Search results for ""author alan f taylor""

The Kent coastal town of Folkestone lies at the foot of the North Downs, with France visible across the Strait of Dover. The town developed around the harbour built in the nineteenth century, both as a resort and a port for cross-Channel ferries. Hotels, theatres and a pier were built in this era to attract fashionable visitors, but in the twentieth century a wider range of incomers settled in the town. Folkestone was at the front line in two world wars and today its links with London and Continental Europe, via the M20 motorway, fast rail links and the Channel Tunnel, have seen further massive changes in the town. Lost Folkestone presents a portrait of a town from Victorian times to recent decades that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not only the industries and buildings that have gone but also the people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Folkestone will appeal to all those who live in the town or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.

Read more less

This fascinating compilation of over 220 pictures of bygone Folkestone has been drawn entirely from the author's own extensive collection. It encompasses nearly a century and a half of the town's history, starting with a chapter dedicated to watercolours of the town painted by the artist Joshua Marsh in the 1820s. At the other end of the time scale, the effects of the Second World War and subsequent new developments are also fully chronicled. As befits a maritime town, all aspects of Folkestone's relationship with the sea are comprehensively covered. Fishing, pleasure-boating, beach activities and maritime ceremonies such as the Blessing of the Sea are all mentioned here. The transport section includes images from both the horse-drawn and motorized eras, and finally there is a chapter on ceremonies and celebrations, from victory parades to Coronations and Jubilees. Not only will this book awaken nostalgic memories in those who knew Folkestone as it used to be, but it will also be of great interest to newcomers to the area who wish to learn about the town's history.

Read more less