Dover Castle Childrens Festival 7 – 11 April 2008

Dover Castle is recommended by many of our guests as a great day out.  With history covering 800 years there is much to see and do.  From April 7 – 11 there are additional activities planned.  Children will have the opportunity to dressing up and perform in plays, join in with circus skills workshops and try the cross-bow, stage combat and duelling.  With breath-taking sideshows. jesters and music it is definitely worth a visit.

Dover Castle is an English Heritage Site and members will have free entry.  For more information, prices and other events please follow the Dover Castle link.

Dover Castle is 20 minutes from Elmfield Farm Cottages

 

The Other Boleyn Girl

A star studded cast has been filming in amazing locations around Kent to produce the film The Other Boleyn Girl.  Originally written by Phillipa Gregory – it is an engrossing tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family’s power and status by courting the affections of the King of England (Eric Bana).

The Boleyn family had extensive connections with Kent – the family lived in Hever Castle, near Edenbridge,  while Henry VIII adored Knole House in Sevenoaks.  Filming also took place in Penshurst Place near Tonbridge.   Dover Castle was a vital strategic centre in the Tudor era and provides the ideal setting for the final and climatic scenes in The Other Boleyn Girl.

Directed by Justin Chadwick the film is on general release in the UK from the 7th March.

Useful Links:

• Dover Castle – 20 minutes from Elmfield
• Hever Castle - 1 hr 30 mins from Elmfield
• Penshurst Place – 1 hr 15mins  from Elmfield
• Knowle Park – 1 hr 10 mins from Sevenoaks

 

News of the Wild

Port Lympne and Howletts Animal parks have been announcing their programme of events for the comming season.

• This February half term a child can visit either of these fantastic Animal Parks for just £1 for every full paying adult.
• Port Lympne also has special dinners available for Valentines Day with a wonderful menu and live music.
• For the 2nd March there is a special Mothers Day Safari and lunch – this includes lunch and safari ride through the huge african experience enclosure.
• The ever popular CBBC programme ‘Roar’ will be returning soon to both CBBC and BBC1 in the afternoon.

For more information about this and other events please follow the link Port Lympne

Port Lympne and Howletts are 10 and 20 minutes from Elmfield Farm.

 

Orlando Bloom Backs the Marlow Theatre

Actor Orlando Bloom has been named as an honorary Patron of the New Marlowe Theatre Campaign.  This campaign aims to raise money for the development of a new theatre and centre for performing arts in Canterbury.  Orlando Bloom was born, educated and made his first acting performance in Canterbury.

The existing Marlow Theatre puts on a wide range of fantastic productions from ballet, comedy, plays and Pantomime.  More information can be found at:  Marlowe Theatre

Canterbury and the Marlow theatre can be found just 15 minutes from Elmfield Farm Cottages.

 

Gulbenkian Cinema Refurbished

Following refurbishment the Gulbenkian Cinema reopened on Monday 17 September with an exciting new season of films including the adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement and Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart starring Angelina Jolie.

Meanwhile the Gulbenkian theare continues to offer a wide range of entertainment. This includes the ever popular ‘Gruffalo’ which is being performed from the 10 – 22nd December. The Gulbenkian cafe Bar will be offering childrens meals as well as their usual menu.

The Gulbenkian can be found on the University of Kent at Canterbury Campus, which is 15 minutes from Elmfiled farm.

More information on screenings and performances can be found at: Gulbenkian Cinema and Theatre

 

Sandwich to host British Open Golf Championship 2011

The Royal and Ancient has confirmed that Royal St Georges at Sandwich will be the venue for the 2011 Open Championship. Royal St George’s, in Sandwich on England’s south-east coast, last staged the Open in 2003 when American Ben Curtis became one of the most unlikely major winners in history.

The Kent links course became the first layout outside Scotland to stage the British Open in 1894 when John H Taylor won the first of his five titles. This will be the 13th time that Sandwich has hosted the event.

Elmfield Farm is approximately 45 Minutes away from Sandwich and has numerous other golf courses locally.

For more information see:

BBC News: Open returns to Kent and Lytham

Royal St Georges

 

Folkestone Sculpture Triennial Summer 2008

The first Folkestone Sculpture Triennial will be take place from 14th June until 14 September 2008. This project has commissioned more than 20 international artists to produce work which will be displayed at key points around the town, the surrounding countryside and along the coast.The contributors include local artists, as well as Turner Prize winners and nominees. Tracey Emin , who was brought up locally, will be displaying several different pieces of artwork around Folkestone.

Folkestone is reached in 15 minutes from Elmfield Farm. This seaside town’s creative quarter is being revitalized. As well as the Sculpture Triennial Folkestone hosts an annual Literary Festival. More information can be found on the organisors website:

Creative Foundation – Sculpture Triennial

BBC News: Emin Joins Major New Arts Festival

Folkestone Literary Festival 2 – 10 November 2007