Got An Email About The School Of Art
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Aug1
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From Eamon Everall no less:
Hi, you ask for info on Folkestone School of Art , I went there from 1966 to 1967. When i went it was where the multi story car park opposite the junction of Alexandra Gardens & Middleburg Square, now is. More or less opposite was Gales Cafe & a huge ramshackle pub , now gone. Essentially it was a Foundation (pre-18) Art School preparing students for higher level courses elsewhere although there were also a few local vocational courses in applied arts subject like Graphics, etc. Housed in an odd mix of buildings from a victorian chapel to a georgain town house it was a very lively place which attracted students from across Kent-not too popular with the powers that be tho., due to the Bohemian nature of the students. When I was there the Principal was Gerald Norden a nice old bloke & pretty good painter with a national reputation, he was succeeded by John Everleigh who, tho elderly, is still around & living in the Folkestone area.
Any information like this about any parts of Folkestone that we no longer have are very much appreciated.
2008 :: Comment / reply
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Folkestone School of Art was a fine place to be. I was there from 69-71, when it finally closed down. Gerald Norden a technically very gifted painter was the Principal. Died 2002 I think and was a friend of the late John Ward. David Koster who I believe is still alive, lives in Folkestone, a massively gifted printmaker and Founding member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. Also teaching at the time was Ray Terry, John Evelegh, the late Ken Back and the late Corinne Roberts-Jones, who married whilst teaching at the Art School (daughter of the famous Sculptor Ivor Roberts Jones) The pottery dept was run by Peter Thomas and the Photography dept was run by John Fitzgerald who went on to be Head of Photography at Bournemouth College of Art, my landlord and a thoroughly decent bloke. He was assisted by the engaging Mr Joe O'Brien. The School of Art was directly opposite the Police Station-Gales Cafe and I think it was the Gun Tavern. Pink Fairies played there as did Hawkwind and the semi resident Electric Robin. My memory tells me that the door takings for the Hawkwind gig were indeed taken! David Lentern was the librarian and a mean jazz style drummer. Looking back it is fair to say that Art students were not exactly welcome due to alleged abuse of recreational drugs, notably LSD and Mescaline, these items were allegedly often hidden in the library for later and frequent use and abuse. The music scene was in retrospect wonderful with Tofts, The Sundowner, and the Leas Cliff Hall all headlining top name bands along with a band that were regulars at Tofts called the Perishers. I saw Hendrix appearing I think at the Sundowner, Tull, Quo, Canned Heat, John Mayall and Derek and the Dominos and hundreds more at Tofts. And too many bands to mention at the Leas Cliff Hall. Another favoured place was the Acropolis (Archies) down the old High Street, they served a mean Rhum ba-ba and had a great selection on the Juke Box. I find it difficult to visualise the area now as so much has gone, usually buried under tons of concrete!
