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Chatham
Chatham maps
Historic maps of Chatham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Chatham maps
Chatham area books
Displaying 1 of 23 books about Chatham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Chatham
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memories of Chatham.
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Buckmore Park Scouts Camp Chatham.
My first week away from home was in August 1964, when I was 9 years old. It was at Buckmore Park Scouts camp, Chatham. I belonged to the 22nd Sea Scout group, Wathamstow, east London. I think from memory, I had £3 to spend for the week. We ate in a large, round roofed, corrugated hut at the camp. I loved the rope slide which went across a field. There was a big camp fire on the edge of the woods and we sang scout songs around it. I saw my first shooting star. The boys were so noisy at night, we were made to run round the field to tire us out, to make us sleep! I did send a postcard to my parents, but sadly, I don't think I've got it any more. I was surprised though, to find another postcard, for my birthday, from Akele. It was a Frith series no: Frith/95actm119. The camp no longer exists (although I think the woods are still there) and has been replaced... Read more
Church Choir
I remember when I was about 14 being a choir boy in St Mary's Church. This would be 1953. We used to receive two shillings and sixpence for weddings, some of us belonged to another church further down the road toward Chatham and we would do two weddings on some Saturdays. In my late teens I used to go to the dances in the town hall at the bottom of the hill.
Learning to Swim
Oh the joys .... went here with my brother and the 2 boys from next door. Trying (as usual) to be 'part of the gang' I was persuaded to jump of the spring board ~ problem, I couldn't actually swim at the time! Came up just under the board thrashing around, but with a little bit of encouragement from the rest of them at the steps to my left ~ I doggy paddled my way over and climbed out. Never looked back from that moment. Had many happy times at this pool, and went on to do competitive swimming at the boarding school I attended in Redhill. Health and Safety rules in today's world would not allow for this sort of horseplay in swimming pools, but for me, and my friends, it was another 'adventure'. So glad I didn't miss it. So glad I learnt to swim.
Royal Naval Cadets Disaster, December 3rd 1951
Was anyone involved in the terrible accident that took place on 3rd December 1951, when Royal Naval Cadets were mowed down by a bus? Over 20 cadets died, mainly on the back row, they were new recruits who never had their full uniforms, only their hats. Me and my brother were new recruits but could not make the march that day. I never went back to the cadets after that, I was so upset.
Information
I was wondering if anyone knows anything or has any photos of members of the Tidman family? They originally came from the Cage Lane area of Chatham.
Where Has Chatham Gone?
I was born in Chatham in 1934, after my national service in 1955 nothing had changed but where has my Chatham now? The town I loved is no longer here. There were 30 pubs in the High Street, now gone, no Empire no Theatre Royal, no picture houses.
The 1960s in Chatham
I was born in Chatham in 1951 and lived there up untill I got married when I was 19. I can remember a pub on Military Road called the Three Brothers, I think. We used to meet there before going to the Dockyard for the weekly dance and disco. We also used to go ballroom dancing again in the High Street but I can't remember the name of the place. It was run by a husband and wife team and we would have a lesson for about half an hour and then we would be foxtrotting and waltzing to Engleburt Humperdink all night. Great and innocent times. I also worked at the Dockyard and I remember they had a couple of open days that I got involved in, we were really up to date with our computer that was the size of the Town Hall!! And I remember our punch cards. Happy days.
Short Stay in Chatham
For 3 months May - Aug 1969, I lived in the upper floor flat over the Manfield shoe shop. Next door was WH Smith. My husband worked in the shoe trade but not in the shop below. He worked further along the High Street at another shop owned by the British Shoe Corporation. From the kitchen window at the back of the flat was a view of the River Medway. I haven't been back since but remember Chatham as being hilly on the opposite side of the High street, and trains came out of a tunnel into the station. I took 3 small children on a boat to go around a naval ship and also took them to an army barracks open day in Gillingham, where they enjoyed building with small, real bricks.
