Ramsgate C 1952

A Memory of Ramsgate.

I was born in Ramsgate in 1950 in Addington Street where my father and mother had a drapers shop. My mother used to take me out all over the place but my favourite of all was the Waterfall, as a child I remember the coloured lights that shone in the water and I thought they were the most beautiful thing in the world. I also remember the Ramsgate lights on the top of the West Cliff by the San Clu Hotel was it? with the Ram and the Gate. Was there not also a little dog juggling? I also remember Harrisons restaurant with the sausages grilling in the window and Merrie England funfair all on the East Cliff. Not very high brow but there you are.


Added 03 July 2014

#309110

Comments & Feedback

I was born in 1945, and my memories are of as a teenager during the sixties, spending the evenings with my friend along the Merry England funfair. Also many evenings spent in the coffee bars that used to be open until quite late - Pelosi's mainly in the High Street.
I was born in London and moved to Ramsgate around 1948, when I was 9. I went to live with my aunt, who lived in Grange Road. She was Margaret (May) Harrison, later Ilett. The mention of Harrison's restaurant sparked the memories, as my aunt had previously been a waitress there. I remember her taking me there and having a Knickerbocker Glory ice cream. I had never seen such a huge ice cream, coming from South London and enduring the blitz. The house was, for me big. It was previously a butchers shop, I believe. It was right opposite the Admiral Fox pub. I can still hear those annoying guinea fowl, that never seemed to sleep. I went to Hereson school. Many good times as a kid in Ramsgate. The zoo in Merrie England, playing cricket and football in Ellington Park and the jets flying over from Manston airbase. My aunt who became my step-mother passed away in 1974 and my step sister and I took her back to be buried with her family in Ramsgate. My sister lived in Nottingham and my step mother and I in London, so It was a really sad and long trip for us.
John Ilett
I was also born in Addington Street, in 1954, but we moved out to the new council estate at Newington soon after with 2 indoor toilets! We backed onto an old brickworks where a gang of us from junior school would hang out and make dens or have adventures among the tips. The field and brickwork area is now a retail park.
I also remember the Lights but thought they were at the Harbour?
We played a lot in Ellington Park and on the beach and swam at the Westcliff outdoor pool that doesn't exist now. I later went to Clarendon House school and we used to talk to the

Can anyone help me? Its been bugging me for ages since we met a bloke from Ramsgate on holiday in the Canaries. During the early 50's my family always had two holidays a year in Ramsgate.. We stayed in Penshurst Road at a B&B, run by a Mrs Arter, who's French husband had been killed in the war. It was up behind the San Clu Hotel. I have many happy memories of that time, but due to old age my mind not being what it was, one thing I recall, but cannot find any thing about was of a ship moored in the inner harbour, I am sure it was called The Bounty. You could pay coppers to do a tour. Every visit to the town was incomplete without a visit to this old ship. I think it was moored by the entrance to the inner harbour, and was there for many years. I took a holiday down the coast at Kingsdown and paid a visit to the old town, got to be said it was a disappointment, very run down although it was nice to see the water front looking the same and the waterfalls still there. Poor old Merry England was a waste land and I did shed a tear, spent many happy hours and a good many pennies there. I saw my first exhibition of 3 D in the Pavilion, and vividly recall Roy Rodgers, Trigger and Dale riding outside to advertise a Wild West show there. The pool was our fave and I first dived off the 10M board there. The view from the top of that board was outstanding. If I went up that high now I'd get a nose bleed. A big treat in the evening was skate and chips, which we ate in the Rec in front of the gas ometer, Seem to remember it smelt quite bad, Walks to Dumpton Gap and a trip to the dog track for a flutter were also highlights. So if anyone can help, I would be very grateful

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