Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
24 January 2010
20:5338689Saw in the Folkestone extra that Debenham's in folkestone is to shut and will re-open as a Primark
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
24 January 2010
20:5438690So Asda has done it there......
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
24 January 2010
21:1038697It`s a great shame to see the another well known store closing after all these year`s, and makes you wonder where it`s all going to end. I always found Debenhams done some good food in there at a good price. And did some household items as well. I`ve heard of Primark, but don`t know what they sell.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
24 January 2010
21:1438700Went around Folkestone Town and Seafront today.... I thought Dover was a dump
Been nice knowing you :)
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
24 January 2010
23:2838719Primark are a fashion retailer
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
25 January 2010
08:5638731But at the lower/bottom end though Ross; Debenhans has always been a good quality department store.
Any Town would be proud to have them and very sad to lose them.
Debenhams is a big department store, I'd be surprised if Primark could fill it.
Roger
Guest 684- Registered: 26 Feb 2009
- Posts: 635
25 January 2010
11:2338738It's not Debenhams shutting - it's BHS.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
25 January 2010
11:4338743Paul
I know what you're saying about the seafront area of Folkestone - it is a dump. The difference between Dover and Folkestone, though, is that Folkestone has some very wealthy patrons, and two ultra wealthy patrons in Lord Radnor and Roger de Haan. If only we had such patronage - all we have is the DHB, who seem hell bent on reducing the accessibility of our seafront to the wealthy alone.
True friends stab you in the front.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
25 January 2010
12:5938754the leas is an excellent place for a walk and to stop for a coffee and a snack.
such a pity about the seafront, though they do have a lovely old harbour with pubs cafes plus a sunday market.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
25 January 2010
15:2538761Don`t forget the olde worlde cobbled high street. What an attraction for small shops that could be for visitors, but again an opportunity lost. All they seem to have these days are modern art shops. Good days when the stamp shop and model shop were there, not to mention the rock shop. Just a query, I didn`t know there was a BHS store in Folkestone, so I`m confused now as to which store is actually closing, BHS or Debenhams?
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
25 January 2010
15:3038762It`s about time, and long overdue for those rich patrons to spend a bit of their fortune on Folkestone then Andy. The town has always had an attraction for me over the years, and it`s been nothing short of scandalous, to see it deliberatly run down. More likely to make the rich richer in some mischievous way.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
25 January 2010
16:0138765Indeed Colin! You should see the redevelopment plans in their Town Council offices - mightily impressive, and nearly all funded from private sources. Their Town Clerk is proud of these plans, and rightly so. All that's needed now is for the diggers to get weaving!
True friends stab you in the front.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
25 January 2010
18:5938774colin
it appears that BHS is closing, primark would be a natural replacement.
BHS opened at the time as ASDA there, i have been in BHS a few times, never bought anything.
seems like others felt the same way as me.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
25 January 2010
19:5538783The trouble with the Old High Street in Folkestone is two fold, firstly De Hahn has left the redevelopment to a group of people of limited competence (The Creative Foundation) who have minimal experience in retail, little or no expertise in regeneration and absolutely no empathy to the historic fabric of the old town. This has led to the second problem which is a single minded obsession with arts and crafts to the exclusion of any other form of other retail, a desire on the part of their designers to rip the historic fronts off premises and replace them with plate glass monstrosities, overpricing of rents, far too slow development and regular confrontation with the planners and conservation officers who were broadly sympathetic to the stated aims and an almost non existent level of marketing support to their tenants. Consequently, those retailers, like myself who moved in have struggled, a number have gone bust, many more have shut up shop and/or moved to more complementary environments, leading to a lack of continuity, too many vacant premises etc. etc.
All sounds horribly familiar.
Where de Hahn has had success, is where he has been directly involved, such as the lower Lees and arts park, as well as the Folkestone Triennial and the Literary Festival. The plans for the Harbour area, however, will take years to come to fruition, as financing is scarce at the moment and de Hahn has made it clear he will not be the sole funding source.
So rich benefactors alone are not the answer, there needs to be direction, competent staff, clear vision as to where it is going etc.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
25 January 2010
20:3238788first class post ross.
i love a walk up or down the old high street looking at the fascinating shops, sadly it also needs a balance of outlets.
in other words shops that sell things that people but on a daily basis.
colin mentioned the idea of hobby shops, that would attract more people too.
the lower leas coastal park is a triumph with their state of the art childrens play area and flower beds designed to give som colour all year round.
sadly i can see no future for the harbour area.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
25 January 2010
20:5238790There is no future for the harbour area Howard so long as you`ve got, as Ross says above, planner`s with no idea of regeneration. There`s a massive tourist attraction right in the middle of the whole area, which is a multi-million pound industry as I`ve said many times before, and these empty heads want to rip it out. Yes, the railway line. Special trains could run down from London or the north full of punters, and alight at the harbour station, still in situ. If you haven`t seen those steam specials down the branch, with the masses of people, both enthusiasts and general public, then look on youtube. I`ve been over there a number of times, and the crowds need to be seen to be believed. There are travel companies about who run charter trains. I remember just a few years ago, when the Orient Express stock was down there, all heads turn. Trains are a natural crowd puller in this country. Costs could be shared between Network Rail and private enterprise. P.S. Yes Ross, excellent posting.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
25 January 2010
20:5838791spot on colin, i look at the railway line sporting weeds going through the town and despair of our betters.
do they still have those signs pointing drivers towards "the pleasure beach" and "the ferries"?
they did up until a year ago.
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
25 January 2010
21:0638792Not sure on that Howard. We were stopped putting the empty stock of the Orient express train down there in 2008, but unlike in the old BR days, at least Network Rail haven`t gone in ripping everything up yet, although the up line is out of use. You don`t need a big business brain to see the success story this line would be if it were reinstated, and of course, if it came under the preservation movement, (who have done an unbelievable job of restoring and running railways all over the country), it would be eligible for lottery grants, council grants, and could be maintained mainly by an army of enthusiastic unpaid volunteers.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,587
Folkestone, and Ashford, and Canterbury.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,300
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson