H G Wells in Sandgate

Yesterday I had a surprise phone call from someone wanting to attend a lecture I am giving on 11th September at St Martins Church Cheriton on authors that have written about Folkestone and the surrounding areas. The gentleman in question also asked whether it would be possible for me to plug a local exhibition at my talk on H G Wells, who is one of the authors I will be covering anyway. As a bit of mutual publicity never did anyone any harm, I agreed and popped down to the exhibition in Sandgate this morning to check it out and drop off a poster publicising my talk.

It is only in a small shop with a room at the back showing a short audio visual film, but it is very well put together considering the space available and they are selling plenty of H G Wells novels, booklets and other items. Admission is free and the exhibition is running for about 6 months, opening from 10-4. It seems the exhibition is staffed by volunteers and hasn't had a formal opening just yet or got any posters or flyers printed. It won't take you a long time to look around and watch the film - 30-45 minutes should be ample time - but it is well worth a visit if you are interested in H G Wells and his connection to this part of Kent.

The exhibition is about 6 shops along from the Chichester Hall on the north side of Sandgate High Street, opposite the Riveria Court block of flats. So go visit it and support a local group that is passionate about local history and this great pioneer of Science Fiction.

Saturday 30th September 2014

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Day of Syn 2014

Well, sadly the weather certainly conspired to defeat the smugglers on the 50th anniversary Day of Syn at Dymchurch.

A few dozen hardly souls braved the rain at The Ship pub for the introduction of the characters and this number had swollen to a couple of hundred for the gathering and battle on the slipway about an hour later, but the sodden weather damped spirits somewhat and I confess I didn't even make it to the recreation ground this year, preferring the comfort of the Ocean Inn where Dead Horse Morris were performing indoors rather than outside in the car park.

It was good to see local artist Terry Anthony selling his latest Scarecrow print from within the Smugglers Chest shop alongside his other prints and postcards. However after last year's excellent art exhibition in the Village Hall which featured a lot of Dr Syn inspired art - this year the Dr Syn themed art was almost absent, which was a shame. (There was just one table on which the art was themed for the day.)

That said, if the weather had been better, then there would have been a lot of good things to be said about the day. The colour programme was the most professional booklet produced for these events that I'd seen - perhaps a proof read for spelling errors might not go amiss next time though!

Sadly the tide was in so there was no prospect of a beach battle and the sea too rough for the smugglers' ship to land on the slipway but pockets of smugglers did have skirmishes with the redcoats who were firing from the safety of their Martello Tower.

On a plus, the fair-weather character of Jack Sparrow was conspicuous in his absence. One had heard a rumour that he would not be attending for fear that his mascara would run! And for his absence alone this Day of Syn felt more like a proper Day of Syn than for many a year. A proper 'Thorndike' Day of Syn where the key character is the Scarecrow and not some kiddy-friendly effete Disney pirate. A Day of Syn free from mincing!!!

So, a soggy Day of Syn, still enjoyable for the die-hard fans. But you had to feel sympathy for all those participants costumed up who would have been soaked to the skin, or for the shops and businesses whose trade would have suffered due to the low numbers of visitors. Roll on Day of Syn 2016!

Monday 25th August 2014