Rochester memories
Here are memories of Rochester and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Rochester or a Rochester photo.
Rod Hull And Miss Havisham
I took part in a simple survey of Restoration House in the early 1990s when the Local Authority were considering buying the property from the children's entertainer Rod Hull (of Emu fame). He had fallen into disastrous financial circumstances, partly through his labour of love in trying to restore Restoration House that arguably contributed to his untimely death. My abiding memory is of Miss Havisham's wedding table with cake, cobwebs and all, set out in the very room that Dickens based his Satis House upon for the setting of 'Great Expectations'. The decorations were I believe the original props from the David Lean film of that book of 1946 that Rod Hull had also acquired. The atmosphere was soaked in history - real, literary and cinematic - it is no wonder that Rod Hull must have been seduced by the place. I haven't been back since, although I understand the present owners do offer limited guided tours in peak season and I have no idea if the... Read more
Old School
Gad's Hill Place was my school when I was 7-9 years old, from about 1950-1953. About 4 or 5 girls of similar ages lived on Thames Sailing Barges at Hoo and went to school together, sometimes by car, but usualy by bus. I don't remember much about the school, but I remember the gardens which had many little 'graves' dedicated to pets which the Dickens children had had.
Milk Boy
I was a milk boy for Bourne and Hilliers in the 1970s. I would oftern go to the Red Lion after my rounds on pay day for a pint or two and throw some darts - Tom was the landlord of the Red Lion at that time. Where the police warden stands in this picture now sits a round about. The pub and dairy are now long gone.
THE CASTLE TEA ROOMS
I lived at the Castle Tea Rooms from 1953 untill 1976, my mother and father ran the tea rooms. I would love to hear from anyone who passed over the doorstep to enjoy my mum's scones.
M2 Bridge Worker in St. Bart's Hospital
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.
Traffic Jams at Star Hill
I regularly went across this junction on the bus to and from home in Rochester and school at Chatham between 1955 and 1961. The Gaumont cinema was directly across the road from Bourne & Hilliers Dairy. I went to Saturday morning pictures, and ocassionally to the Victor Sylvester Ballroom Dancing classes, also at the cinema. Unlike the photo, Star Hill and the New Road were gridlocked morning and evening for the school run.
Rochester Sweeps Festival And Whitethorn Morris
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!
Fort or Folly Near City Lawn Tennis Club?
Can anyone please shed any light on what was (or is) an old fort or folly in woodland behind the Lawn Tennis club off Maidstone Road? I have a photo but I'm not sure it would come out well scanned. I remember as a kid we walked slightly off the walking track and scrambled down a slope into copse where there was this tower and a walk way. It's been driving me nuts since I couldn't find it when I visited a couple of years ago. Any help would be great.
Memories of Kent
Name Search
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.
The Day Family
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.
'Jossrega', 22 Bush Road, Cuxton, Near Rochester
Cuxton is the village my wife lived in before our marriage, after I married her we used to spend weekends here with her parents. I really loved spending time together, just us and Mr Benny B, our dog. I wish I could go back to those happy days together, she was lovely to love.
James G Brown
Gads Hill
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!
Gads Hill Place School
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... Read more
Memorybank total
We're very pleased and excited by your response so far to our "Share your Memories" community.
You've shared 26,169 memories of 5,731 towns & villages across the UK - keep them coming!
Find Memories
Simply search for your favourite places to read others' memories and share your own.
Tips & Ideas
Not sure what to write?
It's easy - just think of an important place in your life and ask yourself:
How does it feature in your personal history?
What are your best memories of this place?
How has it changed over the years?
How does it feel, seeing these old photos of your favourite place?
Do you remember stories about the local community, its history and people?
Start now!
It's easy to add your own memories and reconnect with your shared local history. Search for your favourite places and look for the orange "Add your Memory" icon to begin.
Places this week
Here are some of the places you've shared memories of this week:
- Crowborough, East Sussex
- South Woodford, Greater London
- Perivale, Middlesex
- Bacton, Norfolk
- Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey
- Ealing, Greater London
- Orpington, Kent
- Seaton Carew, Cleveland
- Ryhill, West Yorkshire
- Earby, Lancashire
- Sale, Cheshire
- Greenock, Renfrewshire
- Aldershot, Hampshire
- Harrow On The Hill, Greater London
- Gravesend, Kent
- Frodsham, Cheshire
- Huyton, Merseyside
- Stroud, Gloucestershire
- Hill Of Beath, Fife
- Harrow Weald, Middlesex
- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
Your memories
To jump straight to the memories you have added already to the Community, click here
I Remember When...
This stunning compilation highlights some of the best stories selected from the thousands contributed here on the
Frith website. The result is an absorbing chronicle of British life from the Second World War to the mid 1960s.
A colourful treasure trove of memories, "I Remember When" is an
irresistible mix of personal stories and recollections that affectionately reveal the detail of everyday life in Britain.
