Nostalgic memories of Gravesend's local history
Share your own memories of Gravesend 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 21 - 30 of 42 in total
I worked on the Gravesend - Tilbury ferries for around 18 months. I crewed both passenger and car ferries. Unfortunately in those days we did not have expensive cameras or any camera to record our time there. I was born in Gravesend and left to join the RAF in 1960. I have never been back to live, only to visit family.
My memories of the home, which was run by the Southwark Catholic Rescue Society.
The sisters of charity looked after us, I was taken there just before my 10th birthday in april 1947 along with brothers Bill 13 and Bob 4. My early morning job was helping out in the school laundry. I had never played soccer or boxed before but after a caning by Mr roche I was persuaded to participate. Father Baker used teach sport ...see more
I was a pupil at the Gravesend Technical School for Girls and remember walking along from Pelham Road to have our school lunches at the Boys School, housed in the Technical Institute - sausage and mash and some puddings with custard. Was at the school when it moved out to Wombwell Hall. Remember Mrs Pike (she had lost her pilot husband during the war) who taught us Pitmans Shorthand, which I went on to teach at ...see more
I remember St. Mary's. As an eight year old Londoner, I had travelled a bit to different parts of England during the evacuation. Whilst at St. Mary's, I attended school there, played soccer for the junior team, was confirmed as a Catholic. I remember Father Baker well. In 1948 I remember that he had a television set, which was quite astonishing at the time. I remember long walks to the Kent ...see more
As the daughter of a Tilbury docker who married a girl from Gravesend, the ferry between Tilbury and Gravesend forms one of my earliest and strongest childhood memories. Every Saturday my sister and I would make the journey with my mum across the Thames to visit her mother (my Nanna Smith).
I can still recall the pontoon, how the level changed with the tide and my fear of the murky water that lurked below. ...see more
I first came to Gravesend with an advance party to re-open Milton Barracks in 1947. During my time there I met a Gravesend Girl and we were married at Milton Church in 1948. I was posted from Milton Barracks to the School of Artillery where I remained until my Demob in 1949.
We lived with my Wife's mother in one bedroom for 7yrs. We got a House when my wife was expecting our second child - ...see more
Our advance party arrived at Milton Barracks around June (could be wrong) to re-open the Barracks to commence training. As I remember, being the advance party the Cooks didn't consider we were worth feeding so we were rationed. In order to get a good meal we went around town looking for chippies etc.
When we got more used to the town the pubs came next, then the good old Prom.
During my happy ...see more
St Mary's Boys returned from Ugbrook, Devon the estate of Lord Clifford to Gravesend when the war ended in 1945 and I was resident there until 1954. Although called a school it was in reality an orphanage. Most of the boys, like me, were illegitimate. They would call us love children today. The institution numbering about two hundred boys at any one time and apart from Father Baker ...see more
I was at St Mary's I think from 1950 to 1956, my sister went the school for girls in Brighton. While we were not orphans we only had Mother, and I remember well that for the first year we did not see her, bloody awful time for sure, no social services or counselling then.
I remember well the large steel shed at the left of the school for playing in prior to meals and on rainy days and the dorms, the ...see more
I remember seeing the house before and after the bomb struck. The front of the house was demolished leaving just the front of the ground and first floor hanging there. At the time I lived opposite and the upper floors of our home collapsed as well.
