Summer so far and the Olympic Torch is on its way!

Summer has been busy and has seen me travelling all across the South East - over to Brighton, to Hastings, Canterbury, Whitstable, Battle and many more. As well as these tours and my regular Tunbridge Wells tours I have also had some really interesting private tours to keep me busy - including school tours and family history research. It's been very satisfying creating a walk which includes the original home of someone's ancestors and taking people to where their family is buried; especially when some people have travelled from half way around the world to do this. It can be very moving.

As you may have already seen from my website that I'm starting Canterbury Historic Pub Tours and details of the upcoming dates etc can be found under Events/Tours. Walk in the footsteps of Pilgrims, Saints and Kings in beautiful Canterbury. You can always combine your stay with a Historic Pub Tour in the evening plus a day time historic tour around the city with me. Plenty of free time too to enjoy those cafes, the river side and the shopping!

Next week I'm looking forward to a busy week including my first Canterbury Pub Tour on Friday 20th July at 7pm (£10pp. Contact me to book your place). Plus the Olympic Torch starts its tour through Kent in Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday. I shall be there on the historic Pantiles cheering the flame on its way, before offering visitors their own walk around the area at midday. The following weekend is the start of the 30th modern Olympiad in London and in celebration of this and in retrospect of the two previous London games, I will be helping create a Vintage Olympic spirit as part of The Pantiles Vintage Weekend (www.pantilestraders.co.uk).

Tunbridge Wells Tours

The season has started with a bang - some fantastic weather back at the end of March, but rather damp since then, however I'm sure things will hot up for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and London Olympics!

Tours have been going well with various walks around Kent and Sussex organised for groups as well as individuals - Canterbury and Brighton have been the hot spots for me so far! But I do enjoy travelling further afield to Windsor, Chichester and even Dover to show people around South East England. 

My new tours in Tunbridge Wells itself began this month - I have a new Ale Trail that runs every fortnight throughout summer. They are currently on Tuesday evenings starting at 7pm and we talk about the historic pubs in old Tunbridge Wells - as well as sampling what they have to offer in 3 of the finest! Tickets cost £10 per person and include some free beer!! Contact me to book your place. You don't have to drink beer, or even drink, to come on the tour if history is your thing.

Tunbridge Wells Ale Trail (Photo (c) David Bartholomew)

As well as my regular Monday (11am) and Tuesday Tours (11am and 2pm) - that start at the Tourist Information Centre on The Pantiles and cost £5per person with discounts at Woods Restaurant - you can now also enjoy a Sunday Stroll once a month. My Sunday strolls take in the top of the town, and are perfect for a gentle walk before you enjoy your Sunday Roast! From Burton to biscuits the next Sunday Stroll is May 13th at 11am. Again you can reserve your place if you contact me directly - either ring 07759 226060 or email catherinepitt@hotmail.com - and I can give you more details of where to meet.

Remember if any of these dates and times aren't great for you, and you can organise a group of at least 5 people or more, I can make it a private tour at a date and time that suits you! Maybe as a gift for someone's birthday or anniversary - it's certainly something different!

Happy St David's Day - 1st March

Well, I'm back!! Apologies it's been so long since I've been on my blog updating - planning and organising fantastic tours for 2012 have taken over and I've neglected my blogging duties.

I will soon be able to reveal exciting news re some Tunbridge Wells projects I have running at the moment, as well as other new tours to come around the South East. Remember that I can create tours to your interests, whether it's just for a couple, family, group or corporate team.

I thought I would start my new blog with a lovely sunny picture of a daffodil, especially as the sun has been shining all day here. It was the first time today that I could sit out without a coat on and do some studying outside!! Let's hope the weather hasn't lulled us into a false sense of security!

The Daffodil is significant for today, as it is St David's Day (or Dydd Gwyl Dewi) - St David being the Patron Saint of Wales. St David is said to have been born in Wales in the 5th Century and founded a monastic community at Glyn Rhosin. It is said he died on 1 March 588 CE.

Walking around town today I could see a few daffodils pinned to people's coats and jackets. It's a brave person who dons the leek as well - another emblem, along with the daffodil, often worn by the Welsh (and a rather yummy vegetable too!).

Of course the 1st March heralds the start of Spring here in the UK. Looking forward to the season ahead and sharing it with you!

A Festive Tunbridge Wells

Unbelievably, it is just over 2 weeks until Christmas! Everyone has gone shopping crazy and the adverts on TV are shouting deals left, right and centre. Well, what about doing something a bit different? Get away from the crowds and enjoy some family time, and get into the Christmas spirit by taking part in one of the many activities we have taking place this year in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Currently running are The Pantiles' Christmas Treasure Hunts. There is a hunt for children with separate prizes to be won, and the same again for Adults. Over £300 worth of prizes have to be won - if you don't take part, you won't be in with a chance! And for only £1.00 and £2.00 each respectively, a bargain when most prizes are worth upwards of £30.00. You can pick the hunts up at any time (until last day 20 Dec) - all details are on my Events page.

Once you've completed your Pantiles Hunt, there is a Conundrum you can complete as a family for The Camden Road Christmas Market (17 Dec 2011). It's the first year of the Christmas Market here and I was asked to produce a family treasure hunt for this area with historical aspects to this very interesting and overlooked part of Tunbridge Wells. Again a fabulous hamper to be won, with prizes donated from the shops of Lower Camden Road within it! 

If you haven't quite got into the festive mood with the Hunts, then I'd suggest a Lantern Lit Christmas Traditions Tour around The Pantiles. Starting at 4.30pm from outside the Tourist Information Centre, on Thursday's up to Christmas - so the 15th and 22nd are left now, plus Saturday 17th December. For £5.00 per person (children under 10 years old are free) you get to learn about how and why we celebrate Christmas today the way that we do! Come learn about Wren Hunting, Boy Bishops, Stir Up Sunday and Dumb Cake!

And if that hasn't got the kids excited, then there is one Children's Christmas and Storytelling Activity day you can get them booked in on - Sunday 18th December in The Corn Exchange on The Pantiles. At either 10.30am or 2.30pm you can bring your children along to have a Christmas story (written by local children's author Tony Streeter) read to them, and then they can enjoy some activities. Children take home all that they make plus a goodie bag with a chocolate treat in. Booking is essential for this as limited spaces in the Unit -  so please contact me asap, as places going fast. Cost is £3.50 per child (ages 3 years old +) - adult's free! (Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times).

After all that festive fun I think I will be ready to put my feet up, a sherry in hand, and wish everyone all over the world, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, a very happy, healthy and peaceful festive period and New Year!

New International Readers!

I love seeing on my blog where people are from, and this month I can add some more places to my international readership - including Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Ireland! Greetings to all and thank  you to everyone for looking at my website and reading my blog! Hope to see you soon on some tours.

Countryfile in Kent

If you had time to watch on Sunday evening on BBC 1 the very popular Countryfile - usually handily on just before another high rating programme for the BBC, The Antiques Roadshow, you would have seen that they were featuring Kent as their main location for the episode.

It was wonderful to see featured Brogdale, home of The National Fruit Collection (featured in an earlier blog by myself) which is out near historic Faversham. Hundreds of varieties of plums, cherries, apples, nuts and pears are grown here, and when you visit you can not only walk amongst the orchards but happily pick the fruit straight off the tree and eat it! Many a time I've visited and come away with a rather full tummy from "scrumping" various varieties from the branches. To top it all you can happily sit and enjoy a cup of tea and a then a shop in the Market Place there as well! Perfect. And to top it all if you were to head into Faversham itself you could organise yourself a visit to the UK's oldest brewery - Shepherd Neame. A tour of here can be made part of your overall visit to Faversham and Brogdale, including a historic guided walk by Discover South East England. Just contact me for further details.

Continuing on their theme of Kent on Countryfile, although no mention was made of the hop picking that used to, and in some areas, still, continues; the presenters travelled to the coast to find rock oysters and inland to explore Down House, the home of the great naturalist Charles Darwin. It was here at Down House that Darwin wrote the famous "On the Origin of Species" and would wander his garden collecting and observing wildlife. The house and garden has just been short-listed for World Heritage Status this year. For further information about Down House - take a look at: www.englishheritage.org.uk and search for the property.

Dawin's Study at Down House, Kent

The programme finally ended on one of the more unusual games unique to Kent - Bat and Trap. Still played in many local pubs, the game is believed to have been an early form of cricket. As simply as I can I will try and explain the game - you have a paddle or bat, and to release a ball from inside a box (known as the trap) you have to press on a release mechanism with your bat. Once released the ball springs into the air and in that moment you have to hit the ball and try and get it to land at the other end of the pitch between two posts. You then score if you do so. At that end are the other team who have to catch the ball and then roll it back to the trap, trying to hit a target on the front of the trap. If the target is knocked over then you are out of the game and the points are lost! Not as complicated as cricket, but still difficult enough. There are many more intricacies to the game but I will leave it to you to find out more via: www.batandtrap.org/

If you missed Countryfile on Sunday you can still watch a repeat of it on i player - go to: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006t0bv - enjoy!

Christmas!!

I know, far too early it seems to be talking about Christmas already, but it is less than 100 days till the 25th rolls around again. I just wanted to make mention on here to keep your eyes posted for some exciting plans I have coming up for this year!! The elves are busy with not only Father Christmas, but in my grotto too and coming up with some winter wonderland tours and other activities. You will just have to watch this space, and hope that you have been a good boy or girl this year!