A seaside town in which found itself with the unwanted title of being "rough" is now one of the UK's best. reporter Victoria Chessum, who has lived in for 32 years, says she loves where she lives, and cannot think of a better place to be and bring up her daughter. Folkestone was, earlier this year, named as by the .
The guide noted its "impressive schools and regeneration". Tim Palmer, one of the judges, said at the time: “It isn’t only the artists’ studios, the cool shops or the chance to sip cocktails on the restored Harbour Arm that make this resort our best place to live in the south east. Folkestone also has impressive schools, state-of-the-art sports facilities and high-speed trains to London.
” Speaking about its success, Victoria said: "With a bustling and quirky seafront, which is now busy nearly all year round, a thriving arts scene and a boom in house prices, it's no wonder the town is finally getting the appreciation and love it has longed for. But its image has not always been so gleaming. In fact, in the early noughties, I'd say it was at its very worst.
"The dilapidated Rotunda amusement park on the seafront was torn down - a staple of childhood memories from the 1990s. Folkestone adopted an industrial look, and found itself with the unwanted title of being a rough seaside town. "The seaside holiday vibe had been diminished after decades of being one of the coastal retreats for staycations in the 1960s through to the 1980s.
Aesthetically, the town wasn't.