Folkestone

Full of Soul

I was in a band at this time - The Lonely Ones. The High Street remains a strong memory - in particular The Acropolis (Bruno) - we did gigs there - upstairs, on a Saturday night. I also remember the El Torero - further down - Mick was the owner - he had a brother who opened a place in Tontine Street and later a 'club' over the road. In fact, my memories go back a bit further with this place. I also recollect the smell of onions cooking at the bottom of the High Street - you got a sausage with them in a bun, but the onions are the strongest memory. Further back in memory is the pinball place ...read more here
Contributed by Ian Taylor

Visiting my Grandfather's shop.

Although this photo pre dates my first memories of the High Street by about ten years, I still remember visiting my grandad's confectioners shop on the right side a little further up. Ever the businessman, he would encourage myself and my older brother to choose what we wanted from the stock and then give my dad the bill. I never did find out if my dad actually paid or not!  The shop itself changed some years later to an antique dealers owned by my uncle but passed out of the family some time in the late 1970s when my uncle moved to new premises in Sandgate.
Contributed by Mike Amos

The Buildings

This is actually a photo of the Garden Hotel, which stood in Sandgate Road.

It was empty from about 2000, had a fire in about 2005 and was demolished soon after. But it was quite prestigious in its day: such as the 1960s, when this photo is said to have been taken.


Contributed by Nicholas Reed

Sunny sands Cafe 1965 -1980?

Mum in law worked at Sunny Sands Cafe, which is further down on this photo and to the left, now flats have been built there.
When I first met my husband we used to go there and meet his mother, and when I had children we all used to go and wait for her on the sands just below the Cafe.
It is so sad to see flats there now, but the memories remain.
Contributed by frances fagg

Dad in Law loved this place

All my father in law spoke about was his love for Folkestone harbour. He worked for Sea Link almost up until it closed down, both he and my husband spent time docking and loading the ferries that came and went from the harbour. In the 60s, 70s and 80s Folkestone harbour was the busiest place, but the advent of the channel tunnel changed all of that, and now Folkestone is not the place it once was. Sadly my father in law died soon after the harbour closed.
Contributed by frances fagg

The holy well

In 1977 I was ten years old and the "holy well" as it was known to me was a playground, an escape and a place to watch life in Folkestone happen before my eyes. The channel tunnel consigned all this to memory. I would walk from my house in Cheriton during the long summer break from school.
Contributed by stephen page

Hawkinge, my birthplace

I was born at Corner House, at the bottom of Aerodrome Rd, Hawkinge on 31st August 1936. My parents were the local newsagents in Canterbury Rd, backing onto the famous airfield.  I have vivid childhood memories of the war years and especially the Battle of Britain, the year I was 4.    The photographs and nostalgic comments from your contributors 'ring bells' for me;  as a teenager I often travelled by cycle in the summer months via Caesar's Camp hill to Harvey Grammar School, Cheriton Rd, Folkestone so I remember Holy Well area and the countryside fringing Folkestone where the Channel Tunnel Terminal is now, very well !  I sometimes cycled delivering newspapers during the summer holidays in the area 'behind' ...read more here
Contributed by DAVID PEPIN

Breaking through the channel tunnel

I cannot remember the date, but my husband's cousin was the first man to break through to France when building the channel tunnel.
My husband's family have lived and worked in Folkestone all their lives and were connected to a large trawler fleet. One of his ancestors has a plaque in one of the churches as a memorial to him.
Contributed by frances fagg

The year I left for Australia.

So much has changed here, it was Newington farmland. I know it is good to get across to France but it has spoilt the countryside.
Contributed by Julia Deane

Message on clock tower

Message on clock reads, "Trifle not, thy time is short"
Contributed by Trevor Page