Silent Hill Dartford

Ten years ago supermarket giant (and consumerist bully) Tesco was given consent to build a new store in Dartford. Part of the deal was that Tesco had to build X-amount of housing to create an actual need for the new supermarket (at that point four already existed in the town centre alone). Shortly after, they bought up a huge chunk of Lowfield Street to build these homes on, forcing out businesses and (ironically) pre-existing home owners alike. Ten years on, due to a combination of the recession and Tesco's apathy towards Dartford once they won the battle to build there, Lowfield Street remains untouched and abandoned - a ghost street, a sad reminder of better times and an embarrassing first image to anyone new to Dartford.

Here are my photos of Ripleys Market. It was once a small market full of independent shops...now it wouldn't look out of place in a run-down area of Silent Hill. I find it both eerily beautiful and melancholic. Part of me hopes it never changes now, it touches me so much. I was too young to appreciate Ripleys when it was still open but I never imagined its fate would be this. When it finally does get demolished for 'Little Boxes' housing at least there will be a memory of Silent Hill Dartford to show the price we paid for them.

To cement the Silent Hill feel there's even a map of the town on the Life Foods wall!

What are the secrets hiding in this abandoned town? Are you brave enough to find out?

The Land of Fog and Snow

 

 

 



Shoreham Lavender Festival & Kent Chilli Farm

Last Sunday I went to the Lavender Festival at The Hop Shop, Castle Farm, Shoreham, Kent, UK (phew long address). It is only a small festival but it is one of my favourites! You can buy hundreds of lavender products from scents to ice cream but also buy other local products including cherries, strawberries, meat, preserves and cheeses. I also really recommend the smoked garlic butter from the man who comes from the Isle of Wight! There are tours of the lavender fields as well as lavender massages. The festival is free to attend but parking is £2.00 and tours and massages are extra.

The festival is over for this year but the good news is that all the products sold at the festival are available from The Hop Shop.

Even better is that the farm is right next to Lullingstone Country Park so after you have pigged out on lavender flavoured food you can go for a walk around glorious Kent! There is a 1.5 mile discovery walk especially for children, a 4 mile loop walk around Lullingstone (river and castle) and Eynsford and even a trail especially for horses. Once you're done and are hungry again you can pop into the visitor centre and have a cup of tea and cake!

Links
The Hop Shop
Lullingstone Country Park
The Garlic Farm

In the afternoon I visited the Dartford Festival where I meet our local chilli farmer (the farm is literally just a few roads away). Not only does he sell chillies but he makes sauces from them as well as sells plants and seeds so that you can grown your own. He's quite new but it's obviously a labour of love for him and his family so check him out!

Link
Kent Chilli Farm

And finally this Sunday I will be visiting the Whitstable Oyster Festival! The festival will last the whole week (21st - 27th July 2012) however the utterly epic food festival will only be on the 21st and 22nd. Maybe I'll see you there!

Link
Whitstable Oyster Festival