Folkestone Triennial

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Originally uploaded by fred pipes

I've been meaning to take more days out now I'm semi-retired, so when Peter mentioned that he, Lisa, Judy and Chris were going to Folkestone to view the Triennial, it spurred me into action. They were going by motor car, but I was determined to use my bus pass, but as it'd take all day to get there, I went to Hastings by train. This also should have meant less time to wait for the bus (it would have been 50 minutes at Rye) - but, as the PDF timetable I downloaded was wildly wrong (it was for 2004!) I was out by 20 minutes! The 100 bus mysteriously changes to the 711 at Lydd and it was an enjoyable journey taking in Winchelsea, Dymchurch (children's paradise) and Romney Marsh. After Hythe I was in virgin territory and soon I was at Folkestone bus station. First piece of art I encountered was a Tracey Emin sculpture of a child's hat (I think) attached to a bench in a shopping street (8b on the map) - I was too shy to snap the two smoking ladies sitting there oblivious to being in proximity to Public Art! The others were down at the harbour so I sped down the Road of Remembrance (I hadn't realised Folkestone was so hilly!) for a pint of Spitfire at The Princes Royal. As we left the pub we spotted the Orient Express leaving the harbour (unfortunately with a diesel either end). There was also lots of art to spot too (it's much better having them all around town than all in one building!). After spotting another Tracey up some steps, I left the others heading east to chase the Mobile Gull Appreciation Unit and I returned into town. It was hot and humid and there were hills to climb! Stopped in at the Triennial Visitor Centre for a proper map, thence another Tracey (and some false alarms - Folkestone is littered with discarded soggy baby garments!), to the Library to catch the last 5 minutes of Tacita Dean's fishing boat crossing from Boulogne to Folkestone (probably the best bit), a quick pop into Lidl to see if they had any of those hard Italian biscuits with chocolate chips (they hadn't) and back to the bus station, hungry, hot and bothered. On the way back, between Lydd and Camber, it started throwing it down, just as it had on our last Clarion bike ride in those parts. But this time I was inside a nice warm bus! Next week, Bognor?