All out of festive ideas for that hard-to-buy-for someone special? Let Kent come to your Christmas rescue with some alternatives to soaps and socks.

MUSICALLY MINDED

Look ahead to the summer and a celebration in style by giving tickets to the Leeds Castle Classical Concert.

Tickets for next year’s concert on Saturday, July 8, 2017, with its sun-soaked picnicking and promenading, went on sale in September. They start at £35 for a picnic ticket at the early bird rate.

For someone special, treat them to the Celebration Concert Package, which includes two tickets and a Carluccio’s hamper, packed with Italian dishes in a sleek, reusable cool bag, which comes with a classic or vegetarian menu, for £125. Rubber chickens to throw and dressing up optional.

Visit leedscastleconcert.co.uk for more information and to book.

LOVE TREES?

How about giving someone the chance to enjoy a green oasis.

Membership to the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum helps them funds projects and activities across the site in Goudhurst which are aimed at engaging people with trees.

This year, the Friends are fundraising to support the creation of a tree database for the Forestry Commission, which can be used by members and visitors to identify trees around the pinetum. The Friends also want to support grants to design and build five new pieces of play equipment for the forest children’s play areas.
Annual gift memberships cost from £66. For details go to lovebedgebury.org.uk, or call 01580 879842.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

You can order a Christmas hamper overflowing with goodies from Brogdale near Faversham and a year-long orchard or member’s pass for someone special. Brogdale is the home of the National Fruit Collection which is home to 2,200 varieties of apple, some 550 types of pears and 285 varieties of cherries.

The hamper includes fruit juices, Woolly Pig Cider, chutneys and jams, calendar and £20 voucher for the GROW plant centre. There are three hampers - Orchard Pass Hampers, £35, Members Pass Hampers at £55 and Family Member Pass Hampers at £95. Visit brogdalecollections.org/product/brogdale-christmas-hamper

CHUFFED WITH THIS

Treat someone to a very special Christmas Day lunch that they won’t have to cook or wash up.

Get on board the Wealden Pullman at the Kent & East Sussex Railway, which is offering a traditional family Christmas Day lunch, for the first time. The Pullman will be at Tenterden Town Station from 12.30pm on Christmas Day, when passengers can step on board with a complimentary welcome drink, before taking their seats in the festively-decorated 1920s carriages.

Drinks orders can be placed with the Pullman steward and everything is included in the ticket price. The train departs at 1pm and a traditional Christmas lunch, prepared and cooked on board the train, will be silver-served during the journey to Bodiam, through the Rother Valley.

After a chance to stretch their legs, passengers then travel back to Tenterden, with the dessert trolley offering goodies including homemade Christmas pudding.

Fully-inclusive Christmas Day lunch costs £150 per person and £75 for children. Gentlemen are asked to wear a tie. To book, call 01580 765155, pop into the booking office at Tenterden Town Station, or visit kesr.org.uk

ANIMAL MAGIC

Adopt an animal and help the county’s wildlife parks carry on their work saving rare and endangered animals.

At Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury, you can choose from some 33 animals or herds to adopt, with the most popular choices being elephant Jara, tiger Tugar and giraffes Cillian & Settanta. But you can also help some of the less well-known animals, such as Claire the zebra, six-year-old Tengui the tapir or Zet and Fidji the anteaters.

Adoptions start at £24, but you can add to your package with a range of extras, including a keeper experience. For details visit aspinallfoundation.org/adopt

RAISE A GLASS

Get a real taste of Kent’s history.

Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, runs tours throughout the year, where you can get a glimpse behind the scenes at the brewery in Faversham, but over the festive period you can try a Yuletide Brewery and Tutored Tasting.

Learn about the firm’s long history, gain an insight into the brewer’s art, and try the end result with a homemade mince pie. The festive tours run until Monday, January 2, for £13.75 per person. Non-festive tours cost £12.75 per person. Visit shepherdneame.co.uk to book.