Penshurst... The Quintessential English Home

Set in the beautiful Weald of Kent, Penshurst Place and the Estate have stood on the banks of the river Medway since the 14th century, when the awe-inspiring medieval Baron’s Hall was built as a country retreat for the Lord Mayor of London, Sir John de Pulteney. Used as a location for many a large film and small screen productions, Penshurst Place has a unique place in history – with literary connections from Sir Philip Sidney, Ben Jonson to Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The historic gardens are as old as the house, with records dating back to 1346. These enchanting formal gardens were laid out in Elizabethan times and have remained remarkably true to their early design.

In the House, alongside the unique and stunning Baron’s Hall, built in 1341, there are a series of staterooms containing an impressive collection of portraits, tapestries, furniture, porcelain and armour. In addition, visitors will enjoy a reminder of bygone childhoods in the Toy Museum, a delight for all ages.

The new Porcupine Pantry, open daily and is located outside the main house and grounds ticketed area and also accessible via the Gift Shop. It has seating inside and out for up to 82 people. Serving a selection of hot and cold drinks from 9am – 6pm – it will provide a simple breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea menu including bacon rolls and a selection of freshly-baked savoury and sweet pastries cooked on the premises.For more information, guided tours and booking forms ☎01892 870307.Email: groups@ penshurstplace.com/forgroups

Anyone For Cricket ??

 Your groups will enjoy a tour behind the scenes to discover more about The Kia Oval and the Surrey County Cricket Club. This interesting and very famous International Cricket Stadium has a fascinating history, not just for cricket but its contribution to many other sports. During the 2013 Cricket Season tours are available from now until the 27th September, with Winter dates available in September. The tours take place regularly on a Saturday at 11 am, non match days only. Additional tours will be available during busy periods and around key international fixtures: the ICC Champions Trophy, Natwest International T20 England v New Zealand and the Investec Ashes Test Match England v Australia.

Ground tours take about 90 minutes and depart from the Members Pavilion near the Hobbs Gate entrance of the ground.Tickets: please book in advance. The Kia Oval offers an enjoyable experience for groups both adults and children. Each child will get a fun fact sheet to fill in as part of their group tour. For group enquiries Email: tours@surreycricket.com or Visit: www.kiaoval.com

Tour The Great One.....

Home of the amazing Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge is a fascinating venue to visit. A tour must not be missed, it’s a fun, informative and unforgettable experience for sports fans of all ages. The fully guided tour will take you behind the scenes at one of the world’s greatest football clubs, providing access to areas normally reserved for players and officials.

Meet the press as you sit behind the desk in the press room. Soak up the atmosphere in the spectacular home dressing room and feel the excitement as you walk down the tunnel to the pitch side with the roar of a capacity crowd ringing in your ears. All tours include entry into the excellent Museum, giving you the chance to see how Chelsea has evolved on and off the pitch to become one of the greatest football clubs in the world. This is a highly interactive experience, bringing the club’s past alive through audio visual shows as well as a fascinating collection of Chelsea related memorabilia. Upgrade your tour to a Platinum tour and enjoy a VIP experience with private tour, tour guide and lunch. Prebook: online on www. chelseafc.com/tours or ☎0871 984 1955.

Tantalising Tastes at Gloucester Quays Monthly Food Markets.......

Gloucester Quays Outlets established artisan food markets are a must visit this spring/summer! Located at our stunning Gloucester Quays Outlet at Gloucester’s historic docks, the market is held on the first weekend of every month from 10am on Saturdays and 11am on Sundays. We have 30+ delightful stalls selling delicious morsels made from local, seasonal produce which are bound to set your taste buds tingling!

Award-winning food and drink producers gravitate to the Orchard Street Market naturally, making the day a feast for all the senses and introducing visitors to a new world of flavours.
But what really sets this market apart is the artisan foods, arts and crafts on offer. Irrepressible shopaholics, foodies and lovers of pretty things will adore the Orchard Street Market. From hand-made jewellery to one-off home-wares and accessories, the market offers something you don’t see every day! (just the first weekend of every month at Gloucester Quays!)

Shoppers can browse, crafters can gather inspiration, foodies can indulge and sightseers can meander the byways of the docks, dreaming of days gone by! More details at www.gloucesterquays.co.uk or by calling TEL: 01452 338901

Chelsea Celebrates in Style…

This year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show celebrated its centenary year with its usual inspirational style. This, the world’s greatest flower show is always a massive source of inspiration offering an amazing day out for gardeners, world-class or not so serious…and this year was no exception with magnificent show gardens, a breathtaking Great Pavilion and lots of tempting shopping opportunities.

Looking back to 1913, the year of the first Chelsea Flower Show, planning and planting up a garden was a very different story. Although gardeners were just as passionate about plants, there were no garden centres and class and the social scale were prominent factors. The wealthy lady of the house would visit the Chelsea Flower Show with her head gardener to source plants and place orders. Plants would eventually arrive in the autumn in boxes via the railway station. For the not so wealthy, perennials, annuals, fruit and vegetables were traded from house to house, a reason that you still see similar planting patterns along a row of cottages. Things changed when FW Woolworth and Sutton & Sons arrived in the early 1900s bringing quality seeds and plants to the High Street and after the Second World War, Chelsea broadened its social appeal. The first recognized garden centre opened in London in 1961 and the slow spread across the country surely changed the nature of the annual visit to SW3.
The RHS Chelsea Show, always spectacular, entertaining and colourful, thankfully continues to thrive offering huge inspiration to even the most casual garden lover. Plan to take your group next year 20-24 May 2014. Best Show Garden this year went to the innovative and sustainable Trailfinders Austrailian Garden presented by Fleming’s. This lovely relaxing and inviting space used native Australian plants from lush ferns to bright kangaroo paws and bottle trees.

Best Artisan Garden award went to the Japanese garden, an alcove garden with traditional tatami room. After the Fire took the Best Fresh Garden award with their interpretation of a forest regeneration. In the Great Pavilion, the Diamond Jubilee Award went to Warmenhoven for their display of alliums and amaryllis. The President’s award went to Blackmore & Langdon for their delphinium and begonia display.

There’s still time to visit one of the 2013 RHS Flower Shows.
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show takes place from 9th-14th July
RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is from 25-28 July.
The Malvern Autumn Show from 28-29 September.
RHS Harvest Festival Show from 8-9 October.
RHS Shades of Autumn from 22-23 October.
www.rhs.org.uk

Amazing Ascot…Truly Memorable......

Ascot Racecourse is synonymous with quality, excellence and superb racing. Royal Ascot this year was no exception offering first class racing on each of the five days and an eclectic mix of tradition, pageantry and style. But there’s lots more great racing and opportunities for a fantastic day out The highlights continue throughout the year as each raceday hosts a unique theme and atmosphere offering something different for groups. Enjoy the chance to dress to impress with a summer cocktail party in July, party with a concert in August, enjoy the Beer Festival or be thrilled by the spectacular fireworks in the autumn. Also on offer is the exciting finale of the Flat season, Britain’s richest raceday, QIPCO British Champions Day which takes place in October. All this complements the thrilling Flat and Jumps racing that takes place throughout the year as well as five dedicated family racedays.

Advantages of being a group booker include; generous discounts, free parking throughout the year (except Royal Ascot), a dedicated Groups team that can provide posters and images to help promote the event and free behind the scenes tours (subject to dates and availability). Furthermore, ticket packages are available that include admission, betting vouchers, racecards and drinks to make it easier on arrival plus free admission for the coach driver. Group prices, for ten people or more, start at £8 per person. Children aged 17 and under go free.

Depending on the group size, requirements, budget and the time of year, there is a range of offerings for Groups to choose from. The Groups Team can put a package together to suit all requirements, be it vouchers for a racecard, betting and a drink, afternoon tea or a three course meal. Private tours and rooms are all possible, subject to dates and availability.
Group Packages. Party Packages offer a straightforward and simple way to enjoy the full Ascot experience even for those who are new to racing - viewing, betting and refreshments are all included and planned in advance.
• Grandstand Admission ticket
• £2 Tote bet
• Racecard
• 2 Glasses of wine OR 3 pints of beer
• A free message in the racecard (based on a first come, first served basis and subject to availability)
For further information and to book: Ticket enquiries call Tel: 0844 346 3000. Website: www.ascot.co.uk Email enquiries@ascot.co.uk

Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre, Expect More Than A Zoo!.....

Enjoy a fun-filled, fascinating day out for all ages at Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre in Dorset! Open every day (except Christmas Day), groups are welcome throughout the year. With ample free parking, and discounts available to pre-booked groups, Monkey World also offers free entry and a drink to uniformed coach drivers. The 65-acre park is home to the stars of TV’s ‘Monkey Life’ and ‘Monkey Business’, and provides sanctuary for rescued and endangered primates from around the world. Some are now part of international breeding programmes for endangered species including Europe’s official orang-utan crèche.
Daily keepers’ talks provide a captivating insight into life at the park and its inhabitants - staff are so enthusiastic about what they do, giving a real feel-good factor. Pre-bookable guided tours are also available.

The park is well laid out and spacious for both humans and primates alike. Visitors while away the hours watching the monkeys and apes interact, then let the kids use up all their energy in the huge Great Ape Adventure Play Area.The Café serves good value hot and cold food or there are numerous picnic areas to be enjoyed throughout the park. Monkey World also has excellent facilities for the disabled, including electric scooters, wheelchairs, sensory statues and wheelchair swings. For more information visit www.monkeyworld.org or Tel: 01929 462537. Offering great value for money and a fun yet educational day out – make Monkey World your top destination this year!