Leeds Castle
Sam Watling
WIN A FREE DAY OUT DURING THE KENT BIG WEEKEND
The 12th Kent Big Weekend takes place on the 24th and 25th March , when more than 100 attractions will fling open their doors for free to thousands of lucky ticket holders as a way of helping Kent residents to rediscover the host of amazing things to see and do in their home county .
This year , a record breaking 128 attractions have donated just under 18,000 pairs of tickets to the weekend , and a range of exciting activities and experiences are on offer including entrance to Leeds Castle , Hever Castle , Dreamland Margate , Dover Castle , Port Lympne Reserve , Howletts Wild Animal Park , Wingham Wildlife Park , The Historic Dockyard Chatham , Rochester Cathedral , Ashford Designer Outlet , Romney , Hythe and Dymchurch Railway , Canterbury Cathedral , various vineyards , and several National Trust properties .
Experiences on offer include close encounters for animal lovers , brewery and vineyard tours and tastings , high-speed boat trips , rounds of golf , family activities , river tours , railway adventures and shopping experiences .
Kent residents can bid for available tickets to as many attractions as they wish until Sunday 11th March . Two tickets per household will then be allocated by random ballot to the lucky winners ( some family tickets will be available as well ).
Lucky ticket holders will also be encouraged to snap a selfie at their Big Weekend destination for the chance to win even more prizes !
VOTE FOR YOUR LOCAL TOURISM SUPERSTAR
Kent Skatepark manager , Sam Watling has been revealed as one of 10 finalists for VisitEngland ’ s annual Tourism Superstar award , run in conjunction with The Daily Mirror .
Now in its seventh year , the Tourism Superstar competition recognises the dedication and passion of those working in the tourism industry as part of English Tourism Week . It is awarded to one individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure visitors to England have an unforgettable experience .
Sam started working at Revolution Skatepark in Thanet upon leaving school 10 years ago . He has become a passionate advocate of not
only teaching skateboarding skills but also in promoting the local areas to his visitors and customers .
Voting closes at midnight on 20th March with the overall winner to be announced as part of English Tourism Week on 24th March , so make sure to skate over to The Daily Mirror ’ s website to vote for Sam before then .
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ON SOCIAL
The now traditional send off for English Tourism Week , the ‘ Big Tweetend ’ takes place over the last weekend of the week and encourages everyone from tourism businesses to loyal locals to post their English Tourism Week images on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook using the hashtags # ETW18 and # BigTweetend . So , why not get involved and share your fondest photos of Kent – or indeed , your favourite staycation spot across the country .
49