Oh no, I sounded like one of those "Folkestone Arts" types... I loved Fresh and Wild, most people do, but I'm just saying that some people (the early adopter bohemian meeja types who lived in Stokey in the early '90s) see all chains as bad, but then again some people who say they see all chains as bad would love something like Fresh and Wild, that other people objected to strongly. I don't want to live in a village right now, the independent hand made toys and rubbish boutiques of Stoke Newington Church Street really got on my tits, but the restaurants and pubs there were fantastic. I would choose Il Bacio over a Pizza Express, and think that The Defoe was a better pub than Chambers1. Hmm I've lost my train of thought now and can't remember why I moved here again...
Anyway, la la la not listening to you, Folkestone is Highgate-on-Sea, the West End is mostly like Primrose Hill I think...
Losing M&S (another chain) is bad, it is also just WEIRD, when it seems other big stores are lining up to move in. It could be just the big gap between now and the new shopping centre being open, maybe M&S will come back then?
To sum up, some chains are GOOD for a town, most are very good for a town that's been in the doldrums like this one for so long, Starbucks will be good for this town.
This is my website The FG that I set up in a fury of excitement when I first came to Folkestone in approximately 2004. I had been a frequent visitor for a while previous to that but I am technically one of those DFLs you get nowadays. This site was updated more frequently with a gig calendar + voting for favourite venues + things, and I hear it was a handy resource for those who were thinking of moving to the area. Now I've moved out of Folkestone again (though only to Hythe) it doesn't get as much love as it used to. Ironic really as The town is now becoming the exciting place we always thought it was just about to. I am not Gerald BTW, this comes from a pretend newspaper in an episode of Brasseye or something, the Portsmouth Gerald, and how there is a local newspaper here called the Folkestone Herald. Puns like this are great aren't they? Do get in touch if you have anything to offer, email anythign @ this domain, or try @folkestone or @pauly on Twitter.