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The day starts, tired, stumbling towards the kettle for a morning cup of tea before facing the world and the rest of the day. British people used to be the largest tea consumers in the world, things are changing. Drinking tea is an integral part of what makes us British, our heritage. We are known around the world for it, in fact many people take tea on holiday with them, that’s a bit odd. We are seen as having a stiff upper lip as we sip on our tea from our fine china. Maybe a cucumber sandwich or two….. biscuit? Folkestone Biscuits has been created along the theme of ‘Here and Now’ for this years ‘Inferential Grin’ festival. Digitally recreating large scale images of our favorite tea time snacks, this work looks to remind us of our heritage that is rapidly declining with the ever increasing levels or commercial coffee shops. Folkestone itself has seen a boom in coffee drinking establishments since the introduction of the market leader to the town and smaller businesses are cashing in to the market blown open by the likes of Starbucks and Costa. Folkestone Biscuits is a gentle reminder that a big mug of tea with a packet of Bourbons is even more satisfying. When at home we dunk away, whether it be the oversized Digestive or the temperamental Nice. The creamy goodness inside the intricate details of the Custard Cream or flap-jack qualities of the Hob-Nob. We analyse the time each treat can spend in the mug, absorbing the tea from its mug like a thirsty sponge. Adding risk to our lives by the inevitable splash as it drops into the cup. However it would seem the tradition is lost when in the social realms of reality. Think about it. When was the last time you were in a board-meeting and someone dunked their cookie into their tea? Or how about the last time you witnessed the dunking of a Garibaldi outside a fancy coffee shop. It seems we have deemed the act of dunking as an anti-social activity restricted to the confines of our own sofas, in our jim-jams, watching Jeremy Kyle. ‘Folkestone Biscuits’ hopes to change this. The location for ‘Folkestone Biscuits’ is key to the delivery of this piece. Outside dinners and drinker’s occupy the bottom of Rendezvous Street. The lifestyle that is attached to that oversized cardboard cup empowers the consumer. Just don’t forget our traditions. Lets celebrate how good and what fun dunking biscuits can be, remember next time to pop to the shop and get a packet of your favorite before finding your seat in the sun. Our British reserve rarely allows for us to take the biscuit in this way. The public work located on the Bourbon Building at he bottom of Rendevousz Street has been created as part of a series of works now currently available to view and purchase at Harvey & Hart Gallery, Church Road Folkestone, by local creative Danny Windsor |