Sunday 31st July 2011

Sunday morning, and all is well with the world; other than one of our cats, Molly, has not shown up this morning. She may be sulking as we were out all day yesterday and so mealtimes were infrequent to say the least.
We had a very late night, as went to Ashford to see the final Harry Potter film, and we chose the last 2D showing of the day, at nine, so we could spend as much time as possible with our good friend, Bob.



And 2D, as the font all all film critic-knowledge, Mark Kermode, a well known anti 3D campaigner, has been regaling us with tales of how dark the 3D film print is. As it turned out, 2D was just fine, and very enjoyable with wonderful story, effects and ending. Top marks.



We woke up nice and early, fed the cats and had breakfast, and headed out of the house towards Folkestone. Once every three years there is an arts festival in the town, and there is stuff all over the town to see. We drove the picturesque way, down the Alkham valley through the fields of wheat and barley and into Folkestone. Down to the harbour avoiding the crap drivers and into the car park beside the harbour.

We walked down by the harbour to look at the new restaurant, Rocksalt, that has been built in place of an old ramshackle inn. It looks fine, all wooden curves and an interesting menu too. Back to the carpark and up the Old High street; quiet enough at nine in the morning. We spy an alley leading through the row of shops and go down the steps to see where it lead.



Well, not surprisingly, it lead to the back of the shops, and a dead end street. But, Jools spotted a wonderful stainless steel clad building a hundred yards or so away. So, as you can imagine, I snapped it, and snapped it good. and then whilst snapping it, i see they do concerts, and have upcoming gigs by Eliza Carthy and Ade Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds. We decide we would like to go to both gigs, and to while away the time until the box office opened at ten, we went to the cafe opposite and had 2nd breakfast; bacon roll for Jools, but a proper fry up for me.



We get our tickets, and inside the foyer, the building is just as stunning. So I snap it some more.

We walk back up to the Old High Street, and then along the Bayle to St. Eanswythe's church, as there was an art installation on there. Papier Mache boats of all kinds had been made and suspended from the ceiling; I don't know what it meant, but looked good. Very good. And one of my old Flickr-buddies, Mary, was in there too, snapping away.



we went back to the harbour by the old water lift dwon from the leas; the first time I have been on it, and on the first anniversary since it reopened too! We walked in, took our seat, and after a while the door was shit and we could hear the accumulator below us fill with water and we descended gently to the level of the promenade.

Nice.

From there we headed back down to the harbour, the the old railway station where I knew there was another installation. Visiting Folkestone Harbour station is always an odd experience; a once thriving station, where passengers from the Orient express used to board ferries for the continent, famous trains like the Golden Arrow used to do the same but for the less well-heeled. And no lays rotting, rusting and falling apart as there is no money and no need to keep it open.



We walk down the end of the platform, and back along the single track that remains, and then it was time to head to the car, and back home for lunch as we had a date for the afternoon.

Back home we have a sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then head to Ashford to see the new pad that our very good friend, Bob, has got. He had a bad time in Dover with yobs, and needed somewhere quiet in which to live. He has a place in a new build on the edge of town, and once we had arrived, had a beer and swapped pleasantries, we headed out for a circular walk round his new neighbourhood.

I was soon chasing butterflies as we walked, and got a few good shots of a Gatekeeper butterfly. By now the wind had dropped, and the temperature dropped, and so we called in at the local store for ice cream before heading back to the new house.



He served us dinner, and we chatted more, but soon it was time for us to head to the cinema to see Harry Potter.
Not much else to describe, other than it was great, and a worthy end to the series. And at half eleven, it ended and we headed back to the car and on to home, arriving back at just gone midnight, pooped but knowing we had had a good day.

And that was the last time we saw Molly, as she left as we entered the house, and we have not seen her since. 18 or so hours have now passed, and the mood is sombre.

Hopefully, better news tomorrow....