Folkestone

This weekend saw the welcome return of the Folkestone Airshow. And the sun didn’t half come out to say hello!

After a spectacular downpour, the sky gradually cleared and turned into a real scorcher. Hubby and I just made it to The Leas in time for the Red Arrows display to start. We should have got there earlier to secure a decent spot. It was really hard to see the planes through the trees. For the last airshow we camped out on the beach for the day and I think that needs to be the plan for the next one.

I love the Red Arrows and I even felt myself get a tad emotional during their display. Yes, I know I’m a weirdo. Luckily I kept it together.

I don’t know what it is about planes. I’m fascinated by them. I briefly worked near Gatwick and could see the planes taking off from just outside work, and I’d frequently get the bus to the airport to get the train rather than using my nearest station just to experience the atmosphere at the airport. It’s probably because it reminds me of my travels.

Anyhoo, I digress. Back to the airshow. It was packed and it was fantastic to see. We’d totally worn the wrong clothes though and ended up having to walk home mid afternoon for a quick shower and change of outfit. Coming back out in summer clothing was much more comfortable! We walked all the way along The Leas, went on a Eurofighter flight simulator and kept walking until we left all the crowds behind.

Looking down toward the beach, you could almost be in the south of France. The sea was a beautiful colour on Saturday.

Dinner was fish and chips eaten out the paper on the beach at Sandgate. Bliss. Even if I did have to ignore the seagulls circling hungrily above my head just praying that I wasn’t going to eat all my fish. Those birds obviously don’t know me at all.

We strolled home with full bellies and the sun still warm on our bodies along the seafront and back into Folkestone, where the harbour was looking magnificent in the late evening sunlight.

The organisers were hoping to continue the airshow as an annual affair but from what I’ve heard they might not have raised enough money this year so it might not be happening in 2015. I think that would be a real shame.

Meanwhile, I’m scoping out tickets to Farnborough International Airshow but unlike Folkestone this isn’t free to enter. It’s £45 each! Mmm… anyone want to buy me a ticket or two?

Do you like airshows? Where have you seen the Red Arrows?

Rachel x

Today’s post is a wish list. If I was to win the lottery, these beauties would definitely be on my shopping list!

One – 65″ Curved Ultra HD TV

I love these sleek, curved TVs! This one promises an ultra sharp picture and crisp colours. It would make all our Blu Ray discs look awesome. However at £4k, it’s not going to be in my living room any time soon.

Two – Gorgeous KitchenAid stand mixer

One day I will have one of these. The stand mixer represents the ultimate in kitchen convenience. How much easier would it be to bake if you don’t have to hold the hand mixer? Again, these a so expensive. So there won’t be one gracing my kitchen work top in the near future, more’s the pity. This white one would go nicely with my white kettle and toaster.

Three – iPad Air

Joining my list of dream gadgets that I can’t afford is the new iPad Air. I’ve lusted over iPads ever since they came out but I just can’t have one 🙁 I’ve had a hold of the iPad Air in the Apple Store and it’s so light compared with the older models. Very nice.

Four – Pink FITBIT Flex

Hooray! A gadget I could actually afford! Although at £80 I’m not sure I could justify the expense. I do love this pink colour though. I’d be particularly interested in working out how well I sleep. I can have 6.5 hours sleep and be knackered but have 8.5 and I don’t seem to feel much more lively. It would be cool to learn how much I actually need. I never seem to wake up refreshed unless it’s about 10am!

What’s on your gadget wish list?

Rachel x

Firstly, apologies for the lack of Friday Photo this week. I didn’t get home until late on Friday as we had a charity games night, which involved me eating about 5 slices of pizza and later feeling incredibly bloated!

This last week has been busy as usual. What with my exciting news on Monday, and having Wednesday off, the week swept by once again. On my day off I spent about 6 hours on a photographic mission, which was a vain attempt to find the perfect red, white and blue photograph for the #Blog4Trek competition being run by Trek America. The rubbish, overcast sky meant that all my photos were pretty flat and my hopes for using the sky as the ‘blue’, were dashed.  Luckily, I have tonnes of photos from my travels, so I was able to choose a classic from my collection.

Despite the grey day, I managed to explore colourful Folkestone. It was windy but with my cosy earmuffs on it was like I was in my own little world; they block out a surprising amount of noise! I had a lovely, quiet walk around and still took plenty of photos. If you click on any of the photographs in the revolving gallery above, they’ll expand so you can see them in full. No one wants to see half a fox!

I love living in Folkestone, so it gets me down when I hear people complaining about the town. There is a lot of negativity, especially on social media about Folkestone, mostly from the people who live here. I don’t understand why they don’t go and live somewhere else if they hate it so much! We have a great number of festivals, the airshow returning this year and the Triennial, which is very exciting and will be the topic of another blog post 🙂 Actual Yoko Ono is coming to Folkestone! I know, right?!

The creative side of the town means that there are lots of projects and cool things happening, such as the Noel’s Yard community project (pictured above). This forgotten part of town has been transformed into a bright and exciting space. Take a look at this article on the local council’s website for the before and after photos.

I hope there are more projects like this, and particularly, I hope that no one messes them up by scrawling on the walls or stealing the flower pots. Fingers crossed.

I hope you enjoy my photographs of colourful Folkestone. Does your town have any colourful artworks or buildings? If you’ve written about them, I’d love for you to leave your links in the comments.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Rachel x

On Saturday there was this strange yellow ball in the sky!  Being sat indoors at work all day and then coming home in the dark, I’ve felt like I’ve not really been out.  So come the weekend I was desperate to get out and get some fresh air. And the sunshine meant there really was no excuse.

It’s really daft living by the sea. Sometimes you can go for weeks not actually seeing it in the flesh. At work, I’m really lucky because we have a panoramic sea view, unless it’s foggy, then we can’t see anything! But it starts to seem a little unreal. I love to go down to the sea and actually smell and see it for real. I hope that doesn’t sound weird! I feel a strange affinity with the sea. It makes me feel happy and home. <3

Folkestone harbour is still a working harbour with fishing boats bringing in their catch every morning. The town started as a fishing village before transforming into a bustling seaside resort in the 19th century once the railway from London came. For more, take a look at this brief history of Folkestone from the local history society.

So to show you around the harbour and beach area, here’s my little Instagram photo tour.

Yes, there are actual people in the sea! I was wearing my coat, scarf and ear muffs. I’m sure these people were insane.

Grrr!! This makes me angry. All this rubbish washed up because it’s been thrown in the harbour or thrown on the floor before being blown into the harbour. It’s not like there aren’t any bins.

Did anyone watch The Tunnel on Sky Atlantic last year? It was a brilliant crime series. It was set in Folkestone and Calais with loads of filming actually done in Folkestone. I was thinking of taking some photos of the real life locations but didn’t know if anyone would be interested. What do you think?

This week’s going to be pretty busy but I hope to be able to post again before it’s time for Friday Photo once more.

Have a good week!

Rachel x

The Lavender Tea House was a warm and cosy retreat from the hideous downpour outside. I’ve been meaning to give this place a go since it opened but it’s so teeny tiny, I’ve always felt a little intimidated. I don’t know why because it was lovely and the ladies running the place are lovely too!

There are maybe only 7 or 8 tables in this historic building. It has a real ‘shabby chic’ feel with light coloured walls, pastel accents, bunting and mismatched chairs.

Their tea menu is impressive, I went for the Blue Lady, which is named after the ghost in Pluckley, a Kent village that is supposedly the most haunted village in England. The tea was served on a wooden tray with vintage china. As it’s loose leaf tea you get a mini sieve to use too. My tea smelt delicious. It was very citrusy and also contained exotic flowers. There was no need for milk. I got three cups from the pot, not bad for £1.95!

I was pretty hungry when I went in so I ordered a cheese sandwich. Not the most exciting choice, granted. Their menu contained jacket potatoes, soup, tarts (the pesto and goats cheese tart sounded particularly tempting), sausage and mash, and various breakfast options. My sandwich was scrummy. Two doorstop slices of soft, fresh brown bread containing cheddar cheese, sweet, homemade chutney and salad leaves. Also on the plate was homemade coleslaw, that had turned mauve from the red cabbage and a handful of cheese and onion crisps. The cutlery came in a jar adorned with a pretty pink ribbon tied in a bow.

The Lavender Tea House serves delicious food, tasty drinks and all at reasonable prices, bearing in mind it’s all fresh, homemade food. The surroundings are so pretty; it was a joy to while away some time holed up in the warm and dry. As I was leaving, some ladies arrived to set up for a baby shower. This cafe would be a lovely place for an intimate party.

I’ll definitely be back. Not sure it’s somewhere hubby would appreciate, probably best for a girls’ lunch with my sister.

Rachel x