On Sunday morning in Folkestone I took part in the second ‘Step Short’
parade, to commemorate the nine million men who passed through the
harbour during the First World War. Folkestone not only played a
pivotal part in the war effort, but for many men was their last taste
of home, before leaving for the trenches.
The parade followed the route that many of the servicemen themselves
would have taken from outside of The Grand, along the Leas, down the
Road of Remembrance and to the harbour. Around 500,000 people a year
make the journey to the battlefields of France and Belgium to walk in
the footsteps of the men who fought and died there, but you can also
start that journey in Folkestone, as the troops themselves did. At the
end of the parade, with the help of my daughter Claudia, we laid a
wreath in the harbour, from onboard Captain John Reynolds vessel, the
Anglian Monarch. This is an Emergency Towing Vessel which operates in
the Channel between Folkestone and Boulogne and is often seem moored
in the harbour.
I have been involved with ‘Step Short’ as Chairman since the group was
started three years ago, and it has three core objectives; to mark
Folkestone’s role in the war and the significance of walk down the
Road of Remembrance, as the last that many men took in England; to
make that story more accessible to people through online information
and guides for visitors; and to prepare to commemorate the centenary
of the outbreak of the war in 2014. You can find out more about the
project and who to get involved at
http://stepshort.gofolkestone.org.uk .
I have been particularly pleased with the support that the project has
received from Kent County Council and Shepway District Council. The
Folkestone Harbour Company has also recognised in its recent
consultation the importance of our First World War heritage, and that
marking this should be incorporated into the plans for the
regeneration of the harbour. It is also intended that the parade
should become an annual event on the first Sunday in August, as the
nearest Sunday to the anniversary of the outbreak of the war.
On Friday last week I was delighted to open the Romney Marsh Art
Society’s summer exhibition at the Marsh Academy in New Romney. The
paintings on show from local artists were all of a very high standard,
and the exhibition will be open until 13th August.
On Monday this week, I met with Paul Outhwaite from the RSPB at the
Dungeness nature reserve. I was interested to hear about their work in
the area to support the habitats of the many varieties of birds that
we are fortunate to see in Kent. They will also be holding their
annual Wildlife and Countryside Fair at the Dungeness reserve next
weekend. Following that meeting I called in to see the Lydd Forge Art
Society exhibition at the RNLI Dungeness. We are fortunate to have
such a wealth of creative talent in the District and their exhibition
is open until the Sunday.