Margate, the Sands 1906
Margate, the Sands 1906 Ref: 54758
Memories of Margate, the Sands
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Margate & local memories
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 Margate, c1955 (ref: M31008) |
Year: 1955
The Town Of My Birth New Added 3 days ago
This is one of my endearing images of Margate. I was born at 5 Market Place, which lies just behind the lower white buildings to the centre rear of the photo. It was 1952 and my father was a bus inspector on the East Kent Road Car Co. He loved Margate and the sea air, he was born in Tottenham and really appreciated it. We used to fish from the harbour and pier, my dad was a keen angler, and we enjoyed it too. Living in Margate to me was an adventure, there was so much to do. The beach was perfect, and we spent many hours in Dreamland Park. I am in no doubt that those years that I lived in Margate were some of the best I'd had. I went to St. Gregory's School, and remember buying sweets at the "Coffin Corner" shop on the way to and back from school. There were still visible signs of the war in Margate. I can remember the old church just up the road from the Tudor house, we called it the "Bomb Church", we used to play in it often (although it probably wasn't safe to). It was a time when we used to collect "Pop" bottles and take them back to the shop and get the deposit back on them, we would go to Saturday morning pictures at the Classic cinema for 9d, and get an ice lolly for 3d - that was our pocket money gone. Firework nights were a huge success, there would be bonfires on Margate beach, and Christmas was magical, probably because I was so young. I loved the house I was born in, it had a big attic, as my dad's collectables would bear testament to. My brother and I would get out of the top little windows and crawl around the parapet wall. We could see into the courthouse building, and below was the police station. There was something special about the Market Place, I felt so much at home there. It was a place where I could go around the block on a scooter without fear of getting run over. I would also go to get my dad's paper and packet of Players cigs. I remember that my dad was a special constable too, at Christmas we were treated to a super Christmas party at the Nayland Rock Hotel, that was definately one of the highlights of the year, bless my dad for that. My mum used to play in small bands in the Thanet area, she was a pianist, and was very good. She used to play at the Stanmore Hotel in Cliftonville, I have fond memories of those days. There are so many things that made my life a joy in Margate, like the Lido and Tony Savage playing the Hammond organ there. Outdoor wrestling at the dugout, the beach, Dreamland, the pier and harbour, and my dad taking me out on the open top bus to Ramsgate. I have recently stayed at Cliftonville, Dalby Square, it was a super guest house, so clean and welcoming, and a super breakfast too. It was the Innsbruck, my wife and I had a super time there. Whilst I am saddened by Margate's demise, due to many factors, thankfully I can still see it as it was when I lived there. Margate will always have a special place in my heart, and when I see its welcoming skyline, I feel I've come home. Last edited: 07/01/2009 10:46 by Peter Croft |
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 Margate, the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital c1950 (ref: M31306) |
Year: 1970
70s Thoughts
I came from the north to work in Margate from 70 to 72--at what was then called the Isle of Thanet District Hospital, Margate Wing. For my first 2 months I lived in staff accommodation at the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital. I'm sure that people in far more upmarket accomodation would have killed for the sea view from my room. I paid a return visit to Margate in 2006 and was struck by how little it had changed from my era. Posted: 23/10/2008 12:51 by Ian Warburton |
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 Margate, St John's Church 1890 (ref: 27445) |
Year: 1870s
Family Home In The Churchyard
My grandmother was born in the churchyard - as was my mother and her siblings- well actually in a cottage which abutted the church wall - the family lived in the cottage for almost 100 years until it was condemned and pulled down in the 1920's - they built an air-raid shelter on the site during WWII and now they have built St Johns Communtiy Centre there. The place was Vine Cottage -Wheatleys Place, there were connecions wth the cottage and the Theatre Royal going back to the late 1700 early 1800's. Posted: 28/11/2007 13:55 by Sally Culshaw |
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 Westgate-On-Sea, c1955 (ref: W280313) |
Scout Camp A memory of Westgate-On-Sea, Kent As a member of the 6th Brockley Scout Group, I visited Westgate 3 or 4 times during the early 1950s for the annual 2-week camp in August, our tents being pitched in the grounds of the then Catholic Church on the London Road. I remember that we loved buying jam-doughnuts from the Devonshire Bakers, often burning our mouths on the hot jam, as the doughnuts were usualy just made! I saw the film, "Reach for the Sky" at the Carlton Cinema on one visit to Westgate. Sometimes we placed penny coins on the rails at the level-crossing to be flattened by passing steam trains! Wonderful times! Ken Cook Last edited: 04/11/2008 15:02 by Ken Cook |
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Westgate-On-Sea, c1955 (ref: W280313) |
Year: 1952
Seaside Holiday At Westgate-On-Sea A memory of Westgate-On-Sea, Kent My earliest memories of the seaside are from the 1950's. We lived in Bexleyheath and - like most people - did not own a car in those far off austerity years after the war. For this reason our summer holidays were always on the nearby north Kent coast and we would travel by train! Our family had two summer holidays in Westgate-On-Sea - each of them a fortnight staying in a hotel. I remember playing on the sand in St Mildrid's Bay and West Bay, a ride on an open-top bus, an evening in "Dreamland" at nearby Margate, and seeing Reculver Tower which vividly brought to life the history lesson I had at Pelham Road School in Bexleyheath! Happy Days !! Posted: 22/06/2008 12:00 by John Howard Norfolk |
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