A Centenary Celebration to Remember

Despite a cloudy start to the day, hundreds of people from Birchington, Acol and communities across Thanet arrived with their Golden Tickets in hand to celebrate 100 years of the Powell-Cotton Trust. By the late afternoon, the sun had broken through, bringing a lovely atmosphere to the gardens as families and friends gathered together to enjoy the celebrations.

One of the highlights of the day was the arrival of Ellington the Elephant and Samson the Lion, the spectacular life-size puppets created by Thanet-based theatre company Looping the Loop. Visitors of all ages delighted in meeting the pair as they roamed the gardens throughout the day. They also treated to lively storytelling performances inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, narrated by Steve Crane with plenty of audience participation – and a little help from Ellington himself. The party also marked Samson the Lion’s very first public outing.

Live music from local ceilidh band Rejigged brought lots of energy to the afternoon, with visitors joining in traditional barn dancing on the pleasure lawns. Even the Mayor of Margate, Katie Pope, was spotted joining the dancing.

Across the gardens, visitors explored stalls hosted by local organisations including Birchington Heritage Trust, the Royal British Legion, Louis’ Helping Hands and Birchington Residents Association, celebrating the important contribution our community groups make across Thanet.

Guests were also able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Quex Gardens in spring, with many bringing picnics to enjoy on the lawns, while our outdoor kitchen kept visitors well fed throughout the day with hot dogs and burgers.

The Centenary Garden Party marked the official start of our centenary year programme. Throughout 2026, the Powell-Cotton Trust will continue to celebrate 100 years of caring for our collections, gardens and the stories behind them through a programme of events, exhibitions and creative activities. Look out for exciting news about our PCT100 Creators Programme coming soon!

We would like to thank everyone who attended, performed, volunteered and supported the event, helping to make it such a memorable day for our community.