Folkestone, Lifted

Folkestone was where I was born and raised, and where I lived until I was 18. Its economic decline more or less coincided with my arrival; its rebirth with my departure. I'm not taking it too personally. The Evening Standard recently ran a story in its Homes & Properties section encouraging speculatively minded readers to buy now - thanks to the high speed line and the property crash. (A similar article can be seen here.)

Folkestone's reinvention as the Padstow of Kent surely owes much to the Creative Foundation which has steathily been buying up as much as possible of the Old High Street. Walking up the cobbled street this weekend, almost every shop seemed to have been renovated and turned into gallery space or studios.

There are other reasons too why Folkestone can be proud of the way it has treated its heritage. When the famous Leas Lift was threatened with closure, local people organised themselves into a campaign and saved it. It's now being run by a community interest company, and seemed pretty well cared for to me. Folkestone lifted indeed.