3rd June 2008

EVENTS IN THE SOUTH EAST OF ENGLAND IN JUNE -

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NO CROWDS BEFORE THE SCHOOLS BREAK-UP

Take advantage of less crowds and certainly less children now that the kids have gone back after half-term and explore the depths of the South East of England this June.

Visitors to the region can enjoy the following exciting events and activities taking place this month. Events detailed below are all part of Tourism South East’s special Timeless Treasures campaign, which is aimed to attract those who don’t have offspring or whose children have grown up.

Visitors can learn how to make cheese and wine in Surrey; enjoy free river trips at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show; be wowed by professional ballroom dancing in Portsmouth; get creative at the Fuse Medway Festival; celebrate the grand re-opening of St Leonards Gardens in Hastings; take a tranquil tour to the Isle of Wight with Red Funnel Ferries; and marvel at the Mid-Summer Steam Show in West Sussex.

Beale Park Thames Boat Show, River Thames, Berkshire, 6th-8th June 2008
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the River Thames in Berkshire, the Beale Park Thames Boat Show is designed to introduce and encourage people to take to the water with free river trips on the showground’s lake. There will be everything from canoes and sailing boats to steam, electric, solar and pedal powered craft. There will also be a classic car display; a food and produce court; and live music and craft’s for people to enjoy. Adult ticket prices for the boat show are £7 and also include reduced entry to the Beale Park wildlife park next door.
www.bealepark.co.uk

Cheese and wine making experience, Dorking, Surrey, selected dates from 2nd June 2008 onwards
Visitors to Surrey can enjoy an informative and enjoyable experience learning how to make wine and Norbury Blue Cheese at England’s largest vineyard. Set in 265 acres of vines in Dorking, Denbies Wine Estate offers a cheese and wine making experience that is the only type of event of its kind in the UK. The day consists of learning all about the cheese-making process. This includes full involvement from ‘cutting’ the curds and whey, to loading the moulds. In the afternoon, visitors will work in the winery with a Denbies wine expert. Instruction will be given on the blending of wine, wine styles and visitors can also create their own personalised English wine blend. Prices start from £85 per person.
www.denbiesvineyard.co.uk

Fuse Medway Festival, Kent, 31st May – 14th June 2008
The Fuse Medway Festival is a 15-day celebration of arts and creativity that is billed as different, diverse and daring. It provides a platform for talent in Medway and brings to the area some of the newest and most unusual artists from the UK and around the world. For 15 days, Medway’s venues, streets and open spaces will be filled with some of the most innovative and inspiring artists. There will be a number of daily events and activities, including a Chatham Street Arts Day; Blunderbus Theatre Company shows; a Rochester Outdoor Dance Day, and much more.
www.medway.gov.uk

Grand re-opening of St Leonards Gardens, Hastings, East Sussex, 21st June 2008
An afternoon of guided walks, talks, music, storytelling and a shortened version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is all taking place to celebrate the re-opening of St Leonards Gardens. The day will conclude after sundown with a magical open-air screening of The Secret Garden. Recently renovated with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the Gardens today offer a scenic oasis in the Maze Hill area of St Leonards, with views towards the sea. The sheme has been designed to provide colour all year round with a mixture of herbaceous plants, shrubs, bulbs and trees clustered together. Guests can bring a picnic and find out all about the history of Burtons’ St Leonards at this free event.
www.1066country.com

Simply Ballroom, Portsmouth, Hampshire, 15th June 2008
The Sensational Ballroom Dance Spectacular in Portsmouth features a cast of international championship dancers with choreography by TV’s Strictly Come Dancing stars Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag. The Simply Ballroom production fuses live theatre with the colour and spectacle of ballroom dance. Showcasing the talents of the cast through a number of styles, including the Cha Cha, Salsa, Rumba, Quickstep to name a few, it is a great event to enjoy and pick up some new moves in the process. Adult tickets cost £20.50.
www.visitportsmouth.co.uk

Unwind on the Isle of Wight with Red Funnel, daily from 2nd June 2008
Spring and early summer are some of the most beautiful times to visit the Isle of Wight. With over half the Island designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a network of footpaths that stretches over 500 miles, it’s the perfect place to unwind and embrace tranquillity. Alternatively, if visitors are looking for somewhere to be spoilt then they can make the most of the Island’s fine restaurants, gastropubs, art galleries and historic houses. Red Funnel Ferries has return fares from Southampton to East Cowes from £30 for a car and four passengers. An adult day return for a foot passenger costs £16.60 and £5.70 for a child.
www.redfunnel.co.uk

Mid-Summer Steam Show, Amberley Working Museum, West Sussex, 14th-15th June 2008
It’s ‘full steam ahead’ at the Amberley Working Museum this June, as it showcases a previously ‘unseen’ group of steam engines to the general public for the first time. There will be 17 full size engines in attendance at the Mid-Summer Steam Show, including the Museum’s Smiths of Rodley steam crane, which will be giving demonstrations alongside a steam drive saw bench. This year a road rolling display will be given to enhance the portfolio of live steam scenarios. The event includes entry to the Museum, where visitors can explore the whole of the 36 acre open-air site, including a free working vintage bus service, narrow-gauge railway, roadmaking exhibition, an electricity hall and much more. Adult tickets cost £9.30 and over 60s cost £8.30.
www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

-Ends-

For further details on Tourism South East, its Timeless Treasures campaign and places to stay from B&Bs to luxury hotels, please see:
www.visitsoutheastengland.com/site/timeless-treasures

For media information, please contact:

Susie Tempest at susie@saltmarshpr.co.uk

Sarah Habicht at sarah@saltmarshpr.co.uk

Tel: 020 7928 1600
Fax: 020 7928 1700

The Saltmarsh Partnership
The Copperfields
25d Copperfield Street
London SE1 0EN