Sunday 27th August 2023

Sunday.

And what to do with the parts between getting up and the football beginning?

Obviously, it would be going for a walk in Folkestone.

And it would be early so to be there and all walked out before there were too many people about.

Obviously.

We had coffee, then were out, after checking the traffic to/from the port, driving up the A20 to Capel, then down into Folkestone, down the Tram Road, parking at the bottom before going for a walk over the piers of the old Harbour Branch line to the station.

How we mocked Folkestone when they began to turn the old High Street area into an arty area.

Shops and studios appeared and vanished. But many stayed, and the Old High Street is a delight and full of places to eat and shop. So, they looked at the old Harbour Arm and developed that and the station.

Sadly, trains will never run again into the old Harbour Station, so half the line and the station was turned into a community asset, paths and wild gardens laid, and at the end on the Arm, small pop up shops, eateries and bars, popped up.

In summer it is loud, colourful and vibrant. But not at eight in the morning. Even the coffee shops, running out of converted shipping containers, were still setting up.

We walked through the Station, up the Arm to see the Gormley art down the steps, then back again to the car so we could return to Dover where Jools would go swimming and meet Sean and Ang for a chat.

So we did.

Traffic still light, but the air hung heavy and still. Once parked Jools changed and went for a half hour in the water. I tried to beat the parking meter, but failed.

Once she was dressed, we drove back home so she could have a shower, and I made breakfast of fruit and more coffee.

And then there was football to binge out on. First Citeh played and scraped a win against Sheffield Utd, and then Liverpool locked horns with Newcastle. And that was quite the game.

Silly bookings, mad sending off, and Newcaste a goal up and with Liverpool reduced to ten men, all seemed settled. But Liverpool regrouped and Darwin scored not one, but two magnificent goals, the second three minutes into injury time, ensuring The Toon grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.

Quite remarkable.

And that was your Sunday here in east Kent.