Life in Folkestone – A Teenage Perspective
I’ve lived in Folkestone for just over 6 years now, having moved from South East
London where I had lived all my life. I wasn’t really looking forward to the
move, as I was used to having things to do nearby like bowling, cinema, shops
and a sports centre. My first impressions of Folkestone were that there weren’t
many shops and didn’t seem to be much for young people to do.
I made a lot of friends very quickly and was invited out after school and at
weekends. It was good, but always the same thing – going into town or walking
around the streets in a gang. This got boring very quickly. Some evenings, there
was violence and it did feel dangerous at times – with the boys in our crowd
getting into fights – this could have been something to do with the alcohol we
were drinking. This was usually cheap beer or vodka which local off licences and
shops would sell us 8 times out of 10 without checking our ID, even though we
were 3 or 4 years underage.
After a while I realised there was a small social club at the Baptist Church,
but this was quite a distance for me to get to.
I also became aware of the levels of drug use among my friends quite early on.
On a more positive note, in the Summer holidays it was nice to spend time with
my friends on the beach or in Radnor Park. There was usually an under 18 party
organised, although I only went to one of these, as they seemed to be full of 12
year olds, which isn’t what you want when you’re 15 – 16. I think something that
aims to attract 15 – 17 year olds is needed.
Generally, I think that Folkestone is a friendlier and more chilled out place to
where we used to live, and the level of crime and violence is lower. And there
seems to be some really good facilities like Route 25 and Café IT – however
these don’t appeal to everyone and are sometimes only offered to young people
who are having problems.
I can see the improvements that have taken place since I’ve lived here,
including the skate park, the new part of the coastal park and the temporary ice
rink which has proved very successful. I like the Sunday market, the Leas Cliff
Hall, the amphitheatre and the adventure playground is great for children.
The only downside to Folkestone for me is still the lack of variety of the
shops. I’m hoping the new shopping centre will bring the changes we need.
If you are a teen living in Folkestone, the Go Folkestone editorial committee
welcomes your views. Please send your article/comments on your experiences of
living in or growing up in Folkestone to: wendyvhmoss @ aol.com
Jasmine Cook
We welcome any viewpoint from teens for this feature.
Article from Go Folkestone Newsletter September 2007
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