The Church And Chequers Hotel c1950, Hoo
The Church And Chequers Hotel c1950, Hoo Ref: H356006
Memories of The Church And Chequers Hotel c1950, Hoo
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Hoo & local memories
Read and share memories of Hoo and Kent inspired by Frith photos.
The Flood
Our barge, Hambrook, was moored at Hoo in the early 1950s. There were quite a number of fully rigged barges there at the time, but ours had had the rigging removed and converted into a houseboad. Most of the barges were used as residence, and there were quite a lot of children living on them. My mother, brother and I were on board the night of the 1953 flood. I was woken up by the sound of things crashing, and realised the the barge was listing, but didn't register that anything was amiss until my mother came rushing into my cabin and ordered me to get out of bed and get dressed immediately. The barge was in the process of capsizing!
Many of the barges at Hoo were moored alongside lareg wooden piles, and the flood water had lifted Hambrook above the tops of them. The onshore wind had then blown the barge sideways, aided by the onshore mooring lines, and so when... Read more
The River at Hoo
In the late 1950s my parents had a small boat on the river here. My dad built it in the side garden of our house on the outskirts of the village. He painted it blue and named it 'Jeannie', after my mother. It had a small outboard motor, and our family of four spent many happy days both 'messing about in boats' down at the marina, and actually boating on the river, taking picnics on the river islands and admiring the Napoleonic fort. Funny how the sun always seemed to be shining in those days. Well, not always - one memorable trip to the Isle of Sheppy, undertaken in the face of small craft warnings, is particularly etched into my memory! I've often thought of those days on the river, partly because with the perspective of age I've realised that all the young men like my father who were so interested in making happy memories with their families had so recently fought in a terrible war and had other memories... Read more
Childhood in Hoo
This view is instantly familiar! There was a sweet shop right there which was a favourite destination on walks into the village. I lived with my family in Hoo for two or three years in the late 1950s. My father was Eric Cox; my mother, Mary Jane ('Jean') Cox, and my sister, Penelope. My name is Susan. I believe we left in late 1959. We were the first family to live in a small row of newly-built houses on the main road into the village, a short walk and on the opposite side of the road to what we called the 'Rec', or playing field. There were swings and a self-propelled round-about where we often played. Cricketers used the grassy space as well - perhaps they still do. Our next-door neighbour was a doctor, Dr Tilley, who seemed to have a thriving village practice and who, in the fashion of the day, had his surgery at the front of his home. The village proper had two sweet shops, a newspaper... Read more
