Susan Calman's Grand Day Out

This time Susan and her campervan Helen are hitting the highways of beautiful Kent, pootling around Canterbury and the Garden of England. It's got the makings of a wonderful adventure for Susan as she visits iconic spots, immerses herself in exciting pastimes, and falls in love with the incredible scenery of this wondrous county.

She kicks off her adventure at the mighty Hever Castle. It was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and boasts some award-winning gardens. But it is also home to a 7000-yard Golf Course, the brainchild of one of the world's richest men. It's a place of beauty- but also of fun, as Susan realises she can offer a helping hand. She's a keen gardener- and who doesn't love a ride-on mower? From here, she heads to the medieval city of Canterbury and joins the punts which journey along the River Stour. It's a lovely, relaxing trip- though, as she discovers, there's a few low-level bridges that need navigated.

Then it's a stop at Canterbury Cathedral, site of the incredible story of Thomas Beckett and the reason why Canterbury became the premier place for a medieval pilgrimage. Here too, she discovers that medieval souvenirs are still made using authentic methods. She quickly commissions her own ‘pilgrim badge'- but as she helps to make it, she realises it involves pouring molten metal. And, that when you're told not to touch something hot, it's the only thing you can think of doing…

As the Garden of England, Kent place host to the UK's National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm. It's cherry season- and here they have no fewer than 320 varieties. Apparently, it was King Henry VIII who first coined the term ‘Garden of England', after tasting some of the local cherries. Many of them are indeed quite lovely- but there's one Susan hasn't come across before that gives new meaning to the word ‘sour'. It seems that's how they liked them in Tudor times…

In Penshurst, she tries her well-gloved hand at the noble art of fencing- and learns that this very place was the site of a famous movie duel, played out in the classic film, ‘The Princess Bride'. She can't resist her own recreation. Then, she stops at one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, the idyllic Sandwich, to hear how the eponymous local delicacy first got its name- and to sample the local speciality for herself. She finishes at the spectacular St Peter's Tower, giving a 360-degree view of this stunning town- and she has a final reflection on the glories of the Garden of England. It's been all she could want from a Grand Day Out.