sir Geoff Hurst visits folkestone

Sir Geoff Hurst has made his first visit to Folkestone at the age of 82.  Along with fellow Stoke player Terry Conway and Geoff Thomas, now patron of the charity Cure Leukaemia.  The footballers were invited to speak at a lunch at Rocksalt in aid of the charity and the event raised £10,000.  Geoff Thomas suffered from the disease, and apart from taking a daily pill, is now fit and well.  Sir Geoff Hurst was excited about sharing football stories with his friends Terry and Geoff, and was looked after well during his stay, spending two nights at Shoreline. Folkelife met him on the Boardwalk for a quick sum-up on his Folkestone experience.

“The views here are spectacular.  Both here at Shoreline, looking out to the sea, and at Rocksalt too.  That venue is terrific, especially when the tide is in, it makes it very attractive.  I’ve been staying at Shoreline and no, I have no desire to take a dip in the sea, but the views here too are stunning.  My trip here has been very nice; I ate at John Dory the night I arrived, and then Rocksalt yesterday, and the food has been lovely, the venues great and the function itself terrific.”

early cricket career

“The closest I’ve been to Folkestone is when I came to Canterbury to play cricket as a teenager.  I was in the Essex Boys team and Bobby Moore was one of my team-mates.  Can’t remember the score, but I think it’s safe to say we were better at football!

“I do a lot of these talks around the country and get to stay in all sorts of places.  Shoreline is really rather stunning though. I’m not an architect but I can say that the build quality here is terrific, you can see that.  Normally the places I stay are… well, they serve a purpose but it’s not the place to take the wife for a special treat.  Whereas here…this place is top mark.”

the farewell tour

“I’m currently doing my Farewell Tour which is happening in theatres around the country.  I talk for 45 minutes and then have a Q+A which I love.  It’s really interesting hearing the questions people want to ask.  I can’t squeeze all my life into 45 minutes and they always want to know something I’ve missed.  

“This lunch at Rocksalt wasn’t part of the tour, it was a special event and Rocksalt want to do more of them apparently.  It certainly was a terrific afternoon.  I don’t have any hobbies, apart from my immediate family, which is the most important thing.  These talks keep my mind occupied – booking hotels, remembering my speeches – and it’s something I want to continue to do for the time-being.  I’ll retire when the time is right.”

Photo credits: Shoreline – Nadia Meli; Rocksalt – Laszlo Albert