For our September edition of History Club, we are bringing you a double bill at Preston Manor & Gardens.
A tour inside the house of the new interactive experience "Shadows of Empire: Taking Tea at Preston Manor", and a cup of tea in the gardens and an al fresco talk by Alf LeFlohic about Kent's only MAGIC farm.

Shadows of Empire: Taking Tea at Preston Manor 
Dying for a cuppa? From theft to drug smuggling to war, the history of tea holds shocking secrets.
This new interactive experience unwraps the story through hands-on interactive puzzles, previously unseen images and curios including the newly restored mechanical Edwardian Dream Machine.
Discover how past inhabitants and guests of Preston Manor enjoyed their cuppas oblivious to the human cost of teatime.

The Magic Farm
The name Hazlepits Farm isn’t widely known, but its secret queer past has recently stepped into the light. From roughly 1977–1986, gay farmer Tim Day hosted queer discos on his fruit farm in the village of Headcorn in Kent. Initially it was just for him and his mates, but the Medway Area Gay Independent Community (MAGIC) got involved and the events grew, until  600–700 people were attending.
Dawn “Going to a farm for a disco was the highlight of the summer! I can still picture driving in and seeing the little lake lit up, with lights all round it. At Hazelpits, you felt safe because nobody knew you were there.”
Join us as we share the tale of this unique and fabulous queer space. The story is told through the voices of those who are lucky enough to have attended.