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,