A Hint of Autumn

Mum and I headed to Maidstone in search of some kitchen scales and a new printer. We started with coffee in a large Tesco's before being rudely interrupted by the fire alarm. After much milling around we were allowed back into the store, only for the alarm to go off again some 10 mins later. This time they shut the doors and asked us to move away from the building, so along with many others, we got into the car and left!

A nearby garden centre was the next port of call, where we picked up some plants and sandwiches for lunch. I hoped to find somewhere to picnic by the river, but couldn't find anywhere to park. Instead I noticed the entrance to a park and turned in on the off chance, to find Cobtree Manor Park. Once we got away from the highly popular play areas, we found open green spaces with woodland and an arboretum. Information panels and a large building, an Elephant House, told us that this had originally been Maidstone Zoo, owned by the wonderfully named Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake, and opened by the circus owner Bertram Mills in 1934. It was visited by a series of famous people over the years, including the likes of Gracie Fields who named a baby elephant Sally! The Zoo closed in 1959 due to rising costs.

Walking round the park, the trees are just beginning to turn with hints of autumn colour in the bright sun, as seen by this wonderfully patterned leaf