What is it with Ashford’s heritage and spying?  In February, I wrote about Ashford’s links to Ian Fleming, drawing on his experience as a secret agent, to write the James Bond novels.  And, I’m conscious I’ve yet to write about Freddie Forsyth, also mentioned in the Fleming post: another spy and famous espionage novelist, hailing from Ashford.  But, before all … More Aphra Behn: Spy, Author, and Ashford’s First Feminist

  I have had many, many conversations about the Panorama in the past few months.  All my closest, funniest friends agree: the building is 50 shades of grey … and not in a good way.  They also think I am crazy (I think the actual word used was ‘over-educated’) in defending it.  And would not … More The Panorama, Ashford

  Walking along North Street late yesterday afternoon, about 4pm, I noticed a group of people gesturing towards Hopewell House.  As I got nearer, I realised it was a theatrical performance, giving a taster of The Ashford Tales.  This is a family-friendly play-cum-walking tour, sharing dark tales, heroic deeds and – my favourite bit –  “sheer … More The Ashford Tales

To many people, one rural church looks much like another. Here is St Lawrence (mentioned before in my post on Lord Fitt of Bell’s Hill) on a beautiful spring morning, set just above the Stour, off the old Roman road (now more prosaically known as the A28) leading from Ashford town centre to Canterbury. In … More St Lawrence-the-Martyr, Godmersham, Ashford

The month of March has been stupidly busy.  Not always time to shop, let alone cook.  So this post combines two of my favourite things.  A medieval building.  And curry. 20 North Street, Ashford, is a superb 15th century house, whose frontage remains largely unchanged since it was first built.  (Many old buildings ‘evolve’, carrying fashions of … More Medieval Curry in Ashford

A piece of trivia caught my imagination recently (trivia tends to do that when deadlines are pressing).  I discovered that Ian Fleming, OO7 writer, wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for his son, Caspar; my son is also called Caspar.  Intrigued by this coincidence, with the clock ticking and the deadline fast approaching, I decided this … More Espionage in Ashford