Thursday 6th September - Chatham, Dicken’s World, Antiques Roadshow

I was heading (south) east and found myself in Chatham – well the outskirts of the town. There were new office buildings and signs for a marina and so it seemed a good place to go and explore. I got the signs completely wrong and ended up in the bus park squashed between two buses. I found the car park for something called Dicken’s World and assumed it was a theme park around Dickens who was born in Chatham. But other than the sign with the name but it was harder to find any trace of Dickens. There were bars and restaurants and a shopping centre. There was a theatre but I didn’t bother to find out the day’s events. There seem to be a lot of tribute bands. There was plenty of parking. There also seemed to be a lot of empty office space, the as yet unglazed windows covered in signs talking about ‘exciting opportunities’ but a distinct lack of excitement on show. The old boatyard is now a shopping centre and plenty of people coming along looking for a bargain. I realised that Dickens World offers what people want most – easy parking, a bit of entertainment, places to eat and drink plus a few bargains. And it was popular, plenty of people rummaging through the racks of clothing and looking for a great deal. It made me realise why many high streets are struggling – parking is too difficult and expensive, it’s easier to head to the edge of town rather than stay in the centre. As I as about to leave I saw signs for Antiques Roadshow, in Chatham that day and only the other side of the roundabout. So off I went and whilst it was only a roundabout apart the world was different. Here was the Royal Dockyard Chatham. Whereas I’d just left the Victorian dockyards, these were the earlier, Georgian dockyards. Today the car park is full. Antiques Roadshow has come to town and people are queuing to be seen. For me it’s perfect; the presence of the roadshow means that access to the dockyards is free. How could I resist? I wander among the queues of people waiting with their potential treasures in hand. It’s interesting to see how it all works. There are antiques dealers as you enter (and the queues here are longest), they check what you have and then tell people where to go to find the appropriate expert. There are plenty more queues as people wait to meet the experts. Each has a table and umbrella (shelter in foul and fair weather) and an expert. A lucky few are chosen to be on the telly and there are plenty of people queuing. From Chatham I drive through Whitstable, Herne Bay (where my grandmother lived when her family returned from India) and then down to Canterbury. There are the usual shopping centre shops and many ancient buildings. There is a house that is so off centre you wonder how it stands. With such extraordinary angles it must induce feelings of drunkenness from within. I’d planned to stay in Canterbury but there are few hotels. This seems odd for a city that attracts so many visitors. I give up on my attempt to find a room for the night in the city and head out to a village pub for the night.