Kent MOMI

The Museum of Modern Items occupies a converted Victorian building in Deal and celebrates the everyday objects that shaped British life from the 1950s onwards. It's genuinely quirky - the kind of place where you'll find yourself studying a 1970s kettle or a collection of old biscuit tins and actually thinking about how much has changed. Weekends only, Friday to Sunday, 12 to 5pm. Admission details aren't listed on the site, so ring ahead before you visit.

This works best for people with a nostalgic streak or those curious about design history. Kids might enjoy spotting products they recognise from their grandparents' houses, though under-tens could get restless after an hour. The museum's modest scale means you won't spend a full afternoon here, which is fine - treat it as a stop-off rather than a destination.

Deal itself is a proper seaside town with a pier and shingle beach, so you could easily combine this with a walk along the seafront. If you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Kingsdown Camping is closest at just three miles away, while Sandwich Leisure Holiday Park sits at four and a half miles - Kent MOMI makes a decent rainy-day option or a cultural break from the beach routine. The town's got decent fish and chips shops and cafes too, so factor in time for lunch.

Worth a look if you're passing through Deal anyway, but don't make a special trip unless vintage domestic design genuinely excites you.