Free treats in store for the bank holiday



Turner Contemporary in Margate

Keith Marshall

We were away at the weekend so we didn't get to try any free things on offer - booo. Let me know if you did.

I have rooted out some great things for this bank holiday weekend . . . I really can't wait! Here are some of the best:

Saturday

Dawn chorus walk at Mote Park, Maidstone
5 - 8.30am

Flower festival (also Sunday and Monday)
The Drive Methodist Church Sevenoaks
10am - 5pm

Broadstairs May Fair (also Sunday and Monday)
From 10am

Rochester Chimney Sweeps' festival (also Sunday and Monday)

Family craft session
Edenbridge Library, Church Street, Edenbridge TN8 5BD
(10.30am - 12pm)

Sunday

Early Birds at Cobtree Manor Park, Aylesford
5.30 - 7.30am

Turner and the elements exhibition opens
Turner Contemporary, Margate

Moth man at Bough Beech

A chocolate tip moth (gailhampshire)

We dodged the showers on Sunday and met Alan the moth man at Bough Beech reservoir. He had set up traps on Saturday night and was showing all the moths he had caught.

It was a bit chilly on Saturday so he didn't have as many as he'd hoped. But we got to see quite a few furry, sleeping moths including a rare chocolate tip, that lots of people stopped off to see on their way through the visitors' centre.

So now I feel a little bit like an expert - there is no real difference between moths and butterflies, moths can fly in the day, and some can't eat.

The centre has a little cafe (hooray!) and a shop. It's also got a few activities for children - the snake skin and microscope combo were a great hit with Calum.

Alan will be showing off some more moths on Sunday 27 May from 10am until 12pm. There are more free (and cheap) events at Bough Beech this spring - and there are lots of walks to try out too.

The bee house at Bough Beech

Bough Beech
Ide Hill
Sevenoaks
Kent TN14 6LD

Free parking

So many free things to look forward to this week . . . and this summer!

I've been making the most of the rainy weather this week and used the time to look for free things to do over the next few months.

The more I looked, the more excited I got - there are absolutely lots of festivals, carnivals and street parties to look forward to in the next few months.

I'm going to try to let you know about them before they happen so you don't miss out on some great days out.

Let me know if you hear of any so I can share them with other no price taggers!

Here is just a selection of some of the free things that are happening this week:

Monday:
Baby Bounce and Rhyme for non-walkers
11.30 - 12.15
Spring House, Sevenoaks TN13 1LQ

Check out your local singing groups here

Tuesday:
Little Stars play activities for children under 5
2 - 3.15pm
Halstead Community Primary School, Otford Lane, Halstead TN14 7EA

Wednesday:
Story time
11.15 - 11.45am
Sevenoaks Library, TN13 1LQ

Check out your local story times here

Thursday:
Ramble with ranger
10am - 12pm
Cobtree Manor Park, Aylesford ME20 7AE

Friday:
Literary Walk
2.30 - 4pm
Meet at Tunbridge Wells Museum and Gallery, TN1 1JN

Saturday:
Quarry Wood in spring (a guided walk around the wood)
10am - 12pm
Maidstone ME15 0NH

Ramble with ranger
10am - 12pm
Cobtree Manor Park, Aylesford ME20 7AE

Sunday:
Open day at Teston Bridge Country Park
11am - 3pm
Teston, Maidstone ME18 5BX 

Craft corner at Tunbridge Wells Museum and Gallery
1pm - 3pm
Tunbridge Wells Museum and Gallery, TN1 1JN

Where are your favourite playgrounds?

I'm on the hunt for the best playgrounds in Kent for a big no price tags feature next month - just in time for the holidays and hopefully a bit of sunshine! Where are your favourites??

Kites at Greatness

So windy today so we took our kite down to Greatness playing fields. We were the only people there (except a couple of dog walkers and some skaters) so we had the whole field to ourselves.

The playing fields are much nicer than they were - we had a go on the swings but didn't have time to feed the ducks at the lovely tidied up Mill Pond.

It was a great, spur of the moment afternoon that we all really enjoyed.

If you like kite flying look out for the Kite Festival at Teston Bridge Park on Saturday 11 August and a giant kite festival in Margate in September.

Greatness Recreation Ground
Mill Lane
Sevenoaks TN14 5BX
Free parking

No price tags on Facebook

No price tags has a Facebook page - like it and you can keep up to date with my blog and find out about free things to do in Kent before they happen.

A collection of collections at the Kaleidoscope Gallery

I have never been a collector (I was always quite jealous of my cousin's pig collection when I was little, but never had the staying power to have one of my own . . .)

Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery is showing off a collection of collections this month - from frogs and owls to comic books and teddy bears. It's quite interesting to see what people have decided to spend their time hunting for and cherishing.

Each collection has a little tale about why the collector started and which pieces are really important to them. I like all that!

Orla liked the shiny shells (downstairs in the library) and the stuffed wild cat (which I actually think is not part of the exhibition).

There's a little area with owl pictures to colour in. Take a look when you're there and see if you can find Orla's . . .

Sevenoaks Library
Buckhurst Lane
Sevenoaks TN13 1LQ

Whoop whoop! I've made the shortlist!!

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Please vote for me (again!) here. Fill in your details and check No price tags in the Go category before April 30.

Fingers crossed . . .

Planes and helicopters on my Kent big weekend . . .

Hundreds of free tickets to attractions in Kent are up for grabs once a year as part of my Kent big weekend.

We've never entered the draw before, but this year I was very organised and put us down for some really great days out - Eagle Heights, Riverhill Gardens, horse riding, rock climbing. You name it, we were up for it.

The draw took place, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed when the email arrived to say where we were going.

We headed off to the RAF Manston Museum, just outside Ramsgate. Perhaps the attraction furthest away from our house and I really wasn't all that excited by the prospect of a day of old planes.

We even toyed with stopping off at Whitstable instead, but I never turn down a freebie so we perservered.

I'm really pleased we did - the visitors' centre has a renovated spitfire which Calum and Orla really loved. There a hundreds of little things to look at - and each one has a story that the great volunteers there are really happy to tell you about. Calum even got to ring the bell on the WW2 fire engine.

That part of the museum is completely free too.

The main part is in an old aircraft hangar - it costs a whopping £1.50 each when you don't have free tickets.

We got to peer inside some old aeroplanes, look at RAF motorbikes and cars, and get freaked out by models of people in bunkers.

I must say I felt a bit stingy not paying because, although it is great and Calum and Orla had a brilliant day, the museum does feel a bit old and tired. It looks like it needs a bit of TLC - I'm not sure how many £1.50s it will take though.

RAF History Museum
Manston Road
Ramsgate
Kent CT12 5DF
T: 01843 825224