“Calling all Southeastern passengers, the train is now ready to depart, this is your final call, can all passengers have their tickets at the ready, and remember to bring your headphones so you can listen to Southeastern’s new podcast ‘Hop On Board’.”
Well if our conductor didn’t just make it clear, you can now listen to a series of new podcasts from Southeastern called ‘Hop On Board’. Each episode features celebrity guests, where you can join them on their journey to discovering the hidden gems, the food and drink life and stunning scenery across the Southeastern network, and you've come just in time, because three new episodes have just been released!
Let’s click play on episode one and listen now wherever you get your podcasts!
Can you guess where Gregg Wallace is taking you in the first episode of ‘Hop on Board’? Well of course it’s on a foodie tour across Kent…what else would it be?! Now before we get stuck in, don’t blame us if your belly starts to rumble after you hear what’s on the menu…
Episode 1. Eat up with Gregg Wallace
The first stop when Gregg hopped off the Southeastern train was Canterbury West (just under an hour from London St Pancras!) where there were some tasty treats in store. Oh yes, Gregg of course had to wander around the food hall full of local produce, The Goods Shed, and meet with Jonathan Piggins, co-founder of Corkk Wines, to discover why Kent is known as one of the UK’s top wine producing regions. We heard Gregg approves of the Simpsons non-vintage classic cuvee - why wouldn't he?!
After exploring the city and having a taste of some Kentish wine, it was no surprise that Gregg hopped back on board the Southeastern train to the market town of Faversham, and after a short ten-minute walk found himself at Britain’s oldest brewery, Shepherd Neame… And, it would be rude not to check out the ultimate foodie location whilst in Faversham, of course we are talking about Macknade!
Gregg’s final stop of his Kent foodie tour was of course, a must-visit when visiting the county, and with this location being just an 8-minute train ride from Faversham and being known for its fresh oysters, we’re sure you can guess where Gregg headed to next…
Discover what facts Gregg found out about Shepherd Neame Brewery when he met with MD Jonathan Swaine, why his mouth started watering when he visiting Macknade and his foodie favourites of Whitstable...
Episode 2. Get lost with Ed Byrne
We’re now bringing you along on Ed Bryne’s travels as he explores the Kent coast and countryside. In this episode of ‘Hop on Board’ by Southeastern, Ed starts off in the Isle of Thanet, where the walking boots came on to make a scenic coastal stroll from Margate to Broadstairs (Shh, we have a secret, with train stations in both towns, we won’t tell anyone if you get tired from the walk and want to take the train back instead – pretty convenient huh?). From the Margate attractions like Dreamland and Turner Contemporary, there’s no surprise this seaside town is still thriving and we’re sure you’d love to find out what Ed got up to whilst visiting. So firstly, he headed to meet with Sarah Vickering from Margate Caves, and trust us, after listening to this podcast, you’ll certainly be leaving with a fact or two about the history of the caves.
Ed then catches up with a few local ramblers who shared their thoughts on why Kent is the BEST place for walking, favouring the fact there’s a train station in every town. Well, with the scenic backdrops of the beautiful coast and the accessibility of getting from a to b, they aren’t wrong!
Next stop, Wye. Picture this, you are on a train just staring out the window (we’ve all been there) and daydreaming or catching sight of whatever goes by, only this time, you’ll notice the stunning views of the Kent Downs AONB…who said train journeys can’t be fun?
Find out why the Sunday Times readers voted Wye in at the best places to live in the UK, learn more about the area’s diverse wildlife and the celebrity pups...
Episode 3. Prepare for battle with Mary Beard
Next on board the Southeastern train is historian, Mary Beard…First stop, Tunbridge Wells. A 10 minute walk from the station and Mary finds herself in the heart of the town to meet with registered blue badge guide, Allison Finley to discover the fascinating history behind Kent’s Royal Tunbridge Wells and its name. Listen on and you’ll learn more about the history of The Pantiles and all there is to know about Royal Tunbridge Wells (we expect you to come in first if you ever find yourself taking a quiz about the history of the town…no pressure).
Well, where did Mary head next you ask? It was back on the train to head to the coast...
Keep on listening and you'll discover Hastings maritime heritage, the legendary Battle Abbey, and learn about the area’s rich and fascinating past, from the Jurassic age to the present day...
Episode 4. Get cultured with Miranda Sawyer
Oh yes there’s more! On episode 4 of the ‘Hop on Board’ podcast, Miranda Sawyer goes on a “creative crawl” around Kent, and there’s no surprise Miranda headed East of the county for her journey to discovering Kent’s arty and creative hotspots. Can you guess where she headed to in the heart of the creative atmosphere? If you guessed Turner Contemporary, you are indeed correct (maybe Miranda bumped into Ed Bryne whilst he was there on his walking tour of Thanet…who knows). Anyway, back to Turner Contemporary where Miranda caught up with Clarrie Wallis, Gallery Director, to fill listeners in on a little bit about the history of the gallery, before chatting to acclaimed artist, Tracey Emin to hear about how her foundation is supporting the town’s up and coming creatives.
Is this our next stop? It sure is and we’ve ended up in Deal. Carrying on the creative trend, Deal made the i-Deal place to stop next. From the Don’t Walk Walk gallery and Smugglers Records, Deal is certainly on the map as an independent thriving town of music and art. Saying that, there’s the Deal Music and Arts Festival this July. Now doesn’t that just put the cherry on the top!
A 30 minute train ride to Folkestone which included a glimpse of Dover Castle and of course the iconic White Cliffs and Miranda was well on her way to uncovering this creative town. No really, there is literally a part of Folkestone called ‘The Creative Quarter’ and an amazing charity called ‘Creative Folkestone’ which you can learn all about in this episode...
Of course you’ll find some of the must-visit places whilst you’re visiting including, Folkestone Harbour Arm and the Lighthouse Champagne Bar…don’t worry, Folkestone Central Station isn’t too far…
Episode 5. Get spooked with Rav Wilding
The Whistle-stop tour of best places to explore along the Southeastern network is still full speed ahead, and on episode 5 of the ‘Hop on Board’ podcast, Rav Wilding is taking listeners with him as he explores the more…unusual side of Kent, heading to Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey. Now, in case you didn't know, you can find lots of places to visit on the Isle of Sheppey, like one of its three blue flag beaches, Elmley Nature Reserve and Queenborough Harbour. But there’s one thing we will say about your visit, be sure to bring your binoculars because you never know if a flying saucer is going to be roaming the sky… Author Neil Nixon will reveal all in this episode.
Okay so if UFO stories don’t spook you, then maybe the most haunted village in Britain will. In this part of the podcast you’ll hear from Andy Ayres who runs Ghost Hunter Tours, taking Rav on a rather unnerving journey to uncovering the haunted stories of the village, Pluckley.
Before Rav is totally spooked out for the day, he hopped back on the train to head towards to coast to visit Dover Castle. From Pluckley you can take a direct train to Ashford International Station (did someone say shopping spree at Ashford Designer Outlet?) before catching the train from there straight to Dover Priory to uncover the myths and stories of the town, including the three mile tunnels of Dover Castle.
Did we build up the excitement? Well we hope we haven’t totally scared you away because there are so many stories to be told in this episode, your knowledge on the haunted history of Kent will be something to boast about…
Episode 6. Lights, Camera, Action with Ben Bailey Smith
Our journey with Southeastern is almost coming to its final destination, but before we hop off, let’s see where Ben Bailey Smith went on episode 6 of the ‘Hop on Board’ Southeastern podcast.
If you’re a film fanatic then this episode is a must-listen, because we’re guessing if you are into the movies, then your knowledge on Kent filming locations should be up to scratch, right? Either way, you’re sure to learn all about the filming history of Kent, from its on-screen locations, its influence in some of the biggest film franchises, oh and Maidstone Studios, the UK’s biggest independent TV studio! Ben discovers how Sandwich was involved in the famous James Bond movies and meets with John Firth from England Plus to uncover the search for the real James Bond. You can see why Kent’s on the map as a top filming location.
Back on the train and over to Chatham to visit an iconic filming hotspot, The Historic Dockyard Chatham. You can learn some seriously fun filming facts about this place, but we don’t want to ruin anything, so you’ll have to check that out for yourself. All you need to know is visiting the Dockyard is an experience in itself, but an on-location tour...now that’s an experience!
Next, Ben travels over to Sevenoaks to pay a visit to The Knole, which if you haven't guessed already, has been the location for some of your favourite a-list productions...
Listen on to discover the many more films that we bet you had no idea were filmed in Kent! Hmm, taking a film tour around Kent by hopping on and off a Southeastern train to reach the different filming locations is starting to sound more and more appealing, don’t you think?
