Page 2 | To ask - Folkestone changed a lot since the mid 2000s?

FoordHopeful · 2025-07-29T07:11:34+00:00

I moved to live in Folkestone in 2005 to work in Saga Insurance. I left in 2008 I’m now kinda sentimental for those times and want to go back . Has it changed a lot in past 20 years? Maybe I can go back there, relive the mid 2000s and open a MySpace account! [grin]

Original poster

FoordHopeful · 29/07/2025 08:58

Katemax82 · 29/07/2025 08:54

My sister has lived in Hawkinge for 13 years and folkestone prior to that. She wouldn't live anywhere else

Aww!! Hawkinge is meant to be absolutely lovely !! I never even visited there when I lived there but several of my colleagues lived there and from pics etc I’ve seen of it - it looks lovely!

OP posts:

Katemax82 · 29/07/2025 08:54

My sister has lived in Hawkinge for 13 years and folkestone prior to that. She wouldn't live anywhere else

Original poster

FoordHopeful · 29/07/2025 08:51

summerskyblue · 29/07/2025 08:39

I like Folkestone.

I was thinking of moving there to semi-retire then I ended up in Deal instead, but still visit it often.

I like its arty vibe, the old high St and it seems that there is some good ongoing investment in the town.

Nice cafes and restaurants and I have always found people there to be very friendly.

Aw I LOVE ❤️❤️ Deal!!

when looking at which Kent coastal town to return to .. it was a case of ..

Deal or No Deal?!

ok, I’ll duly see myself out !! 🤣

but I absolutely loved Deal - so many to choose from

Herne Bay. Tankerton etc

OP posts:

summerskyblue · 29/07/2025 08:39

I like Folkestone.

I was thinking of moving there to semi-retire then I ended up in Deal instead, but still visit it often.

I like its arty vibe, the old high St and it seems that there is some good ongoing investment in the town.

Nice cafes and restaurants and I have always found people there to be very friendly.

Original poster

FoordHopeful · 29/07/2025 08:36

PsychoSyd · 29/07/2025 08:25

Oh yes. Full of DFLs now (in part probably because of the high speed train for commuting & the rise of WFH) & has become very 'arty'. Lots of regeneration due to De Haan, but I don't see much in the way of improvement in social improvements (others may be able to correct me on this). I have to say, I only moved to the area for work, & as soon as I can, I plan on moving away. It's never felt like home for me.

I moved to Folkestone at the tail end of 2005 November.

Even as long ago as early 2006 - the town centre was changing - the nice M &S disappeared from town to be replaced by discount stores - then the nice Pizza Hit restaurant also closed iirc early 2006 - so the ‘nice’ shops were disappearing from the high street as long ago as that -

Tbh, I used to feel that the now long gone Debenhams store was too upmarket for Folkestone !! The grandness of it to me was a bit out of kilter with the downmarket drabness of the rest of the town centre.

Maybe I’m being harsh?

OP posts:

Original poster

FoordHopeful · 29/07/2025 08:31

PsychoSyd · 29/07/2025 08:25

Oh yes. Full of DFLs now (in part probably because of the high speed train for commuting & the rise of WFH) & has become very 'arty'. Lots of regeneration due to De Haan, but I don't see much in the way of improvement in social improvements (others may be able to correct me on this). I have to say, I only moved to the area for work, & as soon as I can, I plan on moving away. It's never felt like home for me.

Thanks so much for replying

i lived in Folkestone Harbour from 2006 - 2008 and it was very rough then .,,

if I moved back I quite like the ‘cosyness’ of the Foord area - but from what I see that seems a relatively deprived area - the area just down the hill from Black Bull pub

But tbh I’m not interested in living in an affluent part anyway just not the god awful block of flats I used to live in

OP posts:

PsychoSyd · 29/07/2025 08:25

Oh yes. Full of DFLs now (in part probably because of the high speed train for commuting & the rise of WFH) & has become very 'arty'. Lots of regeneration due to De Haan, but I don't see much in the way of improvement in social improvements (others may be able to correct me on this). I have to say, I only moved to the area for work, & as soon as I can, I plan on moving away. It's never felt like home for me.