUSE AND HALCYON SPA Warminster Wiltshire BA12 9HH 01985 212312 info@bishopstrow.co.uk www.bishopstrow.co.uk

We headed down to the Mulberry Restaurant for dinner just as the hotel staff came to turn down

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TRAVEL

FUN, FAMILY AND PURE FABULOUSNESS IN

ORLANDO

BY EMMA BA T ES

Beloved for its multitude of theme parks and water activities, Orlando boasts some of the biggest and fastest thrill rides in the world, but despite being such a thriving metropolis, something unique and timeless is always around the corner.

Orlando is a destination that can be whatever you want it to be; a golfers dream, a coaster connoisseur’s heaven, a family paradise. Whatever your purpose for visiting, Orlando has something to offer and delight you with.

If you’re a serial shopper then forget New York. Orlando’s collection of malls, outlets and boutiques, all within 15 minutes of each other, will satisfy even the most hardcore of shopaholics.

With so much to see and do, don’t forget to leave some time for a little relaxation. Cool off at one of the many water parks or enjoy a leisurely 18-holes at one of Orlando’s world-famous golf courses. If you prefer the sea breeze in your hair, you can get to both Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico beaches in less than an hour.

Build your perfect family holiday itinerary with our reviews of some of the best O-Town attractions.

Walt Disney World

With its four theme parks, two water parks, 25,000 acres and more magic to shake a stick at, it's unsurprising that Walt Disney World, Florida owns the title of the world's most visited theme park.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the happiest place on earth continues to delight and enthrall both children and the young at heart with its potent mix of spectacular imagination, good wholesome fun and a large dose of Disney magic.

The Magic Kingdom is at the heart of the Florida resort and a must-visit park. Start your day with a leisurely trip via paddle steamer or onboard the modern and sleek monorail. Both deliver you to Main Street USA, and to the beginning of a fantastic adventure which will have you believing in fairy tales all over again.

The park is designed like a huge wheel with the hub in front of the beautiful and iconic Cinderella Castle. Its spokes are the pathways

that stretch out across the 170 acres of the theme park and lead you to any one of the six lands.

Whether you’re after classic rides like Space Mountain, a thrill seeking shoot ‘em up with Buzz Lightyear, one of the many dazzling parades or a supreme fireworks extravaganza, the Magic Kingdom is sure to satisfy.

If Hollywood glitz is more your style, then Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the park for you.

Thrilling live action shows and behind-the-scene glimpses of Hollywood-style action are the park’s bread and butter. But if you’re up for even more adventure then don’t miss out on the high-speed Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith or the fantastically creepy Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

This park is all about living the dream.

Participate in parades, be part of a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy and truly experience movie magic coming to life!

A step apart from the high-octane thrills of Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will tame even the fiercest of thrill seekers with a blend of adventure and entertainment that remains true to Walt Disney’s dedication to nature and conservation.

The 500-acre park lays claim to being the largest animal-themed park in the world and is home to 1,700 animals from 250 different species.

Have a whale of a time meeting Nemo and his friends, talk with Flick the Ant from A Bugs Life or take a safari trip through the African Savannah. In each area you’ll encounter both real animals and some of the more fantastical kind. Don’t forget to bring your autograph book with you!

Each of the Disney parks has its centerpiece but none is more intricate and detailed than the Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life. Straight from the big screen adventure of The Lion King, the Tree of Life is a sculpted, 145-

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TRAVEL

foot-tall and 50-foot-wide work of art. Follow the trails that lead around the tree and find swirling patterns of 325 animals carved into the bark of the massive attraction.

The fourth park in Walt Disney World is Epcot theme park, home to the iconic Spaceship Earth, which despite looking like a giant golf ball is a marvel to the world of geometry and architecture.

The park sprawls across 300 acres and is divided into two main sections: Future World and World Showcase.

Future World is home to the fastest attraction in any of the Disney parks, a thrilling hang-gliding experience and also gentle boats rides.

Whereas, the World Showcase area features food and entertainment from around the globe.

See live shows, meet your favourite characters (who doesn’t like a cuddle with Goofy?) and watch Epcot’s amazing fireworks shows. There really is something for everyone at this multi-faceted park.

So why go to Disney? It’s the place to make childhood dreams come true even if on the outside, you’re not a child any more. www.disneyworld.com

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

In a land where comic book heroes come to life and your favourite characters like Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter invite you to join with their adventures, you’re in for the thrill of a lifetime and an unforgettable experience.

Step into a world of heroes and villains at Marvel Super Hero Island. Battle evil alongside Spiderman in his epic 3D adventure – swing and soar above the city’s streets helping Spidey catch the bad guys and see if you’ve got what it takes to be the Daily Bugle’s next ace reporter.

If you’re a fearless thrill-seeker then The Incredible Hulk Coaster was made just for you.

This ride accelerates from 0 to 40mph in an amazing two seconds flat, with the force equal to that of a jet taking off an aircraft carrier. If there was ever an experience to turn a mild mannered scientist into a crazed green monster, this is it.

A more sedate yet hilarious experience can be found at Toon Lagoon where old classics like Dudley Do-Right and Popeye are there to welcome you. Take a, let’s say, ‘refreshing’ trip on Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges water ride or perhaps visit Popeye’s Me Ship, Me Olive and let the kids let off some steam.

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Get up close and personal with the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park on the Pteranodon Flyers sailing gracefully above the crowds, heavenly.

Smaller children (and probably the larger variety too) will love a visit to Seuss Landing where you can take a trip through the story of The Cat In The Hat, climb aboard the back of a Cowfish and ride the one of a kind CaroSeuss-el.

If you’ve ever looked up wistfully from the pages of a Harry Potter book and wondered what it would be like to receive your very own owl-delivered invitation to Hogwarts, then your wait is finally over. You can experience the magic first hand with a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Explore the familiar rooms and corridors of Hogwarts before joining Harry on an amazing 3D adventure using state-of-the-art technology to bring the excitement to life.

Take a walk through Hogsmeade Village and enjoy a mug of Butterbeer at the Hog’s Head Pub, but watch out for Moaning Myrtle in the girl toilets!

With pulse-racing rides, scenery straight from J.K Rowling’s imagination, mouth-watering

goodies from Honeydukes, wands from Ollivanders and enough magic to rival even the most dedicated of Disney followers, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an essential visit for every fan.

As far as fab days out goes, this is right up there with the best of them. Adventure, excitement and an epic amount of fun is there to be had by everyone. www.universalorlando.com

Seaworld and Aquatica Water Park

Big splashes, monster waves and beautiful orcas are the things that spring to mind when I think of Seaworld, Orlando. Although there’s no doubt that this would be a remarkable sight all by itself, there’s even more on offer than that.

Enjoy fabulous animal shows, soaring theme park rides, mesmorising animal encounters and Aquatica, a water park whose signature attraction is an enclosed slide that passes through a pool of Commerson’s dolphins.

New for 2011, Seaworld introduces its One Ocean show featuring its most famous residents, the killer whales. Be prepared for big splashes, fountains of water and some perfectly timed leaps. Think fireworks night, only with whales instead of rockets. It’s truly a sight to behold.

The park offers an extensive range of exclusive park experiences so you can really be part of the Seaworld team. Enjoy a behind-thescenes tour and discover how the park’s animal experts care for rescued manatees and sea turtles. Or, why not become a marine mammal keeper for the day? Work side-by-side with the experts and understand what it’s like to care for these amazing animals.

No trip to Seaworld would be complete without experiencing the thrilling rides. Spin, glide, skim and fly like a giant ray on the Manta ride, the only coaster of its kind in the world. Or, if you’re a real coaster-head, climb on the monster that is Kraken. This blazing fast, floorless coaster is consistently ranked one of the world’s top coasters by ride enthusiasts.

With a climate like Orlando’s, it doesn’t do you any harm to get a little wet at times. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather cool off than at Aquatica. Laid out like a sprawling, exotic beach, the water park is great for both kids and adults with an excellent mix of steep, fast flumes and less scary/just as fun raft rides, lazy rivers and wave pools.

Let the kids explore the Walkabout Waters fortress. At 15,000 square feet and 60 foot high, this giant jungle gym is almost big enough to keep the kids entertained all day.

Enjoy the giant side-by-side wave pools where the waves are high, or slow and easy.

Decide if you’re after a rough ride or would prefer the waves lapping at your toes and leap on in.

Perhaps the biggest thrill of the park is the Taumata Racer – an eight-lane racing slide which has guests ripping down a staggeringly steep hill, head first for the honour of the winner’s podium.

Seaworld and Aquatica offer a huge variety of activities. Make sure to catch them both for the best in adrenaline fuelled and educational entertainment. www.seaworld.com

THE ‘OTHER’ ORLANDO The major theme parks aren’t the only things to do in Orlando.

Your choices for smaller attractions are endless. We’ve handpicked just few of the fantastic ‘other’ Orlando activities to do on your adventurepacked holiday.

Wonderworks & the Magic Comedy Dinner Show Set in a top-secret laboratory that was whisked off its foundations by a freak tornado and delivered upside-down on top of a brick warehouse in Orlando, Wonderworks offers a wealth of amusements for the mind. With over 100 hands-on exhibits and mindbending illusions this is a gem of an attraction.

Defy gravity in the Inversion Tunnel or lie down on a real bed of nails (3,500 of them to be precise).

Stand inside a giant bubble and experience the force of an earthquake. So much science, so little time!

Wonderworks is also the home of the hilariously funny and brilliantly executed Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show. With non-stop audience participation, the show is a mixture of truly amazing magic and high-energy improvisational comedy.

While you’re watching the show, enjoy tableside service with unlimited pizza, salad, popcorn, beer, wine and dessert. www.wonderworksonline.com

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TRAVEL THE ‘OTHER’ ORLANDO cont.

ZOOm Air Adventure Park at the Central Florida Zoo

Pirate's Dinner Adventure

Black Hammock Airboat Tours

Swashbuckling adventure awaits you at this interactive pirate-themed dinner show. Set aboard a replica 18th century galleon floating on a 300,000-gallon lagoon, stunts, pyrotechnics, cannon blasts and laughter galore accompany your delicious four-course meal.

Make sure to give your fearless pirate mascot plenty of yo-ho-hos to help him win the challenges and most importantly to beat all the other teams! www.piratesdinneradventure.com Swing, climb, balance and zip from tree to tree in the forest of the Blackwater River floodplain.

Climb through barrels, balance on logs and speed from treetop to treetop along a zip line. With a design that is sympathetic to the natural flow of the terrain and fauna, this is an activity that will appeal to both nature lovers and challenge seekers alike.

They’ll provide the harness, train you to use it and your adventure begins.

The kids aren’t left out in this high-wire adventure. There’s a mini-sized course, just a few feet off the ground, which provides all the challenges and obstacles from the adult version. www.zoomair.us

Pirate's Cove Mini Golf

Cruise along Lake Jesup looking for gators on a fan boat powered by a v8 engine. Awesome!

There are reputed to be well over 10,000 alligators resident in Lake Jesup, so climb onboard this incredible airboat adventure and go ‘gator watchin’ with your experienced guide and fellow boat-mates. Glide across the costal marshlands looking for wildlife including bald eagles, turtles and thousand of species of birds. If you’re after real Florida, this is the place to see it, and it’s nothing short of beautiful.

Don’t miss the photo opportunity at the end of the ride when you’re given a real alligator to hold. www.blackhammockairboatrides.com

Medieval Times

The Orange Country Regional History Center

From your ring-side seats, witness an epic battle of steel and steed fought with honour and courage. Enjoy a two-hour jousting spectacular at the King’s Court while feasting on a fourcourse meal fit for royalty.

From your castle location, cheer on your knight of the realm and enjoy the remarkable displays of horsemanship and falconry.

This is a truly rousing show with no knives or forks allowed – just good and greasy fingers the medieval way. www.medievaltimes.com

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Voted the ‘Best in Florida’ by Orlando Magazine, Pirates Cove Mini Golf takes you back to the 18th century for a spectacular adventure with infamous pirates and brutal buccaneers.

This golf course boasts innovative hole design and lush landscaping and will keep the whole family entertained (if not a little scared) with their pirate theme. Enjoy cascading waterfalls, dungeons, tropical lagoons and menacing pirate skeletons. With two courses at different skill levels, both adults and kids will enjoy the experience. www.piratescove.net

See how the Florida region made its way through 12,000 years of history and its transition from citrus groves to today’s bustling metropolis.

Located in the faithfully restored courthouse in the heart of downtown Orlando, the museum is recognised as the area’s best.

What was ‘The City Beautiful’ like before Disney came to town? What was the main industry in the area before tourism? Many questions are answered about Florida’s surprising and colourful past through historic photos, interactive journeys and hand-on displays. www.thehistorycenter.org

insideKENT kent’s premier luxury lifestyle magazine

weddings

2012

GORGEOUS VENUES

The best places in Kent for your big day

A SWEET ENDING

Finding your dream wedding cake

VINTAGEINSPIRED Accessories for every taste

the

perfect dress ++ PHOTOGRAPHY PERFECTION // A SWINGIN’ WEDDING WITH LIVE BAND GOOSEBUMPS // WEDDING BEAUTY: THE PRINCESS TRANSFORMATION IMAGE © Luke Yates / www.wayaheadphotography.com

WEDDINGS

Have your wedding cake

and eat it too!

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WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING YOUR PERFECT WEDDING, THE ICING ON THE CAKE, AS IT WERE, CAN BE JUST THAT – THE ICING, OR RATHER THE WHOLE STYLE OF YOUR WEDDING CAKE. But finding the perfect cake can often seem like an extra choice or stress that you don’t need, so here are a few basic ideas to help you get the right mix for your special day:

Style Take inspiration from the rest of your wedding Take through to your cake. For example, you can choose your icing or cake ribbon to match your colour scheme, or have a special flower arrangement made for the top of the cake that ties in with your bouquet and/or buttonholes for the ushers.

If you are having a traditional wedding, then you may decide to have a more traditional, three-tiered cake, but if your wedding is a bit more modern then you may want to consider cupcakes as a stylish alternative. You could also look further afield to other cultures, such as the French croquembouche cake; a profiterole-style pyramid cake covered in toffee.

Flavour When it comes to wedding cake flavour, the traditional fruitcake option is still a firm favourite, and great if you are planning on saving some for the christening of your first child.

But traditions are moving on, and people are increasingly looking for a cake that reflects their taste buds as well as their style. New favourites include chocolate, plain sponge and even carrot cake, either in layer combinations (such as one chocolate layer, one sponge and another fruit), or as a whole.

Cost When planning your perfect wedding, it can seem as though everything comes with a premium price tag, but it is possible to find your perfect cake whatever your budget.

For those with a limited budget, you can often find some great basic iced cakes from the supermarket, which come in a variety of sizes, shapes and flavours. The advent of French patisserie chains on our high street means there are now some beautiful, sculpted cake options for those with a little more money, and for those with a larger budget, you can get a unique and creative design from cake specialists, most of whom advertise on the internet or can be found via your local bakery.

But whatever your style, taste or budget, your wedding cake is always best when it’s it’s eaten with your friends, family, and, of course, your new spouse!

Need a wedding cake but don’t know where to start? Here’s a small selection of Kent-based wedding cake companies to help with some sweet inspiration.

Vintage Rose Cupcakes www.vintagerosecupcakes.com Make Me Cake www.makemecake.co.uk Once Bitten Forever Smitten www.weddingdelicakes.co.uk Let Them Eat Cakes www.letthemeatcakesuk.com What’s Up Cupcake www.whatsupcupcake.com Cakes Galore www.weddingcakesashford.co.uk Cupcake Avenue www.cupcakeavenue.co.uk Array of Cakes www.arrayofcakes.co.uk Friday Treats www.fridaytreats.co.uk Creative Cakes www.creativeweddingcakes.co.uk All Shapes & Slices www.allshapesandslices.co.uk

a hidden a hidden a hidden a hidden wedding gem wedding gem wedding wedding gem gem Situated within aawonderful andunique unique location the in grounds of Cathedral, Situated within a wonderful and location inin the grounds of Canterbury Canterbury Cathedral, Situated within wonderful and unique location the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, sits a modern and contemporary wedding reception venue accommodating up sitssits a modern contemporary wedding reception venue accommodating uptoto up to Situated within aand wonderful and unique location in reception the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, a modern and contemporary wedding venue accommodating 120 guests for a sit down weddingbreakfast. breakfast.

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Imagine enjoyinggarden, a champagne drinks reception the beautiful Campanile with the Cathedral as in a stunning backdrop.

Situated within a can wonderful and unique in the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, Wedding guests can enjoy wellappointed appointed overnight guest Campanile garden, with the Cathedral as location a stunning backdrop.

Wedding guests enjoy well overnight guest Wedding guests can enjoy well appointed overnight guest accommodation with Cathedral views from all rooms. sits a modern and contemporary wedding reception venue accommodating up to accommodation with Cathedral views from all rooms.

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104 guests for awith sit down wedding Canterbury Cathedral LodgeLodge Canterbury Cathedral Cathedral Lodge TheCanterbury Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 Imagine enjoying a champagne drinks Canterbury Cathedral Lodge The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent,2EH CT1 2EH reception in the beautiful The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH Tel:Precincts, 01227 865350 The Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH Tel: 01227 865350 Campanile garden, Tel: 01227 865350 with the Cathedral as a stunning backdrop.

01227 865388 Tel:Fax: 01227 Fax: 865350 01227 865388 Email: Fax:meet@canterbury-cathedral.org 01227 865388 Fax: 01227 865388 Email: meet@canterbury-cathedral.org Wedding guests can enjoy well appointed overnight guest Email: meet@canterbury-cathedral.org www.canterburycathedrallodge.org Email: meet@canterbury-cathedral.org

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accommodation with Cathedral views from all rooms. www.canterburycathedrallodge.org www.canterburycathedrallodge.org Canterbury Cathedral Lodge The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH Tel: 01227 865350 Fax: 01227 865388 Email: meet@canterbury-cathedral.org

www.canterburycathedrallodge.org

WEDDINGS

PICTURE PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WITH WAY AHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHER LUKE YATES OF WAY AHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THAT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALL ABOUT THE BRIDE AND GROOM AND NO ONE ELSE. SO WITH THIS IN MIND, AND DRAWING ON EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS GAINED FROM THE EXTENSIVE VARIETY OF PHOTO ASSIGNMENTS IN HIS REPERTOIRE SUCH AS LIVE PERFORMANCES, FASHION AND PORTRAITURE, LUKE'S STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDES A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR WEDDING THAT IS BOTH VERY REAL AND VERY BEAUTIFUL. Many customers have praised Luke before even seeing the final photos, stating that his laid back, friendly nature means that rather than become another source of stress and friction (something the traditional wedding photographer is renowned for!) he is in fact an additional helper, guaranteed to make the day run smoother and in a more stress-free fashion.

Luke is a firm believer that wedding photography does not consist of merely demonstrating the skill of the photographer with a few cleverly composed ‘trick shots’, but is instead all about capturing and documenting the entire day with consistency.

A good wedding photographer can fill the gaps for the bride and groom, often able to document the many little details and events that go to make the big day special, which in all the excitement of the moment can sometimes go unnoticed. Capturing those moments is Luke's speciality.

Using this no-nonsense, authentic approach means that Luke is consistently able to provide his customers with a plethora of unobtrusive, high quality photos, full of real emotion, and capturing the essence of the big day and those involved.

Working closely with the bride and groom before the big day, Way Ahead Photography offers a free studio session to break the ice and allow the photographer to get to know the couple and vice-versa. This free shoot also provides some high-quality studio photos, which like the wedding day photos are supplied digitally as standard, on a DVD or by download, and can be used for those essential wedding programmes, thank you notes etc.

One of the features of Way Ahead Photography which sees them differing from the majority of photography businesses is the business of prints being secondary to digital images. Luke is very happy to assist customers with any prints, canvasses and photo books they may

desire, but he is equally happy for them to source these items themselves (even recommending some great local businesses to help with this).

This radical approach gives ownership of the images back to you, the customer, and means it is possible to provide high quality photography, at a fraction of the cost. Luke's passion for photography will give you a record of your wedding that you will cherish for many years to come.

WAY AHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY 149 High Street Hythe CT21 5JL 07956 584178 www.wayaheadphotography.com

WEDDINGS

Inspire Eternity CHOOSE A WEDDING GOWN THAT IS AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE - ROMANTIC, SOPHISTICATED, SIMPLE, CHIC, DARING OR DEMURE. WALK DOWN THE AISLE, TAKE HIS BREATH AWAY, AND INSPIRE ETERNITY. www.verawang.com

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LOOK FABULOUS, FEEL FANTASTIC 1

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1) Rosa by Fauve Strapless Bra: £58.00 (B to GG cups), Thong: £28.00 (XS – XL), Suspender: £29.00 (XS – XL) 2) Rosa by Fauve Chemise: £77.00 (XS - XL) 3) Rosa by Fauve Moulded Plunge Bra: £56.00 (B to GG cups), Short: £28.00 (XS – XL) 4) Ava by Fantasie Strapless Bra: £36.00 (D to GG cups), Thong: £16.00 (XS – XL), Suspender: £25.00 (S – 2XL) 5) Rosa by Fauve Basque: £91.00 (B to FF cups), Deep Brief: £29.00 (XS – 2XL), Garter: £26.00 (S/M – M/L)

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Every woman deserves to look fabulous and feel fantastic on her wedding day. Choosing the right lingerie can help curve and shape your body as well as your Leia Lingerie for beautiful lingerie from A to K cups and a selection of leading brands including Freya, Fantasie and Fauve.

Their expertly trained team will be on hand to ensure that you find something just perfect and leave you feeling utterly transformed and radiating with confidence.

Plus, they offer swimwear all year round up to J cups, so your honeymoon swimwear collection is covered too!

Leia Lingerie Upper Guild Hall Bluewater Shopping Centre DA9 9SN 01322 313887 www.leialingerie.com

WEDDINGS

accessories for the discerning bride makes Chez Bec’s 2012 Collection their very best yet. Featuring an abundance of shimmering freshwater pearls, sparkling Swarovski crystals and diamantes, Chez Bec’s 2012 Collection is a sure delight for even the most discerning bride.

1) Sarah Birdcage Veil £120, Viola II Earrings £56, Viola Necklace £64 2) Melody Headband £98 3) Sarah Headband £152, Sarah Necklace £128, Ivory Elegance Earrings £22 4) Tatiana Hair Flower Comb £52 5) Set of 3 Belle Hair Pins £48 6) Emerald II Headband £128

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7) Lily Hair Comb £64, Bella Pendant £38, Bella Earrings £32 8) Orla Headband £132, Fleur II Earrings £38, Fleur Pendant £44

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Chez Bec at Isabella Grace Bridal Boutique 40 Mount Ephraim Royal Tunbridge Wells TN4 8AU 0845 652 0892 info@chezbec.com www.chezbec.com

WEDDINGS

the princess transformation

YOUR WEDDING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF ANY GIRL’S LIFE; YOUR CHANCE TO FEEL AND LOOK LIKE A PRINCESS FOR THE DAY. SO WITH THIS IN MIND AND ALL EYES ON THE BRIDE, MAKEUP PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN COMPLETING THE ‘PRINCESS TRANSFORMATION’. BY GEMMA MORPURGO When it comes to bridal makeup, there are no rules of how you should look – all that matters is that you make the most of your favourite features, and feel confident in how wonderful you look – and beauty will shine through. From the many brides that have graced the aisle wearing my handiwork, anything really does go! However, it is apparent that the majority of ladies prefer to look fresh, youthful and everything their groom desires.

From natural, to 50’s pin-up, to smoky glamourous makeup, it’s fair to say I have seen it all. Your makeup should be a reflection of your personality.

Remember, the wedding photos will be with you forever, so getting this right is top of the list (after the all-important dress of course).

I love tailoring each look to every bride I meet, and feel honoured to be a part of their very special day. To create your perfect transformation, get in touch at gemma@gemmamorpurgo.com, 07754 961696, join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gemma.morpurgo or follow me on Twitter @gemmamorpurgo

WEDDINGS

MUSIC TO SET THE SCENE

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT WEDDING RECEPTION? THE CAKE, THE GUESTS, THE FOOD AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: THE MUSIC. insideKENT CAUGHT UP WITH BEN GREEN FROM SWING BAND GOOSEBUMPS TO ASK WHAT MAKES A LIVE BAND (ESPECIALLY GOOSEBUMPS) THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR YOUR BIG DAY.

What is it about live bands that make weddings that much more special?

I think the biggest advantage with a live band, especially when it is a lively band like ours, is the visual aspect. A live band should not only produce a great sound when they perform, but also provide fantastic visual entertainment. We always get lots of comments from people telling us how they love watching us have so much fun on stage – it creates energy that engages the audience and gets them up and dancing.

What are some of the strangest/most interesting song requests you've had?

Being primarily a swing band, naturally most of the song requests that we get are of a similar style but we have had requests for rock and roll tunes, celtic, slow ballads that feature big orchestras and we recently were asked if we could do ‘You Raise Me Up’ by Westlife!

Do you usually choose your set list, or will you customise the songs for each wedding?

Again, every wedding can vary and we offer the option to start our first set with some quieter background jazzy songs which is particularly good if the bride and groom want to make a gradual transition from the wedding breakfast to the evening celebrations. Most of the time we are required to make the evening celebrations go off with a bang and so we feature a lot of fun, toe-tapping swing tunes and then transition to a funkier set for the last half hour.

How long after the wedding breakfast do you suggest the evening entertainment starts?

Evening receptions generally start between 7 - 9pm but every wedding varies and venues will generally help the couple to plan a schedule before the big day. In our experience, most schedules tend to naturally run a little bit late over the course of the day but this is to be expected and we like to assure the bride and groom that we are easily able to adapt to any last-minute time changes and move our set times accordingly. After all, it's their big day and we are booked to be there for the entire evening.

How long has Goosebumps been playing together?

Mark the lead singer and myself met and formed Goosebumps in December 2006. Since then we have found some of the best musicians in the Kent area and so the line-up we have now is exceptionally good.

As well as that, we all get on very well off-stage which is partly why I think we play so well together on stage.

Can engaged couples see you live before they decide to book you for their wedding?

They can indeed - we make sure that we play select pubs and clubs so that couples can come and see us play. Our website lists all of the up-and-coming public performances and they can sign-up to our email newsletter for the latest gigs. Our website also has Facebook and Twitter links for the latest band updates.

What are some of the best songs to get people off their chairs to dance?

The great thing about swing music is the catchy melodies and infectious rhythms and so all of our songs seem to have a way of getting people up dancing. There is a high chance that most of the audience have never heard some of the songs that we play and yet they still never fail to get people onto the dance floor.

Best 'first dance' songs?

This is very difficult to answer purely because every couple getting married have their own song that is special to them.

For more info on Goosebumps or to book them for your wedding, visit www.goosebumpsmusic.co.uk

“A wonderful venue, thank you Chart Hills for making our special day extra special.” Stephanie & Peter Thompson Let Chart Hills take care of every little detail on your wedding day.

Set in the very heart of the Kent countryside, there’s no better place for your perfect wedding

and dream reception than here at Chart Hills.

Enjoy exclusive use of our Carnforth Suite catering for up to 160 guests; with attentive, friendly staff and beautiful views.

Get in touch with us now and find out how we can make your special day extra special.

Call us on 01580 292222 or you can email us at info@charhills.co.uk

www.charthills.co.uk T: 01580 292222 E: info@charthills.co.uk Weeks Lane, Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8JX.

OLD TOWN HALL - GRAVESEND

A unique place for celebration and business The selection of tastefully period designed rooms in The Old Town Hall in Gravesend are ideal for all types of private functions, community activities and business events. We can offer the flexibility of an individual room, large or small, a couple of rooms, or our entire suite. Our wide selection can cater to your event’s needs. We also have a wonderful list of preferred vendors at our availability and for your use.

Our Event Specialist can assist you with florists, photographers, musicians, entertainers, chauffeur driven wedding cars, or other means of transportation, toastmaster, cake specialists, printers, dress hire and any other service you may require on your Event day.

01474 550 023

Old Town Hall • High Street Gravesend • DA11 0A

www.gravesendoldtownhall.co.uk info@gravesendoldtownhall.co.uk

WEDDINGS

THE WOW FACTOR Boys Hall

Canterbury Cathedral Lodge

Boys Hall is a licensed wedding venue in Kent ideal for civil ceremonies and weddings and is able to accommodate from the modest to the very grand. The Hall is available on an exclusive hire basis offering a private and bespoke wedding venue service for your special day.

Whether it’s an intimate dinner for close family and friends or a buffet-style wedding breakfast, Boys Hall will be happy to accommodate. Whatever your requirements on your wedding day, the staff will ensure the day is perfect and truly unique for you.

The Hall boasts a range of individually styled bedrooms for overnight accommodations along with free onsite parking.

From the moment you decide to have your special day at Boys Hall, you will be allocated your own personal coordinator who will work with you, from your initial meeting right through the planning stages, and they will be there to take care of all your concerns on the day.

Boys Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings in Willesborough, Ashford, making it the perfect and ideal venue for a wedding or civil ceremony.

Boys Hall Manor Boys Hall Road Ashford TN24 0LA 01233 633772 enquiries@boyshall.co.uk www.boyshall.co.uk

Situated within a wonderful and unique location in the beautiful grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, sits an often unknown wedding gem. For those seeking a truly exceptional venue, Canterbury Cathedral Lodge is a modern and contemporary venue that can accommodate up to 120 guests for a sit down wedding breakfast.

The team at the Lodge are dedicated to offering wedding couples quality and choice. Using their own in-house catering team to offer fine food and fine wine and in keeping with the ethos of the Cathedral, the highly skilled chefs source high quality fair-trade and local produce whenever possible.

A hidden treasure at the Lodge is the beautiful Campanile Garden that sits in an elevated position overlooking the Cathedral, so providing a stunning backdrop. In the summer months a champagne drinks reception in the garden is a must, with superb photograph opportunities available.

A dedicated events team offers expert help and advice in assisting couples with their individual requirements, ensuring the highest level of hospitality at all times. Offering peace and privacy within the heart of the city, those attending weddings have the option to stay overnight in recently refurbished stylish guest accommodation – with each room in the Lodge benefiting from an amazing Cathedral view.

Canterbury Cathedral Lodge The Precincts Canterbury CT1 2EH 01227 865350 www.canterburycathedrallodge.org

ABode Hotel ABode Canterbury is licensed for civil marriages in the County Room on any day of the week between 8am and 5.30pm with the last ceremony booked at 5pm.

Each wedding is special and unique. With the Abode’s care and expertise, they ensure that every detail is taken care of, leaving you free to enjoy your special day.

The County Room seats up to 100 guests for a ceremony and sit down meal and up to 150 for the evening reception. This beautiful room is air-conditioned and has high elegant ceilings, a grand chandelier, a dance floor and its own private bar.

ABode Canterbury 30-33 High Street Canterbury CT1 2RX 01227 766266 www.abodehotels.co.uk

Chart Hills Golf Club “A confluence of love”

Chart Hills Golf Club sits on the edge of the high Weald of Kent in the village of Biddenden. Surrounded by glorious countryside and only 5 miles from the quintessentially English town of Tenterden, Chart Hills has received many accolades for its golf course and now too as a wedding and function venue.

The main suite seats 120 but can be cleverly divided into two so your ceremony can be held in one part with your wedding breakfast set out in the other. Weddings at Chart Hills start from as little as £35 per person (not including ceremony costs).

Chart Hills Golf Club Weeks Lane Biddenden TN27 8JX 01580 292222 markk@charthills.co.uk www.charthills.co.uk

YOU WANT YOUR WEDDING TO BE PERFECT – THE DRESS, THE CAKE, AND AT THE TOP OF YOUR LIST: THE VENUE. HERE ARE SOME OF KENT’S TOP SETTINGS TO MAKE YOUR WEDDING WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED IT TO BE. Rowhill Grange You’re engaged – congratulations!

Now the whirlwind begins, but before it does why not enjoy a celebratory glass of fizz and a look around Rowhill Grange Hotel & Spa – the picture perfect, award-winning venue.

It’s going to be a busy time and the staff at Rowhill Grange are there to take the stress off your hands, leaving you both to enjoy the build up to your special day.

A gorgeous venue, traditional great service, delicious food and the happiest of memories to cherish!

To book a showround and complimentary fizz please call 01322 612778.

Rowhill Grange Wilmington Dartford DA2 7QH 01322 612778 www.alexanderhotels.co.uk/rowhill

The Mansion & Gardens at Port Lympne The Mansion & Gardens at Port Lympne is a unique and popular wedding venue situated on the Kent coast. The elegant 1920’s mansion is steeped in history and enjoys glorious panoramic views across extensive terraced lawns and landscaped gardens to the English Channel. To make it even more distinctive this exceptional mansion is nestled in the heart of the world renowned Port Lympne Wild Animal Park.

The lavishly decorated and distinctive mansion rooms are available for wedding ceremonies, civil partnerships and guest receptions and can cater from 10 to 180 guests.

The Mansion & Gardens at Port Lympne Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Lympne Nr Ashford CT21 4PD 01303 234108 ericad@aspinallfoundation.org www.aspinallfoundation.org/portlympne

Charlton Place Charlton Place is a tranquil secluded venue and family home set within over 100 acres parkland just off the A2 south of Canterbury.

The Grade II* listed mansion house provides a serene and exclusive setting for your wedding day. Each event hosted is tailor-made to suit the requirements of the individual client and yours will be the only event hosted on the day.

The Drawing Room suits a small reception or ceremony and holds up to 40 people whilst the elegant Regency Ballroom is the ideal setting for weddings for up to 100 people. The lawns to the front and side of the house provide a delightful marquee location and accommodate 120 to 300 people. In Spring 2012 the Civil Ceremonies Licence will be in place for the Regency Ballroom.

Charlton Park also hosts cultural and leisure events, private parties, business lunches, board meetings and seminars.

Charlton Place at Charlton Park Bishopsbourne Canterbury CT4 5JA 01227 831355 info@charlton-park.org www.charlton-park.org

Bradbourne House

Set in 20 acres of beautiful parkland complete with lake and ancient trees, Bradbourne House offers exclusive use of the Grade I listed building, exquisite culinary delights and a wedding partner to guide you through to your wedding day.

Included within the venue hire are the following: Bradbourne House, set up, parkland and grounds, a wedding advisor, toastmaster, brides room, table linen, cutlery choices, glassware, menu cards and guest menu selector to name but a few.

Bradbourne House can accommodate up to 100 guests for a Civil Ceremony and 95 guests for a wedding breakfast.

To find out how Bradbourne House could be the ultimate setting for your perfect day, visit their Wedding Open Afternoon on Sunday 22nd January from 12-4pm.

Bradbourne House East Malling ME19 6DZ 01732 897436 www.bradbournehouse.org.uk

MOTORING

THE VOLVO V60 DRIVe IT

CAN

ONLY

BE

A

GOOD

THING

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY LUKE YATES

“THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN A VOLVO” - THE STRAP-LINE THAT GREETED ME ALONGSIDE THE SHINY CARS AND SMILING STAFF AT LIPSCOMB MAIDSTONE'S SHOWROOM. SURELY, I THOUGHT, THIS WAS A SELF-DEFEATING STATEMENT? AS IT TURNS OUT, IT REALLY WASN'T. “Have you had any previous experience of Volvo?” asked Mark, the friendly sales rep at Lipscomb. Well, to answer this, I have two early recollections of the Volvo; one of them not overly flattering, one of them very poignant.

The first was a memorable mention in the film Crazy People – A bitter ad executive who has reached his breaking point, finds himself cast into in a mental institution where his career actually begins to thrive with the help of the patients. He devises a no-nonsense approach to advertising, and at one point comes up with a strap-line which simply states “Volvo – they're boxy, but they're good!”

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The other was a personal experience of just how the Volvo gained its reputation for outstanding safety. safety. At At the the tender tender age age of of 18, 18, II found found myself myself as the passenger in a quintessentially ‘good but boxy’ Volvo S40 at Junction 10 of the M20 at the precise moment it was shunted up the rear at about 60mph by a security van, driven by two surly guards, who I think were probably late for their tea, and who hadn't bothered to brake.

As the armoured, reinforced van ploughed into the back of our car like a charging rhino on amphetamines, the special battering ram-style bars welded onto every security van at that time punched into the boot door of the the Volvo.

Volvo.My Myfriend's friend'sdad's dad'sVolvo, Volvo, to to bebe precise. precise.

In any In any other other car perhaps, car perhaps, this wouldthis have would heralded havethe heralded onset ofthe a serious onset of and a serious potentially and fatal potentially accident. fatal accident.

But the Volvo, rather than crumpling like a concertina, used a different law But of physics the Volvo, to transfer rather than energy crumpling from thelike van a concertina, to us – it retained used a(most different of) its law of original physics shape, to transfer and simply energy flewfrom intothe thevan air and to uslanded – it retained many feet (most down of) its the original road. I can't shape, remember and simply exactly flew into whatthe I said air and at that landed moment many–feet I imagine down the it road. was something I can't remember quite unprintable exactly what I said at that moment – I imagine it was though. something quite unprintable though.

Despite the severity and potential carnage an incident like this offered, the Despite actual damage the severity was and ridiculously potentialtrivial carnage – mostly an incident to the boot like this door offered, of the the actual Volvo, a damage smashed was number ridiculously plate trivial and a–shouting mostly toatthe theboot driverdoor fromofhis thedad.

Volvo, There were a smashed no actual number injuries plate of any andsort. a shouting I remember at themy driver driver from turning his dad. to There me and were saying, no actual immediately injuriesafter of any thesort. crash, I remember “Thank God my we driver were turning in a to me Volvo. andWe'd saying, be dead immediately otherwise.” after the crash, “Thank God we were in a Volvo. We'd be dead otherwise.”

By the way, a top tip to you if you have ever harboured a hankering to By venture the way, into the a top high-flying tip to youforay if youofhave motoring ever harboured journalism:aWhen hankering askedtoby venture the besuited into the gentleman high-flying holding foray the of motoring car keys journalism: and insurance When forms, asked by the “Have besuited you hadgentleman any previous holding experience the car ofkeys Volvo?” andit'sinsurance best not to forms, immediately “Have reply, “Well, you had I was any in previous a spectacular experience crash of Volvo?” in one once...” it's best not All credit to immediately to Mark

reply, for his“Well, pokerI face, was in and a spectacular for not having crash me in thrown one once...” out of the All building credit to by Mark for security. his poker face, and for not having me thrown out of the building by security.

First glance at the V60 totally exorcised my Crazy People demons, and revealed First glance it toatbe the anything V60 totally other exorcised than ‘boxy’. my Crazy The R-Design DRIVe which and I People demons, was revealed able ittotodrive, be anything was from other the than first glance ‘boxy’.aThe veryR-Design attractiveDRIVe car, sporting which I some was able great to curves. drive, was Sleek from and theshiny, first glance it exuded a very sophistication, attractive car, backed sporting up all some the great way by curves. such features Sleek and as shiny, silver matt it exuded door sophistication, mirrors, eye-catching backedrearup exhaust all the way pipes, by such and features some gorgeous as silver silver matt door and blue mirrors, 18-inch eye-catching Ixiom wheels, rearfinishing exhaust pipes, off the and car'ssome slick gorgeous sporty look silver perfectly. and blue 18-inch Ixiom wheels, finishing off the car's slick sporty look perfectly.

Hidden within this polished exterior is some extremely clever and efficient technology.

Hidden within The this DRIVe polished range exterior of carsisare some designed extremely to be clever efficient and and efficient reliable. technology.

AndThe thatDRIVe is exactly range what of cars the V60 are turned designed outtotobe be.efficient and reliable. And that is exactly what the V60 turned out to be.

With a 1.6litre turbo diesel engine, producing 115bhp, this car is not ridiculously With a 1.6litre fast. turbo But diesel then that's engine, absolutely producing not115bhp, the point, this is car it? This is not car is an ridiculously everydayfast. driver, But one then youthat's can pack absolutely the family notinthe and point, go and is it? doThis something car is fun. an everyday And it isdriver, ridiculously one you efficient. can pack Thethe official familympg in and figure go and is 65.7, do something and even iffun. youAnd drive it islike ridiculously an idiot, itefficient. will do 40mpg.

The official Before mpglong figure youismight 65.7, well and find even yourself if you drive playing like an a new idiot,and it will fundogame 40mpg. on the Before motorway long you – seeing might well how find efficiently yourself playing you can a new drive.and I'vefun done game it. Iton really the motorway happens! – seeing how efficiently you can drive. I've done it. It really happens!

As well as loyally protecting its inhabitants from the dangers of the road, the As well V60as is also loyally anprotecting extremelyits kind inhabitants car to ourfrom lovely theplanet, dangers with of119g/km the road, emissions the V60 is and alsofeatures an extremely such as kind an engine car to our thatlovely stops planet, and starts withautomatically 119g/km when emissions you and are at features traffic such lights.asYes, an engine you can that afford stops toand feel starts a littleautomatically good about yourself when you asare youatpull traffic up lights. next toYes, all those you can petrol-guzzling afford to feelmonsters a little good parked about at yourself the golf asclub. you pull up next to all those petrol-guzzling monsters parked at the golf club.

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MOTORING

VOLVO V60 DRIVe PRICE AS TESTED: £29,625 TOP SPEED: 118MPH 0-62MPH: 11.3 SECONDS ECONOMY: COMBINED 62.8MPG CO2: 119G/KM ENGINE: FOUR-CYLINDER TURBO CHARGED DIESEL POWER: 115HP TORQUE: 270LB FT AT 1750-2500RPM GEARBOX: SIX-SPEED MANUAL

The V60 also has some incredibly clever safety features to protect you, your passengers and other road users from harm. The collision detection systems which Volvo have already seen great success with have been taken further, and the V60 boasts an impressive award-winning Pedestrian Detection System. Essentially, this system is able to slow or even stop the car, if a person is detected walking out in front of the car.

Which I am sure is something the pedestrian will appreciate as much, if not more, as you the driver will.

It’s also a very comfortable car to drive, steers effortlessly (I really liked the sculpting on the steering wheel at the three and nine o'clock positions – very ergonomic!) and the gearbox is beautifully smooth to use.

So with hindsight, it's no surprise really that as I drove the Volvo, I stopped worrying about the techie elements, and even the mechanics of driving it. Try as I might to assess the smoothness of the gear change (which was lovely) the balance of the steering wheel (which was lovely) and the noise from the engine (absolutely minimal), I found myself enjoying listening to the radio, admiring the beautiful Maidstone countryside, and smiling.

Suddenly that strapline hanging in the showroom made perfect sense. The journey had become significant. It was a beautiful sunny winter day, the trees looked stunning, the sky was blue, and I felt... happy! I went to the nearby park and enjoyed the day. And the Volvo had brought this

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about in a way I never really got before that moment. Rather like a good photographer at a wedding, it had come up with the goods – modestly and efficiently - without drawing attention to itself and without annoying everyone present.

I recalled a conversation I recently had with one of my children, who is very interested in cars, driving them, and how to change gear. I explained carefully that you had to learn to drive a car in a way that allowed you to focus your attentions 100% externally in order to be as safe on the road as possible. In other words, you needed to be so technically proficient that you didn't need to apply any conscious thought to how the car worked. And this took time and skill.

In a similar way Volvo have invested a vast amount of time and skill in developing cars that adhere to the same process. I realised that notwithstanding my early adult experiences, their legendary reputation for being such safe cars is not just that they hold up in the event of a crash, but the additional active safety provided by a car that is intuitive to drive to the point where it almost becomes part of the driver, leaving them able to apply their full attention to what is going on outside the car.

Which means that apart from when the kids kick off in the back about what DVD to watch on the way to Centerparcs, it’s a very safe environment to place your family in. It's not a boring car whatsoever. It is a very good car.

I have driven cars where I have been very aware of all the exciting features on offer – the noises,

the performance and the feeling it gave me to drive and be seen in them, and perhaps these have distracted me from what is really important.

The Volvo V60 challenged my preconceptions, and forced me to reconsider what real driving is all about. It’s a high-quality precision tool, which in the hands of the right owner, will do its job flawlessly. And if this makes me a safer more responsible driver, then that can only be a good thing.

Special thanks to Kent Life, Maidstone for use of their fantastic grounds.

For more information visit www.kentlife.org.uk

LIPSCOMB CANTERBURY Central House Ashford Road Chartham Canterbury CT4 7HH Tel: 0845 338 9902 LIPSCOMB MAIDSTONE Performance House Forstal Road Aylesford Maidstone ME20 7XA Tel: 0845 338 9901 www.lipscomb.co.uk/volvo

Love Chocolate?

COMPETITION

Introducing Montezuma’s Real Chocolate Club

Gourmet chocolate-lovers (and their friends and family) rejoice – whether it’s a treat, special occasion or birthday, there’s a new and perfect gift – membership of Montezuma’s Real Chocolate Club!

The innovative British firm has created a fantastic ‘chocolate by post’ concept, one that requires no signature (or inconvenient trips to the post office) as it comes in a nifty box that simply slips through the letterbox.

For just £19.99 pcm (inc. postage), a whopping 600g of delicious chocolate bars and truffles will land on the doormat. People can sign up – or be signed up – for just one month, but a year’s subscription works out at only £4.99 per week.

There’s no obligation or catch, and there are three options of membership: Rolling, Fixed Length Personal or Fixed Length Gift.

In each box, there are three different flavoured bars, plus three individual sets of truffles – exciting new creations that recipients will be the first to taste, before they go into the shops, if at all!

Each month sees the Montezuma’s team dream up new flavours, often inspired by a particular ‘foodie’ theme. The most recent box had a strong pudding angle to it, featuring an Eton Mess truffle, an apple crumble and milk chocolate truffle, as well as a dark chocolate lemon meringue truffle.

These were complemented by a beautifully rounded milk chocolate bar with salted peanuts and butterscotch, a treacle tart milk chocolate

bar and a dark chocolate one with orange and whole hazelnuts.

Future editions will similarly be as inventive and tasty, and the voyage of discovery can obviously continue for as long, or short, a time as people wish.

As well as for special occasions, the Real Chocolate Club makes for a perfect dinner party gift, a Book Club offering, or even just a regular, indulgent, treat!

As an ethical company, Montezuma’s don’t overload the boxes with unnecessary packaging or leaflets, each being 100% recyclable or compostable.

WIN A 6-MONTH MEMBERSHIP TO MONTEZUMA’S REAL CHOCOLATE CLUB! For your chance to win six months of tasty chocolate deliveries to your door, enter online at www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk/montezumas www.montezumas.co.uk/theclub www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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LONDON IN ASSOCIATION WITH

W H A T ’ S

G O I N G

O N

symbolises success, happiness and passion, so expect an especially jubilant and colourful element to this year’s celebrations.

Cirque du Soleil 6 – 29 January The world renowned Canadian circus troupe once again turns the Royal Albert Hall into their very own big top when they return to London with their Totem show.

Fans can expect a dynamic mix of acrobatics, dance and physical theatre during the performances, which take their inspiration from the theory of evolution and origin myths from around the world.

The Chinese New Year festival takes place at Trafalgar Square on Sunday 29th January 2012. Admission is free. http://xr.com/viewlondonchinesenewyear

Lucian Freud: Portraits Opens 9 February at the National Portrait Gallery

Totem features dancers and acrobats performing on and above a stage representing a giant turtle, and in the Totem show it’s possible to see some of the most accomplished circus skills in the world. Juggling, modern clowning, balancing acts, rollerskating, trapeze performances and dancing are drawn together into a beautifully choreographed show that once again demonstrates why Cirque du Soleil remains one of the most popular and critically acclaimed circus companies around, more than 25 years after they were founded.

Cirque du Soleil’s Totem takes place at the Royal Albert Hall from Friday 6th January – Sunday 29th January 2012. Standard tickets cost £25.00 £70.00. http://xr.com/viewlondoncirque

Chinese New Year Festival at Trafalgar Square 29 January London’s celebrations for Chinese New Year get into full swing with the return of the ever popular free festival at Trafalgar Square, with more special events spilling out into Leicester Square and Chinatown. To celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, Trafalgar Square will be hosting cultural stalls, lion dances, acrobatics, dance and plenty of special events to entertain all ages.

Although Chinese New Year officially falls on 23rd January, the festival at Trafalgar Square takes place the following Sunday after a parade of brightly decorated floats makes its way past the famous landmark. In Chinese mythology the dragon often

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Reflection (self-portrait), 1985 © Lucian Freud, courtesy Lucian Freud Archive

With major retrospectives of David Hockney, Picasso, the Pre-Raphaelites and Damien Hirst all taking place in 2012, art lovers will have no reason to feel left out as London prepares to welcome the world both before and during the Olympic Games. One of the biggest art events of the year is bound to be the Lucian Freud exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which was designed in close collaboration with the famous British artist before his death in July 2011. With work spanning over seven decades, Lucian Freud: Portraits takes a close look at how the artist’s portraiture evolved throughout his long and celebrated career.

Over 100 works from museums and private collections from around the world will be on show at the National Portrait Gallery, including some pieces that have never before been seen in public. Many of the portraits take a frank, uncompromising look at the people in Freud’s life, from friends and family to lovers, and reveal the psychological dramas bubbling underneath the surface.

Lucian Freud: Portraits runs from 9th February – 27th May 2012. Standard tickets cost £14.00. To book tickets in advance, call 0844 248 5033. http://xr.com/viewlondonlucianfreud

LONDON IN ASSOCIATION WITH

I

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L

O

X Factor Live 3 - 4 March (Wembley Arena) 31 March – 1 April (The O2 Arena)

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O

N

Joining all these luminaries (and hoping to keep them in line) are TV judges Len Goodman, Bruno Antonioli and Craig Revel Horwood, so expect loads of witty one liners, acerbic put downs and brutally honest opinions from three people who are never afraid to tell the dancers exactly what they think.

The Strictly Come Dancing live tour comes to London on Friday 27th January at Wembley Arena, and Saturday 28th January – Sunday 29th January at the O2 Arena. http://xr.com/viewlondonstrictly

No doubt you’re missing all that very fine Saturday night warbling but fret not, the X Factor live tour swings back into London to bring the nine finalists (minus the naughty one) to the O2 Arena and Wembley Arena. The gigs in the capital are just a few stops on a whistle stop UK tour where Misha B, Janet Devlin, Marcus Collins, Johnny Robinson, Craig Colton, Little Mix, The Risk, Kitty Brucknell and Amelia Lily will be on hand to belt out all of your favourite numbers from this year’s show.

BRIT Awards 21 February (The O2 Arena)

Those that have seen the live tour will know that the gigs are pretty big deals; not quite the retina searing lightshows of the TV version, but very impressive nonetheless. The gigs will offer you the chance to see just how far all of the acts have come as they bring the usual mix of solos, medleys and collaborations to these two very fine arenas. And with all those famous faces on the judging panel, you can probably expect the odd very special surprise too.

The X Factor live tour comes to London on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th March at Wembley Arena, and Saturday 31st March and Sunday 1st April at the O2 Arena.

27 January (Wembley Arena) 28 – 29 January (The O2 Arena)

The annual celebration of British music heads to its new home at the O2 Arena for one of the biggest nights of the year, as famous faces from the music industry (as well as a fair few freeloaders) pitch up for a night of awards, live performances, guest appearances and certainly the odd surprise.

This prestigious event is open to the public too, who are welcome to gaze adoringly at the glitterati as they cheer each other on and dish out the awards.

The Strictly Come Dancing tour sashays into town too, returning for its fifth year of bringing some fancy – and some not so fancy – footwork to towns and cities all over the UK. The London legs of the tour will see your favourites from this year’s series busting out the moves at the O2 Arena and Wembley Arena as they dust off their tap shoes for one more dance in front of their adoring public. Confirmed names for the 2012 event include Anita Dobson, Harry Judd, Jason Donovan, Robbie Savage, Nancy Dell’Olio and Chelsea Healey, so expect to see some marvellous moves as well as plenty of shimmies and shakes.

The real reason to go to this huge televised event though, is for what can be breathtaking live performances from artists keen on impressing their peers. Last year saw Adele perform a stunning rendition of Someone Like You to a gobsmacked crowd, and with what promises to be a veritable who’s who of today’s talent taking to the stage, this year’s event should be every bit as impressive as recent years. But just in case you need any more persuasion, the BRIT Awards 2012 will once again be presented by that very funny funnyman, James Corden. So expect a little less deference and pomp when he starts speaking, which is always a good thing.

http://xr.com/viewlondonxfactor

Strictly Come Dancing Live

The BRIT Awards 2012 event takes place at the O2 Arena on Tuesday 21st February. http://tiny.cc/viewlondonbrits

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KentEvents EVENTS

Ghost Stories at Deal Castle // 11 & 13 Jan

An evening guided tour through Deal Castle's most haunted areas. You will hear the experiences of those who work at Deal Castle and find out the myths and legends surrounding this ancient site. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more info call 01304 372762 Deal Castle, Marine Road, Deal (SAT NAV: CT14 7BA)

Bella Mia Fiamma: A Mozart Birthday Concert // 26 Jan

Hamish Fulton's first one-person show in the UK since 2002 will include new work made as the result of the group walks in Kent that were commissioned by Turner Contemporary in the lead up to the opening of our the gallery.

Based in Canterbury, Kent, Hamish Fulton has made walking the basis of his practice for the past three decades, producing photography, text and sketches that evolve from the experience of solo and group walks in the landscape.

01843 233000, www.turnercontemporary.org Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate (SAT NAV: CT9 1HG)

Classical Opera Company returns to The Marlowe Theatre, as Ian Page conducts a special concert to celebrate Mozart's 256th birthday.

Sarah-Jane Brandon (Soprano) Ian Page (Conductor) with the Orchestra of The Classical Opera Company.

Tickets: £29.00, £25.00, £21.00, £16.00 Premier Seats: £33.50 Discounts: Concessions - £3.00 off top two prices and premier seats.

The Marlowe Friends - £4.50 off top two prices and premier seats.

Discovery Card - £10.00 (limited availability) 19:30pm.

Bookings 01227 787787, www.marlowetheatre.com The Marlowe Theatre, The Friars, Canterbury, (SAT NAV: CT1 2AS)

Free guided tours of Biddenden Vineyards // 21 Jan

Turner and the Elements // Starts 28 Jan

Hamish Fulton: Walk // Starts 17 Jan

JMW Turner, Britain’s best-loved painter, created new and unusual combinations of earth, water, air and fire and closely examined their interactions.

In Turner and the Elements, the first major show of the painter’s work at Turner Contemporary, you can explore the important role that the depiction of the elements played in his landscape watercolours and paintings. The exhibition brings together 95 works.

01843 233000, www.turnercontemporary.org Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate (SAT NAV: CT9 1HG)

Artisan Market Canterbury // 28 Jan & 25 Feb

On selected dates throughout the year, visitors have the chance to learn more about the history of the vineyard and see how and where the awardwinning wines, ciders and juices are made. Tours start at 10am (with a free cup of coffee before 9.45am) and include a walk through the vines, a look in the winery, followed by tastings in the vineyard shops. These tours are intended for individuals and small groups only (no coach parties), and prebooking is essential.

Tours run throughout the year, with the next being the 21 Jan and 25 Feb. www.biddendenvineyards.com 01580 291726

A Celebration of Charles Dickens // 22 Jan

Robert and Friends present: Through the writings and letters of the author himself, together with those of his friends and contemporaries, you will trace his fascinating life, illuminated by some of the funniest scenes in all literature as well as some of the most moving, embracing the romantic and the grotesque, the satirical and the macabre.

They'll bring to life Dickens' universally loved characters, from Mr Pickwick, Mr Micawber and Mrs Nickleby, to Mrs Gamp, Uriah Heep and Scrooge.

Bookings 01474 337774 Woodville Halls, Woodville Place, Gravesend (SAT NAV: DA12 1DD)

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Artisan is Canterbury District’s very own arts, craft and food market. The market showcases a variety of handmade contemporary craft from selected talented artists, designers and makers from all over Kent. Artisan operates every fourth Saturday in Canterbury and at selected dates in Whitstable and Herne Bay. 9am -5pm

Best Kent Wedding Wedding Exhibition // 29 Jan

Best Kent Weddings specialise in prestige wedding exhibitions, their experience within the wedding industry ensures that brides, grooms and their families have the very best services to choose from to make that special day the biggest and most memorable of their lives. By organizing the shows in stunning and superbly managed wedding venues, brides can easily envisage and stylise every detail for their perfect day.

10.30am - 3.30pm, free admission, www.bestkentweddings.co.uk The Corn Exchange, High Street Rochester (SAT NAV: ME1 1LX)

Cut out this

advert

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Detling T OR SUN International Antiques & Collectors Fair * Must be an or

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Up to 500 exhibitors in two buildings, shopping arcades, marquees & outside offering a wide range of items from ceramics, glass, vintage clothing, furniture, books, metalware, kitchenalia, postcards, pictures & much more.

ng gi my n si de ee oca r f tV a th on a i w ss le

Sat 14th - Sun 15th

January 2012

Sat: Early Entry 8.30 -10am - £6 Sat: Public 10am - 5pm - £4 Sun: 10am - 3.30pm - £4 Kent County Showground, Detling, ME14 3JF

Tel: 01636 676531 www.b2bevents.info

K CHECU T

Singing schools for children aged 7 - 18

0845 5191765 vocademy.co.uk

US O 2012 06 BRUARY

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01634 402020 www.midkent.ac.uk Find us on Facebook

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00 -8.00pm

MEDWAY RO AD, GILLINGH AM, KENT

EVENTS Horrible Histories - The Terrible Tudors // 31 Jan – 4 Feb

We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is dead!

So it’s time to prepare yourself for HORRIBLE HISTORIES live on stage.

Using actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects, this astounding show is guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips.

The Terrible Tudors from the horrible Henries to the end of evil Elizabeth, hear the legends (and the lies) about the torturing Tudors. Find out the fate of Henry’s headless wives and his punch up with the Pope. Even survive the Spanish Armada as it sails into the audience.

Ticket prices vary.

Bookings 01892 530613, www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Assembly Hall Theatre, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells (SAT NAV: TN1 2LU)

Medieval Quest at Dover Castle // 11 – 19 Feb

MISSING! Our mini knights and squires seem to have lost themselves around the grounds. Can you help us find them to earn your reward?

Ticket price includes entry to event plus the site. English Heritage members free. Adult £16.00, child 5-15 years £9.60, concession £14.40, family £41.60.

Bookings 0870 333 1181 Dover Castle, Castle Hill, Dover (SAT NAV: CT16 1HU)

Valentine’s Evening at Boys Hall Manor // 14 Feb

Reginald D Hunter: Sometimes Even the Devil Tells the Truth // 10 Feb

In just over a decade since he began performing, Reginald D Hunter has become one of the UK Comedy industry's best-known and most distinctive performers. His work is often brutally honest, frequently controversial but always meticulously measured and thought out. He is one of the few performers to have been nominated for the highly coveted main Perrier Award in three consecutive years and has become a wellknown face on primetime television shows such as Live At The Apollo and QI and is a frequent guest on Have I Got News For You. Tickets £21, bookings 01303 228600, www.leascliffhall.co.uk Leas Cliff Hall, The Leas Folkestone (SAT NAV: CT20 2DZ)

Enjoy a three-course dinner in a truly wonderful setting. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed into the lounge to enjoy a glass of champagne by the roaring fire. You will then be seated in the beautiful dining room, where you will dine accompanied by live music.

Only £44.99 per person. Room packages from £275.

Bookings 01233 633772 www.boyshall.co.uk Boys Hall Manor, Boys Hall Road, Ashford (SAT NAV: TN24 0LA)

Valentine’s Dinner in the Castle // 14 Feb

Pirates and Princesses Week // 11 – 19 Feb

Youngsters can strap themselves in for a swashbuckling adventure or princess pampering during this week of fun-filled activities, perfect for under 11s. The Pirates and Princesses can pit their wits against each other in a showdown of games and activities to decide once and for all who the ultimate winner will be and for those who come dressed to impress there will be prizes for the best Pirate and Princess.

Filled with fun activities, The Hop Farm Family Park is designed to entertain children and fuel imaginations.

The unique attractions available include the Giant Jumping Pillows, the Children’s Driving School, indoor and outdoor play areas, newly expanded animal farm, The Magic Factory and more! www.thehopfarm.co.uk The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood (SAT NAV: TN12 6PY)

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Spend a romantic Valentine’s night with your loved one at Leeds Castle.

On arrival, enjoy a champagne reception in the Library, with live music from a harpist. Take a guided tour of the castle before dinner, including half a bottle of wine per person, which is served in the Henry VIII Banqueting Hall.

Retire to the drawing rooms to relax with coffee and friends and the gentle sound of piano accompaniment. Complete your evening by staying overnight in one of the castle's State or newly refurbished Battlement bedrooms with breakfast served the next morning.

Dinner £145 per person, sleep from £225 per room.

Bookings 01622 765400, www.leeds-castle.com Leeds Castle, Maidstone (SAT NAV: ME17 1PL)

GEEK 2012 at Winter Gardens Margate // 15 – 19 Feb

Announcing the dates for the first gaming event of 2012 bringing 150 playable games to the Winter Gardens in Margate, with tournaments, games expo, demos, merchandise stalls, visible classrooms that will teach short animation courses with a variety of skills of the trade, guest speakers from the world of gaming and animation plus much, much more!

During the event the GEEK infection will spread through local bars, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and many more insuring the fun won’t stop!

Pre-booked tickets £12, £8 concessions (on tickets bought before 31st Jan) www.gameexpoeastkent.co.uk

Omid Djalili - Tour Of Duty // 16 Feb

Kaiser Chiefs // 19 Feb

The band are pleased to announce their first UK tour in almost two years when they play shows across the UK in early 2012.

The tour follows the band's re-emergence with new album The Future Is Medieval, a host of UK festival appearances including a euphoric return to Glastonbury, V Festival, two huge sold out shows at Leeds' Kirkstall Abbey and some superlative shows on the European festival circuit.

Age 14+, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult (18+).

7pm, tickets £26.

Bookings 01303 228600, www.leascliffhall.co.uk Leas Cliff Hall, The Leas, Folkestone (SAT NAV: CT20 2DZ)

Wedding Fayre // 19 Feb

Kent's most prestigious wedding fayre at Eastwell Manor. Free admission with ample car parking, you will find everything for planning your perfect wedding. Drinks and refreshments served throughout the day. This is one event that should not be missed. www.eastwellmanor.co.uk Eastwell Manor, Eastwell Park, Boughton Lees, Ashford (SAT NAV: TN25 4HR)

An Evening with Joan Baez // 23 Feb

Since she began her legendary residency at Boston's famed Club 47 and her debut at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival, Joan Baez remains a musical force of nature whose influence is incalculable – marching on the front line of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King, singing on the first Amnesty International tour, standing alongside Nelson Mandela when the world celebrated his 90th birthday in London's Hyde Park.

7.30pm, tickets from £39.50 Bookings 01892 530613, www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Assembly Hall Theatre, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells (SAT NAV: TN1 2LU)

Howletts & Port Lympne Passport Events Multi award-winning stand-up television and movie star, Omid Djalili is back on tour with his brand new comedy show.

Djalili was the winner of the Best Actor Award for his lead performance in The Infidel at the Turin Film Festival (won the previous year by Bill Murray).

The Infidel also picked up a Loaded LAFTA award for Funniest Film and Djalili was shortlisted for Peter Sellers Award at the London Evening Standard British Film Awards.

Suitable for ages 16+. 8pm. Tickets from £19. Bookings 01892 530613 www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Assembly Hall Theatre, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells (SAT NAV: TN1 2LU)

Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Ashford have plenty for visitors to see and do this January and February.

Visitors can take part in the exciting themed passport events and learn all about the animals and conservation. www.aspinallfoundation.org

www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CHOICE

IT'S TIME TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITES for the insideKENT Readers' Choice Issue The March/April issue of insideKENT is all about you, our readers. You choose who you want to see on the cover, what prize you'd like to win and lots more.

The rules are simple - whatever gets the most votes gets featured!

Vote online* at www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk/readerschoice COVER STAR 1. Robert Downey, Jr 2. Rachel Weisz 3. Ewan McGregor

TRAVEL 1. Foodie retreats in Wales 2. Europe's west coast 3. Hidden Paris

COMPETITION 1. Spa day at Rowhill Grange 2. RC Helicopter 3. 3-course meal for two at ABode Canterbury

MOTORS 1. Aston Martin CYGNET 2. Lotus Evora 3. Alfa Romeo Giulietta

BEAUTY 1. Complimentary colours 2. The perfect lip 3. All-day makeup

*Voting closes on 30 Jan 2012.

www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk

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10BEST

THE 10 BEST

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1) ‘I Love You’ Fine Art Print

Make a unique romantic gesture that will endure with this bold and contemporary typographical print. The beautifully styled wording reads, ‘You are lovely, generous, smart, gorgeous, fabulous, beautiful and funny and I love you.’ And while red may be the colour of love, this print comes in a multitude of colours so you can pick your recipient’s favourite one. £22.50 www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.com

2) Rob Ryan Together Mugs

Ceramic boxed mug set with the words, ‘All these words are worth less than the breath used to say them if we cannot be together’. The perfect gift for your other half. £18.50 www.berryred.co.uk

3) Interflora Valentine’s Day Luxury Grand Prix Rose Hatbox

If you want to make a grand gesture this Valentine’s Day, this lavish gift of flowers is a stunning way to show your depth of feeling. Set in a chic hatbox lined with golden organza and featuring 18 of the finest largeheaded Grand Prix roses, the breathtaking beauty of this gift will delight your Valentine. £124.99 www.interflora.co.uk

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4) On a Roll Kiss My…Toilet Paper

Each On A Roll Kiss My... Toilet Paper is made from quality 2-ply toilet tissue presented in a clear plastic gift box. With lipstick lip prints running across the length of the roll, this a truly unique gift that is a great surprise on Valentine’s Day morning. £3.99 www.gettingpersonal.co.uk

5) ‘Intoxicating’ Heart Key Bottle Opener

Surprise your loved one with this gift-worthy bottle opener. The words ‘You're Intoxicating’ are engraved on the handle. Comes in a muslin bag with a gift tag.

Hand cast in zinc with antique nickel plating. 12.5cm £16 www.berryred.co.uk

6) Secret Letter Necklace

Super cute handmade sterling silver envelope - 2cm x 1.5cm - on a 60cm ball chain. Opens to put your own letter in. Supplied with one blank card and one with 'love conquers all'. £45 www.seld.co.uk

7) Film Quotes Canvas

A unique gift or present for a loved one. A quality stretched and mounted canvas featuring a range of famous film quotes based around the theme of love.

Created in a contemporary square format with sizes starting from 12x12 inches.

From £29.99 www.berry-stone.co.uk

8) Personalised His and Hers Calendar

See both of your names spelt out on a different stunning image for each month. Turn the pages and see your names carved into a tree, printed on a chocolate bar and even spelt out on a sandy beach! £14.99 www.gettingpersonal.co.uk

9) Chocolate Gift Hamper

This mouth-watering ‘slice of chocolate’ gift box comes filled with quality and luxury chocolate delights. Including a chocolate bar, fudge, truffles, a chocolate pizza slice and chocolate champagne, this gift box hamper is sure to suit anyone who likes to treat themselves with chocolate indulgences. £17.99 www.ayedo.co.uk

10) Two Hearts Keyring

Elegant personalised heart keyring. Engrave each half of the silver plated heart with a name or message up to 11 characters. The perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. £30 www.astonsoflondon.co.uk