Photos of Rainham in 1970s

I've received a set of photos taken in Rainham in the 1970s which give a fascinating glimpse of how much the centre of the town has changed since then.

Photo of Midland Bank next to Hidsons High Street Rainham

The Midland Bank branch shown above was demolished in the 1990s and the Hidsons car sales next door expanded to cover the site.

Almost all the shops pictured no longer exist although a few of them are in different locations under the same name

You can view the photos of Rainham from 1970s here

Rainham Station - New Platform & Tracks

Working is ongoing at Rainham station for new line and platform which has taken up part of the car park. I understand this will give a longer platform so that trains with more carriages are able to stop. From the layout it also appears that the new platform will have trains beginning from Rainham as it is a platform that ends at the ticket office.

Christmas in 1923 - Photo of a well stocked butcher's shop in December for Christmas Dinner

Photo of a well stocked butcher's shop in December for Christmas 1923. This shop in Station Road Rainham Kent displays 100% English fare, home killed beef, pork, mutton, turkey, rabbit, duck and home made sausages.

Photo of a well stocked butcher's shop in December for Christmas 1923.

More details here

BROMPTON HISTORY RESEARCH GROUP TALK

BROMPTON HISTORY RESEARCH GROUP TALK: Valour, Loss & Sacrifice 

The next Brompton History Research Group talk will be held at the Historic Dockyard in No.1 Smithery, Holl room. There will be an opportunity to view the temporary exhibition  ‘Valour, Loss & Sacrifice’. The talk by Pam Wood is a personal view, relating to the sinking of HMS’s Hogue, Cressy and Aboukir by the German submarine U9 on the 22nd September 1914 and the effect that it had on the people of Medway, also touching on the 26th November 1914 when there was an explosion that shook the area, physically and emotionally, with the news that HMS Bulwark had blown up.

At 7pm, 27 November 2014 at No1 Smithery, Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4TE. Parking is free of charge.

Tickets £3. Booking essential, please call 01634 351834 or email witch21@blueyonder.co.uk

What Date are the Gillingham Great Lines Fireworks in 2014?

For 2014 the Great Lines fireworks party takes place on Saturday 1st November 2014 from 7pm. Parking is very limited so it is advisable to walk or travel by train as the fireworks attract many thousands of people to the Great Lines park behind Brompton Academy.

What Date are the Gillingham Great Lines Fireworks in 2014?

http://www.rainham-history.co.uk/local-events/114-great-lines-gillingham-fireworks-display-and-bonfire-in-medway

First World War Letters from Gallipoli 1915

Please find an article attached about Reg and Seymour Wickens from Station Road who joined up in 1915 and took part in the battle of Gallipoli. The letters I have used were published in the East Kent Gazette and give a vivid account of the brothers journey to the Helles Peninsular and what they experienced there.

 

I personally knew Reg Wickens as he was a friend of my grandfather and he used to visit Berengrove Park to watch me play cricket for Rainham back in the 1970s. Unfortunately, at that time I didn't question him about his war experiences so I missed an opportunity.

http://www.rainham-history.co.uk/articleslist/313-first-world-war-letters-from-gallipoli-1915

Rainham in 1914 - the town they left behind to fight in Gallipoli

Archaeology day courses at Canterbury Archaeological Trust

Our new season of archaeology courses commence this Saturday and run through until March. I’d be really grateful if you could circulate this to your members. Last year’s courses were really well received and were attended by people from across Kent, the south east and beyond. This year we are repeating some of the courses and running a new one, ‘The Archaeology of the Kingdom of Kent’, on 22^nd November. Places for the latter are filling up fast.

Details of all the courses can be found at: http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/community_archaeology/archaeology-courses and bookings can be made online via Paypal. You can also pay by posting a cheque or by bank transfer (BACS). Contact me for details for the latter.

If  a number of people would like to make a group booking, it is best to contact me direct to discuss as we may be able to offer a group discount, depending on numbers and the course booked. And as always, we’re very open to ideas for future courses. Next year we aim to have a training excavation at East Wear Bay, Folkestone and I also hope we’ll be able to start offering guided tours around local sites in our minibus.

All courses are held at our offices at 92a Broad Street, Canterbury CT1 2LU and run from 10am until 4pm. Any other questions, please let me know. If you’d like to be removed from this mailing list, or would like an alternative contact used, again, let me know.

Best wishes,

Action Forum for June 2014

Action Forum for June 2014 has now been loaded to the site.

Action Forum is a local magazine for Rainham and surrounding areas that features many articles and photos relating to local history.

http://www.rainham-history.co.uk/action-forum/31-action-forum-2014/304-af062014

Rainham History Back Online

The problem with the Rainham History site have now been resolved and the site is back online.

If you spot any problems with the site please add a comment here or send an email to info@rainham-history.co.uk

Rainham History Back Online

Rainham History Site problems

Apologies to anyone looking to view recent articles on the Rainham History site. It has been hacked this week and we are just trying to recover it back at the moment.

I'll post again when it is resolved.

New Micro Pub Opening in Rainham Kent

The micropub revolution has reached Rainham! A new micropub will be opening soon in Station Road Rainham Kent in the premises previously used by Paynes Motor Spares and later by a hairdressing salon. Ironically it is virtually opposite the Railway Pub that closed down a few months ago.

The location seems ideal with very easy access to the station and situated on a busy road with plenty of passing trade and many people within 10 minutes walk of the pub.

We don't yet know the name of the micropub or when it will open but keeping checking for more details.



Micro Pub Opening Rainham Kent

Pizza Hut Delivery Opening Rainham Kent - Recruiting Drivers

Pizza Hut are opening in Rainham Kent, taking over the old Patrick Duff opticians shop in the High Street near the shopping centre. It appears to be a delivery only outlet so if you are looking for somewhere to eat in for a meal you'll be disappointed.

They are currently recruiting delivery drivers - check the poster for contact details

Pizza Hut Opening Rainham Kent

Pizza Hut Opening Rainham Kent - delivery drivers wanted

Domain Registration Scam Fake Emails

Just received this message. They seem to claim someone wants to register rainham-history in China. It's a complete scam. Why would anyone want or care to register something like that in Asia?

No-one manually checks domain registrations, they go through automatically so the whole premise of the emails is completely fake.

=========================================

Dear CEO/Principal,This is Nicholas Lee---Senior Consultant of domain name registration and solution center in China. Here I have something to confirm with you. We formally received an application on May 15,2014. that a company claimed "RANGLANCE LTD" were applying to register "rainham-history" as their Network Brand and some "rainham-history" Asian countries top-level domain names(in/hk/tw/etc) and China (CN) domain names through our firm.Now we are handling this registration, and after our initial checking, we found the name were similar to your company's, so we need to check with you whether your company has authorized that company to register these names. If you authorized this, we would finish the registration at once. If you did not authorize, please let us know within 7 workdays, so that we could handle this issue better. After the deadline we will unconditionally finish the registration for "RANGLANCE LTD". Looking forward to your prompt reply.(This is a very important case, so please transfer this email to your CEO or Principal. Thanks a lot.)Best Regards,Nicholas LeeSenior Consultant Manager

Rainham Mark Grammar School Sinkhole - Dene Holes in Rainham Kent

Following hot on the heels of the sinkhole discovered in the centre of the M2 motorway, another has been found in the grounds of Rainham Mark Grammar School in Rainham. This highlights how Kent is riddled with Dene Holes dug into the chalk and that seem to be appearing as a result of the exceptionally wet weather over Winter 2013/14.

These are photos of dene holes found in Rainham Kent in 1980 during the building of a new housing estate. The same Dene holes are what was responsible for the M2 motorway closure.



Rainham Mark School Sinkhole - Dene Holes in Rainham Kent
looking into a dene hole

Rainham Mark School Sinkhole - Dene Holes in Rainham Kent
At the bottom of a dene hole once excavated



Rainham Mark School Sinkhole - Layout of Dene Holes in Rainham Kent

M2 Motorway Sinkhole Photo - Is it a Dene Hole? M2 Closed Junction 5 to 6

On Tuesday 11th February 20-14 the M2 motorway was closed as a result of a sinkhole being discovered in the central reservation between junctions 5 and 6.

The cause of the hole isn't yet known but may be due to the very heavy rain that we've experienced over. There are also many dene holes that have been discovered across Kent and it may be that an entrance to one of these has been found as a result of the soil being washed away. It is also possible that it is old mine workings.

These photos are of a dene hole discovered in Rainham Kent during building works and the following excavation of the hole gives an idea of the scale of it.

UPDATE - The Highways Agency have now confirmed that the Sinkhole in the central reservation of the M2 was actually a dene hole. These appear across Kent and are chambers dug into the the chalk.



M2 Motorway Sinkhole Photo - Is it a Dene Hole?

Church Life in the Middle Ages - Study Day 5th April 2014

KENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

A Study Day presented by KAS Churches Committee




Church Life in the Middle Ages at St Leonard’s, Hythe



Saturday 5th

 April 2014, 10.00 - 16.00

St Leonard’s Church,

Hythe



Programme

 9.30 – 10.00 Registration & Welcome

10.00 – 11.00 Lecture: Medieval Hythe & civic uses of sacred space

11.00 – 11.20 Coffee

11.20 – 11.55 Lecture: Church upper spaces and their uses [Dr Toby

 Huitson]

11.55 – 12.30 Lecture: Masonry sculpture: Hythe's carved stone fragments

12.30 – 13.40 Lunch

13.40 – 14.40 Workshop 1 [church documents & church building – see ticket]

14.40 – 15.00 Tea

15.00 – 16.00 Workshop 2 [church building & church documents – see ticket]

[Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh]

[Heather Newton, Canterbury Cathedral]

Tickets: £15.00 including lunch, tea and coffee

Please send by 21 March 2014 with a cheque made payable to KAS, plus a stamped

addressed envelope to Mrs J. Davidson, 7 Chatsworth Rd, Gillingham ME7 1DS

[contact details: 01634 324004 (home); jackie.davidson@canterbury-cathedral.org ]


Name ................................................................................

Address ............................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

Telephone ........................................................................

e-mail ...............................................................................

Vegetarian ......... ٱ no ............ ٱ yes

Special dietary requirements ...........................................

.........................................................................................

A FEW parking spaces for disabled car users are available at St Leonard’s

church car park – please request below if required:

Parking for disabled ........................................................

I enclose £ ............... for ..................... tickets (£15 each) for the KAS Study

Day on 5th April 2014 @ St Leonard’s church, Hythe

Point of Lay POL Chickens Kent (Hybrid ISA Brown/Warren Hens)

Looking for hybrid Point of Lay hens/chickens in Kent?

We have ISA Brown POL chickens available from April 2014. They are also available earlier but are hatched in Jan/Feb 2014.

Please get in touch via info@rainham-history.co.uk or call 07710-444227 for more details

Woodside Wigmore 1926 Action Forum

The latest Action Forum magazine has now been added to the Rainham History site

Action forum Jan/Feb 2014

The cover photo is of Woodside Wigmore Rainham Kent in around 1926.

Day Old Chicks in Kent - ISA Brown Hybrid Hens

Are you looking for day old chicks in Kent or point of lay hens?

I'll have some available from Jan 2014 so please get in touch via info@rainham-history.co.uk or call 07710-444227 for more info

Action Forum - December 2013

Action Forum for December 2013 is now available on the Rainham History website

www.rainham-history.co.uk