Construction is now well underway for the Folkestone Memorial Arch to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Last Friday I visited the construction site at the eastern end of the Leas, close to the top of the Road of Remembrance, along with fellow directors of the ‘Step Short’ project, Cllr Ann Berry and Paul Emden.
The construction management for the memorial arch is being undertaken by Lend Lease, the international property company who are also responsible for the new residential development at the Olympic Park in London and for the renovation of the Imperial War Museum. Lend Lease have made a substantial donation to the costs of building the memorial arch by giving all their time working on the project for free.
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There are two main elements to the memorial arch; the steel frame of the arch itself and the ground works beneath the arch, including the paving around its base and the seating area beside the arch. Walker construction from Folkestone were awarded the contract to complete these ground works and their team is currently working on site. It’s great to have such a well known local firm working on the project; one that has over fifty years construction experience in the town. It is also good to see some of the money raised to construct the arch being reinvested back into the community through local businesses.
The arch will be completed in good time before the centenary of the outbreak of the war on 4th August this year. The official opening that day will be part of a series of national commemorations, including a commonwealth service of remembrance at Glasgow cathedral and a candlelight vigil at Westminster Abbey marking the countdown to the declaration of the war at 11pm that night. Over ten million journeys through Folkestone were made by soldiers during the war and its immediate aftermath, making it the main port of embarkation to and from the western front. It is right that we should do something appropriate and significant to mark the vital role the town played in the war effort. The arch also marks the spot were so many marched off to war, never to return home. You can find out more about the arch and the Folkestone ‘Step Short’ project online at www.stepshort.co.uk
There are many other projects underway that are part of the First World War centenary commemorations, and last Friday I also attended the launch of the Kent in World War One project at Screen South in Tontine Street. Screen South received an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a website to tell the story of life in coastal Kent during the war, and the stories of the men and women from these communities and the contributions they made. You can find the website online at www.kentww1.com and it is already an excellent collection of materials and artifacts. The website also allows you to search for information using maps of the coastal towns and villages, so you can look for stories and photographs that might relate to the street where you live. The website is also interactive and people are being encouraged to submit their own materials relating to the stories of members of their family in Kent during the war.