Two photographs taken at night. On the left we are up on the Leas with the bandstand all lit up for a concert. I blew up the photo to try to make out what that structure was to the left of the bandstand, but I am still not sure. It looks like some kind of canopy, maybe erected in case of rain. I love the photo on the right, don't you? The Victoria Pier was quite a sight when lit up.
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Still on the Leas (or was it Lees when these photos were taken?) On the left we are looking down Castle Hill Avenue, with the Harvey statue in the foreground, and on the right is the Leas Shelter, which was the forerunner to the Leas Cliff Hall.
This looks to me like the Parish Church, and I think the photograph was taken from Sandgate Road down West Cliff Gardens, but I stand to be corrected on that one. On the right is Gerry Jenkinson's house! It is of course the old Toll House and gate, in the days when the traffic was more likely to be genuine horsepower rather than horsepower under the bonnet!
Here we have a couple taken in Radnor Park. The two little girls playing by the waterfall on the right are Mr. or Mrs. Curry's Grandmother and Great Aunt.
The photo on the left needs no explanation, if you come from Folkestone, you have seen the lifts, not working at the moment, but we hope they will get one side going again one day!
On the left, we have the Victoria Pier taken from the Leas, if you look beyond the pier, you will see a couple of Mr. Fagg's patented bathing carriages, and in the distance a ferry is on its way to France - or was it to Flushing? The photo on the right is the one that had me the most excited when I saw this collection. I had never seen a closeup of the pier entrance. I hope you are as thrilled to see it as I was. If you click on the photo, you will see it enlarged in all its glory! I have written more about this on the enlarged page.
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The following 14 photographs belonging to Eddie & Kate Curry of coventry were taken from a collection of lantern slides their Great Grandfather, E. J. Starr took around 1900/05. Although he was born in Kidderminster, he was married in Folkestone Parish Church in 1886. He was headmaster in Sussex at Crawly Down and used to go to Folkestone on holiday with his two daughters.
After realising the quality of these slides, the Curry's transferred them onto a CD and went on a pilgrimage to Folkestone to find out how many of the places still remained. They knocked on the door of the Toll House in Lower Sandgate Road, and spoke to Gerry Jenkinson, who now owns it, and left the following pictures with him. He in turn sent scans of them to me. I in turn wrote to the Curry's, and got as much background information as I could, and their permission to reproduce them here for you to see.
They also sent me a few more photographs that I will add at the bottom. I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I did.
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This gentleman is Robert Limmer, the Curry's Great-great Grandfather. The 1901 census shows him as a boarding house keeper at 16 Clifton Gardens, where this photograph was probably taken. Now demolished and flats have been built on that site.
On the left you can see the lifts from the end of the pier, and on the right it is of course a view of The Leas, with a couple of ladies gossiping while their bored spouse moves away to a safe distance!
And now here are a few personal ones sent to me directly from Eddie & Kate which they believe were all taken in Clifton Gardens:
Here is Robert Limmer again with his beloved Jack Russell that obviously never left his side.
Four generations of Limmers are on the right, including young Great Aunt Ethel with her mother, Grandmother (Robert Limmer's wife) and Great Grandmother. This photo was obviously taken on the steps of 16 Clifton Gardens.
We end our collection with a photo of Rachael Guthrie, holding her niece Dorothy Starr, who was the sister of Ethel above. Dorothy was the Curry's Grandmother.
Weren't these photos fantastic? Thank you so much Mr. & Mrs. Curry for allowing us to see them.