Nostalgic memories of Gillingham's local history
Share your own memories of Gillingham and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 11 - 20 of 56 in total
I remember Gillingham High street. We lived in a flat above my Dad's hardware shop and the railway line ran at the back of it, nothing like the present day pre pedestrianisation
I can remember this incident so clearly, the grief my Mother and Father felt , Many tears . I lived in Twydall Lane , My Mother at that time was a member of the Red Cross based in Chatham, and she attended the funeral to help and comfort the berieved parents. I can remember her cring and was very distressed when she came home.I was a Red Cross Cadet.The whole community was very badly affected by this tragedy. We had very bad smog fogs in those days before smokless fuel.
I was born in Seaton road and went to Barnsole infants and junior school, then on to Woodlands secondary, very good times.
I lived at number 47 Goudhurst rd Twydall Green attended the local scout group went to Featherby primary school onto a school in Gillingham at Richmond senior (i Think that was what is was called)
only lasted a few months then it was up and off to Australia back in 1965 but a lot of fond memorys especially on saturdays when i alternated between the Odeon and Prestfield
It sounds really funny and familiar to hear:: Jezreels, Canada House ( where I went after my daughter was born 1986 !), Littlewoods, Lefevres, Darland Banks - I love it.
I lived in Barnsole Road from 1969 - 1979 and loved all of it. I went o Barnsole Road School - my Mum was a teacher there, Mrs Peatfield- yes she's still alive, now 89 yrs old.!
Then I went to Upbury Manor School, which was great, a new school with ...see more
I was born and bred in Gillingham spent most of my childhood at the pier. This all started when I was about six or seven year old. My grandfather William Smith worked as a coxswain on one of the two NAFFI boats that worked out from the Admiralty Pier. The Admiralty Pier was situated on the eastern arm of Gillingham pier.
They would load up with vitals on the end of the dummy pier. This dummy Pier had two ...see more
I spent the first ten years of my life living in Osborne Road and Stevens Dairy was at the end of the road. Mr Stevens used to deliver milk on a three wheeled handcart - customers would take out a jug and he would ladle the milk from a big churn. The orchard and dairy was used as a short cut by anyone wanting to get to the shops in Duncan road - Twiggs the tobacconist, Mortons? was what we would now call a ...see more
During WW2 my Grandfather Albert William Sancto (a retired dockyard cabinet maker) made a very detailed scale model of a warship but was defeated when it came to the small plane that sat on a catapult on the deck. My Father (shipwright RN) came to his rescue carving the tiny aircraft from a solid piece of wood. During Warship week the model was displayed in the window of the High Street gents outfitters (almost opposite St Marks Church) and then raffled to raise funds.
Memories of the Co-op Tennis Club, my friend David Parsons and I used to spend most of our summers days there in the forties. I recall an elderly (perhaps middle aged) couple who ran the club; the man had a really wicked slice serve and his wife used to serve underhand, with surprising results
Harry (Ches) Chesney
My father would bring me here to the steam railway as we would go into Gillingham and Chatham to shop. I was not more then five at the time I have a picture of me at the start of the run. The time was 1956.
