Lipton Shop - High Street Rainham Kent, 1920s

I have attached a photo of a shop that I believe was located in HighSt Rainham in the 1920's. The person in the middle was my father Percy Jacobs who was born in Rainham, I think at High street. My grandfather was born in Upchurch he was a shepherd, I think it was at Greenboro' Marsh. In fact all of the Jacobs family was born, married and died in and around Rainham. I know that William Jacobs born 1791 was born in the are, probably Upchurch and his father Edward Jacobs born 1765 was I believe born in Rainham. I have done some research using Ancestry. com but now I am trying any other avenue to see what I can unearth. I am also looking back at the maternal family line which also springs from Rainham, the Hawks being one.

"The Rose" Public House, Rainham, Kent

I received this message today about the "The Rose" Public House, Rainham, Kent

I recognise the pub, but when I lived in Rainham as a boy (1930-38) it was a ‘farmer’s pub’ where all the local farm labourers drank – sawdust on the floor ! I was born in one of the last houses in Rainham on the way out to Sittingbourne – ‘Rosebank’, No. 7 Moor St., and was baptised in the chapel across the road next to the Rose – it’s offices now. The A2 then was the main road to the coast and we kids used to sit outside the house on summer evenings watching the charabancs and cars, red London buses, and the steam lorries from the brewery going past.
I went to the school by the railway – was it in Orchard St?- but didn’t realise until I was much older just how good a school it was under Mr. Pitcher, the headmaster. Well ahead of its time with radio, a lot of music, and games in the Rainham ‘rec.’ under the railway bridge. The place has changed a lot.
Regards – Arthur Johnson.

Rainham Snow

Although we have had snow this week in Rainham the quantity has been nothing like that seen in January 1987. Some parts of Kent this week had up to 20 cm (8 inches) yet in 1987 the recorded amount of snow locally was 22 inches (55 cm) of snow over 2 nights from 12 to 13 January.

Parts of the area were cut off and near Lenham a train was stuck in a snowdrift for over a week before being dug out. You can see more photos and information about this on the snow page of the website

The Smallholders Club - Wigmore Kent

I have received the following message today. If anyone is able to assist can you reply here so that the Smallholders Club can see the responses.

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Can you help, I work for the Wigmore & District Smallholders Club and am trying to track down how long the club has been in exsistant. September 1924 is my last record but there is a picture of the smallholders which could be older than that?
We have no records in the Club before 1976- unfortunetly they were destroyed by fire.

We have no idea if we have a centuary in the near future or if we've missed it.

Changes in the Urban Landscape

From the photos published on the Rainham History website it is very clear how much the urban landscape changes even over relatively short periods of time.

Rainham Cement Works

This message was received from Eddy Newport regarding the cement works at Berengrave Lane.

Dear sir
I like to draw your attention to the following web site

http://www.friendsofberengrave.btik.com/p_Home.ikml

This site has been put together by Brian Baker chairman of Friends of Berengrave Local Nature Reserve. The web site will explain everything we stand for and trying to achieve regarding the reserve site.

At the moment we are undertaking a archaeological investigation in the area adjacent to the two derelict wash mill in the nature reserve. The object is to find out how the actual site worked when it was running in its heyday. On an old OS map we noticed that a building was marked opposite the WMs and two members of FoB have been working on the site removing detritus and discovering many interesting features.

In doing this work we are finding more questions than answers about how it worked. We have found many support structures but we are confused as to what they did. To cut a long story short, I was wondering if it possible that any of your members may have some information or old photos showing anything about the cement and chalk workings that and can give us a clue as to how it worked.
The site has moved on since the web site was updated and a lot more has been excavated.

Feel free to come down and see what we are doing there.ED

Tip. go into the web site click in artefacts and follow the link to the archaeological investigation and see what we are doing.

Greens of Rainham Vauxhall Car Dealership Closes

It has been announced that Greens of Rainham, the Vauxhall car dealer has been placed in administration. The Greens showrooms in Rainham and Snodland have been empty for several months so the confirmation was no great surprise locally. Sadly some 70 Greens of Rainham employees lost their jobs having been left in limbo since December when they were last paid but without being given any information until now about the fate of the company.

This news would appear to confirm the depth and severity of the current recession by claiming a dealership that has successfully survived many previous recessions and downturns.

[information from Medway Messenger]