Quadrangular Event 2004

For the past 6 years, the Rotary Club of Folkestone has taken part in the Quadrangular Event with our contact clubs of Lille, Liège and Cologne, and this year saw us hosting the event for the second time.

Thirty visitors arrived from the continent on Friday evening and congregated at the Hotel Burlington, where they were welcomed and then whisked away for a convivial dinner, either hosted by Folkestone Rotarians in their homes or held in the Bay Tree Restaurant.

On a deceptively bright Saturday morning everyone again converged on the Hotel Burlington - everyone, that is, except the coach driver of the coach hired to take us to Faversham, who had gone to the Hotel Burstin by mistake! A few frantic phone calls later and the two coaches (Lille had brought their own) set off for Faversham, where a tour of Britain's oldest brewery, Shepherd Neame, had been arranged.

Whilst waiting for the tour to begin, our visitors contented themselves by browsing through the items for sale in the local "flea market", with at least one Rotarian snapping up a bargain!

The tours were very well received - our fears that our German friends might not see the funny side of the Shepherd Neame advertising campaign for Spitfire Ale ("The Bottle of Britain") proving unfounded.

Again, contrary to what some Folkestone Rotarians might have thought about the organising committee, we did manage to "arrange for a few drinks in the brewery" which every nationality seemed to appreciate!

After lunch, representatives from each club got down to the serious business of the day, which was to finalise details of the international projects which the clubs will be supporting to the tune of at least 12 000 euros each year.

Following that meeting, we headed down to Hythe and St Leonard's Church where, after seeing the grisly collection of bones and skulls, we were fortified with tea and cakes. Berkeley Hill then treated us to a fascinating insight into the church organ which he illustrated with several pieces of music.

The day was rounded off by a Gala Dinner at the magnificent Saga Pavilion, where we joined by District Governor Himansu Basu, local dignitaries and Rotarians from a number of other clubs in the district. Folkestone President Peter Bailey was very grateful for the assistance he received from Luke Allon, a Sixth Former at the Harvey Grammar School, who translated his speech into both French and German. After the official speeches, Peter was presented with a new banner from the Liège club by President Marcel Tilkin.

On Sunday morning the weather was absolutely atrocious, with strong winds and driving rain, but this didn't stop a number of our visitors taking part in the Walk for Your Life along the Leas, which hopes to raise funds for a defibrillator to be available in the town to provide rapid assistance for anyone suffering a heart attack or other cardiac problems. The final event of the weekend was the farewell lunch, held in the Grand Hotel, where our visitors were shown details of the Coastal Protection work that has just been completed between Hythe and Folkestone.

An excellent time was had by one and all and we now look forward to the 2005 Quadrangular to be held in Lille.

Click here for a full picture gallery.