We went to Payers Park for a go on the big slide that has been installed there, lots of fun, a bit too fast for number two son. He drew gasps from the crowd when he flew down it on his own. His face looked like he was in a wind tunnel.
We checked out the Banksy too, it is still being guarded. One security guard now, who is sat watching it from his car, rather than the posed duo standing guard over it. I wonder how long they can afford to keep that up? In London there are tonnes of these and they draw little attention. Until they get painted over at least. This one had a huge perspex sheet installed over it immediately, just in case anyone has the smart idea to paint over it.
I didn't quite get this one until I saw it up close, I thought it was meant to be a lady looking down onto the plinth / pedestal at something we couldn't see, but now I can see that there was originally some graffiti on the wall, it was rollered over in grey, and it is the grey rollering that has been put on the pedestal by Banksy. And that's what the lady is looking at. It's great and I'm pleased it's in my town, or what was my town, when I lived in that town.
Folkestone is looking pretty cool right now actually, the creative quarter is really coming together.
There are shops down the old high street selling t-shirts and fridge magnets of the Banksy, nice.
This is part of my site The FG that I built in a fury of excitement when we first moved to Folkestone in approximately 2004. I had been a frequent visitor for a while before that so I am technically one of those Down From Londons you get nowadays. The site was updated more frequently with a gig calendar + voting for favourite venues and things, and I hear it was a useful reference for others who were moving here. Now I've moved out of Folkestone again (though just to Hythe) it doesn't get as much attention as it used to. Ironic really as The town is now becoming the exciting place we always thought it was just about to. My name is not Gerald by the way, this comes from a fake paper in an episode of The Day Today or something, the Portsmouth Gerald, + 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 something to contribute, email anythign @ this domain, or try @folkestone or @pauly on the twitter.