Kent: In Search of Ian Fleming I have been a fan of James Bond since childhood and readers of this publication will know that given half a chance I will write and investigate more about the fictional character and its author Ian Fleming. So almost on my doorstep I set out to discover more.
Royal Harbour Hotel 10 – 12 Nelson Crescent Ramsgate Kent CT11 9JF Tel: 01843 591 514 I’m just 1.5 hours from London and I’ve checked into my Bo-Ho four-poster bedroom with views over Ramsgate harbour that lies in front of the hotel. Divided among three buildings The Royal Harbour Hotel is a rabbit warren
Albion House Albion Place Ramsgate Kent CT11 8HQ Tel: 01843 606630 Checking in to this smart shabby chicesque hotel is a lot like staying at a rich friends house. It doesn’t seem like a hotel more a very comfortable house by the sea. My room was small but had super views, one way a
Broadstairs: A Secret Foodie Heaven on the Kent Coast Broadstairs may be known to some as the location of the 39 Steps in John Buchan’s novel of the same name or as one of the many locations that Charles Dickens chose to write about (in this case Bleak House). But today it might well be
Sands Hotel Marine Drive Margate Kent CT9 1DH Tel: 01843 228 228 A trip to the seaside is one of those evocative phrases that we all have our own version of. As a child I spent quite a bit of time at West Wittering near Chichester on the south coast. Sometimes I was bored
Saltwood on the Green The Green Saltwood Hythe Kent CT21 4PS Tel: 01303 237 800 Saltwood on the Green is a village restaurant that could very easily be a backdrop to a Midsummer Murders mystery. Such is the quaint beauty of its location and the calm demeanor of the locals. I found myself here
The Ambrette 14-15 Beer Cart Lane Canterbury Kent CT1 2NY Tel: 01227 200 777 This is the third branch of chef patron Dev Biswal’s expanding empire and is set to be the flagship. Located in the delightfully named Beer Cart Lane not far from the high street it is spacious and with beautifully designed
Giggling Squid 3c Dorset Street Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1LL Tel: 01732 465898 It seems that Giggling Squid are on an unstoppable roll opening their tenth restaurant in the delightful town of Sevenoaks in Kent. I attended the launch night with M and A, our youngest son. The location is in an old ecclesiastical building,
Quex Park & Powell-Cotton Museum Birchington Kent CT7 0BH Tel: 01843 842168 There is something charming about a visit to Quex Park and House near Birchington in Kent. On the surface it appears to be a collection of over 600 stuffed animals gathered by one Victorian gentleman who liked collecting so much he built a
The Minnis Bar & Restaurant The Parade Minnis Bay Birchington Kent CT7 9QP Tel: 01843 841844 The north Kent coast is close to my heart. We nearly moved there a few years ago and as a family we have spent many a happy day at its various seaside resorts. The Minnis Bar and Restaurant
The Corner House 42 Station Road Minster Kent CT12 4BZ Tel: 01843 823000 On my drive down to Minster from London I was trying to imagine what it must be like to just not return, you know, just leave the big smoke forever and never go back. Quite liberating and it turns out
Indian Essence 176 – 178 Petts Wood Road Petts Wood Kent BR5 1LG Tel: 01689 838 700 Petts Wood is one of those places that grew rapidly after a train station was built. Quite a gamble in its day, but a hundred years ago it expanded nicely into one of London’s
Game Terrine Alkham Valley Road Alkham Dover Kent CT15 7DF Tel: 01304 873410 As part of my quest to find family restaurants of quality in Kent I decided to travel down to Dover. I had heard a whisper or two about The Marquis at Alkham. Well, nearly as far as Dover, we were heading for
Retro Pate Bleak House Fort Road Broadstairs Kent CT10 1EY TEL: 01843 865338 Bleak House was once the holiday home of Charles Dickens and sits on top of a cliff looking out to sea and across Viking Bay in Broadstairs. Until a couple of months ago it was the private residence
Cheese topped Cottage Pie The Walpole Bay Hotel Fifth Avenue, Cliftonville Kent CT9 2JJ Tel: 01843 221703 A bygone era is ever present at The Walpole Bay Hotel. The patina on the marble steps tells all. Worn through popularity and loyalty their 98 years hold many a story. It is really as if time