The nearby town of Margate has an old city centre packed with unique places to eat and shop. On the seafront is the Turner Contemporary - a satellite of London's Turner gallery, which attracts thousands of visitors each year (and has some very good workshops and interactive exhibitions for children). There are other quirky attractions in Margate including the Shell Grotto and the Mad Hatters Tea Shop. A very short drive away are places with visitor appeal such as Quex Park- museum, craft village, mini-golf and soft play centre, the Hornby Visitor Centre and the Spitfire Museum. Beyond the immediate area are dozens of attractions of historic and national interest from castles such as Deal and Walmer to zoos like Wingham Wildlife Park, to ancient towns full of historical references such as Dickens' Broadstairs and Canterbury with its Cathedral and connections with Medieval England. There is an amazing wealth of places to visit within a short drive, many of them beloved by our children, such that it is impossible to list more than a few, and having spent holidays here for many years we have still not covered them all: for example we only recently discovered the small but excellent museum in Dover, which houses the world's oldest surviving seagoing boat.