“Autographs from Folkestone Pier”

We’re getting there…

For those eagerly awaiting the  uploading of the Visitor Books, we are still working on the transcripts. Please bear with us a little longer. It will be worth it!

In the meantime we have chosen some pages from the books and these will be featured here over the next month.

The first pages are from 1918. Simply click on the image to open the pages in a new window. How many names can you identify? We will post the transcript of these pages in a week or so, with details of who some of the people are.  

New pages will be added weekly, so check back in a few days for the next instalment.

There are 24 names on the above pages. Did you have any luck spotting any famous names, or even family members? We have prepared a summary of just six of the names, with information about them. Why not have a look at the results? There are a couple of surprises.

Click HERE

The next pages are from 1916. Again, click on the image to open the pages in a new window. We have chosen these pages becasue they are intriguing. Firstly, there are some Indian soldiers and then a list of names with a curious entry describing them as ‘Scotland Yard Officers’. Can anyone shed any light on these entries?  

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The transcribing of the Visitors’ Books continues and we hope to be able to upload the first results in April 2012. News will be posted here.

In the meantime, we are testing the uploading of the transcribed material. Click here for a preview, and let us know what you think!

The Harbour Canteen that was opened on the harbour during the First World War served refreshments to the troops on their way out to France. For many men it would have offered a welcome final cuppa before the journey to foreign lands.

About 42,000 of the soldiers who stopped at the canteen signed visitors’ books that were recently rediscovered by local historian Brian McBride. While historically inaccurate because the canteen was not actually on the pier, the spine of the books carries the title: “Autographs from Folkestone Pier”.

A moving personal tribute to some of those who passed through the canteen on their way to France, the books are due to be scanned and turned into a unique reference document that will be available on line through this website. Step Short is working with the Archives team at Kent County Council to bring the books to a wider audience.

The visitor books have now been scanned by the KCC Archive team and the transcription into a database will begin shortly. After this is done the database will be linked to a web page and access to the pages will be available via the Step Short website.

The derelict shell of the canteen still exists and is part of the area included in the Terry Farrell masterplan for the harbour. As the Step Short project takes shape, ideas for highlighting the part played by this modest building on the harbour wall nearly a century ago will be considered. One possibility is that it could be restored as a café and become the visitors’ centre for the project

Click here for an account of the discovery of the Visitors’ Books.