Wrotham memories
Here are memories of Wrotham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Wrotham or a Wrotham photo.
Trips to Wrotham
I was born in London in 1940. Our flat was demolished by the first flying bomb so my parents moved to West Kingsdown when I was three months old. From an early age I remember being taken quite regularly by my mother along the A20 hitching a ride to Wrotham. When arriving in Wrotham and after walking along the High Street we turned left down a hill and a short distance down on the right was a butcher. I believe his name was Mr. Hoppe. It was there that we bought meat, using our food coupons. Once again for our return journey we hitched a free ride from a sympathetic lorry driver. Much later and after the war we travelled by Greenline coach until pertol rationing was eased and Mr. Hoppe could drive his van to deliver meat to residents in West Kingsdown.
Doodlebugs And Rock And Roll
I was born in 1940 in Langley Maidstone, Lord Routes' house, a wing of which was given over during the Second World War as a maternity part for expectant mothers. We lived on the main road in Wrotham, opposite a pub called The Spring Tavern, it's no longer there now. We lived next door to a family called Skinner, the children's names all began with the initial J. There was John, Julie Judy, and we all played together, my sister Jean and I. We would go up to the Nod, a small hill opposite our houses and play there for hours. We used to go to a big barn on the corner, where an artist lived, and we used to sit for him, while he painted us. I remember the day called Operation Overlord, when all the planes flew overhead, wave after wave.
Memories of Kent
The Coronation
In 1953 very few households had television. I remember going along to the Fourways cafe on Coronation Day with my parents so that we could watch the Coronation on the television. My sister was only 3 and I was 5. The cafe was run by Mr and Mrs King. My now step mother worked there as a cook. Years later the cafe became the Fourways Furnishings, though I forget the exact name. That was run by Cyril & Hazel Knight.
The fish & chip shop on the corner, run by the Swinburnes, sold the most delicious ice lollies with real ice cream inside which we would buy on our way to Brownies which was held at the Church Hall on Quarry Hill.
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!
Ivy Hatcha Free Childhood 50 Years Ago
We - my parents and their five sons - lived at Beaconsmount, a house formerly owned by the Maules and before them, the Staggs. We moved to Ivy Hatch (opposite the 68 bus stop at the Sevenoaks end of the village) in 1956 and left in 1975. All of us loved the village and its people and I made lots of friends. The bus-stop itself was called Maule's Corner all through our time. We used to call the road beside our house "Sandy Lane" (because of all the sand from the footpath up to the top of the quarry that was left after heavy rain) but before we left, the Council (encouraged by Brigadier Bowra, a chap a bit like Captain Manwaring in Dad's Army) renamed it something else! We knew lots of families - I think Jonathan Green had an elder brother and a sister called Gillian and his mother was Mavis. On this same lane, the Engehams and Bremners lived on the left and to the right, the Farmers... Read more
The Village Square
This view was seen by me every day that I went to school at Judd School in Tonbridge. I caught the bus here. There were two bus routes through the village - Number 9 which ran from Maidstone to Sevenoaks and operated by Maidstone & District - and the number 122 which was operated by Southdown and ran from Gravesend to Brighton. Both buses arrived in the village on the hour. I lived at Cobtree Cottage at the top of the village next to the Village Hall and the builders yard of F & G King who were related to me. I was in the church choir for many years and joined the RAF in 1951 following in the footsteps of my brother who was a pilot but was unfortunately killed in Malaya in 1952 and his name appears on the rear side of the memorial. A very happy childhood spent in this beautiful village. I now live in Canada and sincerely hope that the village will not change too... Read more
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