Next year's Plimsoll Day Celebration will take place on Saturday 7th February 2015 at St Martin's Church Cheriton.
A wreath-laying on Samuel Plimsoll's grave will take place at 2.30pm, after which, at 3pm, Rose George, winner of the Mountbatten Maritime Prize for 'Deep Sea and Foreign Going', and Horatio Clare, author of 'Down to the Sea in Ships', both acclaimed books about their experiences of sailing with the merchant navy, will be in conversation with writer and journalist Nicholas Clee. (I have heard them in conversation before, and they are hugely entertaining.) The discussion will be followed by tea and home-made cakes and a book signing in the Church Hall. The event is free, but there will be a retiring collection for the RNLI and the Kent Merchant Navy Association. I very much hope you will be able to attend.
If anyone would like to bring standards, we would be glad to have them there.
Meanwhile, because of illness, The Folkestone Plimsoll Memorial Campaign committee needs new volunteers, particularly a secretary and a treasurer. If you are willing to offer a little time to help keep up the momentum for memorials to Samuel Plimsoll in the town, and for regular commemorations of your local hero, and of Folkestone's maritime heritage, do please let me know.
And if you know a business or school in Folkestone or elsewhere - that would be prepared to join in with our fundraising Plimsolls for Plimsoll Day on 10th February which involves wearing trainers/plimsolls to work/school on 10th February and paying £1 for the RNLI, do please let me know too. A factsheet about Samuel Plimsoll can be sent to any participating institution.
With many thanks, and looking forward to seeing you on 7th February.
