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Broadstairs
Broadstairs photos
Displaying the first of 79 old photos of Broadstairs. View all Broadstairs photos
Broadstairs maps
Historic maps of Broadstairs and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Broadstairs maps
Broadstairs area books
Displaying 1 of 23 books about Broadstairs and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Broadstairs
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memories of Broadstairs.
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The Post in The Centre of The Bay
I am not sure which grandfather it was (how many greats do you want?) but the old part of my family, the Strevens, have lived in Broadstairs for the last five hundred years, and have the honour of having erected the post in the middle of the bay. This was one of five snubbing posts that allowed the barges to warp right up to the pier where they loaded tar and coke from the gas works at the top of Harbour Street (now a car park). The tar pipe is still visible in the side of the pier where it used to run down the hill still hot from the coke ovens, and into the barges.
My Stay at st Mary's
l think it was 1957 not sure,l remember my stay at st Marys very much after my first 2 weeks of being home sick l loved it the nuns and nurses were so kind,l remember beetroot with every meal and going down the steps to the sea l was there for 6 weeks for Christmas and my birthday and we had a Christmas party and l also had a birthday party,the sea was so rough but it was great l had never seen the sea before,we also went to a pantomime.Santa gave me a boy doll which l still have and l was the fairy as l was the only girl with a white dress.l can remember having sweets we would choose one in the morning and have half in the morning and half after our afternoon nap, l always chose the slab of toffee with the banana flavour in the middle.l can remember a girl with a glass eye she would put it in a glass on... (Awaiting moderation, read more soon)
Memories of Saint Marys Broadstairs
I Patricia Kenny was at Saint Marys in early 1950s with my two sisters Penny and Pamela. I was 2 years old, Pamela 5 and a half and Penny seven years old. I can remember the dormotories, the nuns and kindly nurses. Having our hair washed with this disgusting mushy carbolic soap that came from a large tin, lol, and each being given a ribbon for our hair. I can remember having Marmite on toast followed by tinned spaghetti for tea only if I finished the Marmite which I never did urrr, still hate it today. We were sent there because our mother had TB and we were being isolated. Dad would visit and I remember him carrying me down steps cut through chalk cliff leading from the house grounds to the sea, there was an iron gate at the bottom. I have a picture of us three little girls with buckets and spades and warm woolly cardigans so were very well looked after. I remember playing with little rock... Read more
1955/6
I had a spell of six weeks at St Mary's, my sister came along with me for company. I suffered from chest infections and was sent there hoping the sea air might go me good. I remember going down the stone steps to the beach. Every day we were sent to bed for a nap. My green candlewick bedspread had a teddy bear on. We thought it was a bit odd being sent to bed in the afternoon. I guess that considering the fog horn kept us awake at night, we needed the sleep. I would love to hear from anyone who was at the home in my time.
My Worst Summer Holidays Ever!
I was sent there for the school holidays to recover from Whooping Cough when I was 8 years old. It was awful. We had to sleep in a dormatory with a nun in charge who slept behind a curtain. Every time I coughed she would come and shout at me so I spent most nights with my head under the covers trying not to cough. I dreaded breakfast. We had to eat porridge with sugar which I hated and drink tea with no sugar which I hated! My parents came to visit one day and brought me some sweets which were conviscated. I tried to write a letter to my parents asking them if I could go home but they found out and made me write a letter telling them how much I was enjoying myself! The only time I liked was going to the beach where we were allowed to collect shells, take them back and paint them but that only happened once! I'm glad it's gone but will... Read more
Port Regis, Kingsgate (School For Delicate Girls)
Around 1958-1959 I attended this school due to bad asthma. On the plus side, but probably due to the climate only, my asthma did seem to improve while at this school but otherwise it was one of the most unhappy stages of my life. I was not personally abused but twice saw terrible abuse of others: Frances and Bernadette (I forget their surnames). The former was savagely beaten and the latter was made to eat food which made her sick, including (unbelievably) her own vomit. The education was virtually non-existent and most nuns were cruel. One interesting experience I had there was to see a ghost along with several other girls one evening: a hovering white shrouded figure on a landing. However, I do not believe in ghosts at all so hesitate to mention this! Is there anyone else out there from this time? I remember a Diana, Edith, Hazel .....
Port Regis Convent For Delicate Girls
I am writing this excerpt on behalf of my mother who now lives abroad. 'My name is Elizabeth Ferrier, nee Tyrrell. I was seven years old in 1953. I was sent to Port Regis in late 1953 or early 1954. I was there for 18 months which included part of 1955. I remember Jean Hankinson, Pauline King, Margaret Sedgewick, Dolores Doyle and Doreen McGovern. As far as I know these girls didn't suffer physical abuse with the exception of Jean Hankinson who was in trouble on occasions. During my stay I was often caned severely on both hands at the same time. I had to hold them both out at shoulder height whilst Sister Mary Bonaventure repeatedly thrashed me using a bamboo cane. This took place in the hall, I screamed and cried. At 7 years old I'd never felt pain like it. Only once on a Sunday morning was I hit on the bottom, kneeling over a bed... Read more
Girls Who Were Underweight And Frail
I was at Port Regis in 1950 for 3months and in 1952 for 9months. I saw the coronation there, and went with three other girls from my area. I remember playing with a girl called Teresa, also Sister Mary Magdalane. I was not abused or cruelly treated, probably due to the fact that my dad always left a good tip for the nunnery, I was taken on outings and remember the light house very well which I visited. I was not abused but did witness it with some of the other girls, when two of them ran away, and I remember the person with the skin condition, in fact I slept in a room with her for a couple of weeks when she would be bound from head to foot in bandages, and would have scratched them all off in the morning. We slept with the window open even in the freezing cold winter, some happy memories, but very strict and cruel at times. Sister Mary Magdalane was the... Read more
