Following press revelations about the re-introduction of the Folkestone Air Show, it can be revealed that plans are indeed being made for this to happen.

The idea was born out of the success of neighbouring air shows at Margate and Eastbourne, which have proven to give a great boost to the local economy from tourism and business investment. With Folkestone now regarded as the place to visit and recently voted in the top ten UK destinations by the CSMA, the time seems ripe for the Folkestone Air Show to return.

Final plans have yet to be ratified and much work needs to be done. However, the idea has wings and it looks like we will see the first air show in some 9 years, with first events taking place in 2012 around the time of the 2012 Jubilee celebrations (final date to be announced soon).

It is planned to build on the success of the 2012 event to enable a full air show to be mounted in 2013, which will be every bit as good and comparable to similar shows in the southeast. A lot of research has been done and still needs to be done to ensure its success so that it will become an annual event, worthy of the tens of thousands of visitors expected to attend.

It is stressed that no council funding from tax payers will be made, with the final cost to be met purely from sponsorship, local business involvement and donations. However both the 2012 and 2013 events have the full support of Shepway Council who will work with the event teams to ensure these events go ahead smoothly, safely and successfully.

Further information on the 2012 Jubilee Air Show can be obtained from John Barber Folkestone Town Centre Management.

Planning of the proposed 2013 event is already at an advanced stage and those wishing to be involved by way of corporate or individual sponsorship are invited to indicate their interest and in due course will be sent a sponsorship pack.

The theme of the 2013 Shepway Air Show will be REACH FOR THE SKY, invoking memories of the role this region played in the Battle of Britain, as well as demonstrating the huge opportunities for business to invest in this emerging region.

For the 2013 there will be various Business Conventions, Art exhibitions and Entertainment provided, culminating in a weekend of ground events and air displays from the top RAF and private display teams.

Enquiries for the 2013 air show can initially be made to Project Lead Jan Holben jan.holben@hotmail.co.uk There will be a Folkestone Air Show website soon where information about both air shows, details of sponsorship packages and posters can be downloaded.

The archaeological dig at the Roman villa on Folkestone’s East cliff, part of the project A Town Unearthed: Folkestone before 1500, will feature in the first programme of the second series of BBC 2’s Digging for Britain to be broadcast on Friday 9 September at 9.00 pm. The programme, which will include interviews with Dr Lesley Hardy of Canterbury Christ Church University and Dr Andrew Richardson of Canterbury Archaeological Trust, concentrates on Roman Britannia, featuring the Villa alongside other archaeological digs taking place this year.

Dr Hardy said “We are very pleased that the villa dig has been chosen to feature in “Digging for Britain” as the finds increasingly demonstrate that the site, even in pre Roman times, was one of the main points of contact between Britain and Europe.”

A Town Unearthed is a three year project of community archaeology in Folkestone, organised by Canterbury Christ Church University, the Folkestone People’s History Centre and Canterbury Archaeological Trust. It is funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust with additional contributions by Folkestone Town Council, Kent Archaeological Society, Kent County Council, Shepway District Council, East Folkestone Change Together and the Tory Family Foundation.

·        Seaside resorts have seen a fifth (21%) more UK visitors staying overnight this year
·        Brits are spending a quarter (23%) more cash at the coast this year compared to last year
·        Six in 10 (57%) Brits have already been or are planning to take a trip to the seaside this year
·        Brighton & Hove, Torbay and Blackpool are the most popular seaside towns
·        Whitstable, Eastbourne and Penzance are the top three fastest growing seaside resorts

UK seaside towns[1] are experiencing a visitor boom as the number of Brits going on overseas holidays fall[2]. The trend, helped by over £100 million[3] worth of public investment in seaside towns, has resulted in 21% more UK holidaymakers staying overnight and spending almost a quarter (23%) more money at the English coast this year[4]. British tourists are expected to collectively spend £9 billion[5] at the coast over the summer months, according to motoring and leisure association, CSMA Club.

High-end tourism has seen a particular increase with upmarket boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and Michelin-starred restaurants[6] frequently setting up shop in seaside resorts offering holidaymakers a break with a contemporary makeover. Earlier this year Margate opened The Turner Contemporary Art Gallery on its seafront hot on the heels of the successful Horsebridge Gallery at nearby Whitstable. Rock in Cornwall saw its Restaurant Nathan Outlaw awarded two Michelin-stars this summer and Dover’s The Marquis has been named as one of only four rising stars nationwide in 2011 by the Michelin guide.

Six in 10 (57%) Brits have already been or are planning to take a trip to the seaside this summer, with Brighton, Torbay, Blackpool, Scarborough and Bournemouth the favourite destinations, according to research by CMSA Club. These towns have also benefited from the most significant investment over the past decade[7] with Brighton & Hove receiving around £23 million, Blackpool nearly £22 million and Torbay receiving just over £11 million worth of public funds.

After the decline in popularity in the 1990s[8], the British seaside has been reinventing itself. Gone are the days of a donkey ride on the beach and a round of crazy golf - as one in six British holidaymakers opt for fine dining (16%) and afternoon tea (32%) at the seaside, with many UK holidaymakers planning trips to artisan markets (19%), antique shops (14%) and art galleries (10%). According to research looking at the summer months, four in 10 (40%) Brits are planning a holiday by the UK coast and plan to spend £322 each on average at the seaside.

Although well-established seaside favourites Brighton & Hove, Torbay and Blackpool continue to be the top three most popular resorts, there are a few less well-known    destinations that are predicted to see similar growth. Whitstable, Eastbourne and Penzance are now the fastest growing seaside resorts in the UK and have been enjoying a rise in popularity, seeing an 11% increase in tourism-related business, according to the most recent figures[9].

Despite the recent trend towards ’seaside chic’ breaks, there are some traditions that UK seaside-goers refuse to break. Six in ten (62%) holidaymakers say they plan to eat fish and chips and four in 10 (44%) say they will go for a stroll on the pier. In fact, one in three (32%) holiday goers cite the traditional appeal of UK coastal resorts as a reason for choosing their seaside holiday.

Mark Rothery, Group Chief Executive of CSMA Club, said: “There are many advantages of visiting one of Britain’s coastal towns rather than going overseas. Not only is it often more affordable but you also avoid the hassle of the airport and there’s something to entertain everyone - whether that’s traditional beach fun, waterside activities, coastal walks or fine dining. Today’s research proves that the British seaside is on the way up and with that the quality of hotels and guesthouses has also improved.

“Our self-catering CSMA Club Leisure Retreats in Devon and Cornwall are increasingly attracting over-night trippers, those on short weekend breaks or week-long holidays, whatever the weather. We’ve also seen increased interest in activity breaks with visitors holidaying and learning new skills such as surfing and kayaking.”

CSMA Club was founded in 1923. Since then it has been providing its members with a wide range of motoring and leisure benefits such as discounted breakdown and car insurance, as well as exclusive access to leisure events and holiday homes.

- ends -

Top twenty most popular seaside resorts[10] Based on the number of visitors to tourist attractions and the number of tourism-related businesses in each area.

1. Brighton & Hove
2. Torbay
3. Blackpool
4. Scarborough
5. Bournemouth
6. Eastbourne
7. Penzance
8. Folkestone / Hythe
9. Swanage
10. Southend-on-Sea
11. Skegness
12. Minehead
13. Newquay
14. Southport
15. Hastings/Bexhill
16. Thanet
17. Great Yarmouth
18. Worthing
19. Weston-super-Mare
20. Weymouth and Portland

Top 10 most notable investments over the past decade

1. Brighton & Hove: £23 million
2. Blackpool: £21.9 million
3. Torbay: £11.3 million
4. Southport: £9.7 million
5. Scarborough £9.5 million
6. Bognor Regis £8 million
7. Bournemouth: £7.23 million
8. Weymouth & Portland £6.6 million
9. Great Yarmouth £5 million
10. Lowestoft £5 million

Top 20 fastest growing seaside resorts Seaside resorts ranked by a growth in tourism-related businesses, number of employees and a growth in visitor numbers to tourist attractions.

1. Whitstable/Herne Bay (13.9%)
2. Eastbourne (11%)
3. Penzance (9.7%)
4. Weymouth and Portland (9.7%)
5. Brighton and Hove (9.4%)
6. Worthing (8%)
7. Skegness (7.5%)
8. Sidmouth (7.4%)
9. Hastings/Bexhill (7.2%)
10. Isle of Wight/Sandown (6.4%)
11. Thanet (5.3%)
12. Minehead (5.1%)
13. Folkestone/Hythe (4.9%)
14. Exmouth (4.8%)
15. St Ives (4.3%)
16. Morcambe (3%)
17. Falmouth (2.7%)
18. Bournemouth (2.2%)
19. Bridlington (1.9%)
20. Whitby (1.8%)

http://www.sandgate-sea-festival.co.uk/

Over two weeks in July, 383 primary Folkestone school children and secondary school students, together with 59 teaching staff visited the excavation site of the Roman Villa on East Cliff in Folkestone as part of the project A Town Unearthed: Folkestone before 1500. Organised by Marion Green, education officer of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and helped by volunteers Yvonne Hutchcraft, Pat Cocks, Roma Mortimer, David Paton, Daniel Harris and Iain Nielson, groups of children and students were shown round the site, told of its history and saw and handled some of the many finds

It was clear that they enjoyed the visits and finding out about the villa, of which one student said “I didn’t know it was all here” another was surprised to learn “that a Roman house is under the grass.” and another commented “we are walking on history”. One enthusiast said “I’m coming back in the holidays”. Others learnt that “archaeology isn’t just about finding big things”, “that the Romans had under floor heating” and “the Romans used a rib bone to scrape the oil off them in a bath”. One teacher felt that the “children were highly motivated, interested in what they were seeing and enjoyed listening to the history of the villa.”

Marion Green said “”I am very pleased with the way the school visits have gone at East Cliff. We have a good team of local volunteers supporting the education work, who were quick to learn and not afraid to get stuck in with classes of children. Teachers were appreciative, many of them clearly benefitting from the experience along with the children who had lots of questions!”

Helping on site during July were ten work experience students from Folkestone, Canterbury, Ashford, Ramsgate and Dartford as well as some students from the University of Kent and Edinburgh University. Hattie Grylls, an Archaeology student at Edinburgh university, said “This my first practical experience of digging. It has certainly lived up to my expectations. I found it quite thrilling discovering and uncovering things but I am also looking forward to sorting and washing some on the finds”. It was also a new experience for David Swann, a student at Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford who hopes to study ancient history at University and perhaps have a career in archaeology.

Also as part of a Town Unearthed and as a contribution to the Folkestone Triennial Fringe, a mosaic, using re-cycled glass chippings and a few fragments of Roman pottery and tile, has been mounted on the side of a brick building near the Roman Villa. Organised by Yvonne Hutchcraft with the help of Annie Begley, the initial layout was taken from a section of Roman flooring uncovered in a previous excavation, while the final design was the result of a competition run through local Primary Schools. Children were asked to create designs depicting roman and/or modern day to day living. The winners were Thea Jones from Morehall, Kayla Ostridge from St Mary’s, Ethan Blackie, Liam Wetherell, Aleena Liby, Tahlia Fagan, Rebecca Inglelbrecht and Elena Philpott from Stella Maris, Thomas Cloke, Phoebe Dellison and Cameron Stranage from Sandgate, Jarid Farnworth and Eleanor Priestly from Elham and Chloe Wilson from Castle Hill.

Further events have been organised to involve children. On Saturday 30th July and Saturday 6th August from 2.00 - 3.30pm, as part of the BBC ‘Hands on History’ project, 53 children aged 7-12 years and their families or carers took part in practical and interactive archaeology workshops at the Roman Villa site.

The involvement of children and school students in a wide range of activities, including classroom visits, is a key component of A Town Unearthed: Folkestone before 1500, which is a three year project of community archaeology in Folkestone, organised by Canterbury Christ Church University, the Folkestone People’s History Centre and Canterbury Archaeological Trust. It is funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust with additional contributions by Folkestone Town Council, Kent Archaeological Society, Kent County Council, Shepway District Council (East Folkestone Change together) and the Tory Family Foundation.

The villa site at Wear Bay Road is open for visitors from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm, seven days a week. If you wish to get involved as a volunteer please come to the site or contact Hannah Lewis on 01303-850614. www.atownunearthed.co.uk

This Saturday 6^th August 2011 at The Chichester Memorial Hall, Sandgate

from 10.00am until 12.30pm

The Sandgate Bakery – freshly baked bread, pies and biscuits, French cheese

Juicy Fruits – fresh fruit and vegetables

Izzy’s Deli – homemade lasagna, soups, meat and vegetarian pies, pizzas and home cooked ham freshly sliced, English cheese

Milbank Olives – olives, semi-dried tomatoes, balsamic onions, pesto and sauces

Exotic Foods – chicken and vegetable curries, onion bhajis, samosas and pakoras

Coast & Country Fayre – homemade sauces and dips

Catherine Jordan Cakes – large and small cakes, seasonal fruit pies and tarts, scones and biscuits

Old Hall Farm, Brookland – traditionally reared meat & sausages, rare breed lamb & pork and fresh eggs

Swallowfields Nursery – cottage garden plants, hardy perennials and shrubs

Sandgate Farmers’ Market is in the Chichester Memorial Hall on the first and third Saturday of each month from 10.00am