It had been a while since I’d seen my aunt Arleen (who is so close in age she’s a friend really) so I was excited to be making the trip to Kent again on Friday. Kent is where I grew up and much of my family still live there.

Arleen lives in Birchington by the sea, close to places from my childhood like Margate, Whitstable and Canterbury, so it was definitely a weekend of happy nostalgia. She’s great at arranging some interesting and fun things to do. Back in 2014 she took me into Margate to see the Turner Contemporary art gallery and we also visited the Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum so we could see the memorial to the famous Channel Dash operation in World War Two in which one of my dad’s and my late uncle Joe’s – who Arleen was married to – brothers took part but was sadly killed (click here for more). On another visit in 2017 we went to Sandwich and Canterbury (click here). I have seen Arleen since then at my home but it had certainly been a while since I’d made the trip to Kent and I was very much looking forward to it.

One of the things we’ve always done is see my youngest cousin Jason, who has a farm near Canterbury. He was due to go away on Saturday but as I arrived at Arleen’s at lunchtime on Friday, she had arranged for us to go over to the farm that afternoon. There’s been a lot of great change since my last visit and a fabulous campsite had been set up on part of the farm – Brook Farm Campsite (click here for website).

First we had coffee at the campsite’s café – Tribe. The campsite is largely run by Jason and his wife Francesca’s eldest son James and his fiancée Robyn. Robyn buys gorgeous cakes from local cooks for the café; the mugs are made by Jason’s daughter Issy who runs a pottery studio at the campsite and offers lessons. As far as possible, everything is run using local people and buying local goods, which is fantastic.

My flat white was excellent and after I’d drunk it, Jason offered to show me round. Being a farm, there are of course some animals which visitors can meet and even help to feed, including this very friendly Billy Goat who rushed over to say hello to us. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so close to one before!

There are sites for campers with tents but also some glamping accommodation like converted shepherds’ huts.

 

There’s a sauna …

… and hot and cold tubs for after.

There’s a pizza café where they have a wood-fired pizza oven and provide freshly made pizzas for the campers to buy.

 

There’s a wellness centre offering yoga and Pilates classes and there are plans for many more additions offering a fantastic range of activities to visitors. It’s also a brilliant location for campers, being near the sea and interesting towns and cities for those who want to explore. It was wonderful for me to see it and great that it’s such a family ‘project’ with members of the family adding their own particular skills and interests to make it a success.

On the way back, Arleen took me via Chestfield where she and my uncle Joe used to live in an iconic Kent oasthouse. Next door to it is a 14th century barn (right by Chestfield Golf Club) which they ran as a restaurant. My dad took my son there when he was still a child for some golf and lunch.

 

I used to stay there as a child/teenager with Uncle Joe and his first wife quite often so it was lovely to go back; a real trip down memory lane. The current owners have made it more of a pub with restaurant (click here for website).

 

It had been a full and busy day in the nicest way and I almost forgot that I’d actually started the day at home. Arleen cooked us a lovely supper and then the next morning we were up early (because we both always are!) and went for a walk with her dog Rosie along the beach. It was a beautiful morning and a great way to start the day.

Arleen had suggested we went into Deal, which I don’t think I’d been to before. Of particular interest was Saturday’s market. It was a wonderful market selling not just gorgeous fruit and veg, a great meat stall and a fish stall, as well as beautiful flower stalls where the flowers were half or less than I’d pay in London. But there were also clothes stalls, jewellery and other crafts, antiques … all kinds of things. It’s the kind of market people make a special trip to.

After walking round the market, I suggested we had a coffee as it was a while before lunch (Arleen had booked a restaurant for lunch). Opposite the market was Le Pinardier which is a wine bar which also sells coffee. It was really nice inside, friendly staff and I imagine a great place for wine later in the day and something to eat.

 

We spent some time looking round the town and then made our way to 81 Beach Street restaurant, where Arleen had been before and knew it was good.

 

We both had ‘catch of the day’ fish, which was a Cornish sole (very like a Dover sole) with samphire salad, new potatoes and gremolata. It was fantastic. I hadn’t had a sole like this for years and it was a real treat.

For dessert I chose a chocolate torte with raspberry sorbet and strawberries that had some sumac sprinkled over them. I don’t always have desserts but couldn’t resist and this was a good treat as well.

We had a gentle stroll along the promenade back to where we’d parked the car afterwards, passing the pier that stretched way out.

That evening we decided to go back to the beach at Birchington for an early evening drink at The Minnis Bay bar. We sat outside on the terrace with a great view over the sea; a perfect place to enjoy some cold white wine and chat some more.

As evening drew in it was time to go back to the house where – having had a large lunch – we had a simple light supper.

Then, this morning, after a walk along the beach with Arleen and Rosie, it was time for me to go home. What a lovely weekend it had been, full of fun, good food, great conversation and seeing some family again.