Higham

I can vividly remember this was a school, back in the 1960s, Gads Hill Place, used to fit the children for their uniforms! I was told that there was a tunnel under the road to the other side.. would have to have been deep, as the main road goes past!

Adele you are correct, there was (still is?) a tunnel from the main house under the main road to the garden where the "Swiss Chalet" used to be in the garden there. I believe the chalet has long-sice been moved to Rochester Museum as I believe Charles Dickens used it as a summer house writing room. We used to be taken through the tunnel on Nature Study lessons. My memory is of it being quite deep with rusty old iron gates that had to be creaked open to let our crocodile of two's hand in hand to pass through.

Being just post-war, boy's prep schools were few and far between and as a concession, boys with elder sisters attending the school were allowed to attend up until they were about seven years old and could transfer to a big school. Miss Burt was the headmistress and my class teacher was a Miss Hewlitt.

My academic life started as a single lad in a class of 24 girls which I... Read more

I am looking for details of Florence Gammon, formally Dunk from Rye, Sussex. She was married to Herbert Gammon, also from Rye. The children were Arthur Eaton Gammon, 9 and Alice Gammon, 12. Her father was my great great grand uncle, Leaf Temple Dunk, 1834, from Rye.  

Does anyone remember the Day family who lived opposite the Bell pub overlooking the River Medway? The late Fred Day, my uncle, was the skipper of the 'Arethusa' training ship. Yours truly, Clive Jeffrey, Mission City, Canada.

High Street c1955
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

The Rochester Sweeps festival celebrates the traditional May Day holiday that chimney sweeps used to enjoy. It is a glorious mixture of dancing, music and dressing up with visitors from all over Britain bringing their entertainment to Rochester High Street each year.

The festival attracts morris dancers and musicians who are delighted to perform in front of the huge crowds thronging the High Street. Most years the dancers from Whitethorn Morris join in the Rochester Sweeps Festival together with the Whitethorn Band of accordians, melodeons, fiddles and drums. Its a colourful display of red white and blue with lively music and always draws a crowd of onlookers all day long.

Fortunately most  of the dance venues arranged by the Festival organizers are in front of the pubs in the High Street so traditional refreshments are always available!

M2 Bridge c1960
Enlarge photo |  More about this photo

I remember being in St. Barts Hospital in 1961 or 1962, aged 11 or twelve, to have my appendix removed. At that time there was a construction worker recovering from a very serious injury received while working on the bridge. His whole arm had been removed, leaving him only his right shoulder.I met him during a mass held in the ward and he was amazingly cheerful and determined to stand and kneel as required by the service.