Go Folkestone Action September Group 2010 www.gofolkestone.org.uk 1 Welcome to Wards Whether it‟s “a la carte” or the Sunday Carvery in our res- taurant; snacks and drinks in the bar; or a full blown family event in our function suite; Wards Hotel offers the flexible venue that caters for all your needs. Our function suite is also ideal for corporate customers look- ing for a medium sized venue for marketing exhibitions, confer- ences, training events or team building events with accom- modation on-site if needed. Contact our reception team on 01303 245166 or res- [email protected] for further information or to dis- cuss the hospitality package we can put together for you. Wards Hotel, 39 Earls Avenue, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2HB GO FOLKESTONE Requires help in the following positions: Magazine designer / editor Treasurer (volunteer) These tasks are not too demanding, but are necessary for the continuance and smooth running of the Go Folkestone group. If you can help please contact Ann on 01303 278644 Or e-mail: [email protected] 2 Contents Editorial 2 Folkestone’s Vineyard and Winery 4 Step Short and Canada Day 5 Conversion of pubs to houses 6 A new glory for Folkestone 7 Just another statistic? Welcome to the September edition of Go Folkestone’s quarterly magazine. Lots of 8 Sidney Cooper Weston Fountain good news in this issue - the re-opening of 10 The Grumbler the Leas lift, the progress being made with 11 Chimaera Gallery the Step Short project, an update on the 12 Digging starts at Roman Villa Seafront consultation - and the restoration of one of Folkestone’s 13 Step Short 2nd March landmarks - the Bathurst Pillar, shown 14 Step Short on the front cover. Please keep your stories 16 An exchange of views and articles coming in - send to the 19 Model Railway Diamond Jubilee address below. In the June issue the article headed All 20 Something new in the Old High Street Rivers Flow ...to Lake Maiuko which was 21 A Folkestone Romance a review by Adelina Pereira, previously 22 Youth Festival of appeared in the Folkestone Creative Remembrance magazine. 24 Seafront Consultation Ann Berry 26 Leas Lift re-opens Chair, Go Folkestone 35 Birkdale Drive Folkestone Editorial Committee Editorial Committee: Philip Carter, Ann Kent CT19 5LP Berry, Nick Spurrier, Richard Wallace, Email: [email protected] and Allison Esson 3 Folkestone‟s Vineyard and Winery How many people know Folkestone has a Vineyard and Winery within its borders? Penny and Steve Riley planted Terlingham Vineyard in 2006. The vineyard nestles in the beautiful North Downs above the Channel Tunnel; the south facing slopes look out over Folkestone and the English Channel with views of the Cinque Ports and France. The site is ideal for the three classic champagne grape varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. These, together with Seyval Blanc, are used to make the sparkling wines. Bacchus, Schonberger and Madeleine Angevine are used for the white wines and Rondo, Regent and Dornfelder for the rose and red wines. Terlingham Vineyard is the smallest vineyard in the UK with its own winery. The chalky soil, the warm south facing slopes and the gentle sea breezes are all part of the terroir. All aspects of the wine-making process are carried out at Terlingham in a traditional way, including hand riddling the sparkling wines in pupitres and disgorged by hand. The win- ery cellar is underground enabling a stable temperature to be maintained throughout the year. THE WINES - Terlingham produces several sparkling wines by the traditional method. All are aged sur lie for a minimum of nine months, but most are aged for two – three years. The still white and rose wines are available by Easter after each harvest which takes place in October. The red wines are aged in the bottle for a minimum of twelve months. 4 Local place names have been chosen for the names of the wines; White Cliffs; Saxon Shore; Samphire Hoe; Caesar's Camp; Pilgrim‟s Way; Battle of Britain (yet to be launched). THE WHITE HORSE - The emblem of Kent is a white horse. Charles Newington created the white horse above the Channel Tunnel terminal near Folkestone to mark the new millennium. He has kindly allowed the design to be used as the Terlingham Vineyard logo. Terlingham Vineyard is now also known as the White Horse Vineyard as it is situated just above the White Horse. HISTORY OF TERLINGHAM - The Manor of Terlingham, in medieval days referred to as a limb of Folkestone, stands sentinel-like on its superior site. Ownership of Terlingham Manor can be traced back to the 13th century, to Matilda de Averenches and later to Richard de Rokesle. Mentioned in the Domesday Survey Terlingham Manor was chosen by the Romans and later by the Saxons and may even predate both of these. It is claimed that the Romans introduced the vineyard to Kent. TOURS – and wine tasting can be arranged during the Summer months between 2 – 4 pm, a reasonable number of people need to go on a specific day and a charge of £5 per head is charged, this will be refunded if wine is purchased. Penny and Steve Riley are very busy people so they can not cater for numbers of two or three people alone. Bob and I attended the Vineyard and Winery during English Wine Week 29 May – 6 June 2010, this being an annual promotional week opened to the public every afternoon. It was an intriguing place and a beautiful setting. Penny explained about the winery while Steve took us around the vineyard explaining the names of the grape varieties in each of the rows, and what wines they were used for and why the chalky soil and position above Folkestone is an ideal place for growing grapes for wines. DIRECTIONS - From FOLKESTONE – Follow A260 Canterbury Road from Blackbull Road towards Hawkinge. Turn left into Crete Road West, first right into Gibraltar Lane, first right again into Terlingham Lane. From HAWKINGE – At the end of Aerodrome Road just after the road takes a 90 degree swing to the right in the direction of Paddlesworth, turn left into Elvington Lane, first left into Gibraltar Lane and first left into Terlingham Lane. From M20 – Take the A260 Canterbury exit but turn towards Folkestone when you come off. Turn right at the brow of the hill into Crete Road West, first right into Gibraltar Lane, first right again into Terlingham Lane. CONTACTS - Steve & Penny Riley, Terlingham Manor Farm, Terlingham Lane, Gibraltar Lane, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent. CT18 7AE. www.terlinghamvineyard.co.uk Mobile:0777 160 1736 The above is written with kind permission of Penny & Steve Riley Vera Neaves 5 Step Short and Canada Day During the Great War, soldiers from every corner of the globe came to Folkestone, before their journeys to trenches of the Western Front. There were Belgians, Australians, Americans, as well as British. But it was the Canadi- ans who came in the greatest numbers and who earned a special place in the affection of the townsfolk. Over 50,000 Canadian soldiers would have called Folkestone „home‟ at some time during the war. Some of those Canadians died from injuries or illness. Those who did were buried with full military honours in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery. In 1917 Canadian Flower Day was estab- lished, and local school children were invited to lay flowers on the graves of the soldiers. By the end of the war over 300 Canadian soldiers had been buried at Shorncliffe. Apart from 1939 -1945, this ceremony has taken place every year since and is now held on Canada Day. Chil- dren from Shepway schools attend, with one child chosen for each grave. After a service of remembrance attended by local religious, civic and military leaders, as well as representatives from the Canadian armed forces and Veterans, each child lays a posy of flowers at the base of the headstone. It was my privilege, together with Ann and Pam to go to a number of local schools this year to tell children about the Great War and the Canadians. The children were invited to think about why so many men volunteered for service, when they would face such danger. We then asked for a volunteer from amongst the children and several hands shot up. They were told that they would be asked to do something dirty and dangerous, to go away from home and that their mothers would be angry and upset if they did so. Some hands went down at this point, but many more were raised! The chosen volunteer came forward and was put in uniform, a real leather Sam Browne belt from the Great War. We then asked the girls to imagine that the boys were their husbands or boyfriends and how they would feel if they went away to war. The boys were asked if they would still volunteer if the girls did not want them to do so. This was a revealing exercise! We asked them what sort of things they might give to each other as mementoes when they parted and showed the children real keepsakes from the war. They were shown a film about a lad who lied about his age to join the army and was killed in action, aged just 16. Finally, each child was then given a sprig of Rosemary, and told of the plans to replant it down the Road of Remembrance. We enjoyed meeting many of the children again at the cemetery on Canada Day and answering questions about „their‟ soldier. Damian Collins MP, our chairman, also attended and laid a wreath at the Cross of Sacrifice on behalf of Step Short.