December 2012
Crown of flowers - Photo: David Noble www.gofolkestone.org.uk Please help this magazine to continue
Go Folkestone is a non-political organization, with the aim of promoting all that is good in the town, encouraging and supporting realistic initiatives, discussing problems and seeking to help people work together for the best future of our community.
The quarterly magazine plays a major part in this. It is run entirely by volunteers, with neither the writers the editors, the photographers being paid anything but the magazine is expensive to print and we therefore rely entirely on membership fees, donations - both personal and community - and advertising to offset these costs. However it is a struggle to cover printing expenses entirely in this way. In addition we like the magazine to have content of good quality and for it not to be swamped by adverts.
We are asking therefore for as many people as possible to become members of Go Folkestone and thus a subscriber to the magazine, of which you will receive a copy in the post. You can do this by going to www.gofolkestone.org.uk - click on subscriber at the top left of the home page and fill in the form - or by writing to or e-mailing Ann Berry, whose contact details are at the bottom of the opposite page.
Obviously we would also be very pleased to receive donations of any amount. Please contact Ann Berry to arrange this.
In addition to those that are mailed out to subscribers, copies are left at libraries, cafes, restaurants and shops throughout the town. Some of each issue are also posted though letter boxes – a different area each time. You can also see an electronic version of the current magazine and all previous issues by clicking on the “Magazine” at the top of the website. We always welcome articles but these should be about Folkestone and generally of a positive nature, as the magazine is intended let readers know what is going on and show Folkestone as the marvellous place it is. However we do accept articles dealing with contentious issues in the town, provided that any criticism is constructive and offers solutions. Articles can be anything from 200 to 1000 words and may include illustrations. We cannot accept every article and reserve the right to edit those submitted, though if we substantially shorten your article, we will return it to you to get your permission to publish.
Photographic Competition
We are always looking for photographs for the front cover of the magazine. Please look at previous cover of magazines on the website www.gofolkestone.org.uk and click on magazine for example of what we are looking for. In keeping with the magazine’s philosophy the photographs should portray a positive view of Folkestone.
The winning entry will be used on the front cover of a future issue of the magazine, with the photographer’s name beneath.
Only electronic copies of photographs can be accepted but these can be taken with any type of camera, including a mobile phone. They should however be at least 1 MB. Please e-mail your entry or entries to David Noble at [email protected] Contents Editorial
4 “Art has transformed Folkestone’s Reputation” An Interview with Ioannis Ioannou
6 Folkestone Fishermen: Fishing Heritage Exhibition
7 Folkestone Fish Festival It is probably quite natural for people to hope that one 8 Christmas Shopping in the great project or building can transform a town. But Creative Quarter this is rarely the case and if that one project fails then everything can fail. The great advantage for Folkestone 10 Folkestone Rock: The Earliest is that we have many things happening – the new shops, Days flats and studios, Quarterhouse, The Cube adult educa- tion, the University Centre, the fountain, Rocksalt, the 12 Concerts at The Bayle Country Park, and now the seafront development. But as Ioannis Ioannou says of the Creative Foundation in 13 Why I moved to Folkestone his interview “it is not just about buildings, it is mostly about people and people’s attitudes.” And people’s at- titudes are changing. If you ask new arrivals why they 14 The Seafront Development moved to Folkestone, many will say “because things 18 Test Pits in East Folkestone are happening here”. It is exciting and they want to be part of it. Arike includes a list poem on his enchantment 19 Step Short WW1 with the town. So both new arrivals and those who have Commemorative Arch Project lived here longer are getting involved: Town Centre management has initiated the Folkestone Festival com- 20 If only this piano could talk… mittee to oversee events in June. A new addition will be the Fish Festival. St Eanswythe’s is organising Sunday 21 Royal Victoria Hospital afternoon classical concerts. David Taylor writes of a Housing Scheme Returns project to help the deprived ward of Harvey Central. Nick Spurrier promotes the Creative Quarter as an ideal 22 JJ Taxis: A Folkestone success place for that special Christmas present, mentioning 28 story independent shops. There is a summary of the seafront plan and other planning issues. Folkestone’s heritage is 24 News from the Planning Front covered by Frank Bond’s report of his fishing exhibition, the announcement about Step Short’s memorial arch, A Town Unearthed’s continuing archaeological investiga- 25 Plans to build on Garden tions and Mick Cork’s history of rock music in the town. Centre/Ingles Manor Site Folkestone is rocking in many different ways. 26 Poor Old Folkestone Please help this magazine to continue (See Opposite page) Editorial Committee: Ann Berry, Nick Spurrier, David Noble, Ann Berry Chair, Go Folkestone Philip Carter, and Richard Wallace. 35 Birkdale Drive, Folkestone. CT19 5LP Magazine Layout: Mike Tedder Email: [email protected] 1 www.citroen.co.uk
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3 “Art has transformed Folkestone’s Reputation” An Interview with Ioannis Ioannou
By Nick Spurrier
Like other recent arrivals at the Creative Foundation, Ioannis Ioannou, who has taken up the post of Marketing and Engagement Manager, was attracted to Folkestone because of its increasing reputation as a centre for the arts, the Triennial first bringing the town to his attention, as he says, “With visual arts, I always follow what is happening in the country. So last year with a group of colleagues of mine, I came down to look at the Triennial and I really liked the artworks. I especially admired Hew Locke’s boats in the church, Smadar Dreyfus’s audio-visual installation, recorded in Israeli classrooms and the Kosovo Boutique in the Old High Street by Erzen Shkololli. I also appreciated the fact that, while exploring the artwork of the Triennial, I was exploring Folkestone. I fell in love with the place. During my visit here it was quite apparent that something was changing – a transformation taking place, a regeneration that was creatively led. It was coming from a community of artists working together, as well as a number of creative industries. They were having a great effect on the town, making it more vibrant and happening”.
“So when I saw the job advertised at the Creative Foundation, I thought yes. I liked the organisation, its ethos and what it is trying to bring about. I thought: I will be part of a brand new team that will be implementing change. I could see myself living in Folkestone, not far from London if I wanted to visit, and I would be part of this exciting transformation. I am a passionate believer in the arts and the impact they can have on people, empowering them and enriching their lives. Art can also contribute to a community’s economy, its townscape, giving it a new lease of life and energy that may be lacking.”
As he speaks it becomes obvious that Ioannou, with his infectious enthusiasm, will himself bring a great deal of life and energy to the area, something he has undoubtedly done in all his previous jobs. Apart from a year doing his national service in the Greek Navy, he has spent all his working life in the arts. Arriving in Britain 16 years ago to study History of Art at Glasgow University, followed by a postgraduate degree in curating at St. Andrews University, he first worked at the Crawford Art Centre in St Andrews, moving to the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, to Paisley Museum and Art Galleries and finally The New Art Gallery in Walsall, where he progressed from curating exhibitions to audience development, engagement initiatives and marketing campaigns. He explains, “I changed direction because early on in my career I realised I enjoy working with people. At Walsall, I was putting together projects with schools and community groups, encouraging engagement and broadening interest in the visual arts”.
His job at the Creative Foundation involves he says, “Looking after the whole of the marketing and engagement programme for the Creative 4 Foundation and all its projects, including the Quarterhouse, the Creative Quarter, the next Triennial in 2014, the Contemporary Collection that we will be re-launching next spring, the Book Festival and all the other festivals that we enable as an organisation. Parallel to this there will be a programme of community engagement initiatives, working with local and regional groups and in partnership with other agencies. We want to look at how we communicate with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds, with older people, with people who are knowledgeable about the arts and people who do not have that knowledge. We will try and break down barriers that act as obstacles between them engaging and participating in arts activities.”
There are a still a few people who consider that the Creative Foundation is an organisation whose only concern is with looking after and letting out properties but Ioannis emphasises, “It is not just about buildings. It is mostly about people and people’s attitudes. It is about the creation and promotion of an environment where we enable people to come and achieve their full potential, whether in a shop, a flat, a studio or as a student. It is about the dialogues that are being developed between people, businesses, artists, and organisations – all working together for their own and in the end for the town’s benefit. Part of the Creative Foundation’s role is to enable the growth of this community but of course the process will take time. However, I am meeting more and more people moving into Folkestone because they realise that it is a town that is changing and they want to be part of this change or they think Folkestone is a place not far away from a big metropolis, a beautiful place to live and to raise your kids, to commute from or to work”.
A major project of marketing and engagement for Ioannou will be the re-launch of the Contemporary Collection of artworks that are the legacy of the two previous Triennials in 2008 and 2011. He says, “We want to use it as a visitor attraction in itself, constructing a narrative and a walk that encourages people to explore it more fully whether they are visitors or people who already live in Folkestone. Even if people do not follow a route, if they simply come upon a work they can, whether they appreciate of not, at least be more aware of it. Seeing this one work and learning about the collection might lead them on to look at others. We want to give the collection a new lease of life. As well as more prominent signage, we will be producing a map that people will be able to download or can pick up, putting together educational resources, organising talks and tours and looking into how we can use digital technologies for interpreting the collection.”
“It will be a permanent collection that is constantly growing, reflecting the changes in contemporary art over the years, and gradually enhancing the townscape of Folkestone. Before the Triennial I did not know where Folkestone was. The Triennial, the Quarterhouse, the artists, the creative businesses have all raised Folkestone’s profile throughout the country. People in Folkestone are not always aware of this. Art has transformed Folkestone’s reputation and the Creative Foundation is a vital part of that transformation”.
5 Folkestone Fishermen: Folkestone Fishing Heritage Exhibition
By Frank Bond
The recent Exhibition, Folkestone’s Fishermen: Folkestone’s Fishing Heritage in the Sassoon Room of Folkestone Public Library, proved a triumphant success. It ran from 8 to 30 August 2012, and attracted considerable interest among both fishing families and the general public.
The collection of photographs, including 3D stereoviews of Folkestone Harbour in 1858, and those taken only a week ago, oil paintings and watercolours to 1700 era, provided the most significant attraction. Many were able to renew their family association with those involved in the fishing, and could introduce their children to pictures of grandparents and even great grandparents.
Supported by model boats, with a 12 foot boat used for transporting equipment and fish to and from the main fishing vessel, a collection of actual nets used together with other fishing equipment, the display was very comprehensive. Children had prepared individual painted card fish, hung on invisible thread in the net so that their effort and interest was also represented and appreciated. Continuous video presentations on two separate displays of Scottish fishing boats at work, in absence of Folkestone material, showed many of the processes and much of the fishing activities, albeit mostly on a larger scale. Maps, charts and notes provided information, and all equipment on display was available for ‘hands on’ examination, excepting only sharp or delicate items. Visitors were encouraged to practise tying various knots, making rope splices and breeding meshes on a net. It was hoped that experience gained thereby would show the range of highly skilled and specialised operations a 6 fisherman is required to perform. Some wanted to learn the jobs they had seen their parents and grandparents doing. Many were surprised at the size and weight of pots that were tossed and handled seemingly effortlessly in the video presentations.
There was abundant joy in unlocking the past and revealing the exceptional harshness and frugality of a fisherman’s life. This was coupled with the recognition that several had lost their lives over the years in their hazardous occupation. With 1,103 visitors during the 23 days, and with many turned away disappointed on the last day, there seems a genuine need for a permanent site for this exhibition in the proposed Old Town Hall Museum, or better still in a building on The Stade, centre of Folkestone’s fishing activities through all the centuries.
Folkestone Fish Festival & Blessing of the Fishing Boats
Organised by Andy Shorten and Johnny Cotter, the first Folkestone Fish Festival will be held next year over the weekend of June 22 -23 with the aim of celebrating the town’s fishing heritage and culture as well as complementing the on-going tradition of the blessing of the fishing boats.
On Saturday, The Stade and the harbourside will be buzzing with activity, from live music, Street theatre, readings, performances to food stalls, wine and beer tasting, and cookery demonstrations by celebrity and local chefs. An art and craft fair will be accompanied by open studios and art galleries throughout the whole the town, while walking tours of the town’s history, art and architecture will be arranged. Saturday evening will see live music and local support bands, with food and beverage sales featuring locally sourced seafood and other produce.
With the activities on the Stade continuing on Sunday, at 3.00pm there will be the annual gathering outside St Peter’s for the procession to the harbour, where at 3.15pm a Service, accompanied by the Salvation Army band, will include hymns and a short talk by the Bishop of Richborough, followed by the blessing of the fishing boats, the sea and the people present. On the return of the procession to St Peter’s, a final hymn will be sung, the Bishop will bless everybody and all will have tea in St Andrews gardens next-door to the church.
For further information go to www.fish-fest.net
7 Christmas Shopping in the Creative Quarter By Nick Spurrier
I have often spoken to Folkestonians who still have a lingering reluctance to venture beyond Rendezvous Street to the Old High Street and Tontine Street. In doing so they are missing out on a number of interesting shops, which could provide many original Christmas presents. Hopefully with the introduction of lights this year connecting those in Rendezvous Street with those in the Old High Street they will be encouraged to explore.
Even before the Old High Street begins its descent to the harbour, Country Fayre is well worth a visit to stock up the Christmas larder with jams, cheeses, teas, olives, pickles, chutneys, sauces, local ciders, ales, juices and wines from Terlingham vineyard. You can also find small gifts made from Romney Marsh wool - child’s slippers, lavender wool sacks, baby knit sets, and mobiles. These might provide a stocking filler as could the chocolates made by Philippe Vialon at Fresh and Easy, now well known for its outstanding patisserie. If you would like a custom made cake, Creative Cakes Kent at the bottom of the Old High Street can craft one for any occasion.
All down the Old High Street, there are a plethora of marvellous shops starting with Inspiring Interiors, who have stocked up for Christmas with battery powered LED Xmas decorations, Vases, the Country Kitchen range - bread bins, tea and coffee containers, picture frame, signs and mirrors and Caroline Walker’s cow series of bone china mugs, coasters, tablemats, aprons and tea towels.
Naturally artists feature widely in the Old High Street: Jo Letchford Mosaics sells Coaster kits at £7.59 with a more expensive, but beautiful, range of wall hanging mosaics from £65 to over £1750. Or you could buy somebody a one day mosaic making course for £100. Next door, Kate Knight at MK Artlab offers adult art classes of one and a half hours for £20 -(Children age 10 -16 for £10) alongside a wide range of art supplies including paints, brushes, easels, drawing boards. Her own artwork is also on sales with prints from £30 and original artworks from £400. Other art is obtainable from Stanley James Art, Folkestone Academy Art, Grand Auctions, La Galeria, Space Gallery, George House Gallery, and in Tontine Street from Silkworm Studios and The Stables. At the top of the Old High Street, Shane Record has many of his own still life and landscape paintings for sale either as originals or prints in a variety of format and sizes. Prints of architectural interest and old architectural plans can be found at Cyma Architecture Shop.
Art and design of the twentieth century is the province of Rennies Seaside Modern, which has now been in the Old High Street for over seven years. Their treasure trove of objects from posters, books, ceramics and glass make ideal presents especially Karen Rennie’s collection of vintage Hermes 8 head scarves from £100 upwards. Other accessories including handbags and make-up bags are available from Quake Handbags, who also design and make their own range of practical and stylish fabric and felt bags. Buttons of all types can be found at the Button Shack but also fabrics, accessories, handmade Christmas decorations and gifts. One of several expected pop up shops will be the Christmas Emporium, selling glass, ceramics and jewellery.
Tribes are the longest established shop in the Old High Street, having been in business there for over 30 years. They stock jewellery, including body jewellery, alongside hair dye, boxes and scarves, Again, jewellery forms part of the stock of Cauldron of Inspiration, which also sells Mystical/ Pagan goods, scented candles, essential oils, beads, ornaments, tarot cards as well as Buddhism, shamanistic and Egyptian items.
If it’s your dog that wants an accessory, Kissiboo Boo-tique is the shop for you. They stock dog clothing, and hoodies, cute dog dresses, winter coats, collars leads harnesses, dog socks, dog jumpers personalised dog T-Shirts in all sizes. T-Shirts for adults can be found at Frizbee as well as mugs, coasters, embroidered Shirts, jackets, workwear & Gifts, vinyl printing, poster printing, canvas printing.
Finally two other shops deserve a mention: Quintessential with its colourful and original painted wooden signs, toys and upright jigsaws and Plectrum Pens and Paints which sells all types of musical instruments from guitars, to brass and woodwind, digital pianos, strings. They also provide tuition in most instruments in purpose built studio rooms with a large selection of music and grade books.
Tontine Street is also worth a trawl. The Outdoor Shop provides boots, gloves, waterproof clothing, compasses, sleeping bags, tents, camping gaz stoves, rucksacks, in fact everything for the outdoor enthusiast. Another outdoor pursuit Fishing is catered for comprehensively at Folkestone Angling, be it for coarse, sea, or game fishing. The owner, former England International, Peter Owen, who has a wealth of local fishing knowledge, is always available for a chat and advice.
It has not been possible to include every shop within the Creative Quarter or of course the pop up shops. And of course there are number of cafes to provide refreshment. What is certain is that if you want a present with a difference, Tontine Street and the Old High Street are the places to visit. As Karen Rennie says “There are some great core businesses down here that have withstood the ups and downs!”
The Old High Street is hosting a best-dressed window competition. If your vote is selected from the winning display entries, you’ll win dinner for two at Rocksalt. To enter go to http://www. creativequarterfolkestone.com/Christmas. 9 Folkestone Rock: The Earliest Days By Mick Cork
You can hardly fail to achieve some degree of notoriety – infamy even – if you work, as I did for 25 years as sports editor of a number of local newspapers, primarily the Folkestone Herald but latterly also the Dover Express and one or two others. Clearly you might surmise that sport is my first love, but music in all its forms is right up there. So I’ve jumped at the chance of putting together some words for the Go Folkestone magazine, following a similar piece compiled by fellow Folkestone Invicta fan Clive Arnold recently.
I guess I must have been about the third year at the Harvey when my pal Mickey Pope, from Saltwood, and I ventured to the Dover Granada, now a hulk – or it might still have been the ABC then - to hear Cliff Richard and The Drifters. The group were later of course renamed The Shadows to distinguish them from the great and even earlier American group The Drifters. That was 1958/9, when Cliff did a reasonably decent job of trying to become Britain’s answer to Elvis with his white (or pink) jacket and tie to match, skinny black slacks and winkle-pinker shoes.
‘Move It’ remains a good solid old rock song from that era, but it was Hank Marvin and co who had the bigger effect on thousands of would-be guitar twangers and who provided the impetus for probably millions of Brit-rockers to come. Bert Weedon may have taught us all to play in a day, from that famous manual, purchased from Mr Chard at Folkestone Gramophone Company in Tontine Street, circa 1958 for the price of seven and sixpence, but it was Hank Marvin who inspired generations of guitar pickers.
The Dover cinema-cum-theatre seemed about the only place around here that the bigger names went to at that time. I recall seeing a load of Larry Parnes boys with names like Vince Eager, Dickie Pride, Duffy Power and the rest, plus visiting Americans including the highly influential Gene Vincent, and other more poppy performers such as Dion DiMucci (The Wanderer by then and no longer a Teenager In Love with The Belmonts), Brian Hyland and the incredibly yucky Paul and Paula. Not sure what the attraction was for some of those though Little Eva – the ‘Little’ somewhat belying her greatest assets – had more obvious attractions!!
Folkestone lagged behind our neighbours in terms of shows of that kind, but it didn’t take long to catch up with Cliff, Hank and co soon turning up on stage at The Odeon Cinema, where Boots is now. Not however for the kind of kids one of my bands, The Mixed Feelings, catered for some years later in the interval at Saturday morning pictures!
Our renowned Leas Cliff Hall was still booking the likes of the Ted Heath Orchestra, (not the former Prime Minister), before moving on to good showbands such as Bob Miller and The Millermen plus trad jazz from Kenny Ball, Acker Bilk and the highly influential Chris Barber . Chris was such a pioneer of early R’n’B in this country, but still primarily a trad-jazz man at that time. Eventually the Leas got more switched on, though it took quite a while. I’m convinced that when they got round to booking The Rolling 10 Stones, I was in the last and arguably best of the string of bands I had the pleasure of playing with (Captain Black, with the very talented, late, Keith Harwood) and we were doing one of our regular Saturday night stints at the notorious Neptune Motel, down in Dymchurch. In much earlier days, local bands performed at local British Legion and Oddfellows halls for a variety of ‘entrepreneurs’ for whom the word ‘promoter’ would seem a wee bit grand.
If you want to know more about local bands I can highly recommend Chris Ashman’s excellent Kent Gigs website. Best thing is to Google ‘Kent Gigs’ – followed by the name of a band or musician – ‘The Lonely Ones’ gives you a good way in, and quite rightly so.
Folkestone has produced much more than its fair share of rock talent over the years with many of the best going via The Lonely Ones – still revered in many quarters . They were more hip than those pleasant pioneers of the local group scene, The Sundowners (Martin Jones, Boz Leggett, Neville Takes and a series of drummers) . The latter were famed for a successful single of ‘House of The Rising Sun’, though don’t expect such a rough, tough version as that made famous by Eric Burdon, Alan Price and The Animals.
I was in the same school year as the late Noel Redding – later, of course, of the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience – and Pete Kircher who spent some time refusing to let Maggie Go with Honeybus (The Nimble Bread advert song) and then became one of the most versatile and successful rock drummers of his day with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt in Status Quo.Pete and Noel were not what you’d call academic and I recall sitting next to the former, who hailed from Cheriton, in a Latin mock GCE exam where he put his name on the top of the paper and probably wrote out song words ahead of his next gig for the rest of the time, still getting 20 per cent for the exam effort.(The marks may or may not be true, but it became the stuff of school legend)
That takes me back to the local gigs – and especially to Tontine Street or Cheriton Co-Op Halls ( now the Bingo and the closed Hilton Snooker Club respectively) where performed Messrs Redding and Kircher along with young John ‘Andy’ Andrews (later with the mighty Supertramp), and again, various drummers such as Mick Goody, Micky Williams and Trevor Sutton.
I’ll finish this instalment by recalling the second great early venue The Empress Ballroom, where a guy who managed the Freeman, Hardy and Willis shoe-shop put on dances 2-3 times a week. This legendary venue was sandwiched, I think, between a ladies hairdressers and a poodle parlour and used most nights for bingo. It was Grace Hill but it was totally different to the part of Grace Hill where Le Caprice, Folkestone Library and the former Harvey School ‘annexe’ were all situated. I cannot remember the Empress promoter’s name (anyone?). I do know, that he provided us with some excellent music from both local bands and visiting names such as Joe Brown and his Bruvvers, Johnny Kidd and The Pirates and many more.
The Empress – and Pfizer’s Club/The Hillside Club above it – was technically in the first few yards of Dover Road where it came down from Payer’s Park and the old Copper Kettle, a sweetshop that also sold cigarettes, and, at 11 appropriate times, fireworks. Further down was Pickford’s’ Travel along with one or two other businesses, including Renhams Cycles, a decent chippy and, at the bottom, a furniture store. That entire row of buildings disappeared, of course, when the road system between Payer’s Park – where the old Folkestone Market once was – and the top of Tontine Street – disappeared in the interests of a new one-way system. Renhams moved a few yards and Grace Hill remains to this day in two separated roads, proof of the ghost buildings of the past.
Concerts at The Bayle – SS Mary & Eanswythe’s Church
To continue Music on a Sunday Afternoon at SS Mary & Eanswythe’s Church, Bayle music has been founded with the support of the Creative Foundation. A steering group has been formed of representatives from the Church and Professor Grenville Hancox, who will book performers and play a major part in the concerts. The next concerts will be:
9 December 3pm, Music for Advent Amici Singers, Canterbury Cantata choir with Rachel Wick (harp) Including ‘Ceremony of Carols’ by Benjamin Britten Followed by mulled wine and mince pies.
13 January 3pm Winds of Change: The amazing sounds and colours of a large wind orchestra from the newest ensemble in the series. Directed by Tremaine Richard Noel.
10 February 3pm Orchestra 2012: The Amici Chorus and Eleni Kevenitsou organ Francis Poulenc Concerto for Organ, Timpani and strings and his setting of the Gloria.
3 March 3pm. Sergei Vasiliev (piano) and Alina Karpenko (soprano). Two young Russian musicians on tour in the UK.
For further details phone Ian Gordon on 01303-257248. E-mail: [email protected] or Visit: http://www.dandi.me.uk/music/index.htm 12 Why I moved to Folkestone By Arike
Before November 2010 I had never visited Folkestone. I knew that at one time it used to be a thriving port alongside its neighbour Dover, but that was about it. As far as I was concerned London was my home forever. I was not even entertaining the idea of moving from my beautiful home in St John’s in the borough of Lewisham.
Having attained a certain age, my partner and I have been targets for promotion by hotel groups of cheap stays in their properties. We decided to try one such company and, Folkestone being the nearest to London, we came here. It was just to be an interesting and fun weekend by the sea. That weekend was pivotal in shaping our lives. Whilst here, out of curiosity, we looked in estate agents windows to get a sense of the area - we ended up buying a static caravan in Capel.
We have stayed many times since and got to love it more and more each time. Last year was the Triennial and we became traders of art, poetry and retro clothing in a ‘pop-up’ shop in the Creative Quarter on the Old High Street. As artists, we are taken by the idea of creativity being a catalyst for regeneration.
Spending memorable times here and getting to know some good people was significant when reviewing our future lives. We decided to up sticks and move here. No easy decision for me as a man of African heritage used to the diversity of the big city, but perhaps you might get a flavour of Folkestone’s attraction for me in the following list poem:
Encouragement for artists - Walks in the Warren - Strolls along the Leas Taking in the sea - Modest house to create in - Friendly people - Cliff top Café - Views out to France - Easy access to London - Caravan in Capel - Pop-up shop - Generous house prices - Surprising diversity - Less stress - Time to spend with partner - More time for me - More time for family -New beginning -The rainy day I’ve been waiting for – Time to reclaim my health & fitness - Time to make sense of (my) life -Time to give (back/to others/ serve) - Meditation moments - Good places to eat and meet like Beanos, Googies, Fresh & Easy
It has been a momentous move, from being well established in our capital city to re-rooting in this small town by the sea. Not a moment’s regret. Although I travel up to London one day per week to continue my practice as a counsellor, I have already begun to start seeing clients here in Folkestone. With new connections with neighbours, fellow professionals and artists, I am beginning to feel part of the community here.
Arike’s next pop up shop of retro clothing will be in the Old High Street in the New Year 13 The Seafront Development: A view from Go Folkestone
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Looking at the outline plans for the seafront development, now available on the Shepway District Council website, it is apparent how much care has gone into them. In addition to Terry Farrell and Partners, the architects, seven other consultants have been involved, concerned with all aspects of the project from the creation of an extended beach, with specially engineered shingle dunes which will act as flood protection, to the type of flowers and trees that will flourish in the two new public gardens, squares and boulevards.
Open Space
The seafront development will have a feeling of open space in tune with the rest of Folkestone. Adding to the already existing Fountain Square, Master’s Square will be created next to the retained harbour master’s house. From there, Harbour Station Street will lead down to Embarkation Square at the entrance to the harbour arm while at the eastern end of the development, Leas Square will create a setting for the historic Leas water balance lift. All will provide additional spaces for public gatherings, festivals, musical events and open air markets. From Master’s Square, Harbour Gardens will broaden out towards the sea and Marine Gardens will largely allow the nineteenth century houses of Marine Crescent to see and be seen.
Running past Marine Crescent, Marine Parade will become a tree lined boulevard linking Leas Square to Master’s Square. Along the beach, from east to west, Dune Way – a board walk - will connect the coastal park with Sunny Sands and The Warren. It is intended that steps up from Fountain Square will allow pedestrians to walk across the old railway viaduct and swing bridge to the vibrant new South Quay. West Quay will be given a new face to complement The Stade and will reconnect Folkestone with its seafront. The future of the harbour arm will be subject to a separate study, to explore potential uses for public amenities. This study will need to take into account engineering challenges posed by sea and weather conditions at certain times of the year.
Shops, Restaurants and Cafes
At Leas Square, shops, cafés and restaurants will surround the square at ground level with outside dining creating a vibrant atmosphere. Adjacent to this, a new sea sports centre, a trial version of which is already running, will invigorate the area, attracting visitors and generating activity. Almost certainly people will be drawn down to the seafront from the Leas above, using the nearby historic water balance lift. Between Leas Square and the harbour, some corner houses could feature cafes or small beach shops. Other non-residential facilities will be located in the area of the harbour with Master’s Square, Harbour Station Street and the Quaysides featuring shops cafes and restaurants, the numbers of which will be largely determined by the local economy’s ability to sustain them. In this area there will also be provision for amenities such as a crèche, health centre or gym with the possibility of an hotel. Outside dining and the shops also spilling into the public space will be encouraged. As with the Seasports Centre at Leas Square, the beach sports centre in this area will encourage visitors and enliven it.
Leisure & Children’s facilities
The replenished and extended beach will improve access to the sea, and as is the case with many coastal towns, together with other local play spaces and the existing Coastal Park, they will provide a natural leisure facility for children of all ages. The Harbour will have improved facilities for commercial fishing and sailing charters with the intention of attracting new pleasure sailing users. 14 The Beach Sports Centre, with associated car parking, will have provision for beach football, volleyball and junior athletics. The Seaports Centre, also with parking, could be equipped with single kayaks, Laser Stratos and other leisure craft. Life jackets, helmets, wet suits and cagoules will be supplied for all those using the craft. Inside the Centre, in addition to an office, there will be changing rooms, toilets and showers. But of course it is hoped that it will also become a centre where people can come and launch their own craft. A satellite seaports centre at the eastern end of The Stade is also a possibility in the future. In addition to the existing interactive fountain, the public realm of the development will incorporate a range of play equipment and play experience both bespoke and incidental. Adult gym and children’s play equipment and seating will feature and, where possible, natural play features will be built into the overall landscape for use by the public as well as the residents of the new housing.
A Variety of Housing.
Of obvious concern to many people has been the issue of housing. This being an outline Planning Application there are no fixed designs at this stage. The master plan allows for “a variety of housing types to attract a broad spectrum of home buyers.” Properties range from apartments, mews houses, Dune Houses, Town houses to highly bespoke Beach houses situated on the shingle dunes. A set of design guidelines, (that will have to be adhered to by developers and architects) have been assembled to instruct on the design of the houses. The guidelines are intended to promote variety and diversity in the design solutions. Some of the suggested designs are listed below
l “The Marine Parade town houses present a more formal character in the overall masterplan within the hierarchy of housing proposed. They respond in scale to the existing 19thC ‘set piece’ four storey grand terraces of Marine Parade &Marine Crescent.”
l “The Garden Square & Street Town Houses are adjoined terraces, which form the squares & streets. They run east/west in the masterplan and create the transition from the formal Marine Parade architecture to the more playful and organic seaside Dune & Beach houses. The architectural expression for the new houses draws on the architectural heritage of Folkestone’s harbour buildings, which are characterised by simply detailed small scale timber weather-boarded, brick and render buildings.
l “The Corner Houses echo the Victorian houses found on the corner plots of West Folkestone with their agglomerated forms of towers, turrets & gables. The palette of materials are similar to the type A Marine Parade houses drawing on the ‘stucco’ architecture and Folkestone’s weather-boarded fishermen’s Houses.
l The Harbour houses draw on the architectural heritage of Folkestone’s harbour buildings and the simple vertical structures of the Fishermen’s huts most notably found at Rock-a-Nore in nearby Hastings. These buildings are characterised by their simple form and detailing, small scale, and timber weatherboarding.
l The Dune Houses form the southern edge of the urban blocks and address Dune Way. The houses are conceived as detached or semi-detached individual villas grouped together along shallow crescents that face the sea. The houses are two to three stories with pitched roofs and are playful in their design echoing the colourful seaside beach huts. 15 l “The Beach houses form the southern limit of the master plan & town as it meets the sea. The clustered ‘free form’ layout of the houses creates an organic edge and in keeping with this approach each house is intended to be a bespokedesign. The house receives part of its energy from solar panels and a wind turbine. The choice of materials reflects the site and the building’s sustainability with pebbled cladding, natural timber decking and burnt timber cladding.
The number and type of houses will change according to market forces. However, it is envisaged that there will be about 200 houses of up to 3 bedroomed houses, 61 four or more bedroomed houses and 739 apartments. Each house will have some private garden and roof terrace.
Each house will have either parking on plot or in an integrated garage. Apartments will have dedicated undercroft or podium parking.
Transport
Included in the plan is an 84 page study of public transport and traffic movements in Folkestone by engineering consultants Buro Happold. They have suggested ways in which local traffic patterns could be altered to improve traffic flow and permit improvements to bus routes, including the extension of buses down Marine Parade as far as the Leas lift, provided this is viable. “The potential to alter the current one-way operation of local roads will further advance the accessibility of the town centre, particularly by public transport. This increased accessibility will have further positive implications.”
What Happens Next?
The master plan is likely to be discussed and voted on by a full Shepway District Council meeting in March 2013. Should it be passed, Folkestone Harbour Company will invite a developer or developers to submit detailed planning permission within the guidelines set out in the master plan. It will be a phased development, starting at the western end of the site and moving towards the Harbour. Economic conditions will determine the rate of development.
This second master plan, commissioned by the Folkestone Harbour Company and put together by Farrells has cost £1.5 million and follows on that of Norman Foster in 2005, an ambitious plan conceived during a boom time. As Terry Farrell said in a memorable phrase at Go Folkestone’s AGM last November this plan would have “longer legs” as those done during a recession are undoubtedly more realistic.
It is worth ending with a quote from the plan itself “The master plan elements work together to provide a missing link between the town and the seafront. Folkestone Seafront development will provide the missing tooth in the smile, not only from the town to the sea but along the shoreline, providing a connection between the redeveloped Coastal Park to The Stade and beyond”.
Go Folkestone believes this to be a realistic, well thought out, and achievable way forward for the re-development of our Seafront and Harbour, and therefore one that is fully deserving of your support. We urge you to have your say as well. You can do this by writing to Ben Geering, Shepway District Council, Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, CT20 2QY or e-mail: ben. [email protected], quoting Y12/0897/SH or by using that reference to post a comment on the website http://searchplanapps.shepway.gov.uk/online-applications, where there are details of the plan. There will be display boards in the civic centre from 1st November.
16
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Rocksalt, 4-5 Fishmarket, Folkestone, Kent CT19 6AA www.rocksaltfolkestone.co.uk e: [email protected] t: 01303 212 070 17 Test Pits in East Folkestone reveal more of the Town’s Early History
By Nick Spurrier
As part of A Town Unearthed the project, responsible in 2010 and 2011 for the successful archaeological dig at the Roman Villa site on East Cliff, volunteers, supervised by Annie Partridge from Canterbury Archeological Trust, have been digging a series of test pits in the gardens of houses near Wear Bay Road and in the grounds of St Mary’s Primary School. Over 25 volunteers, a number of residents and school children have been involved in an attempt to further understand the history of the area.
The children at St Mary’s have been especially excited at experiencing archaeology for the first time. Annie Partridge says” it has been a fantastic opportunity to engage the pupils with the history of their school and to get them learning about their town. The pupils have always been very keen to come out to us, excited by the prospect of uncovering more of the past on their doorstep. So far we have had an entire Year 3 class, approximately 60 pupils involved. They have been a joy to work with so I am looking forward to working with other pupils.”
Andrew Wright, the Year 3 teacher said “The parents at our consultation evenings have all been really pleased and the children have all been going home full of talk about doing this project. It has been a great way to start the year!”
The finds at the school have been mostly Victorian, the result of the demolition of St Mary Magdalene’s Sanatorium for Children in 1948, and have included poison bottles, bricks, floor tile, nails, window glass, and a 18 metal lock plate complete with key and doorknob. They will remain at the school to form a small exhibition.
However finds at the other 24 test pits have been older. Perhaps the most dramatic has been a pair of human legs, probably Iron Age or Roman, which were recovered from an in filled ditch or pit. Other artifacts have included a complete first century AD brooch, two coins, animal bone, Iron Age and Roman pottery and from the second world war a trouser button and a bullet.
A test pit dug about 50 yards from the Roman Villa revealed a number of very good Roman finds and a well laid stone soak-away drain. Dr Andrew Richardson, finds officer of Canterbury Archaeological Trust said. “This demonstrates that there is much more archaeology, including possibly the remains of other Roman and Iron Age buildings, to be uncovered in the area of East Cliff. With these test pits and the dig at the Roman Villa, we are gradually piecing together the ancient history of the area. None of this work could have been done without the dedication of volunteers and the interest of the householders who have allowed us to dig in their gardens.”
A Town Unearthed: Folkestone Before 1500 is a three year community archaeology project organised by Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Christ Church University and the Folkestone People’s History Centre. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, with additional contributions by Folkestone Town Council, Kent Archaeological Society, Kent County Council and Shepway District Council.
The Project continues until March with a final exhibition in the Sassoon Room above Folkestone Library in February.
Step Short WW1 Commemorative Arch Project
By Ann Berry
It is with great delight that Step Short can announce that the Planning Committee of Folkestone Town Council and Shepway District Council’s Development Control Committee, on Thursday 18th and Tuesday 23rd October respectively, unanimously passed the plans for the Commemorative Arch to be set on the Leas near to the Road of Remembrance and the War Memorial. Our thanks go to both our Councils, the Radnor Estate, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, the general public and veteran groups for the donations and support they have given to help move the project to this stage.
We now have to go into serious fund raising so that we are ready in time for 100th anniversary WW1 on 4th August 2014. 19 “If only this piano could talk…”
By Shane Record
A former Italian piano restorer – Massimo Piemontese (of Quintessential at 65 The Old High Street) – came across this 1880s Gors & Kallmann piano at the back of a house clearance second-hand shop opposite the Folkestone Library in Grace Hill, in June 2012. It had a £150 price tag. The outside was damaged, stained, marked and discoloured but he opened it up and noticed the excellent condition of its interior, and the quality of its sound. He put a deposit on, and started paying it off in installments but soon was overtaken by other priorities. Knowing I was looking for a new piano for my gallery he came and told me about it. We went to see it together and I immediately bought him out, paid the remaining balance and arranged delivery.
As it was being delivered I asked the business owner if he remembered where the piano had come from. “I do,” he said, “it was from a piano teacher in Hythe. She was having a different piano delivered from the Hythe Conservative Club and couldn’t pay us so offered this piano as payment.
Massimo helped me sand down and repair the exterior and prepare it for painting, which I did, keeping the undamaged original wood around the keys.
I contacted Chris Pearson – a professional piano tuner from Hythe and told him what I knew about the piano I had acquired. He became very excited and told me the following story:
“I know the exact piano you have very well. I first started tuning it in the seventies when it belonged to the Burlington Hotel. At the time there were people who drank at the bar in their late eighties who told me all about its 20 history. The piano had belonged to the Leas Pavilion over a hundred years ago, but during the First World War it was put on the Folkestone Bandstand on the Leas.”
When he came to tune it, Chris explained that after its spell on the Bandstand, the Leas Pavilion no longer wanted it given that it was a German piano and Britain was at war with Germany. The Burlington adopted it until the 1990s, until it acquired a grand piano and no longer needed it. Chris was then unaware of what happened to it until he was asked to tune a piano at Trinity House, an old people’s home in Manor Road, Folkestone where it stayed until a few years ago. It then ended up in the hands of the music teacher in Hythe.
“She didn’t want to get rid of it,” explained Chris, “but it took up so much space in her cottage she needed a smaller piano. And now it is back in a public place in Folkestone! When I first tuned it, I opened it up and I found all this sheet music with First World War songs. To think who would have listened to it and stood around it!” He shook his head. “If only this piano could talk…”
Royal Victoria Hospital Housing Scheme Returns
By Richard Wallace
The East Kent Health Trust has reactivated its plans of 2006-8 to gain planning permission for flats and houses on the site of the old hospital in Radnor Park Road. No planning application has been put in yet but some local residents have been briefed. Go Folkestone took a leading part in the fight in 2008 against a complete obliteration of the 1887 Clock Tower Building. As with Eversley College more recently, Go Folkestone’s application to statutorily list the ornate ‘Queen Anne Style’ red brick and clay tile building was formally unsuccessful but nevertheless produced a balanced response from English Heritage which made it clear that the building was historic and worth keeping. It remains on the Folkestone Town Council Local List. The Trust moved to convert the building into flats whilst demolishing the 1927 addition which juts out slightly and is more glazed, and uglier ! The recession among other things kicked the whole scheme into touch.
The Royal Vic was a general hospital for Folkestone for most of its existence but following the opening of the William Harvey Hospital at Ashford in 1979, it became a centre for geriatric patients, stroke rehabilitation, eye surgery and general practitioner patients, lost its maternity wing and declined. However the new walk in centre was built on one side to a high standard and eventually provided significant facilities on top of walk-in A & E from 7am to 10.00pm. These include blood testing, kidney treatment, a large range of medical tests including cancer biopsies, and mental health consultations. The older areas almost completely closed in 2005, and the rear of the site going down to the Pent Stream include tarmac, an enormous 21 boiler house, long overgrown grounds and disused tennis courts. In 2010 more works created surgeries and offices in the six storey former nurses’ home situated between the new and the old Royal Vic, and hopefully stabilised the level of NHS services in Folkestone.
Go Folkestone realises that the NHS needs support and will probably be largely successful in getting the range of mainly low rise flats proposed for the site. However all recent studies, and the market itself, seem to be showing that houses are more sought after in Folkestone. In the 2008 proposals, once the main building had been saved, the biggest concerns about the development scheme were the lack of parking for medical services, and the proposed blocks of flats stuck at the very back. The latter will ruin any possibility of maintaining the Pent Stream bank as a pleasant walk unless the building are pushed further back and screened .
Opposite the Hospital is the 1903 former private prep school Ash Eton (pretentious, Moi ?) , also an NHS building, but ahead of it in the necessary queue to liquidate unwanted assets . It used to be the administrative centre for mental health services. Vacated two years ago, possibly as a consequence of the conversion of the nurses’ home into offices, it was on the market for sale with Grimleys, until, no doubt temporarily, taken off this year. Internally it has been as stripped of interesting decoration as any cleaner-conscious bureaucrat could make it. But it is undeniably handsome, and any reasonable offer based upon its potential at the end of sought after Radnor Park West will still no doubt be considered.
JJ Taxis: A Folkestone success story
By David Noble.
At a time when businesses are finding it difficult to survive, it is perhaps surprising to hear of a local company that has gone from strength to strength in the past four years. Jake Sackett started JJ Taxis in October 2008 after serving in the 1st Battalion Queen’s Regiment and then taxi driving in Folkestone to gain experience. Interviewed on the first floor of the company office in Tontine St, surrounded by pictures of Manchester United, Jake doesn’t put the companies success down to luck. Right from the start he was very hands on, taking no salary for first 18 months, as he worked hard to establish the company. At this point there were nine cars operating. He was soon joined by manager Jay Taylor, who brought experience of the taxi and chauffeur trade, and they set about building a company with customer service as its main priority. Today the fleet consists of over 40 cars.
The first significant decision Jake took was inspired by two of his children when they became old enough to start using taxis after midnight, the hour when rates traditionally increased by up to 100%. Realising this was a 22 heavy burden for customers, he abolished the after midnight rate altogether which has proved very popular with the public. And rates are constantly monitored to ensure they remain competitive
As an example of the companies’ attention to detail when employing new drivers there is a set of terms and conditions to which they are expected to adhere. These include a smart casual dress code, always being courteous and getting out of the car to help when collecting or dropping off a client who requires assistance. Although the company get many more compliments than complaints, all complaints that are received are investigated and if necessary discussed with the driver.
Central to the operation is the GPRS system which with the aid of PDA tracking devices in all cars constantly shows the office staff the location of all taxis and enables them to despatch the closest driver to the customer so avoiding long delays. The company fleet now includes seven black cabs with wheel chair access, three 8 seater MPV’s, executive saloons for those who are going to a very special function or just want to cut a dash with the neighbours and three E class Mercedes for business use.
Positioning the offices in Tontine Street wasn’t a random choice either. Jake felt that, with the new exciting times ahead with the redevelopment of the harbour area and the great work that the Creative Foundation is doing, it was the ideal place to be situated and, with Josh de Haan’s new company View due to open their offices a few doors away, he might well soon start to see those benefits.
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By Richard Wallace
The former White Lion in Cheriton has been acquired by developers determined to implement something like the existing, long stalled planning permission for flat conversion. The Victorian front will remain but with major rear extensions. Watch this space.
As we go to press, the Folkestone Garden Centre and the entire semi-rural area around it seem to be slipping away. The application by the Folkestone Estate, represented by Smith Wooley Perry, to put 57 houses and flats there remains in place. Due to ill-advised decisions of Shepway around 2003, zoning the ‘brownfield’ area for housing, the decision seems to be less about prevention and more about how many houses and flats will be decided, how sympathetic to the listed Ingles Manor they will be, and whether the tree avenue will survive in any meaningful form at all. But as the number of written objections by ordinary people approaches a hundred, despite almost no newspaper coverage ( !?), I think there is a chance that the Lord Radnor may limit the scheme and save the Garden Centre , and the protected badgers and bats. I remember writing to the old Lord Radnor in Wiltshire in around 2002 and receiving a handwritten reply, reminiscing about the green spaces of Folkestone; it seemed to go slow then. At the very least, if you push the number of objections over a hundred on ‘Shepway planning application…Castle Hill Avenue‘, the houses and offices should be made fewer and better to improve the scheme, and fewer than 60 trees allowed by Shepway District Council to be chopped down: the biggest tree loss in central Folkestone for generations. Contact your councillor.
On a happier note Eversley College in Coolinge Lane is certainly now saved for conversion to 22 nice flats, with the field next to it given to Sandgate Primary School as playing fields by the developer Quinn Estates. 18 houses are proposed next to the College, but with their tile hanging, attractive windows and bays they are considerably better that the plain, ally windowed, red brick, three storey town houses currently slated for the Garden Centre land. In the centre of Folkestone the Shakespeare Centre, better known to many as the 1930s former Martin Walters car showroom is being slated for conversion from offices to flats. The facade to Shakespeare Terrace will actually be made more ‘period’ with a slightly higher centre and the excellent, main sports shop remains: good idea.
Meanwhile, up Sandgate Road at No.127, the ugly 1970s infill office building will change. What was this strange plot before? It is planned to be converted to 7 flats, over a better looking shop unit. People don’t want small offices anymore unless there is a prestige building like Ingles Manor or services thrown in; it can be more comfortable working from home. More flat conversions in town please ( Barton House ?) but provide parking or the shops will lose out.
I believe the latest developer consortium idea to put 8 large shops on the site of part of the existing Silver Springs factory is still a live issue though no planning permission has been applied for. Incredible, after all the efforts on town centre parking, what chance would the town have if Debenhams, Next and/or Primark moved out to what is effectively West Park Farm. We’d soon have Mary Portas back in town for Margate Mark 2. Some retail warehouse that just wouldn’t fit into the town perhaps is sensible, but not a new shopping centre. 24 Plans to build on Garden Centre / Ingles Manor Site
As expected, a planning application for the Garden Centre/ Ingles Manor site was lodged in late August. At the time of writing, there are 63 objections from members of the public and interested bodies on the SDC website. The main points raised in these objections are:
lLoss of the locally much beloved Garden Centre as a green oasis in the centre of town and as a contribution to the local economy;
lLoss of wildlife habitat;
lLack of respect afforded to Grade ll listed, 18th century, Ingles Manor and its Conservation Area in proposing to build three story townhouses in front of it;
lContravention of FTC3 of the Shepway Local Plan;
lConcern at the proposal to build offices when there is already an oversupply in Folkestone;
lConcern that there were so many empty buildings and unattractive sites in Folkestone and that these should be tackled before considering schemes such as this;
lEffect on employment in the Garden Centre and also in the Channel Business Centre at Ingles Manor;
lFelling of over 50 trees – equivalent to the number of houses being built;
lInsufficient parking allocation in an area due for inclusion in a parking scheme to ease congestion;
lNo additional measures to combat flooding in the context of a history of flooding in basement flats in Castle Hill Avenue and at the roundabout adjoining the site;
lNo provision for affordable housing;
lInadequate energy saving features;
lNo evidence of cycling improvements;
lConcern that additional cars pulling into busy Castle Hill Avenue will increase the number of traffic accidents;
lConcern at the damage which heavy construction equipment might make to historic buildings;
There is no doubt that the site is popular locally and many residents have expressed their concern at the loss of such a unique and attractive part of Folkestone. Letters to the Folkestone Herald have expressed disappointment that a splendid green haven for people and wildlife should be destroyed for a housing estate and one suggested the linking of the area with Kingsnorth Gardens to create a “Tivoli Gardens” effect. Now that is an idea.
25 Poor Old Folkestone
By David Taylor Secretary, Harvey Central Community First Panel
Consider the map of Harvey Central ward. It’s the heart of Folkestone – the shops and businesses of the town centre and Bouverie Place, the galleries and cafes of the Old High Street, the quaint Bayle, the eastern Leas, the bus station, the leafy environs of the Civic Centre, the magistrates court, the police station and some very desirable properties. Yet other parts of Harvey Central make it the most deprived ward in Shepway and the ninth most deprived in Kent. Poor old Folkestone.
How come? Poverty and deprivation are rife in accommodation above shops. Grand old houses, four or five storeys high, are divided and sub- divided into multi-occupancy warrens. Like so many faded seaside resorts, Folkestone has an excess of families and individuals on benefit. Contrary to perceptions, beneficiaries are generally not immigrants and asylum seekers, but are indigenous. Were Folkestone bigger, some neighbourhoods close to the town centre would be classed “inner-city”.
That’s the problem. To help address it, the government has set up the Community Development Foundation charged with injecting cash directly into the most deprived wards in the land. In Folkestone, the scheme is administered by the Harvey Central Community First Panel, an independent 26 forum of neighbourhood leaders, civic officers and councillors. They work in partnership with The Bradstone Association, a residents group, whose bailiwick extends into the ward south of the viaduct.
Over four years the panel has more than £52,000 to spend on community projects. To qualify they must tick at least one of the panel’s priorities: 1, The cleaning and greening of the ward, a reduction of graffiti and vandalism and the improvement of street safety. 2, The development and support of schemes to improve literacy, plus the mixing and cohesion of different communities. 3, An increase in the range and suitability of activities and facilities for young people. 4, The support of the lonely, especially the older and vulnerable, and the encouragement of their involvement in the community. 5, Healthier living through schemes that promote walking and cycling and tackle alcohol and drug misuse.
Applications for grants must be from charities, clubs or groups like resident associations. Match funding is required but that can be via voluntary input which is charged at £11.09 per hour. The initial application goes to the panel. If approved, the panel then recommends it to the Community Development Foundation which, in turn, issues an on-line application to the grant seeker. Invariably, if the panel backs an application, the foundation comes up with the award.
In the first year of the scheme, 2011/12, grants were made to five projects. They included help with the provision of meals to clients of Mind, a children’s garden scheme, migrant support, a bin-and-garden yard and the part-funding of a mural on the graffiti-daubed gable-end of a terraced house close to the viaduct.
This year, 2012/13, £12,500 is available. So, you have a bright idea, let me know. Call me on 01303 226234 or 07880 702969 or email david@ yorkfilms.com Deadline for the current round of grants is February 28, 2013. If recommended by the Panel, your application will be forwarded at the end of March to the Community Development Foundation for approval. Funds will be released next summer.
For further information visit www.bradstoneassociation.co.uk - then click on “Harvey Central” Check the map to see if your scheme is within Harvey Central.
27 Specifications and details for your advert
Type of Advert Size 1 Issue 2 Issues 3 Issues 4 Issues Width Height B/W Colour B/W Colour B/W Colour B/W Colour
Quarter page 60 mm 90 mm £30 £45 £56 £85 £82 £125 £105 £165 (Portrait) Quarter page 130 mm 40 mm £30 £45 £56 £85 £82 £125 £105 £165 (Landscape) Half page 130 mm 90 mm £40 £60 £75 £115 £110 £170 £145 £225
Whole Page 130 mm 180 mm £65 £75 £125 £145 £170 £215 £245 £285
Inside Cover 130 mm 90 mm £50 XXXXX £95 XXXXX £140 XXXXX £185 XXXXX (Half page) Inside Cover 130 mm 180 mm £75 XXXXX £145 XXXXX £215 XXXXX £285 XXXXX (Full Page) Back Cover 130 mm 180 mm XXX £150 XXXXX £285 XXXXX £415 XXXXX £540
Advertisments: Each issue is made up of 32 pages including front and back covers. The front cover is used to feature areas of interest in Folkestone. There are only six coloured pages including back page for adverts all other adverts will be black and white.
How we would like to receive copy from you: Print ready artwork in a computer file sent via email or on a CD (Formats accepted: jpg, bmp, tiff, pdf with no embedded fonts). Print ready artwork on paper (A4 size preferable to preserve quality when scanning. Please ring 01303 278644 if you need assistance.
Where to send your advert:
David Noble email: [email protected] tel: 01303 254263 or by mail to: David Noble 28 Coolinge Lane Folkestone Kent CT20 3QT
(same address for cheque and order form)
28 Membership form
Type of membership you want: (please tick as appropriate) p Single membership £ 10.00 p Couple at the same address £ 15.00 p In receipt of benefits £5.00 p Junior membership (under 18) £5.00 First person Your preferred title: Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Other:
First Name:
Surname:
Email address:
Mobile: Second person (for joint membership) Your preferred title: Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Other:
First Name:
Surname:
Email address:
Mobile: Home Address
Town:
County:
Postcode:
Telephone:
Please post your form with a cheque made out to ‘Go Folkestone Action Group’ to: Membership Secretary, Flat 4, 21 Clifton Crescent, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2EN (01303 247600) 29 30