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The Priz reunion: Over 800 people party on what would have been Folkestone nightclub's 30th birthday

More than 800 revellers partied hard to celebrate the anniversary of a gone but not forgotten nightclub - and raise funds for another town landmark.

La Parisienne, affectionately known to party-goers as The Priz, would have celebrated its 30th birthday this year.

In March 2016, the seafront venue - then named Onyx - was being demolished and had already closed a few months before when it was wrecked by fire in a suspected arson attack.

Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography

Hannah Revill and her friend Kev Goodwin, 50, say they initially came up with the reunion idea over a beer in Sandgate last summer.

The 39-year-old said: “It fell off the radar a bit but then the Folkestone Music Town committee brought it up as suggested event.

"We set up a group and announced a date and expected maybe 100 people. But it quickly spiralled and proved more popular than we imagined.”

The mother-of-two was born in Folkestone and now lives in Sandgate. She said: “The buzz led to most of the old DJs wanting to get involved.

Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography
Party-goers celebrate at the Priz reunion. Picture: Dan Desborough Photography

"The response has been overwhelming and proved that nostalgia is a powerful thing and also that Folkestone is far from dead on the late night music scene.”

The event helped raise more than £300 for the Leas Lift restoration and was organised by volunteers.

She said the community support for the event was ‘unreal’ and another fundraiser, dubbed ‘Part Deux’, is already in the works: “What we have is a lack of choice for places to go and have a dance and that needs to change. It’s socially important for people to get together in this way... the old Priz-goers felt part of something in the club’s heyday and they came together again to recapture that.

“We can do things sensibly with the right support. All the DJs played for free with one travelling back from the States to play.”

She added that the Party Bar put on extra security for the event and even arranged Priz-branded wristbands.

Ms Revill thanked former dancers, shot girls and tech people for their time, as well as Folkestone Printing for producing flyers and banners for free and artists Linda Hicks and Linz Harrison for recreating the original signage.

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