School's out

1. Scuba diving in Margate

Making my way to the Dive Shop on Northdown Road in Margate, I couldn’t help but muse to myself: “If we were meant to swim with the fishes, wouldn’t we still have gills?”

Don’t get me wrong, I have as much sense of adventure as the next woman, but breathing underwater, that’s a concept that concerned me a little as I arrived at Kent Scuba. I needn’t have worried, however, my instructor Shaun explained exactly what would happen in my ‘Discover Scuba’ lesson.

I was given a poolside safety before getting into the shallow end to try out the breathing equipment. Shaun took me through a series of exercises and games using a water torpedo and a water Frisbee and very quickly the games took my mind off the fact that I was actually breathing underwater. By the end of the lesson I was swimming through hoops and planning my return visit to book myself onto the Open Water course. Split into five modules in the pool and five modules in the classroom, the Open Water course allows you to dive anywhere in the world up to 18 metres.

It’s possible to take the majority of the modules here in Kent off the shores of Margate, Folkstone, Deal and Dover and then to complete your course with your open water dive abroad. Kent Scuba also offers a Try Dive which is completely free.

Book it

Discover Scuba lesson, £25 for 90 minutes. If you then take the Open Water Course, your £25 Discover Scuba lesson is taken off of the cost of the full course.

Tel: 01843 297430 or 0208 1234 150

2. Gliding in Ashford

Northwest of Ashford, between the pretty villages of Challock and Charing, lies an airfield belonging to the Kent Gliding Club. Apparently, if you can drive a car, you car fly a glider, according to my instructor Tony Moulang. Great - I drive an automatic, but on the up side, I’m not bad at steering.

As a potential ‘glider’ I was taken on a site briefing by Tony before I was allowed to take to the skies in the two-seater alongside my instructor. I was surprised to learn that I wouldn’t be catapulted into the skies, but instead our glider would be towed into the air by a powered aeroplane. Once up in the air, at a height of 2,000 feet the, glider was released and the 20 minutes glide commenced.

The feeling of being airborne without a motor isn't as frightening as it sounds, if anything, the absence of mechanical sounds was wonderfully liberating. We flew on air currents for a magical 15 minutes and I had the privilege of seeing the Kent countryside as never before - with Whitstable, Dungeness and Canterbury visible with the naked eye.

Book it

Kent Gliding Club's offices are open Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun.

Tel: 01233 740274 or email: info@kent-gliding-club.co.uk

3. Tandem sky-dive at Headcorn

All it takes is a half-hour training session and you can throw yourself out of a plane. Tempted? The Tandem Sky-Dive lesson at Headcorn Aerodrome is a great introduction to doing just that - at 12,000 feet.

Peter Sizer, chief instructor at Headcorn completes up to 350 jumps a year and is extremely matter-of-fact about this insane activity. “It’s what I do for a living and what I do for a hobby and it’s always interesting - jumping with students you never quite know what they’re going to do,” he tells me.

The knowledge that you will be strapped to such an experienced individual dispels any lingering doubts about the jump as you ascend in the plane to 12,000 feet. As you step over the edge with your instructor, you free fall for 5500 feet before your parachute is released and you glide effortlessly to the ground.

Headcorn Aerodrome is the biggest airfield in the south east, offering parachuting, helicopter rides, hot air balloon flights and practice sessions in a purpose-built wind tunnel.

It also offer two training course for those mad individuals who want to do the jump solo. Both courses take a full day’s training. Open all year, Headcorn Parachute Club caters for adrenalin junkies over the age of 16. There’s no upper age limit and the club has helped many people in their eighties get airborne.

Book it
Tandem sky-dives, from £195 each Wed, £235 at weekends.

Tel: 01622 890862 or email: bookings@headcornparachuteclub.co.uk

4. Topper Sailing in Ashford and Dover

Messing about on the water has to come high on the list of fun activities on a summer’s day. We are blessed with a fantastic coastline here in Kent and it makes perfect sense to make the most of it during summer. What’s more, Kent’s Coastal Inclusion Programme is running a new initiative that gives underprivileged children an exciting chance to take to the seas and experience the thrills of sailboat racing.

Topper boats are fun and nippy. A programme in April saw kids competing in their Topper Topaz and Topper Taz’s in competition at Dover Watersports Centre. The programme has now been extended to Ashford and is proving a great starting point for kids to learn the basics of sailing.

Sailing is a great way for youngsters to build their confidence as they rely on themselves 100 per cent of the time, making their own choices as they sail the one-seater Toppers.

Dover Water Sports can help give instruction on water safety before you get the chance to sail a boat either by yourself or with an instructor. You can pop in for an afternoon or do one of the courses over a couple of days. It’s also possible to fulfill a level 1 course over a weekend and master the basics of sailing.

Book it

Topper International, tel: 01233 629186 or 01233 645897

Email: info@toppersailboats.com

5. Archery in Sittingbourne

With the London Olympics just around the corner, there’s time to master a new sport for 2012. Archery is just about as ancient a target sport as you can get, but with competitions now shown regularly on television, its popularity is rising fast.

Budding Robin Hoods and Maid Marians need not hire medieval garb before arriving at Wormdale Farm, home to Outdoor Pursuits, which also offers quad biking, paintballing and 4x4 driving lessons. Owner Phil Ham has recently played host to GMTV and to the rapper Dizzee Rascal and his crew, proving that achery attracts a diverse crowd.

After being fitted with an armguard to stop the whip of the string against your flesh, students are issued with finger tabs to help when drawing the bow. They are then given a re-curved bow and taken onto the field, to be confronted by a series of large targets with a series of ever-shrinking circular scoring areas.

Instructor Phil explains: “The nearer the centre of the target you are, the higher the score. You will fire 10 arrows into the target and your score will be the sum of all those shots.”

After a thorough safety briefing, the lesson begins as students take their first target situated 10 to 15 metres away. The targets then get progressively further away: nobody said archery was easy.

To be a good archer you need to have good poise and stature, and it helps if you are quite strong, though there is a range of bows with differing weights, so those of you with smaller biceps can master the sport, too.

Book it
One-to-one lesson, £50, or take lessons in groups up to 10, with one instructor to every five participants.

Tel: Phil Ham on 07818061783

6. Learn to DJ or juggle in Canterbury

Despite the school holidays, lessons can still find a place in the summer timetable, as long as they’re held at a venue where the watchwords are ‘fun’ and ‘diversity’.

Lounge on the Farm festival is one such place. The annual festival, taking place in Canterbury from 11 to 13 July, has a lot to offer the younger members of the family. The Little Lounge holds alternative lessons, where children can learn new skills such as learning to be a DJ and circus tricks. So, while the adults watch the bands, children from toddlers to teenagers can take part in the varied workshops including beatboxing, kite making and Dj-ing. There’s also the Red Tent – an alternative classroom where baby yoga and Reiki is taught to new parents.

The organisers of the festival are also keen to unearth new talent at their School of Rock, a countywide battle of the bands drawn from local schools. With their non-corporate stance and a commitment to supporting local business and bands, Lounge on the Farm is a world away from the identikit festivals on the calendar.

Returning for its third outing and set in the idyllic surrounds of Merton Farm in Canterbury, Lounge on the Farm’s rustic charms will play host to 160 bands spread across six stages this month, from local heroes and cutting-edge acts to renowned heavy hitters.

Book it

Family weekend ticket £180. Tel:

7. Go-karting in Chatham

“You're never too old to strap yourself into a go-kart and rip around the famous circuit at Buckmore Park,” claimed my instructor. And Buckmore certainly caters for all ages, including the Bambino School, which offers tuition from children, aged six to seven, and the Sisley School, which offers training for pupils aged eight to 16 years.

Adults come in their droves to Buckmore - some for Hen and Stag parties and others for corporate events, but many come for individual karting, with the serious enthusiasts bringing their own karts.

Lewis Hamilton was discovered at Buckmore and all the current Formula 1 drivers started their careers racing karts. The only question I had was – at 37, am I too old to start a racing career?

As I swept down the drive and in through the big gates to Buckmore Park, I could see the famous track ahead of me, and feel the adrenalin beginning to build in my body.

After storing my 'real car' safely in the car park I was taken on a track walk and briefing by my instructor, who was keen to point out the racing line and where best to accelerate and to brake.

I then took to my kart for my first time session, lasting 10n minutes. The drive was over all too soon, but it proved long enough for my instructor to make quite a few notes on where I'd gone wrong – including nearly spinning off at Symes Sweep, a famous corner.

I was then allowed to go out on the circuit again and the de-briefing helped enormously, as my times got progressively quicker as I flew around the full 1200-metre circuit.

The instruction was great, and I learned a lot. I'll definitely be back on the track this summer.

Book it

One-hour session, includes tuition and track time on full 1200 metre circuit, £99.

Tel: 01634 201 562

8. Feng Shui

If you want to improve the feel of your home you could take an interior design course, or you could trade in your paint charts and wallpaper samples and learn how to decorate your home with ‘positive energy’.

The Seekers Trust, set in the beautiful surroundings of Addington, close to West Malling, is a world-renowned retreat and international healing centre. Students from 35 different countries from around the world come to the Trust to learn the feng shui professional training course. The course is taught by Alan Stirling, a practitioner of the art for 23 years.

The course consists of 12 modules, but budding students are able to join any of the 12 modules singularly in order to gain an introduction into the world of feng shui. If you’re really committed, you could take all 12 and qualify as a professional consultant.

As you arrive at the retreat, you’re struck by the tranquil beauty of the place. The verdant green landscape seems magical on a summer’s morning. Students make their way to the Meeting Centre which overlooks the old medieval buildings. Further in the distance, 120 acres of woodland backs on to the golf course. There is also a lake within the site, and across the road some standing stones.

The feng shui course teaches students to balance energy so that it moves more smoothly around their environment. Alan Stirling is both experienced and in high demand - he’s currently working on a Channel Four programme and has taught countless students.

He explains: “Everything has energy, and feng shui teaches us how to understand and deal with it. We learn to balance the energy so that it moves more smoothly across the surfaces in our homes. We look at how air circulates, and how we like to store some energy and let other types of energy flow freely to achieve balance.”

The course covers the science and physics of feng shui as well as the history of the art. At the end of the course the student will have a knowledge of how to incorporate ancient principles in their modern homes. I learned a lot talking to Alan, including how much devotees love mountains and water.

I’m now planning to bring extra water into my home and to dismantle the mountain of clothes that’s grown in the corner of my bedroom – and if I have time this summer, I’ll attend a dowsing weekend or an astrology module at The Seekers Trust.

Weekend module - £200 for a weekend if you take all courses: £154 per weekend.

Book it
Tel: 0203 0114938

Email: enquiries@feng-shui-school.com

9. Spanish Cookery in Broadstairs

A five-minute walk from the beach, n the centre of Broadstairs, Hablemos offers a Spanish education in eating, drinking and culture.

Francisco Valles Gomez, head chef and tutor, provides an authentic and very hands-on approach to learning Spanish cookery. Fran is passionate about food and turns the lesson into an adoring exploration of Spanish food.

The cookery course is run on Saturdays in groups of eight from 10.30am until 4.30pm. Students are welcomed with a morning briefing – which actually consists of a Buck’s fizz or coffee and a perusal of the day’s menu - then it’s time to don the apron and learn as you go along.

Hablemos takes a very practical approach; students get to do everything from choosing the menu, peeling the vegetables, making tapas and washing up at the end! They also get to sample the tapas dishes throughout the day as they create them: sardines in breadcrumbs, fried spinach and chickpea tortilla, ariola, aubergines in batter, calamari and meatballs.

At the end of the tapas session, everyone comes together to prepare paella. Francisco explains the sourcing of food and shares his personal cookery secrets in a laid back, informal atmosphere. Students finish the day with a glass of wine and get to eat the fruits of their labour in the garden.

For a small fee to cover costs, partners can also join students in the garden to sample the paella.

Book it

Spanish cookery lessons: £80 for the day, including lesson, food and drink

Hablemos teaches Spanish as a foreign language to residents here in the UK.

Tel: 01843 604853 or email: info@hablemos.co.uk

10. Surf School in Broadstairs

If you’ve never popped-up and caught a wave, then you haven’t lived – well, so say the surf dudes at Joss Bay Surf School on the beach in Broadstairs.

Joss Bay is a wonderful little cove under North Foreland Lighthouse – the last manned lighthouse in the UK. The 400m-long sandy beach is a wonderful place to master the art of surfing. And in just two hours, 80 per cent of students at Joss Bay stand on their first lesson, riding the soft foam boards across the ocean.

The first lesson is safety, or learning about the ocean and the respect required when swimming in the sea. After the key safety elements have been covered, the instructors and students take their boards to the waters edge to get an introduction from the instructor on sage entry in to the water.

Students learn to push and glide, lying on their boards with hands over the front and feet hanging off the tail and learning to let the wave take them forward. This is an essential part of the lesson as it provides a valuable lesson in the power of the waves prior to the big phase - standing up.

It’s then back to the beach to practice the pop’ up - lying on the boards with hands at the front, the student slides their hands to the side of the chest, placing their toes on the end of the board, before springing to their feet.

It’s during this practice that the student finds out whether they are ‘regular’ or ‘goofy’. You can try this at home by lying on the floor and springing to your feet – if your left foot goes forward first, then you’re ‘regular’, if your right one does then you’re’ goofy’.

Book it

Surf lessons: £35 per person for a two-hour group lesson. One on one private lessons are £80. All equipment included.

Tel: 07812 991195 Email: info@jossbay.co.uk

 

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