IT WAS while in captivity that Tom Hart Dyke designed the new garden for Lullingstone Castle, just one of the attractions on display at a business show in Folkestone.

Almost 100 exhibitors set up stands at the 2004 Channel Business to Business Show at The Grand on The Leas.

Mr Dyke was promoting the castle at Eynsford, which has been home to his family since 1497. He is creating a new garden at the castle, which will contain plants from around the world.

Those who stopped at his stand were told of how he was kidnapped at gunpoint four years ago while on a plant hunting expedition in central America.

He was held hostage by Colombian guerrillas for nine months and eventually freed when his captives realised a £1m ransom would not be paid.

He said: "I wanted to raise the profile of Lullingstone Castle. This is the first time I've taken part in this show and it's great. I've spoken to many people who have shown a lot of interest in what I'm doing."

The garden will be open to the public before next Easter, although visitors will be able to watch its progress.

The show was organised by the Channel Chamber of Commerce and Discover Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh. The aim was to give business people a chance to network, find new contacts and suppliers and to promote their services.

Dawn Hudd, manager of the Channel Chamber, said interest in the show had been "fantastic".

She said: "It exceeded all our expectations. We were very busy. There were 98 exhibitors, 200 pre-registered as visitors and we had a target of 800 visitors on the day, which we are sure we met."

Other exhibitors at the event included the Hythe based travel company En Route, the Lympne-based Buzzlines coaches, Gurkha Enterprises, the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway, Oak Creative Advertsing and Design based in Newingreen,.South Kent College, Eurotunnel, Lydd Air, P&O Ferries, Seafrance, the Kent Messenger Group, banks and solicitors.