Pigging in Kent

11 July 2005 ~ 11:27

You may remember we visited the centre last summer, but as everything was so rushed because it was a long journey, we decided to stay overnight this time so we could take our time. We took a bus from the flat to Orpington where we caught a train to Ashford. From there we got a taxi to the hotel.

Our room wasn�t ready when we arrived so we had a drink in the hotel bar and went shopping in the next-door Sainsburys. Unfortunately the room still wasn�t cleaned once we returned, so we left our bags with reception and got a taxi to the Rare Breeds Centre.

My first stop was of course to see The Tamworth Two, those famous piggies that escaped from the abattoir. Butch and Sundance were out this time, rooting around in their little paddock, so I was able to get a good look at them and stroke them. Being half-wild boar, half-Tamworth pig, they are huge and very bristly with little tusks.

We also visited the butterfly house and cottage gardens, and saw a mother pig with eleven tiny, tiny black piglets all struggling to get at mum�s milk bar. There were baby goats and calves, chipmunks, lots of rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, chickens, geese, horses, llamas and sheep. We had lunch in the restaurant then went to see the piglet racing.

Five black piglets with different coloured ribbons around their necks raced each other to see who would get back to the pen first. Of course they had to be tempted with a bucket of pig nuts and a volunteer from the crowd was chosen to run down the track rattling the bucket. Children were also chosen to lead the pigs back from the end of the track to the pen. Boy, did those pigs go when they caught a whiff of the food. It was really funny and interesting and, by the way, my pig, the green ribbon, came third.

We got a cab back to the hotel at 5 pm, went straight up to the room and got changed into our bikinis. Then we headed to the fitness centre, which had an air conditioned gym, a small pool, Jacuzzi and sauna. First I had a little swim, and the water was very warm. Mum and I spent a long time in the enormous spa bath (it was as large as the one at the Holiday Inn in Elmhurst, Illinois). It was also pretty damn hot, but we got used to it after a while. Then we sat in the loungers by the window where the sun was streaming in. We quickly dried off.

By the time we had got changed it was time to go down for dinner which we had in the hotel pub. We had baked potatoes and there was enough to save some to take home for the rats.

The next morning we had another session in the Jacuzzi, then it was time to go home. We always enjoy the train journey from Ashford to Orpington because the Kent countryside is so gorgeous, with the oast houses that are quite unique to the area�historically they were used to store hops for beer.

I do hope I can take Mark for a weekend away in Ashford before the summer is out. I know he�d enjoy it very much.


Stored nuts | Future acorns