Do you have some special memories of Folkestone you’d like to share for a new community project?
Perhaps you used to visit the Rotunda regularly and met your partner there, or used to gaze in wonder at the rock being made in the Old High Street?Or maybe you know someone in your family, or a friend who likes to wax lyrical about their memories or has some funny anecdotes?
Volunteer Michele would love to hear your memories and share them as part of a project called Folkestone StoryMap: Your Stories which is being funded by the National Lottery Community Fund through the Local Connections Fund.
Michele, who has a community interest company called Hand of Doom Productions, said: “Everyone is aware that Folkestone has changed greatly over the last few years, with the loss of much-loved landmark attractions like the Rotunda (and of course, as we all know Debenhams and former Bobby’s), and there’s almost a sense of loss from people who remember the town as another place. We know that lots of people talk about their memories of Folkestone very fondly and we want to try and capture that for posterity.
“So far we’ve had stories about the lorry park, a secret den in the Warren, getting around the old Sunday pub hours by taking a ferry to Bolougne and back (thank you Neil!) and about the wonderful nightlife but we’d love to hear more memories about the Harbour, Sunny Sands, the Ferries and the town in general.”
You can record your stories using a smartphone, or via a Zoom call, and then send them in via the website. They will then be added to the Folkestone StoryMap audio trail in the Lower Leas Coastal Park which launched at the end of last year. The trail uses QR codes fixed to a site specific location and are accessed via smart phones to listen to the stories.
Michele’s looking for stories of up to two minutes but they can be longer if need be so don’t worry about being over or under. We’d also love a photo to go along with the memory. If you’re a little shy about being identified though you can be anonymous.
There’s help and advice available at folkestonestorymap.co.uk, or if you’d like more help to record your story, you can contact Michele at michele@handofdoom.online and she can help you.
I look forward to hearing your wonderful memories!
Thank you.
Michele
For more details go to folkestonestorymap.co.uk for full details.