Read all about it! The latest events and celeb spots across Kent
Hot goss and celeb spotting across Kent. We bring you news of who’s headlining this summer’s hottest festival, private garden tours designed by Chelsea’s best-in-show and events to book now.
CELEB GOSS
The UK’s only country music festival, Black Deer is returning to Eridge Park in Tunbridge Wells on 14 – 16 June. Headlining 2024 is country superstar, Sheryl Crow (above) alongside Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, British country duo The Shires, Irish folk band Villagers, Seastick Steve, Hermanos Gutierrez, Nottingham indie band Divorce, and Irish ‘western noir’ artist Holly Macve and LOTS more! Tier two tickets (day and weekend that includes glamping) are on sale NOW and selling fast. So bag your ticket pronto.
Happy Birthday Holly! To celebrate, she visited no other than Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near you and enjoyed a safari-style weekend to mark turning 43. We have intel that Holly and her family stayed at the luxe Lion Lodge (Cheryl Tweedy and Rio Ferdinand are also fans!) with log fires and an enormous picture window so you can get up-close and watch the lions with their cubs. Their time in the Wildlife Park included meeting the tigers, cheetahs and rhinos and they even enjoyed a Giraffe Encounter where they got to feed them their favourite snack, ending all the fun with a delicious afternoon tea. Sounds like the perfect birthday trip to us!
Have you been loving the re-run of Gladiators? Cos we are! It’s a slice of nostalgia – back to the simple days of easy entertainment, Lycra and good sportsmanship. And who doesn’t LOVE a house tour? Well get ready to be nosey as Gladiators’ Legend Matt Morsia has opened the doors to his newly renovated home in Hythe with a large home cinema, state-of-the-art kitchen and a fully equipped gym. Watch the full house tour.
Spot Penshurst Place & Gardens on your screens from Fri 29 March. Renegade Nell, a new period-based adventure fantasy series is coming to Disney+, written by BAFTA-award-winning Sally Wainwright (seen Happy Valley or Gentlemen Jack?) and starring Louise Hardland (as if you haven’t seen Derry Girls). Penshurst Place was the chosen backdrop where they filmed many of the scenes including The Crypt that turned into a candle factory, the Panelled Room which acted as a study and bedroom of Nell’s adversary and the Inner Courtyard portrayed some of the grounds at Poynton’s Broadwater Hall. We can’t wait!
BOOK LOVER
Spent your weekend sobbing while watching Netflix’s brilliant adaptation of One Day? Well the very same bestselling and beloved writer, David Nicholls will be at Sevenoaks Bookshop on Fri 3 May to introduce his new book, You Are Here. It’s a love story which unfolds on a walk across the north of England, the story of two lonely people, both a little lost and wary of new company. But, over many miles, as they start to talk and share stories, the possibility of a new beginning opens up before them. You’ll laugh out loud and be devastatingly moved on the same page.
Local author and New York Times bestseller, Sandie Jones has a brand new book The Trade Off, being published on 28 March, a thrilling journey into the grittiness of tabloid journalism. It’s an addictive, page-turning psychological thriller about how far a journalist will go to get the story. Hey, if it’s good enough for Reese Witherspoon?
DIARIES OUT!
Diaries out! There’s not 1 but 4 events you need on your radar in the upcoming months…
Time for your new season style update? Don’t miss this Spring Gathering on Tues 27 Feb at One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells at 11am for a Fashion and Make-up Presentation with local stylist Victoria Genevieve and Grace Fodor, founder of Studio10 Beauty. Learn how to wear your capsule wardrobe for 2024 and how to wear less makeup and look better – an all round approach to less is more! Tickets are £35, book now.
Mum’s The Word are launching a brand new fashion event called Project Pre-Loved on Weds 24 April. Set the alarms as rails and shopping tickets go on sale on Weds 28 Feb at 10am! Taking place at The Manor House in Tunbridge Wells, the event will hold 26 stalls of pre-loved fashion as well as local jewellery makers and independent/local fashion brands plus a few fun extras too including street food and DJ Ali on the decks for your 90s/00s requests! 10% of ticket sales will be donated to Refugease and any unsold stock can be donated to Refugease at the end of the night. Save the date!
Plus there’s Eating Well Made Easy with The Heath Boost on Sat 20 April. This is a practical 3-hour workshop for busy individuals looking to master food prep and planning. Val and Kat will share their nutrition knowledge and love of food while providing practical tips to implement easily at home. This workshop will be fun and ideal for health conscious busy individuals looking to master food shopping, planning and prepping. From 9.30am. Tickets are £55.
Or for the green-fingered amongst you, don’t miss this unique opportunity to tour a garden designed and planted by Chelsea’s Best-In-Show Winner Tom Stuart-Smith. Yotes Court’s private garden will be open for 6 exclusive tours from April to September. Enjoy a 2-hour tour around this 20-acre garden that was completely re-landscaped in 2010 under the watchful eye of English Heritage to create a garden to complement and enhance the beauty of this Grade 1 listed property. Marvel at the year-round structure created by the pleached lines, the topiary, the hedging, and hard landscaping. Tours begin from 10:30am for £40pp. There’s limited availability so book asap.
HOT DISCOUNT
Fancy 25% OFF a facial? Is your skin looking dull and congested? Yup ours too! Take some time out for some TLC at No.6 Clinic in Tunbridge Wells, they offer a wide range of wonderful treatments plus you can get 25% off your first treatment – just mention Muddy so need we say anymore? We seriously rate their Hydro Red Carpet Facial, read our review here.
WHAT’S NEW?
Let’s go glamping! These brand new luxury glamping pods are now available to book at Mount Ephraim Gardens in Faversham. The pods are perfect for two or a family of 4 and feature a comfy double bed and sofa bed with modern conveniences including a fully equipped kitchen and modern bathroom. Each pod has its own unique character and features but both have countryside views of their family fruit farm, a private decking area with seating overlooking the farm, outdoor fire pit and hammock, designated parking area and are dog-friendly! There’s also two fabulous pubs just under a 10 min walk away. Prices start from £100 for a winter mid-week stay. Contact: lucy@mountephraimglamping.co.uk or call 07899 877206.
Time for a new you? Personal Stylist, Arabella will help restore your mojo and inject some colour and personality into your wardrobe so if you’re stuck in a style rut or in need of an injection of confidence, listen up! Arabella has a brand new personal styling space (above) which is such a friendly space – the colour of the walls is even called ‘friendly peach’! She’s welcoming clients in every week for her signature colour analysis service, helping you to find the right colours to wear for your skin tone and totally transform how you look and feel. Plus she can help with event styling in advance of a wedding, a date or an interview with her exceptional knowledge on the impact of colour, finding clothes to fit your body shape, style and even makeup tips.
Finally, the much-loved Kent wedding venue, The Ferry House, has announced plans to build a beautiful new wedding barn in time for spring 2026 weddings. Set beside the stunning Swale estuary between the wild meadows and wetlands of the Isle of Sheppey, it’s truly stunning. So if you’re a 2026 bride, be one of the first to use this gorgeous new Wedding Barn. More details coming soon!