Alan F. Taylor – författare

During the nineteenth century Folkestone changed from being a small fishing village to a fashionable resort and busy cross-Channel port. The town expanded dramatically and by the turn of the century large hotels were being built to accommodate the wealthy, and a theatre, bathing establishment and pleasure pier were all built.Fashionable Folkestone came to an end with the advent of the First World War, when it experienced a huge influx of refugees and its harbour became a prime military embarkation point. After this war Folkestone realised that if it was to survive as a holiday resort, it would have to attract working-class families – not just the wealthy. Later, the building of the M20 and the Channel Tunnel all meant that Folkestone underwent further major changes and now, at the start of a new millennium, Folkestone is equipped with a high-speed rail link to London with travel times of less than an hour, and with the philanthropic investment of Roger de Haan, it is undergoing another change of guise as the town seeks to reinvent itself as a hub for arts and high culture.In this fascinating collection of images, most of which have not been published before, local author and historian Alan F. Taylor illustrates the proud history of this seaside town. Folkestone From Old Photographs provides something for everyone, be they long-time residents or first-time visitors.

The Kent coastal town of Folkestone lies at the foot of the North Downs, with France visible across the Strait of Dover. The town developed around the harbour built in the nineteenth century, both as a resort and a port for cross-Channel ferries. Hotels, theatres and a pier were built in this era to attract fashionable visitors, but in the twentieth century a wider range of incomers settled in the town. Folkestone was at the front line in two world wars and today its links with London and Continental Europe, via the M20 motorway, fast rail links and the Channel Tunnel, have seen further massive changes in the town.Lost Folkestone presents a portrait of a town from Victorian times to recent decades that has radically changed or disappeared today, showing not only the industries and buildings that have gone but also the people and street scenes, many popular places of entertainment and much more. This fascinating photographic history of lost Folkestone will appeal to all those who live in the town or know it well, as well as those who remember it from previous decades.