The Lorry Park

Lorry driver Ziggy Duly shares her memories of Folkestone Lorry Park which was next to what is now known as the Harbour Arm. Ziggy’s memory is in the form of a poem and is read here by actor Alun Armstrong.

Pop over to the Folkestone StoryMap website to read more stories and find out all about the project: Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories project.

Folkestone Grand Prix

Who remembers when Folkestone hosted the Grand Prix? Local resident Etelle De Baere shares her memories of the event at part of our Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories project.

EDIT: this was a little April Fools’ joke, but only partly – there really was a Grand Prix in Folkestone, but it was for snails and not cars! Listen to the audio to hear the full story.

Let’s do a Non-Lander

Here’s another story from our new Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories project. This time it’s Neil Staveley sharing his memories of taking the ferry from Folkestone to Boulogne and back, without getting off the boat – the famous “non-landers”. Do you remember those?

There’s still time to take part in Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories. Pop over to our website to read all about the project and how you can get your Folkestone memories on the map: https://folkestonestorymap.co.uk/your-stories/

Four Friends and The Warren

We are very pleased to be able to share some of your stories early, before their QR code plaques are installed around the town. Once we have the plaques, we’ll officially add them to the Folkestone StoryMap, but in the meantime – enjoy!
This is the lovely Nathalie Thompson with her memories of The Warren.
There’s still time to take part in Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories. Pop over to our website to read all about the project and how you can get your Folkestone memories on the map:

Put your memory on the map

Put your #Folkestone memory on our map! Take part in our community project by sharing your memories of Folkestone. Just send us a voice recording. Help and details here: folkestonestorymap.co.uk/your-stories

Posters at large!

While you are out and about on your daily exercise, keep your eyes peeled for our new Folkestone StoryMap posters – they’ve just gone up around the Lower Leas Coastal Park.

Free storytelling workshops!

We’re a running some workshops to help you think about which story to share, how to make your story come alive, and the technicalities of recording them.
 
The workshops are on tomorrow, Wednesday, 3 March at 7pm; Saturday, 6 March at 11am; and Wednesday, 10 March at 7pm.
 
If you’d like to join one of our online workshops, please sign up here:

WANTED: Your memories of Folkestone.

We’re a running some workshops to help you think about which story to share, how to make your story come alive, and the technicalities of recording them. The first workshop is this Saturday, 27 February at 11am.

Please go to https://folkestonestorymap.co.uk/zoom-workshops/ to sign up.

Other workshops take place on Wednesday, 3 March at 7pm; Saturday, 6 March at 11am; and Wednesday, 10 March at 7pm.

If you or a family member or a friend like to wax lyrical about days gone by in Folkestone and has some funny or poignant anecdotes about the town then please share.

We’re looking for up two minutes recordings of your memories to add to Folkestone StoryMap, an audio trail at Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone. Your memories will then be added to site specific locations around the town.

Introducing Folkestone StoryMap

We’re very excited to launch Folkestone StoryMap today despite the rain and Tier 4 restrictions which scuppered our photo shoot for four of our winners on Sunday. Thankfully photographer Igor Emmerich managed to snap two of the winners the day before.
 
There are now six fabulous stories to listen to while you walk through
Lower Leas Coastal Park, Folkestone. So, grab a pair of headphones and see if you can find the stories dotted around the park, or you can read, or listen to the stories at folkestonestorymap.co.uk
 
Pictured are Peter Jonathan at the Troll Bridge, where you can find his story Grimhorn and The Billy Goats Gruff, narrated by BBC Radio Kent’s Dominic King, and Sallyann Fellowes whose story Silverlight, narrated by actor Sarah Thurstan, is at the Once Upon a Time Chair opposite the Toll House.
 
Other locations include: Louise Burgess’s story Funicular, narrated by Lucille Ferguson, near to the Leas Lift as you enter the park; Martha Brook’s Martha and The Pirates, narrated by Jessica Hynes, at the sunken pirate ship; Charlie Bain Smith’s tale Just The Ticket, read by Oliver Senton, at the far end of the park next to the remains of the second Leas Lift; and Joseph Burton’s story The Gentlemen’s Club, read by Alex MacLaren, at the top of the Zig Zag Path.
 
Our thanks to Folkestone Town Council, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Kent County Council for supporting the project which we hope the community will add to for years to come.

Faversham Fringe: back in 2021!

We are very sorry to announce that we have decided not to run our festival, Faversham Fringe, this year in any form. This is particularly disappointing for us because 2020 would have been our fifth year.
 
However, we will be back in 2021 with an even more amazing lineup and with some exciting new opportunities for people to get involved.
 
Thank you all for your support. Please stay tuned for announcements about Faversham Fringe 2021 in due course.