December 2011 New Sports Hall and Pavilion. Cheriton Road Image: Mike Pearson www.gofolkestone.org.uk Cheriton road Sports Ground Regeneration – Centre of Excellence for Cricket and Hockey The overall project has been split into three phases. Phase 3 works have commenced and will provide a new build 21st Century contemporary Sports Hall and Pavilion. On ground floor, the Pavilion accommodation includes a Sports Shop, reception, medical treatment room, dedicated changing officials changing, general male / female changing and four team changing rooms, all with direct access on to the pitches. At first floor level, the pavilion will provide a function room with member’s bar, large external viewing balconies overlooking the new pitches. With the Pavilion placed centrally at the heart of the development it will be possible to watch all of the surrounding sporting activities from a single space, which enjoys panoramic views of the site. Another key attribute to the Pavilion is the provision of a Youth Room which is fundamental to the aspirations of the project and introducing younger generations to the sporting clubs at the earliest possible opportunity, further enhanced by a Youth and Sports Development Officer. Connecting the Pavilion to the Sports Hall is a highly glazed Link, which acts as the main entrance, accommodates a state of the art Member’s Gym and offers views from a Gallery down into the Sports Hall. The Sports hall itself will be a highly flexible space including the provision for indoor, cricket and hockey, both practice and competitive matches. The main contractor for the phase 3 works has been on site for three months. To date they have successfully completed the construction of the below ground works and erection of the steel frame to the Sports Hall and are currently on a programme to complete the works by Autumn 2012. Phase 2 of the works, are complete. These are new artificial all weather playing surfaces available for hire by the public. The new all weather pitches provide a dedicated national standard hockey pitch with sprinkler system to increase playability, a dedicated Hockey Practice Area, two dedicated Netball Courts, a Multi-use games area, four cricket practice lanes and a full size multi-use pitch which can be used as a secondary Hockey pitch enabling tournaments and the Easter hockey Festival to be held, used for 11/7 5 a-side Football, or can be temporary marked out as netball courts enabling the clubs to similarly host Netball Tournaments. Phase 1 of the works have commenced and look to provide a County Standard Cricket Table, ready for play by Spring 2012, with the aspiration of bringing County Cricket back to Folkestone. Mike Pearson. Project Architect Photo: David Noble Contents Editorial 2 3 4 6 Go Folkestone is 10 yrs old! I find it absolutely amazing that, here we are on our 8 10th Anniversary. What better way to start a new decade than to have 10 a great new Logo (see front cover) and update the website. It seems such a short time ago when the Folkestone Lions called a meeting at the Leas 13 Cliff Hall because many of the Towns people were unhappy with the state of the town. No one envisaged that 700 people would turn up to voice their concerns. From that meeting, “Go Folkestone 16 Action Group” emerged out of the pupa and spread it’s wings. We held our AGM on 18th November at the 17 Quarterhouse in Tontine Street. After the Business of the meeting was concluded 18 Hon President Philip Carter gave an overview of what we had achieved during the last 10 years and our Guest speakers were Trevor Minter for 20 Folkestone Harbour Company and Creative Foundation and Sir Terry Farrell for the Sea Front development, who gave us an update on the 22 progress being made in those areas. You can read Nick Spurriers short report in this issue. I would like 24 to thank our members for their continued support and those who write the articles for the ever, popular magazine. 25 For officers and those on Committee and indeed all those who support what we do. 26 “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL” Ann Berry Editorial Committee: Philip Carter, Chair, Go Folkestone Ann Berry, Nick Spurrier, and 35 Birkdale Drive, Folkestone. CT19 5LP Richard Wallace.. Email: [email protected] Magazine Layout: Mike Tedder 1 EAT. DRINK. MORE. Hallett’s Lounge and Restaurant offers South African infused menus, an exclusive wine list, luxurious cocktails and classic Italian coffee; all set within a modern and contemporary environment. RELAX. CHILL. ENJOY. Opening Times Monday to Wednesday 09:00 – 23:00 Thursday to Saturday 09:00 – 00:00 Sunday 10:00 – 23:00 * off ALL our menus until st 31 January 2012 20% Bring this voucher with you each time you visit us and enjoy 20% off any of our menus including A La Carte, Lounge, Breakfast and Lunch. Expires on 31st January 2012 and is not valid in conjunction with any other offer. *Terms and Conditions Apply. Please ask for more details. www.hallettsfolkestone.com 35 The Old High Street Folkestone Kent CT20 1RL Telephone: 01303 256 001 2 A Weekend in Folkestone By Nick Spurrier It started and ended with Reg Turnill former aerospace correspondent for the BBC. On the Friday afternoon I went to The Grand where the short list of the H.G. Wells short story competition was announced. This is the third year of Reg’s sponsorship of the competition with a prize of £1000. Along with an excellent cream tea we heard extracts from some of the stories together with a short talk by Sandra Howard on her own writing. That event decided me on finding out about, and in some cases attending, as many of events as I could taking place in Folkestone over a weekend of September 23- 25th - the last weekend in the Triennial. Was there more happening now than when I arrived in Folkestone in February, 1999? I suppose a true researcher would look back to that year’s local newspapers and do a comparison with those of the same weekend this year but I had neither the time nor the inclination for that approach so this is very much an impressionistic study. Possibly a bit piggish but, after my cream tea, I descended on Hallet’s the newly opened café/bar/restaurant sited in the Old Earl Grey pub in the Old High Street for a hot chocolate and cheese cake, to occupy my time before the opening of a new exhibition at The Space. This art gallery at the top of the Old High street, where it does a dog leg to the right has put on eleven exhibitions since opening in July showing a great variety of visual art from the magnificently executed realist paintings of local artists Charlotte Harris and Leigh Mulley to the Intriguing surrealist drawings of Cat Roissetter and Laura Bell’s photography. This night was the opening of an exhibition “Sacred and Profane” by Kate Knight, whose carefully executed oil paintings continue to fascinate. My next stop was Tontine Street where I had hoped to see one of the last Triennial Fringe events - 12 short films under the theme “The Haunted Sea” organized by Matt Rowe of the rather off beat B& B project space. However, half an hour too early I had to give it a miss. On my way past Quaterhouse and up to Googies in Rendezvous Street, I noted that queues were forming for a performance by Lee Hurst - the stand- up comedian. Googies is of one of those cafes that has slowly but successfully evolved under the guidance of Keith Holland. Billed as an arts café, serving good meals and drinks, it does have a relaxed bohemian feel with a mixture of cast off chairs, tables and armchairs and of course the now ubiquitous outside tables, partly a bonus of the smoking ban, that have contributed greatly to livening up Folkestone street life. Downstairs they have a minute venue for musicians, that attracts some good acts. That Friday night, I heard an excellent jazz band led by Richard Navarro, a piano-vocalist, whose music transfixed me for the short time I was able to stay. 3 Walking back down the Old High Street I glanced into Homeground Café Bar, where a guitarist was performing. In the harbour area the fountain/water feature was still playing and Rocksalt looked full booked. Along the seafront and past the lonely bell the Leas Lift Beer Festival was in full swing with thirsty drinkers queuing to sample “new local beers and award winning ciders” from the kegs stacked inside the waiting room. Some had amazing names: Turbulent Priest – no prizes for guessing after whom that was named, Hengist after the Anglo Saxon invader who formed the Kingdom of Kent and Oscar Wilde – said to be a wonderfully mellow, nutty, moreish dark mild. Well why not. Outside, seated on straw bales – a nice rustic touch - drinkers downed their Priest, Hengist or Wilde, some lining their stomach with excellent food from a BBQ put on by the Shed Restaurant. But as a non-drinker of some 34 years, with no soft drinks available, the event had little attraction for me, so, after chatting to a few friends I made my way home. Saturday saw the beer festival continuing with such success that by 11.00 pm that night the beer had run out and the Sunday session was cancelled. As this was the penultimate day of the Triennial, there was a rush for a final look at the exhibits.