Kent Big Weekend

Every year as a way of increasing tourism in Kent, the tourist authorities organise the Kent Big Weekend.

Attractions from stately homes to zoo park to heritage railways are all available with free entry for the weekend.  Each available by ballot.

Some of the places would usually cost good money and others only a few pounds. Plus some have very few tickets like Port Lympne Animal Park and others loads. 

In typical human avarice the "expensive" sites are very over subscribed and others have just about got all their tickets taken.

I tried for quite a few across a range. Mostly places we've never been before. Last year neither Claire or I were successful.

This time I got an email to say we had tickets for Ightham Mote.

We are members of the National Trust already and so free tickets for two people  to one of the sites isn't that big a deal.

There is an option to return the tickets and dip into the returns bin for an alternative but by the time I was able to login there was nothing left.

So the plan on Sunday 25th is to pick up my Aunt Yvonne and get over in time for opening at 11am. She is also an NT member.

Ightham Mote is dog friendly so we can take Reggie too. He can't go in the buildings themselves but he can go in the gardens and on the estate walks.

Good enough for me.

And then what? Lunch. A check on Doggiepubs.com found a few pubs in the area but oddly a few either had no food on Sunday or just "crisps and peanuts".

So in the end I have opted for the Fox and Hounds at nearby Toys Hill. Looks nice and is oddly in another NT area and one we have never been to before.

Hopefully as spring ought to have sprung by then we will have a pleasant day out.

Pictures and review later.