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Hempstead
Hempstead maps
Historic maps of Hempstead and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Hempstead maps
Hempstead photos
We have no photos of Hempstead, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Bredhurst| Gillingham| Rainham| Chatham| Boxley| Detling| Brompton| Upchurch| Burham| Rochester| Frindsbury| Strood| Allington| Aylesford| Hoo| Bearsted| Borden| Halling| Cuxton| Bobbing| Bredgar| Snodland| Maidstone| Gads Hill| Higham| Barming
Hempstead area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Hempstead and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Hempstead
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Kent memories
Gulvins Village Store.
re. photo of 'Bredhurst, the Village c1955 (ref: B582003)'
The shop on the far left of the photo was a general store owned by the Gulvins, run mostly by Mrs Gulvin and Nan. Mr Gulvin was a farmer. They had at least two children. I only knew Nancy and Gerald. Gerald Gulvin married Barbara Pye, my cousin. (see my memories page). I would have been 15 years old in 1955.
Unfortunately Gerry (as he was known) was tragically killed in a tractor accident in a field not far from where this picture was taken.
Some Early Memories of Bredhurst.
My name is John Healey, I was born in 1940 and lived in Brick Lane, Enfield. The Second World War was on. I cannot say at what age I could read but I believe I was 2-3 years old. My first recolection of 'Bredhurst' was that it was the name of our house in Brick Lane. I am sure that my paternal grandmother lived there with my parents but moved back to Bredhurst before I was born. Apparently my father had some knoledge of Bredhurst long before he married my mother. The grandmother to which I refer was Louise Pike before she married my grandfather, Charles Healey, who died long before I was born. I had three aunts (Dad's sisters) who also lived in Bredhurst. Doris Rush (nee Healey) married George Rush. Maude Pye (nee Healey) married Jack Pye and Constance Thompson (nee Healey) married Dave Thomson. They were all very well known in the village, Con. was for a long time secretary of Bredhurst School. I had lots of cousins,... Read more
Sharps Green
We had some great times in the summer hollidays. A crowd of us would get on our bikes go along to the Strand and then along the sea wall to sharps Green. We passed a boat yard, but I don't remember the name. We were gone all day. We played "bike scrambling" up and down the mounds, the boys were always better at it than us girls. There were always loads of damsons and blackberries that we could pick and eat. We came home at six tired out. I first got my love of the countryside then and since then have always respected it. I also remember going to the war memorial on Mill Road with my dad and all the men removing their hats in respect. We went to fairs on the lines, Navy Days. I remember the Dockyard hooter morning, lunch time and evening, no excuse then for being late for school. Time off for the Queen's visit to Gillingham, she wore green I remember. "Happy highways where I... Read more
Embassy
I believe that this cinema was called the Odeon before the Embassy. As a boy growing up I had the choice of going to Saturday morning pictures at the Grand in Skinner Street for sixpence (2.5 pence ) or the Odeon for ninepence (4 pence). At the Odeon you got in free on your birthday. Oh, such innocent times.
Le Fevers And Coo-Op Denson 'Winkle -Pickers'
I went to Gillingham Technical School in Green Street and at the end of the school day ran down Gardiner Street, making a left turn into Gillingham High Street. This picture shows my homeward view with the Le Fevers store on the left (later purchased by Debenhams) and the station in the distance. On the right was the Co-op where I waited outside for a No 45 M&D bus. Never a boring wait because the Co-op shoe shop had the school-banned 'winkle pickers' shoes by a company called Denson. Only 49/11 for a basic pair of 59/11 for a premium pair - sharp points and Cuban heels! How long could you wear them without a detention!
Sharps Green
This is a photo of Sharps Green which is now part of the Riverside Country Park. I remember playing there as a child - it was always a rather wild place. My family and a large group of neighbours would go for a picnic when the blackberries were ripe, and we would troop off to collect blackberries for our mums to make a delicious pie - we children always tried to find the most out of reach, fattest, ripest berries. The walk home was always tiring as it was all uphill!
Lost Pen-Friend
Back those days (1960-1970), pen-friendship was the big deal as Face book/Bebo is today. I used to have a penfriend by the name of Karen Francis. I am from Mauritius - a tiny dot in the Indian Ocean - and relating to Rainham, Kent simply seemed so far, so impossible. I knew a little about England through my geography class in primary school, more interested because of the history and literature class in college. And now my penfriend Karen was a blessing. She would write about English life, about Rainham, Kent station and college life as well. My writing to her helped me improve my English and actually I got very good grades in my examination for Cambridge University (External). Thanks Karen - whereever you are!
