Step-short Awareness Weekend, 3rd- 4th October 2009

More about Step short

Step-short is a community led project, set up through Go Folkestone. The main aim is to upgrade the Road of Remembrance and the surrounding area in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Saturday 3rd October
University Centre Folkestone 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Talks on WW1, Films, Photographs, Exhibits, Book signing.

Class 1
Various speakers giving a series of talks throughout the day, on the First World War.
10.00 Terry Begent, Introduction to Step-short
12.00 Charles Fair, Frontline Folkestone / Marjorie’s War
13.30 Michael George, Dover and Folkestone in the Great War
15.00 Nick Bosanquet, East Kent during the Great War

Class 2
Imperial War Museum Films throughout the day.
11.00 Battle of the Somme
5 Short IWM films

Atrium – Stalls, various exhibitors to include:
Postcards of the Canadians at Shorncliffe:
Alan Taylor - Folkestone Local and District History Society + Peter Bamford - medals etc, book signing.

Royal British Legion

East Kent Western Front Association - Find your WW1 relative - Soldiers died in the Great War, books signing of East Kent Gazetteer

Step-short display boards, Michael George book signing.

Martin Easdon - photos.

Euromilitire ?

Gill Hogben – OCA book

Ray Davis – WWI memorabilia

Burt Sheppard, VC Society, Capel

Heritage Room display from Folkestone Library – in extra classroom

Photo booth as backdrop to the above – in extra classroom

In the Quarterhouse Tontine Street Folkestone: Sat 3rd Oct
Concert: Echoes…of the Great War
with Music, Letters, Poems of the era.
Doors open at 6.30pm for 7pm start. Tickets £7.00 available from Quaterhouse box office.

Montage loop on entering.
Introduction to Step-short - Terry Begent
Talk on Frontline Folkestone - Charles Fair.
Musical items of the era - Pieces of Eight.
INTERVAL
Poetry and letters from the front - Various readers.
Old Time Music Hall - Pieces of Eight, (Master of Ceremony, Roger Joyce of FHODS)
Marjorie’s War - Charles and Stephanie Fair
The way forward - Damian Collins
Musical finale - Ben Millbery.
Tickets £7.00, available from the Quarterhouse, Tontine Street.

Sunday 4th October
We are organising a Memorial March down the Road of Remembrance at 11am. Participants will disperse from the Harbour area, where many thousands of our troops would have boarded ships over to the Western Front.

For those Groups / individuals interested in taking part in the Memorial March please see below for details. Groups participating should have their insurance available on request.

Commemorative walk down the Road of Remembrance
Among those invited to take part in the walk will be: Veterans, Schools, Bands, Go Folkestone, Folkestone Lions, Scouts, Guides, Cinque Ports Mayors, re-enactment groups, and hopefully some of our armed Forces (any individuals who sign up from 10.00 am on the day).
Walk to start at 11.00 am opposite the Grand on the Leas and finishing behind the Harbour Master’s house near to the old Folkestone Harbour Station where troops left for the Western front.
Line up outside the Grand on the Leas at 10.30am ready to move off at 11am
The Grand Burstin Hotel, in the harbour area, has offered us Hospitality in the Ballroom, in the form of tea /coffee and biscuits after the Walk.
There will be War time army vehicles on show in the Harbour area.

Other events during weekend

Friday 2nd October, Edwardian photo booth – Rob Illingworth, KCC Archives, at Folkestone Library.

Saturday 3rd October, Starting out side Leas Cliff Hall at 10am, a Guided walk by Eamonn Rooney to include WW1 and the Belgium refugees.

500 Photo Exhibition, from the Great War, on loan from Sevenoaks Library, at the Folkestone Library, Grace Hill

Contact details: Ann Berry: 01303 278644

More about Step short