A Little Kentish Magic

Seeking out little moments of magic amidst the humdrum of every day life.

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  • A to Z of Kent: C is for Cliffe (with a bonus stop in Cooling)

    Cliffe probably wouldn’t have made it onto the random generator if it hadn’t been for a conversation with my younger son recently, in which we both talked about wanting to visit Cooling (for reasons which will become apparent). It is quite difficult to reach by public transport (as is Cooling!) but he has a car,… Read more

  • A to Z of Kent: B is for Bekesbourne

    There were a LOT of towns and villages beginning with the letter B, many of which we had never heard of. We eliminated the majority however because they were either too small, too difficult to reach by public transport, were residential conurbations of bigger towns, or, in the case of Bromley and Bexleyheath, decreed by… Read more

  • Kent Coast Walk Part 12: Margate to Birchington-on-Sea

    After almost missing my train because there was a queue at the one counter that was open and the ticket machine didn’t recognise Birchington as a destination (the chap on the barrier told me that this was a common problem as I speedily tried to purchase a ticket online), I arrived in Margate where the… Read more

  • Kent Coast Walk Part 11: Broadstairs to Margate

    I had been dithering over whether to tackle this next section of walk. It comes in at around 10km and I wasn’t really sure whether I had built up enough stamina to tackle that distance yet. I decided to risk it, take it slowly and have plenty of stops. I was awake early, so packed… Read more

  • A – Z of Kent: A is for Aylesham

    “Hey,” my daughter messaged me one day. “How about doing a blog series called the A – Z of Kent? We can work our way through the alphabet, visiting towns and villages beginning with each letter.” Of course I loved the idea and couldn’t wait to begin. We decided that our destinations would be picked… Read more

  • The Darent Valley Path From Shoreham to Eynsford (The Walk That Keeps On Giving!)

    We have a lot of books of walks, and are constantly discovering new ones online, but it is very easy to fall into a routine of the same familiar favourites – especially when we are reliant on public transport, so travelling a bit further afield can sometimes seem a bit of an effort. Whenever we… Read more

  • A Mini Break to Stamford: Four Counties, Angel Roofs And A Stately Home

    I am so fickle. Two nights away in Stamford, South Lincolnshire and it’s my new favourite town (outside of Kent!). It was my turn to organise a surprise destination for our half term mini break and I am feeling pretty smug that I absolutely nailed it! I’ve never really thought of Lincolnshire as a destination… Read more

  • A Week Of National Days

    My stress and anxiety has been running high just lately, and in a bid to find something to focus on, and following the success of our Sussex Day celebration, I decided that it would be fun to spend a whole week celebrating random National Days. If you look online there are National Days for absolutely… Read more

  • Celebrating Sussex Day

    Sussex Day is celebrated on 16th June, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester: a day to appreciate the rich heritage and culture of the county. Obviously it is not quite such a great county as Kent, but it is our neighbour, and the paternal line on my dad’s side of the family all… Read more

  • Kent Coast Walk Part 10: Ramsgate to Broadstairs

    I have always been very attached to Ramsgate, maybe because it is somehow rooted in my DNA. My maternal great grandparents used to holiday in the town every summer, travelling from their Lambeth home with their six sons (one of whom was my grandfather), on the steamer from London Bridge. The steamer would stop at… Read more