Kent Life - July 2022

140 Pages·2022·105.5 MB·English

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Editor's letter

ow were your Jubilee
celebrations? I was
going to ask, “have
you recovered
yet?” but which of us wants to
recover from the sense of joy
and connection we felt with our
neighbours as we marked the
Queen’s momentous 70 years?
Let’s hope we can take that sense
of togetherness forward into
the days, weeks and months to
come, with the knowledge that
it’s shared experiences that help
to foster it. Perhaps that’s why
any sort of festival or show (and
it doesn’t get better than Kent’s
County Show, which we profile
on page 14 of this issue) bring a
unique sort of pleasure. It’s the
chance to get together witha
whole group of people —- many
of whom will be strangers — and
unite in celebrating a shared
interest, whether it’s for music,
horticulture, our rural life or
steam engines.
We're delighted this issue
to bring you details of the vast
range of festivals to be enjoyed
throughout the county during
the summer, so if you haven’t
been to one before, do consider
making this the year you join
the festival throng. Kent’s events
tend to be smaller, making them
ideal for ‘festival newbies’, and
there’s a friendly vibe that always
makes a great day out. I can
remember taking my daughters
to the children’s festival bOing!
in Canterbury when they were
small, and having a great time
not only because of the fantastic

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A lovely way to spend an afternoon: The Summer Show at Great Comp

standard of the shows on offer
but because of the chance to connect
with other families — just sitting
in the sunshine chatting to parents
we'd not met before as our
children played was a joy in itself.
This year I’m looking forward
to visiting the JAM on the Marsh
Festival for the first time, lured
not just by the story behind it
(which you can read on page 36)
and its intriguing programme,
but because, just like its founders,
Ed and Sarah Armitage, I too
have been bitten by the Romney
Marsh bug. In fact, his issue turns
out to be something of a Romney
and Dungeness Special! Not only
do we have Caroline Read’s
expert guide to the area on page
96, you can also read about
Kathryn Morris’s love of the

area — one that she inherited from
her father, who bought Dungeness
Roundhouse and a couple of
cottages back in the 1990s and
never looked back (page 102).
Now Kathryn’s built on his legacy,
creating gorgeous holiday homes
and ensuring that her father’s
pride and joy — his garden —
continues to thrive. It’s a read
that I hope, as with every issue of
Kent Life, will inspire you to get
out there and explore all that the
county has to offer. And there’s
no better time to do so than now!

Anna Lambert
Editor,
Kent Life

3 THINGS ANNA’S LEARNED FROM THIS ISSUE

..that there’s treasure to
be found here in Kent

- from semi-precious
stones to amber and
Victorian ‘diamonds’

- even pearls...

Page 138

..that it’s high time
a leading woman
in literature got a
celebratory statue
in her Canterbury
home town.

Page 20

..that if you want a
team-building day for
a team of top chefs,
there’s no better place
to take them thana
Kent dairy farm.

Page 56

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Kent Life: July 2022 ¢ 7
KENT LIFE

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WAAL

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8 ¢ Kent Life: July 2022
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28

Wonderful Whitstable
By Caroline Read

This gorgeous little seaside
town comes into its own at
this time of year, with pubs
to relax in, cycling trails, a
rich history of fishing and,
of course, the delicious
seafood that goes alongside.
What are you waiting for?

INSIDE

July 2022

Festival fever

By Naomi Porter

With every sort of festival
to enjoy this summer in
Kent — from foodie fairs to
steam rallies and tractor
fests — don’t miss our guide
to the ones to book now
for fun-packed days out

in August.

1O2

To the lighhouse

By Anna Lambert

When Kathryn Morris’s
family moved to a collection
of run-down buildings in
Dungeness, it was the start
of a love-affair with the area
that’s still going strong 30
years later — and with the

cottages now restored.

Secret diary of a Lady
By Samantha Stones

The discovery of a pocket
book once belonging to an
aristocratic lady who lived

at Bayham Abbey reveals
much about her life and
times, as an expert from
English Heritage, which now
manages the site, explains.

10 ¢ Kent Life: July 2022

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