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Kingsgate
Kingsgate maps
Historic maps of Kingsgate and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Kingsgate maps
Kingsgate area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Kingsgate and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Kingsgate
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Kingsgate.
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Dreamland And The Odeon Cinema.
I remember Dreamland because I used to hang out with Derek and Brian Brenner whose father manufactured and ran racing machines there. You would sit in front of a sloping board and roll balls through holes in order to advance your car towards the finish line, to win a prize. I was going to St Lawrence College in Ramsgate,and as my parents were in Sudan,North Aftrica, the Brenner family let me hang out with them. I used to sneak into the Odeon Cinema,which was adjacent to Dreamland, without paying. I would wait at a side exit until someone opened the door,and came out so I could slip in. Around that time the "Free Film " movement in British Cinema was underway and someone made the documentary,"Dreamland,Oh My Dreamland",which depicted the ordinary working man on vacation. I remember going to coffee bars in Broadstaires,Westgate and Margate and trying to pick up local girls and trying to avoid getting into fights with the local boys. St Lawrence College was an all boys public school... Read more
Visits to Captain Digby in 1960s
I remember our annual holiday to Kingsgate in the 1960s. We stayed in various guest houses in Percy Avenue and often walked down to Kingsgate Bay for a day on the beach. In 1965 I was aged 7 and remember the pub just like this. During a two week holiday we visited perhaps once or twice for a drink as a special occasion. There was a large green area in the front, as pictured, and another further to the left before the cliff started. There was also a small bit of castle on this part of the grounds (now fallen into the sea). The footpath ran infront of the pub then - visible on left of picture.
Behind the verandah in the picture was a large "childrens room" with pinball machines and a Juke box - highly exciting and very, very noisy! We did not go in the main pub in the castle-like building at the back as this must have been the bar for serious drinking and over 18s.... Read more
Dreamland Was The Greatest Place on Earth
Does anyone remember Dreamland up to the early 1970s? I have many happy memories of Dreamland and the Lido at Cliftonville. In Dreamland there were 3 Roller Coasters. The Scenic Railway at the front which is being restored (See save Dreamland Campaign). The second one was a dual track racing coaster. The thhird one at the Back was know as the Velvet Coaster, but nobody seems to remember it. I believe it was painted Orange and to my deep regret it was demolished in approx 1975. Does any one have any pictures or memories of it. I still love Margate and look forward to visiting when the Heritage theme park is opened. Ian Nicholls (Swindon)
St. George's Preparatory School For Girls. North Foreland.
Unfortunately the FCJ convent doesn't exist any more but my memory goes back to those happy years from 1959 till 1964 as a little girl studying as a boarder and always waiting for my late uncle (Mr Paul Gunn) to come and fetch me for the weekends and take me to Kingsgate Castle where he owned a flat. What happy memories, especially as I was very lucky with the nuns, in particular Sister Dorothy who became like a guardian angel to me throughout my life! If anyone remembers me from those school years please get in touch!
The Tunnel
My name is Peter Marshall and I was at a Home / School called Whiteness Manor. To get to our School there was two ways from the Captain Digby, first way was as you come out of the Captain Digby turn right and go up Whiteness Road when you get to the stone wall on the right that was Whiteness Manor School boundy, the second way was to take the secret tunnel that ran from Whiteness Manor to the Captain Digby. Now I wondered what they used that for!!!
Kent memories
1952 Souvenir Programme From The Lido Theatre
I have inherited a 1952 programme for the Lido Theatre at Cliftonville -presenting 'SUNSHINE SMILES' starring Bunny Baron, Sonny Riley, Jack Stanford and Harry Arnold. Would anyone be interested in having it?
Parakeet
Does anybody have memories of the Parakeet Cafe, in Northdown Road. We all used to hang out there in the early 1960s. There are lots of memories of those days. So many names come back. Buzz, Anthea Prentice, David Gradus, Terry Gold, Mike Jerome, Jo-anne, Brenda from the hairdressers, Cathy Mudge, Pam and Doug, Alex with his three wheel car (the fourth one came off going down the hill into Folkstone) etc etc. Anyone out there?
