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Seal Chart
Seal Chart maps
Historic maps of Seal Chart and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Seal Chart maps
Seal Chart area books
Displaying 1 of 23 books about Seal Chart and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Seal Chart
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Kent memories
The Cottages on The Side Known as St Athreda
I used to be in Oakbank School and my uncle lived in Seal. His cottage is on the right hand side of this photo.
During WWII
I lived on Seal High Street (pretty well opposite the half timbered building & the horse trough in the photograph) from 1939 to 1951. My father was in the fire brigade. In those days you auditioned to become a choirboy. The Church music was very elaborate & mostly we enjoyed it - although we were discreetly naughty, especially during the vicar's deadly boring sermons. Wide knicker elastic & tiny black throat sweets provided excellent catapault material. We got paid - about 3/6 (17p) I week I think although most of got lost in 'fines'. Society weddings were very lucrative. Seal was a feudal kind of place with very wealthy people in big houses served by the 'village'.
Although the battle of Britain raged overhead nothing much got hit until the V1 (Doodlebug) & V2 rocket came along. The biggest danger was stray bullets from the fighting & an occasional strafing of the road.
There was very little petrol - even for the rich - and we... Read more
Oak Bank Open Air School
I was sent to Oak Bank school as a seven year old and stayed for about two years. The Matron was a lovely lady called Miss Bremner, and I remember I stayed in a dorm called Oak, all the dormitories were named after trees. I have never forgotten the beautiful Kent countryside and the wonderful interior of the house, I wonder if anyone else who was at the school has such good memories.
Oak Bank School, Kent
Reading someone else's comment about Oak Bank School I am fascinated by their memory. I went to what I only remember as an Open Air School in Seal when I was very young. Don't know what for but think I was a sickly child and this was for my health. I remember vividly the beautiful countryside and the school (where we actually lived) in beautiful woodland surroundings and there were wonderful walks in the woodland around the area. Could this be Oak Bank School and if so what was its purpose and who ran it? Would love to know more about it as my memories are really vivid in my mind.
Oak Bank Open Air School
I too went to Oak Bank Open Air School and remember Miss Bremner well - she seemed to be particularly kind to me, but maybe she was to all the charges in her care! I remember in particular the camp beds put out on warm days on which we had to rest for an hour. Also, on birthdays we could choose who we wanted to sit with and were given a birthday cake. Not all memories are good. I was given an Easter egg by a girl called Hazel, and one of the staff decided I had stolen it (she had bowlegs, although I don't remember her name), and shut me in a broom cupboard for the evening - not very nice.
Ightham 1960s
Interesting to see this picture though I don't think that by the 1960s Ightham was ever this free of traffic except early in the morning.
The building in the centre of the picture was a petrol station and provider of all sorts of bits and pieces. Was it run by Mr Arthur? My father would drive down there (with me in tow) to find whatever he needed to keep the lawnmower and other garden equipment going as well as getting a can of two stroke fuel. Possibly our mini is in the picture (but not if this was taken early in the morning).
Mrs Cox ran the newsagents, just out of picture to the left and there was still a butcher, and a general store in the village. And of course two pubs. I think only the two pubs survive today.
I Have an Old Postcard of This Same Image!
Hello.
I have just found an old postcard of this image! It belonged to my late great aunt's husband. I'd love to hear your stories if you lived in this village around this time or have a relative who did!
