Trip Suggestions
SHIRLEY TAYLOR – TRIP SUGGESTION:
As we are all having to stay at home at the moment I would like to suggest for consideration to Jean and Coral, Day Trip Organisers, a Day Trip to Castle Farm, Kent, for when things get back to normal giving me something different to think about and look forward to.
THE START OF THE HOP SHOP: Castle Farm is a family farm based near the pretty village of Shoreham in North Kent. Through the years a large variety of crops have been grown on this land including; the Savoy Cabbage, Plums, Lucerne, Parsnips, Marrows, Potatoes and of course, Apples and Hops, which they still grow today. The Hop Shop was founded in 1985 when the owner’s recognised the demand for Hops as interior decoration – not just for beer. By 1990, The Hop Shop was a major producer of dried flowers, growing over 70 different flowers and won many awards, including 5 consecutive Gold Medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The horticultural expertise in growing flowers is still evident today in the miles of Lavender rows you can now see in the fields! This award-winning farm shop has developed on from selling just dried flowers and floral decorations, and now also sells the farm’s own beef, apples, pumpkins, apple juice, hops, dried flowers, Kentish Lavender and honey, along with carefully selected gifts, cards, crafts, seasonal decorations, food hampers and local, traceable produce (such as asparagus, strawberries, cherries and raspberries).
CASTLE FARM TODAY: Castle Farm is busy, working 1,100 acre farm with crops of wheat, barley, rapeseed, hops, apples, pumpkins, lavender and a grass-fed herd of beef cattle. They are the largest producers of Lavender in the UK, with a specialised distillery on site, allowing us to extract the precious essential oils within hours of the crop being harvested. Their traditional hop gardens have been customised to allow them to grow Hop Bines best suited for interior decoration, with wide rows allowing more sunlight and even flower growth. Growing both relaxing Lavender and soporific Hops, it made sense for them to combine these two calming elements to develop their Natural Sleep range, which has proved incredibly popular in helping people active a deeper sleep.
CHRISTINE SMYTH - TRIP SUGGESTION
My husband and I recently made a visit to the Paper Mill Lock & Tearooms at Little Baddow near Chelmsford. It was very nice and there is the opportunity to have a nice walk along the river. We felt it was a safe place to visit and we thought it would be good to recommend to other Members of Thurrock U3A who may be feeling a bit housebound and are only visiting Supermarkets and Garden Centre's at the moment. The post code for anyone wishing to make a visit under their own steam in the current circumstances is CM3 4BS. It is worth consideration as a place that could be tacked on to visiting somewhere else for a Thurrock U3A trip when we get back to normal whenever that may be.