To reflect the effect that tourism has had on people's perception of Canterbury as a place of great culture and important historical dates, the Kent Cultural Baton is running an activity to uncover the lesser known facts about the City and its surrounding areas. Tourism contributes £258M to the Canterbury economy and has been a "cornerstone of the local economy" for a number of years; Canterbury Cathedral alone generates over one million visitors a year.

The Alternative Souvenir Shop is a work in progress; it is a participatory word workshop, which invites people to contribute with their own knowledge to the ever growing archive of lesser known wonders of Canterbury. The stories  related to personal histories, local heroes, and a secret life, anything which contains an element of the fantastic or spectacular is acceptable.

The shop offered a range of Alternative souvenir gifts for free in return for a contribution, including: Canterbury Hidden Architecture Tea Towel, Modern Heros Of Canterbury Thimbles and Badges, L'oestrogen Perfume Water and many more...

The end product of this workshop will be a collection of facts that celebrate the alternative Canterbury.