Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
WEEKEND WONDER
From relaxing on the beach to setting off on a whacky race – get stuck into these six summer events taking place across the county this weekend
1 The Medway Mile is the biggest en masse sports event of the year in Medway.
Established in 2007 to mark the countdown to the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, the Mile is now a landmark in Medway’s calendar and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Although registration for the run on Friday, July 21, has now closed, the event is a spectacle as he passes through the picturesque streets of Rochester and past the castle.
There is a parade at 5.15pm, children’s and mascot races from 5.30pm, and a mass warm-up at 7.45pm, with the event itself at 8pm.
For details, visit medway.gov.uk
2 Gromit is being unleashed on Bluewater shopping centre – 12 of him, to be precise.
Twelve giant Gromit sculptures will be popping up around the centre near Dartford from Friday, July 21, to Sunday, September 3, for the Gromit Unleashed® Character Trail.
The trail costs £2 and young explorers can pick up a trail map from the concierge desk outside M&S on the lower mall, and get prizes for completed ones. The shopping centre is also, for the first time, home to a beach this summer. From Saturday, July 22, until
Sunday, September 3, at The Village, there will be tonnes of sand to build sandcastles with while mums and dads relax in a deckchair and soak up the sun – or take a dip in the giant paddling pool or splash pool. There will also be funfair rides, and watch out for appearances from jugglers, mermaids, Brazilian dancers and Punch & Judy. And there will be a nature trail and nature fun days throughout the holidays. For details, go to thebeachbluewater.com
3 There are some summer Whacky Races at Kent Life Heritage Farm Park at Sandling, Maidstone, which start on Saturday, July 22, and kick off two weeks of themed events, as part of summer-long activities.
Encourage the Kent Life ferrets and hamsters in their contests, take part in some races yourself, and cheer on the competitors. Look out for the events that earn younger visitors points on their Explorer card – each child who completes the card correctly and gets it stamped will receive a free child’s ticket to Kent Life’s fireworks event on Sunday, November 5.
Whacky Races fortnight runs until Sunday, August 6. Other summer activities include the Ice Cream Festival on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28, and Farmyard Fairy Tales from Monday, August 7, to Sunday, August 20.
4 There’s a weekend of wild adventure on offer at Betteshanger Park near Deal.
The Wild Weekend on Saturday July 22 and Sunday July 23, which is free, provides a chance to get away from it all and enjoy nature. Activities include a bird of prey photography workshop with BBC Countryfile’s Richard Taylor-Jones on Saturday July 22 and a bird of prey display on Sunday July 23, with the Sky Bird of Prey display team.
Other events include wild cooking, where you forage for goodies and then cook them over an open fire in the wild kitchen, bushcraft and survival skills, guided walks and a bat walk. Visitors are advised to pre-book for workshops.
Visit betteshanger-park.co.uk for details
5 Join Borough Green Bowls Club as they play on the North Lawn at Ightham Mote on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22, at 11am and 3.30pm.
Learn more about the historic game, which inspired John Singer Sargent’s A Game of Bowls painting, which is currently on loan to Ightham Mote and the subject of a fundraising appeal. You can also have a go at bowling yourself. For more details on admission and other summer events, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/ighthammote/whats-on
6 Step back in time in traditional style at Hever Castle and Gardens’ Tudor Tales.
On Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23, visitors can learn what it was like to live in Tudor times. You can learn about swordsmanship for the battlefield and the history of the bow and its use and see re-enactors demonstrate authentic Tudor crafts, cookery, weaving, games and music. You can dress up in costumes and see soldiers take on the Black Knight in a thrilling battle. And there will be jousting. So don’t miss the procession as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn lead visitors through the grounds to the arena. There will also be shield painting for the kids, havea-go archery and the opportunity to cool off, if temperatures soar, in the Water Maze.
For details and admission, go to hevercastle.co.uk or call 01732 865224.