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

So, I admit it: I’m quite a ‘niche’ googler.  We all have the odd little ‘foible’.  Some might consider their eccentricities, at best, unusual.  This month, I’ve been researching loos again (yes, I’ve done it before with The Heritage Value of Lavatories* )  But, this time, it’s even more edgy … I’ve gone outside. And. Up. If … More Living Life on the Edge in Ashford

Just round the corner from the fabulous Stag Cafe, sits this World War One Tank.  Why is it there?  Turns out, it was a way for the Government to make money. Tanks were first rolled out in 1916, during the First World War.  But they really caught the public’s imagination in November 1917, when two … More 100 Years of the Ashford Tank

Wolf Hall, the miniseries, was the brilliant adaptation of two of Hilary Mantel’s novels on Henry VIII’s reign as King.  Some of it was filmed in Kent: at Penshurst Place near Tonbridge, and Dover Castle, near Ashford, in East Kent.  But there are even more direct links between the BBC2 series and Ashford’s heritage. First, … More Wolf Hall and Ashford’s Heritage

I walk past this building – The George Hotel in Ashford – at least once a week, on my way to pick up a delicious sandwich, soup, or freshly baked cake from the brilliant, independent Stag Coffee shop, on the corner of the High Street.  Initially, I just assumed it was a typical eighteenth century inn and, … More The George Hotel, High Street, Ashford

I took my 8 year old son and his friend to see the BFG yesterday afternoon at the Cineworld in Ashford.  It is a fantastic film in every sense, brilliantly bringing Roald Dahl’s book to life in a magical, yet believable, way. Steven Spielberg’s casting is excellent: Penelope Wilton looks just like the Queen; and … More The BFG was born in Ashford