Taking a coach party to Ashford

[Chancer]

I couldn't decide where to post this so the moderators are free to move it to a more appropriate location if need be.

In April my French tutor and I will be taking 41 of her students (she teaches English and French at the lycee to motor vehicle trainees between the ages of 14 and 18) to visit a similar college in Ashford.

We will be finished there about 14.00 and we are looking for suggestions of what to do in the afternoon, we will be travelling by coach via the tunnel so will have transport.

At the moment we are considering visiting a shopping center and then to eat together somewhere before the return journey, we would prfer it to be an enclosed  shopping mall (less chance of losing them) that has a cafe or similar. Whilst the kids will undoubtedly enjoy Macdonalds we would prefer to find something different to what they already experience.

We have discussed buying sandwiches, snacks, drinks etc in a supermarket but are left with the problem of where 41 adolescents could sit to eat them.

As you can tell I have never been to Ashford so do not know what is there (we are surmising that there would be a shopping mall nearby), can anybody who knows the area make any suggestions for the above or any other places of interest, things to do, bearing in mind that we will be on a limited budget.

Many thanks

 

[Ron Avery]

There really isn't a lot to do in Ashford except for a visit to the McArthur Glen Designer Centre just outside the town past the railway station and next to Asda,  there is a free bus from Bank Street in the town centre, the Designer centre does have a food mart which can cope with 41 teenagers and worth a visit  there is also County Square with a few shops in the town centre, but to be honest I always shopped in Maidstone or Canterbury, the town centre is that good.

I lived in Ashford for 30 years and on the train from London we often joked about a running a sightseeing tour bus, but after the old railway works, the windmill, the Sports cenrtre,  closed for a refurb two years ago and still not open, we reckoned it would take a 5 minute non-stop trip.

[Chancer]

Ron

Could you make some recommendations if we were to go to Canterbury?

[Meg]

 Couldn't you go to the sea-side.............amusements arcades and all! (if anything like this is open). Oh and feed them fish and chips!!

Louise

[Chancer]

Fish and chips is a great idea and if eaten at the seaside (rather than outside some neighbourhood chippy) we wouldn't have to worry about anything kicking off with the local "hoodies"!

Do they have a seaside anywhere in Kent? (tongue in cheek!) I come from Sussex and thought that seaside and beaches ended at Camber Sands.

Keep the ideas coming everybody

[Meg]

New Romney and Whistable, are only ones i've ever been to. Not from round there though, so couldn't tell you any further about what is open and when.

I reckon they'd love it! C'est tres Anglais!

Louise

[Ron Avery]

[quote user="J.R."]

Ron

Could you make some recommendations if we were to go to Canterbury?

[/quote]

It really depends what the kids want, and how much money they will have to spend, Mc Arthur Glen Designer outlet at Ashford  is cheap for "designer" clothes and sports stuff, Nike Addidas etc but not giveaway, but it has a big food hall.  Canterbury has a bit more to offer the tourist, the Cathedral obviously, the old high street and a shopping centre etc and it is on the way home, A2 is  adjacent, Canterbury is a student town and used to hosting parties of French  kids I would not worry about problems with local hoodies in the afternoon.  Another suggestion  if you have the time is a visit to the Romney,  Hythe and Dymchurch Railway,  New Romney or Hythe is not far from Ashford and a trip up to Dungeness on the small steam trains might be a novelty with good fish and chips, if that is what you want,  available opposite New Romney Station.

[Missy]

Bluewaters shopping precinct - everything you wanted and didn't know you wanted under one roof! ... Dover Castle... Whitstable, Herne Bay..., Canterbury cathedral, Chaucer experience... loadza shopping to do in Canterbury in a smallish area so easy enough to not lose everyone.

[Chancer]

Thanks Ron

Having met and talked with some of the classes it was the local hoodies that I was worried for!

A lot of these kids are from very disadvantaged backgrounds, but that said in the lycee they were very well behaved and respectful much more so than my tech college class of 1975. 

Money is an issue, most wont have any and that would cause jealousy and problems for those that will have, the trip is being funded because if they had to contribute none would go, for this reason my tutor has provisionally budgetted 7 euros per head for the meal and intends buying 41 identical meals wherever we go, so clearly no fussy eaters or vegetarians amongst them!

[Haventgotone]

Hi J.R.

Some thoughts for you if you do consider taking the kids to Herne Bay.

I came from Herne Bay and most things should be open in April and gearing up towards the summer visitors - but suspect that a trip to the main  seaside areas might be difficult with 14 - 18 yr olds as I imagine they would want to make a beeline for the arcades.

Hopefully the weather will be kind for you.

There is a nice park near the town centre where they could play football to use up some energy (for free) there is a pond, tennis courts and the usual swings and so on. There is also a fish and chip shop a few minutes walk away -  7 euro budget should just about be possible for meal plus a can of pop.  

If the seaside is a must, may I suggest that you head for the less commercial  areas - The Downs is beautiful,  mainly residential with a huge expanse of grass leading down to the beach (which is pebbles by the way)

Hamption Pier at the other end of town is equally  nice and has plenty of space for them to let off steam and clamber over rocks etc.

Hope this is helpful - but have a great time wherever you go.

Val