Nostalgic memories of Margate's local history
Share your own memories of Margate and read what others have said
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our web site to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was when the photographs in our archive were taken. From brief one-liners explaining a little bit more about the image depicted, to great, in-depth accounts of a childhood when things were rather different than today (and everything inbetween!). We've had many contributors recognising themselves or loved ones in our photographs.
Why not add your memory today and become part of our Memories Community to help others in the future delve back into their past.
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Displaying Memories 11 - 19 of 19 in total
The Margate cliffs were chalk. An extremely tall church named The Holy Trinity Church sat in the middle of Trinity Square about 800m from the sea. During the war, the roof had collapsed leaving the outer walls, tower and spire still standing. Over the years, the roof rubble had been removed from inside leaving the floor intact, the font, marble and tiled floor still in good order. Tony knew the ruin ...see more
The Margate cliffs were chalk. An extremely tall church named The Holy Trinity Church sat in the middle of Trinity Square about 800m from the sea. During the war, the roof had collapsed leaving the outer walls, tower and spire still standing. Over the years, the roof rubble had been removed from inside leaving the floor intact, the font, marble and tiled floor still in good order. Tony knew the ruin and ...see more
I have just spent the weekend with my father, his father was the keeper at the Dreamland Zoo in the summers of the late 1920s/early 1930s. My grandparent's (and my dad's) home was a living wagon. My grandad - Leonard Robinson - upset my grandmother by taking his infant son into the lion's cage, and sitting the baby on the lion's back. My father, & grandfather survived the jaws of the lion - and my nan's wrath! No too sure about the lion though?
What wonderful memories I have of my childhood holidays in Margate. Reading others memories bring them all racing back. The children born just after the war were so lucky. Although we really had nothing as regards money or material things I think we had everything. Freedom to roam and caring parents. We could not afford holidays and although we had a nice house in Dagenham Essex it was pretty built up. I ...see more
I came down to Margate to live in Westbrook with my family when I was about 18 months old, probably around mid 1943. My dad was a local photographer then. He had a photographic studio in New Street which used to be horse stables at one time. My dad was a one man band, he took the photos, and developed and printed them himself, then used to take them round to the local guest houses ...see more
Two of my aunts had guest houses in Cliftonville and every year we ventured from Berkshire by train or by coach via Victoria coach station for our annual holiday in Margate. My memories are simple and straightforward, to me it was the happiest place on earth. From the time I saw the noticeboard in Birchington advertising 'What's On' at the Winter Gardens to the time we rolled out 2 weeks later, it ...see more
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. ...see more
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.
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, ...see more
