About SPRING 2014

RAMSGATEThe Society’s quarterly magazine of news, views and heritage information

Spring Comes to St George’s

James S Daniel St Augustine’s Facing the Foe Catriona Blaker on a Alastair Stewart OBE on Terry Prue on Wellington medical member of a developments at Pugin’s Crescent in WWII and the Ramsgate dynasty masterpiece church years after CONTENTS About SPRING 2014 TheRAMSGATE Ramsgate Society’s quarterly magazine The Belgian Café 4 by Stephen Davies Some of us like the beer, some of us go for the crackling. Our second ‘Hardy Perennial’.

James Daniel 5 by Catriona Blaker A leading figure in Ramsgate society, this Chairman’s Report Victorian physician attended Princess Victoria,

the Pugin family and Sir Moses . ur 50th Anniversary, on July 12th, is rapidly approaching and as promised we can provide Wellington Crescent – Part V 7 some information regarding the events and Oexhibitions planned to celebrate this important event. by Terry Prue Ramsgate was one of Hitler’s projected invasion The 50th Anniversary Sub-committee is still working on ideas, and will confirm dates and times of all the sites, and the crescent’s clifftop position put it events soon. There are two important dates for your within range of the German guns in WWII. diary. On Saturday 12th July there will be a lunch at the Royal Temple Yacht Club. Many members have already En Avant, St Augustine’s 11 booked for this. As places are limited you should Alastair Stewart OBE gives his backing to the contact Rosemary Kirk, the Society Secretary, ASAP proposed Pugin and St Augustine Education, to avoid disappointment. On Sunday13th July there will be a summer tea-party in Vale Square. We are hoping Research and Visitor Centre the bakers among you will contribute homemade cakes, Who Am I? 9 sandwiches and other teatime treats. Let’s hope the sun Book Review 10 shines. Planning News 13 Our discussions with Council about Society Catch-Up 15 the Ramsgate Heritage Promenade continue. We have Letters 16 distributed a consultation document to some of the Outings 17 East Cliff residents. We have also put a few copies of Diary 18 the consultation document in the Custom House in AGM Notice 19 Ramsgate and you can also access it on the Ramsgate Society website. We would welcome input from Society Members living in the areas concerned, from King Many thanks to Denis Smith for the cover George VI Park on the East Cliff to the Chines on the picture (and the misty sunrise on p3). He is West Cliff. having a solo exhibition of photographs and The process of developing Neighbourhood Plans for paintings at the York Street Gallery Ramsgate is being organised by the Ramsgate Town April 23rd-30th. Council. The Committee of the Ramsgate Society is involved and is giving their full support. Members who The Society’s Aims and Objectives are interested in contributing to their Neighbourhood Plan should contact the Ramsgate Town Council or their To encourage high standards of architecture and Councillors. town planning, to stimulate public interest in, and I am delighted to tell you that our quest for a to care for, the beauty, history and character of home for the Society is ended. One of our members the town and its surrounds, and to encourage the has offered us the use of premises in Harbour Street, preservation and improvement of features of public Ramsgate. This is a central location and will provide the amenity or historic interest in Ramsgate. perfect venue for the public face of The Society. We are in discussions with two other groups - The Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust (RHRT) which is the The Ramsgate Society is a Founder Member of governing body for the tunnels project - and the new Civic Voice and is affiliated to the Federation of Town Team, set up under the auspices of the Ramsgate Amenity Societies and to the Kent History Federation. Town Council. We hope that one of these groups will The Ramsgate Society is a Registered Charity - be able to share the premises, and the rent, with the number 1138809 Ramsgate Society. We will be able to set up shop in April. The owner of the Granville Bar, in The Granville Hotel, has approached the Society about the future of that part of the building. He is considering developing it as a venue for large functions for the community. Members of the committee are looking at this proposal. The Royal Sands development: TDC have resolved to terminate the current development agreement, and are starting the legal process to do so. Regarding the Royal Victoria Pavilion - we have been advised that the Rank Organisation and Wetherspoons are still in discussion and TDC are awaiting the outcome. On the seafront shelters: we are investigating the possibility of installing CCTV cameras, especially on the East Cliff where five panes of glass were broken in one shelter. We are seeking funding from Ramsgate Town Council and Kent County Council for CCTV and improved lighting on the East Cliff. The Nelson Crescent Residents’ Association is considering installing cameras to cover the two shelters at that location which have also been vandalised. Barbara Byne has planned two Society outings this

year. One will be to Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Denis Smith Churchill, and the other to Wisley, the home of the Sunrise on the Eastcliff Royal Horticultural Society. You’ll find details later in this magazine. Please book early as both trips are sure to be popular. What has the After a very wet winter we are looking forward to some fine weather so that we can all enjoy the sight of the daffodils we planted on the roundabouts by the President tunnel to the harbour. I hope you have a lovely Spring. Jocelyn McCarthy Done?

his is a follow-up to my piece in the Autumn Welcome to our new members 2013 Magazine when I asked ‘What does the From Ramsgate president do?’ As I said then, I will support the Joan Atherton, Amy Bolton, Judith Clover, Clare Dove, TChairman in any way that I can. Bert and Win File, Mrs Mallory, Ivan del Renzio, Pier- Jocelyn wanted to gather as many copies of previous Luigi del Renzio, Michael Todd. About Ramsgate magazines – some for the archives, and From further afield any surplus to be collated by year and offered for sale. Father Gary Bradley (London), Mrs Betty Fennell I have managed to gather quite a few but we still want (Minster), Anthony McCully (Sandwich), Lord Pendry more, so please try to find any spare ones and bring (London). them when you attend the meetings, or phone me on 01843 593984 and I will collect locally. Subscriptions I am also approaching local businesses to donate Single Membership £8; Joint Membership £12; money towards buying the lease on 19-21 Harbour Overseas £10. There is a renewal form included with Street. It is like trying to pull teeth! They may be more this issue. Standing-order mandates can be downloaded generous when we get some sunshine! This is such an from www.ramsgate-society.org.uk or are available important project. It will be the first time the Society from the Secretary: [email protected]. has had a ‘home’. Any donation from our members Contacts would be very welcome. Please be generous and get in touch with me or Jocelyn. If you would prefer to receive the Magazine by email, With the opening of the Ramsgate Tunnels and the please let us know. 50th Anniversary of our formation there will be many Email: [email protected] events, and I hope you will support them by your By post: The Editors, 25 Spencer Square, Ramsgate presence. I look forward to seeing you all. CT11 9LA Website: www.ramsgate-society.org.uk Peter Landi, President. 3 The Belgian Café Ramsgate Hardy Perennials 2 by Stephen Davies How long does it take to become a Ramsgate Hardy Perennial? In a town of such rapidly fluctuating fortunes, which still – decades after the collapse of its seaside holiday market – struggles to find an identity, the answer is rather less time than you might imagine.

he Belgian Café has been held its position opposite the daily dowdier Royal Pavilion for nearly 15 years now. In that time it has certainly Tearned among its large clientele the character of a much-loved fixture, hospitable and agreeably louche. It all began in the 1990s, when its founder Andy Barratt was living in Belgium, the patron of a celebrated – even notorious - bar by the name of Lop Lop, located near the Opéra, and notable for excellent beer as well as a lot of live music and general wildness. Andy gave the Lop Lop something of an English flavour by offering exotic delicacies: Lincolnshire sausages, Walker’s Crisps, Cheddar Cheese, Marmite and the like. To

source these rarities he regularly took his camper van Stephen Davies across on the ferry from Ostend to Ramsgate. These a valuable sex-education role to many a young female – trips gave him an appreciation of our town, its people while probably raising a lot of false expectations. and its architecture, so much so that in 1990 he bought A couple of years later, Eddie Gadd’s brewing as a house the flying freehold above the then-derelict enterprise had outgrown the space, and he took himself premises where the Belgian Café is today. to new premises – that is a tale for another day. Since It wasn’t long before he realised the opportunity then it has been a string of heartening successes for offered by the cavernous empty space beneath him. both men. Andy has expanded by opening La Trappiste The front area had been vacated by a bookmaker twenty in , and tells me he has just acquired the years earlier, but the back contained newspapers cast premises of a former cinema in Margate, opposite the aside in the 1950s. He realised that it would be difficult Turner. Watch that space! to get a licence for yet another pub on the harbour front, Mind you, there have been setbacks as well. Andy so he decided to try a different route. He approached was thwarted in his attempt to revive Ramsgate’s Eddie Gadd – who was himself at that time in Holland – Royal Pavilion (joining a small but distinguished group and suggested that they tackle the job together: Eddie of those who have failed to make any impression on would set up a micro-brewery in-house, alongside TDC on that). He also put together a hugely ambitious an in-house bakery. For those with somewhat longer and securely funded proposal for the Pleasurama site, memories, that is how the place opened in 2000. which was turned down. Looking at what that would From the start it was eccentric, slightly shambolic, have offered the town – an excellent performing space offering an excellent choice of beers and some and a half-Olympic-sized swimming pool for starters – unpredictable but often very good food. There was it’s hard not to feel the more appalled at the lamentable always a lot of art on display, vying for attention with saga of the Royal Sands ‘development’ which had no acres of overlapping posters on walls and ceiling. such offerings and which, after years of inaction, has not Some may remember (and some may even regret) the ‘developed’ beyond a few sorry prongs in the chalk. gigantic statue of a naked man, which may have served Watch that space, too! Stephen Davies James Stock Daniel

Portrait of a Ramsgate Catriona Blaker Physician by Catriona Blaker

ames Stock Daniel was born in 1804 and was one of the eleven children of Edward Daniel (1769- 1834). He was the oldest of the four male children J who survived to adulthood, his three younger brothers being Henry Townley Daniel (1811-1882), who took Orders, Martin Long Daniel (1809-1882) lawyer, and Charles – described as ‘a bit of a light weight [sic] as a Solicitor’ – Daniel (1819-1886).1 James Daniel’s father, Edward, was the first of the Daniel solicitors in Ramsgate. The line of Daniel solicitors is thus of some length locally, and is currently represented by Richard Daniel, of the firm of Daniel & Edwards, still practising in Ramsgate today. James married Elizabeth Burton and was thought to have had had six children: Elizabeth, Edith, Emily, Caroline Alice, Margaret Maxwell and William Abbot. Studying the Census returns for 1851 and 1861 though, three most important of these were Princess Victoria, it becomes apparent that he also had two more children, Augustus Pugin and Sir Moses Montefiore. With Pugin George (fifteen in 1861), and Mary, (nine in 1861), who in particular, Dr Daniel had a long standing connection do not appear by name on either of the two family trees and friendship. in the author’s possession. Edith died, aged fifteen, in 1851 and Elizabeth, aged eighteen, in 1852. These Daniel’s Patients two girls lie in the Daniel family vault in the crypt An account of the death of Queen Victoria in the Thanet of St George’s church, Ramsgate, and James Daniel Advertiser of January 26th, 1901, discusses the late commissioned a memorial window to them in the north Queen’s connections with Ramsgate and, referring aisle, the work of Pugin’s son-in-law and assistant, to her sojourn at Albion House when still a princess, the stained glass artist John Hardman Powell (1827- says of James Daniel: ‘The doctor having–as all who 1895). The window, probably damaged in World War knew him are aware–a very affable manner, won the Two, is no longer there, but the inscription remains. good feeling of the Princess and used to bring with James Stock became a Licentiate of the Society of him on his visits a choice selection of fruit from his Apothecaries in 1825, and a Fellow of the Royal College hothouse and present it to his little friend’. On a later of Surgeons in 1852. He was described as ‘Apothecary’ visit it transpired that the Princess had refused to take in the 1841 Census, and later as ‘General Practitioner’ medicine which Dr Daniel had prescribed. He told her and later still as ‘Surgeon and Landowner’. For much of that in this case the fruit would have to be stopped. This his professional life he and his family lived in 123 (now threat soon brought her round–she took her medicine 124) High Street, Ramsgate, a fine early eighteenth and the gifts were resumed. century house, listed Grade II*. He died in 1884 and is In 1831 the great Jewish philanthropist and local buried in Ramsgate Cemetery, as is his wife Elizabeth. benefactor Sir Moses Montefiore acquired East Cliff Curiously, an account by Olive Raven, granddaughter Lodge in Ramsgate and was living there (when not in of James Stock Daniel, claims that he did not really London or engaged in his extensive and sometimes enjoy his profession as doctor, and that his main dangerous travels on the continent on behalf of passions were the High Church and food – he ‘used his fellow ) until his death in 1885. Dr Daniel to live for certain gastronomic festivals. One of them became Sir Moses’ doctor in 1866, travelling with took place at the Inn at Grove Ferry. He used to take him to Romania in 1867 and on another mission to St journeys to Paris, choosing a hotel in Rue Jacob, when Petersburg in 1872 to meet the Tsar Alexander II.3 the day began with a long confabulation with the chef’.2 When Daniel died in 1884 the Thanet Advertiser pointed Be that as it may, Daniel had some distinguished out that whilst he was a committed High Church patients, by whom he was much appreciated. The Anglican he was also the friend and doctor of the Catholic Pugin and the Jewish Sir Moses Montefiore, 1 Particulars of the family of Daniel of Ramsgate with Daniel Abbot thus, said the Advertiser, giving ‘evidence of a man who and Fisher Pedigrees, compiled by H. Kenyon Daniel, 1954, p5. did not love his friend the less, because he loved his 2 Margaret Maxwell Raven 1851-1941, Olive Raven, c1943, p2/3. Privately printed, although a copy is in the British Library. It was also 3 Diaries of Sir Moses Montefiore and Lady Montefiore, Dr L. Loewe entitled at some stage I Remember Perfectly Well; some Re­miniscences (ed), , 1890, Vol. 2, p197, p247. of a Thanet Lady, her Family and her Friends. 5 faith the more’. It seems clear that religious differences candelabrum, as it meant nothing when it came to the treatment of his is called. This rich- patients and friends. looking object has a There are many references in Augustus Pugin’s pedestal base, rising letters and elsewhere to his appreciation of, and indeed to a circular wheel- dependence on, James Daniel.4 Daniel helped Pugin like form with candle look after shipwrecked and ailing sailors who came in to holders and mounted port at Ramsgate, and in an interesting letter of 1847, with coloured in which Pugin outlines his plans for caring for these enamelled shields unfortunate men, some of whom were at that time displaying the initials in need of attention, he writes: ‘Mr Daniel is beyond ‘ID’ (James Daniel, ‘I’ all praise. He goes twice a day to these poor people standing for ‘J’) and – even at 10 at night.’5 Daniel tended Pugin himself, quartered with the who was often very unwell, Pugin’s children when coats of arms of Daniel they had measles, and his wife Jane when pregnant. and Abbot. The Daniel On a happier occasion he came to the festive Twelfth motto, ‘nec temere Night party Pugin gave at the Grange in 1848, when nec timide’, (‘neither lots were drawn and characters taken, and ended being rashly nor fearfully’) is ‘King’ for the evening, with Jane Pugin as his Queen.6 enamelled in red and Later he was in attendance at the birth of both Jane’s blue round the sides. children, Margaret and Edmund, known as Peter Paul. The candelabrum He also was one of the doctors involved in Pugin’s last eventually came into hours, and was at the Grange the day before Pugin died Image copyright the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral the possession of in 1852, when he ordered leeches to be applied to his Kenyon Daniel, great-nephew of Dr Daniel, and was patient, as was the custom at that time. given by him to St Peter’s Church, Broadstairs, who in The social, as well as professional, life that Daniel turn have loaned it to Canterbury Cathedral, where it was obviously a part of with the Pugin family did not can be seen on display in the Treasury in the crypt. cease after the death of Augustus. It is clear that he continued this relationship, attending family functions Church Matters of various sorts and at one hunt lunch – how rural this As an Anglican High Churchman, Daniel would have sounds – in December 1865 at the Grange, hosted understood Pugin’s unfulfilled dream that the High by the ever generous Edward Pugin, James Daniel, Church wing of the Church of England might at some as a senior and respected guest, proposed a toast to point merge with the English Catholics. He was a his host’s stepmother, Jane.7 To retain and keep the long-standing supporter of St Mary’s Church, Chapel friendship of Edward Pugin, a notoriously prickly man, Place, in Ramsgate, which was much the ‘highest’ was an achievement in itself, and demonstrates the place of worship in the town. His obituary comments: esteem and trust the family must have felt for Daniel. ‘For twenty years he was the sole Lay Trustee of St Mary’s … and always took the liveliest interest in all The Pugin Candelabrum that concerned it. In this Church he prayed, and for it he Daniel acquired various items designed by Pugin, whose laboured, and with him prayer and work went hand in work in the applied arts he greatly admired, made hand together’. St Mary’s, demolished after the Second by the firm of John Hardman & Co, in Birmingham. World War, contained mural decoration, some of which The most significant of these was a splendid standing was by Edward Pugin.8

4 See The Collected Letters of A.W.N. Pugin, Volumes 2, 3 and 4, Oxford, 2003, 2009, 2012 respectively, Margaret Belcher (ed). Volume Conclusion 5 (forthcoming), the last of the series, will undoubtedly contain Daniel’s is surely an interesting life. An urbane much further information about J S Daniel, since this will cover the character, travelled, and fond of good society (and food), period of Pugin’s final illness. The Letters are an outstanding work of balanced in his judgements and mixing easily with those ­scholarship and commitment. See also Rosemary Hill’s short account of the Pugin/Daniel connection in the enjoyable Pugin and Ramsgate, of different persuasions, one can see why his patients The Pugin Society, 2nd edition 2004. would have felt secure with him. He was just one, but a significant one, of those various Daniels whose 5 The Collected Letters of A.W.N. Pugin, Volume 3, Oxford, Margaret Belcher (ed) p332. lives were so interwoven with the close-knit world of nineteenth- and early-twentieth century Ramsgate. 6 For this information and for the description of Pugin’s last hours, see Dearest Augustus and I: the Journal of Jane Pugin, th Caroline Stanford (edited, and with Introduction by), 2004, Reading, 8 Thanet Advertiser, 1866, June16 ; ‘The internal decoration of 2004, p.54, p.76. This is a searing account. this building has been successfully carried out from the designs of E.W.Pugin, Esq. We need scarcely say that they are in excellent taste’. 7 Thanet Advertiser, 1865, December 30th. It is hard, in the present They were later altered, and added to, by another artist, Alexander built up environment of the West Cliff of Ramsgate to envisage this Gibbs (see East Kent Times, 1896, May 20th). style of life now, but a report remains of another such lunch, which includes the hunt actually moving off from the Grange to pursue their Note: I should like to thank Richard Daniel and Jennifer Smith for sport in the open country, then close at hand. their kind assistance. 6 Wellington Crescent 1939-1945: The Second Impact of War by Terry Prue

Author’s note: Some readers may have memories to would be some restrictions on Southern Railway, for substantiate or correct what I write. If so, please do contact the Easter Bank Holiday, ‘extra trains will be put on to the editors of About Ramsgate by letter or email. carry holidaymakers to the resorts of their choice’. Any semblance of maintaining normality would he start of both World Wars had some uncanny finally disappear when the first aerial bombs on Kent similarities. Britain entered each conflict in high fell at Petham and Chilham on 10th May 1940.2 Four days summer (August 4th 1914 and September 3rd later the War Minister, Anthony Eden, broadcast an T1939) and, strangest of all, they both began just a few appeal for Local Defence Volunteers to help meet the months after a new bandstand had been erected in front threat of invasion and so began the process of removing of Wellington Crescent. road signs, building pill-boxes, fencing off beaches with In my last article for About Ramsgate I mentioned barbed wire and laying mines. the substantial investment in new facilities for visitors On May 27th the decision was taken to start between the wars. Ramsgate was also at the forefront evacuating children from coastal towns – including of self -promotion and the 1939 holiday guide, shown 3,255 children and 241 staff and helpers who left here, has been described as ‘the most aggressive from Ramsgate Station for Stafford in the Midlands in form of marketing ever attempted by any Kent resort, June1940.3 The next Bank Holiday in August 1940 was [which] brought cancelled rather than risk slowing the war effort and it it into line with was just in time because Ramsgate suffered one of its some of the major worst air raids in this month: some 500 bombs dropped popular northern in just five minutes. resorts, especially The risk of invasion that led to Anthony Eden Blackpool.’1 demanding the creation of no-go areas on the seashore Despite the was prophetic even though an actual attempted landing shadow of war never came. Newly available documents from the looming every German side reveal that our town had indeed attracted effort was made the Führer’s gaze since on July 16th 1940 he issued to continue as Directive No 16 that includes these remarks: normal. August, Since England, in spite of her hopeless military with Bank Holiday situation, shows no sign of being ready to come to an trains still running, understanding, I have decided to prepare a landing was a success for operation against England and, if necessary, to carry it the town. Visitor out.[….] The landing will be in the form of a surprise numbers benefited crossing on a wide front from about Ramsgate to the area from both the new west of the Isle of Wight.4 guide extolling Without holidaymakers the town’s economy was recently completed facilities and another audacious devastated. The shops, the pubs, the restaurants, the exercise in self-publicity: the Mayor’s Beach Tea Party. hotels, the boarding houses and all kinds of amusements The party was arranged by Alderman Kempe (aka depended upon visitors. The Archbishop of Canterbury The Mad Mayor in his trademark top hat) and attracted moved his headquarters from Lambeth Palace back to 20,000 visitors to the beach for free tea and buns. his palace in Canterbury and on October 7th 1940 paid The true genius of the event was not the happiness tribute his diocese being ‘beyond question’ in the front created but the filming by Pathé News and subsequent line of war. As The Times reported next day: screening in cinemas nationwide. The film can still The population of Margate had fallen from about be seen on the British Pathé web site – search for 40,000…to about 10,000; that of Ramsgate to about one- Ramsgate Tea Party 1939. Ralph Hoult will restage the third of what it was; Deal from 23,000 to about 7,500; event on August 3rd, its 75th Anniversary. of Folkestone from 47,000 to under 11,000. Thousands In the early months other special provisions were of houses were empty, whole streets are almost wholly made to help holiday resorts. For example, when the deserted, trade had largely vanished. first blackout tests took place in July 1939, resorts like Ramsgate were given an extra hour till 11pm before 2 Kent (Barracuda Guide to County History), by T A Bushell, 1976 lights out. Some six months into the war, The Times of 3 WW2: People’s War is an online BBC archive of wartime memo- March 20th 1940 was able to state that although there ries. I quote from Ramsgate entries by Sheila Cox (nee Solly) and Thomas Solly. 1 The Later Kentish Seaside, by Stafford and Yates, 1985 4 World War II Database 7 The recently-built Wellington Crescent bandstand was also adapted to the war effort (photographs courtesy of Ramsgate Library) By this time we believe Wellington Crescent to have been largely unoccupied. Sea-facing dwellings would be first to be abandoned as they included the highest density of properties catering exclusively for the now moribund holiday trade. There is also a probability of feeling more vulnerable on the cliff-tops. Looking out from the balconies of Wellington Crescent the most identifiable location on the horizon is Cap Gris Nez – one of the main sites for the massive Krupps guns that fired shells across the Channel. It was perhaps on the assumption that if-we-can-see- you-then-you-can-see-us that a gun emplacement was also erected in front of Wellington Crescent. I have not found it recorded whether these large but rather archaic naval WW1 guns were ever fired in anger but if they helped prevent an invasion then they played their part! Given its prominent position it is perhaps remarkable that neither the Crescent nor the ammunition store for the big guns positioned out front suffered any direct bomb or shell strikes. The only significant wartime damage occurred on October 10th 1942 to an empty lodging house at number 27. The Scrapbook of the War in and around Ramsgate published by Michael’s Bookshop provides a succinct description of the event: Newspaper photos of the Focke-Wulf crash into 27 Wellington Crescent A Focke-Wulf FW 190 flew across the (Manston) aerodrome at 7.40…….10 minutes later a second FW and now V1 and V2 rockets would be launched from Cap tried to shoot the control tower but the defences were ready Gris Nez – but attacks were concentrated on London for him and the aircraft was hit….. The mayor recalls and other more strategic towns. By VE Day (May th that guns opened up at the plane diving across the town. 8 1945) the tally of civilian casualties showed that The guns hit the plane and the pilot bailed out, coming Ramsgate had been less severely hit than some of her down in an alley by the gasworks. The first thing he neighbours, as the table on the following page shows. asked for, in English, was a cigarette. The plane careered One explanation for a lower death and injury rate on without him and landed on a house in Wellington for Ramsgate than might have been expected was the Crescent where it entered the house through the top room deep tunnel system that built upon existing excavations and came through the veranda, ending up on the pavement through the chalk cliffs at either side on the town. After in the front. The engine was impaled on the railings of the the extensive air bombardments of WW1 the town promenade. had opened this safe haven for Ramsgate’s population even before hostilities commenced so that it was well By 1943 the threat of German invasion had decreased prepared by August 1940 when the new onslaught and gradually the evacuees began to return. The danger started in earnest was not over – cross-Channel shelling still continued I lack factual certainty about the linkage of 8 Killed Seriously Injured Slightly Injured Property Wrecked Severely Damaged 199 307 420 910 2998 Canterbury 115 140 240 808 1047 Folkestone 85 181 484 290 1486 Ramsgate 84 89 139 393 418 Deal 64 55 198 172 718 Margate 35 40 201 268 592 Civilian casualties and losses in East Kent, as at VE Day (May 8th 1945). Data from Kent – A Chronicle of The Century by Bob Ogley

Wellington Crescent to the tunnels so it would be really After VE day there was a rush to try to get the helpful to hear from anyone with personal or reliable town ready for visitors again. The task was enormous family knowledge. Maps of the network [see p 13] and as The Times had reported two years earlier, suggest that the nearest main entrance to the tunnels ‘worse even than the damage done by bombs is that would have been at Arklow Square but Phil Spain due to premises being left empty and unattended informs me that there may have been an entrance to through interruption of the town’s peace-time function “Wellington Caves” in the corner of Wellington Gardens of a holiday resort’.5 What this reporter would have nearest to the lift and also, perhaps, via East Cliff underestimated was the determination by resort towns House. to get their visitors back and to restart local economies. It is widely believed that East Cliff House when Families divided by wartime service or depressed by first built for William Miller (one of the four speculators bombing and deprivation needed a holiday and barely behind the creation of Wellington Crescent) had a link two months after VE day the Times could now report by tunnel to his shipbuilding yard on the seafront below. that ‘Londoners again flocked in thousands to the sea’6 This then might have been the origination of a tunnel and we can be certain that most boarding houses of connection from the naval base, HMS Fervent, in the Wellington Crescent were already back in business! Merrie England building, up to the gun emplacement in front of Wellington Crescent. Certainly, it is accepted that ammunition for the guns was stored in underground bunkers cut into the chalk. Were they all 5 The Times August 3rd 1943 was reporting about the situation in joined up and was this a fast access route to the gun Margate but Ramsgate would be no different battery? If you know, please contact the editors. 6 The Times 16th July 1945

Ramsgate Costumed Walks We are seeking new members to join a small but very happy band of players. Could you become a guide, act as a chaperone or play the role of a costumed character? If so, we need you: male or female, young or not so young. If you are interested in meeting people and AD HERE? having fun please contact Janet Reid on 01843 580832

Who am I, and what’s my connection with Ramsgate? by Terry Prue

‘No progress has been made in obtaining any definite clue to the Whitechapel murderers. A great number of clues have been examined and exhausted without finding anything? suspicious’ For answer see page 19

9 but - barring the Book Review sudden miraculous Wilkie Collins: a life of sensation appearance of lost by Andrew Lycett, 544 pages, Hutchinson, documents - this £20. Reviewed by Stephen Davies looks like being the most circumstantial coverage of the ilkie Collins was one of the founding fathers not only of the Victorian sensation novel but man and his works also of the English detective story. A friend that we can hope andW slightly younger colleague of Dickens, he enjoyed for. Lycett does enormous success as a writer for long periods of his life, turn up a few new and died wealthy. Like Dickens, he used his fictions to nuggets – including explore and criticise wrongs and hypocrisies of society a very convincing and the law, and, unlike Dickens, he had a lifelong and and entertaining most un-Victorian interest in and sympathy for the new source for The position of women in particular. He was a paradoxical Woman in White. But figure: many of the masculine hypocrisies he satirised in general this book were embarrassingly present in his own domestic does not tell us very arrangements – he kept two mistresses at more or much we did not already know – it simply does it at less the same time, as Ramsgatonians are aware more sometimes tedious length. The author several times than most, since he was accustomed to bring both mentions the fact that Collins was in person intensely households down to the town at the same time, but charming – yet we get no sense of it here. And the lodge them on different cliffs. figures of Catherine Graves and Martha Rudd (Dawson), Yet, though his close friends knew the truth, he Collins’s mistresses, remain mysterious and indistinct. contrived to maintain a complete public silence about ‘But what about Ramsgate?’ I hear you say. Indeed, these aspects of his life – for years from his mother, the many visits by Collins, both alone and with his and until his death as far as the public was concerned. morganatic families, are listed in the book. What we This silence was achieved largely at the expense of never get is any sense of what they did here, or what the women of his life. He was as close to Dickens as their life was like. One thing does become plain: it was possible to be, and knew all about the latter’s although Wilkie had visited the town many years before, affair with the actress Ellen Ternan – yet we have no as a child, he did not become a regular visitor until 1871 direct evidence that they so much as mentioned these – significantly, after Dickens’s death. Until then, his subjects to each other. Collins’s reticence is rendered visits to Thanet had been as a satellite to Dickens, and the more complete by the fact that his side of a long Broadstairs had been the favoured spot. and voluminous correspondence with Dickens was If it does nothing else, Lycett’s book sends us back burned by the latter at the time when he moved into to the novels, and that has to be a good thing. The Gad’s Hill Place. Some 160 letters of Dickens to Collins subtitle of this biography speaks of ‘a life of sensation’. exist today. The other side of this epistolary exchange That is precisely what his life was not. Collins was survives in just three letters, so even if such matters many things – charming (despite his unprepossessing were discussed between them, we have no knowledge appearance), unpretentious, a valetudinarian and of that. perhaps also a hypochondriac, a laudanum and later All this is a serious blow for any biographer. a morphine addict, a man who kept two mistresses Dorothy L Sayers – an early fan, following T S Eliot’s (neither a great beauty, be it said) – yet who lived rediscovery of Collins in 1927 – spent years researching with them, on and off, in rather dull domesticity. Collins’s life, only to retire, defeated by her inability His pleasures, like those of most of his friends and to get any closer to the story of his two mistresses. acquaintances, were really those of a bachelor: clubs, In 1988 this gap was largely filled in by The Secret theatres, slap-up dinners, – impulsive jaunts both home Life of Wilkie Collins, by William Clarke, husband of and abroad, about which no whisper must ever reach one of the last direct descendants of Martha Rudd (or the ears of Mrs Grundy or ‘her indoors’. as she and Collins insisted, ‘Mrs Dawson’), Collins’s All the sensation was in the novels – and those are second mistress and mother of his children; and in 1991 what we should be reading. Catherine Peters published the well-received King of The Ramsgate Society’s Inventors: a life of Wilkie Collins. As recently as 2012 plaque to Wilkie Collins Peter Ackroyd published a short life of Collins. on Nelson Crescent. There What Andrew Lycett’s biography offers is fullness: is another on Wellington the Life in 420 large-format pages, with 25 pages of Crescent - a reminder of notes, a bibliography and acknowledgements running the two addresses in which to 13 pages: even the index is 44 pages in length. he housed his two families Fullness is not the same as completeness, of course, on trips to the town. 10 St Augustine’s Church: A Vital Part of Ramsgate’s Heritage by Alastair Stewart OBE

n 2011 I was approached by the Friends of St Augustine’s church, Ramsgate to become one of their Patrons, as the local Parish took steps to save Ithis important and famous church, designed by the famous Victorian Architect, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. I was delighted to accept the invitation and have been pleased to support In 2011 I was approached by the Friends of St Augustine’s church, Ramsgate to become one of their Patrons as the local Parish took steps to save this important church by Augustus Pugin. I was delighted to accept the invitation and have been pleased to support the work of all those involved in raising funds and obtaining grants to bring this hidden gem of Ramsgate back to its former glory. I spent seven happy years in Ramsgate up until 1970 at St Augustine’s Abbey School, part of which was housed at the Grange and most of the rest in what was known as St Gregory’s which was demolished shortly after the school moved to Westgate after I left. I and

my fellow students knew very little about Pugin in our Marie Muscat King time at the school. I did however regularly visit St Above: Alastair Stewart at St Augustine’s Augustine’s next door and for me this offered a place of Below: Exterior of St Augustine’s from the south beauty, reflection and peace from what was a busy and hectic school life. Thanks to the work of the Landmark of the building which I was able to see for myself on a Trust, Pugin’s home, the Grange, has been beautifully recent visit to Ramsgate. This work must continue and restored – and is in a much better state than when I there are still significant sums of money to be raised. was at school there! I want to see Pugin’s magnificent English Heritage, the National Churches Trust, Friends church restored so that it can be enjoyed by everyone. of Kent Churches and many other Trusts and individual Many of you may have noticed that repair and donors have given generously to this important and renovation work are well underway on the exterior historical site in Ramsgate. Photo: Alex Ramsey Effigy of AWN Pugin on the Pugin Family Tomb, St Augustine’s church, Ramsgate Photo: Alex Ramsey

Much of the work is due to the efforts of Ramsgate visits St Augustine’s church knows the story behind it. people and those who have involved themselves with With local support we submitted an initial application this project. Without their support, the church would for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which not have been saved and Ramsgate would not be able was successful, and we received a cheque for £82,000 to realise the full potential of its heritage. There is still to prepare for a main grant application. The proposed much to do on the restoration and more money to be Centre will become a place where schools, academics, raised. the local community and tourists can find out more It is good to hear that the numbers of visitors to St about Pugin’s work and see it at first hand. It is not only Augustine’s have increased significantly, and continue through the permanent items and effects in the church to grow. In order to welcome visitors and provide more that people will find out about Pugin, but by special information and better facilities – disabled access, displays of his work which we would seek to exhibit toilets, tea-room – there is an ambitious scheme to with the co-operation of museums and institutions such create a Pugin and St Augustine Education, Research as the Victoria and Albert Museum and Parliament. and Visitor Centre inside St Augustine’s church, which I We hope too that people may visit to examine and fully support. We need to make sure that everyone who study the Archive of his work which we hope to put together, with the invaluable help of the Pugin Society. Pugin Altar and tiles, St Augustine’s Church Visitors can find out why Pugin built his church here and why he dedicated his church to St Augustine of Canterbury who landed nearby at Ebbsfleet on the Isle of Thanet in 597ad. The church is a shrine to St Augustine and increasing numbers of pilgrims are visiting from across the country, so the Centre will also tell the story of the life of St Augustine and how his work in England changed the course of history in England. This will be an important and significant facility for the local community. For that reason, St Augustine’s want to consult the Ramsgate Society on our proposed Centre and will be doing so with other groups and organisations that potentially have an interest in this project. It is as important to us as it is to you that we listen and get it right. The Society’s views are therefore important to us given the work you have done over a number of years to care for Ramsgate’s Architectural Heritage. None of this can happen without support, and that is why I am appealing for your help. We have much work to do over the next 12 months Photo: Alex Ramsey 12 as we strive to make this proposal a reality. This means that we must raise a further £100,000 in the next 12 months if the Visitor Centre is to become a reality. It is also a pre-condition of our application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. This is on top of the money we have to raise to complete the repairs and renovation work to the outside of the building, so it is a challenging target, but one which I believe is well worth supporting. In years to come we hope that Pugin’s church of St Augustine and its Centre will become a key heritage attraction for Ramsgate in the same way as Turner Gallery has for Margate. We believe that Heritage attractions in Thanet form part of the area’s regeneration and the success of St Augustine’s will in time bring more people to Ramsgate and help encourage people to spend more of their leisure time in the town. You can help make the Pugin and St Augustine’s Education, Research and Visitor Centre a reality by making a donation made payable to ‘Friends of St Augustine’s church’. Donations should be sent to:

Fr Marcus Holden, St Augustine’s Church, c/o 72 Hereson Road,

Ramsgate, CT11 7DS Photo: Alex Ramsey or online via the website: The interior of St Augustine’s Church, Ramsgate www.augustinefriends.co.uk

Planning News by Ken Read

he big news in Ramsgate on the planning front is commencement of the clearance of Ramsgate Tunnels. A planning application was submitted Tto Thanet District Council late last year for change of use of the tunnels to a ‘Tunnels Explorer’ attraction for the town. Whilst awaiting a decision on the planning application, preliminary clearance works have been carried out to facilitate the project’s tight opening schedule of June 2014. The clearance work has been hampered by some additional contamination to that already identified and measures are being taken to deal with the situation, so the main work can commence immediately following receipt of the planning decision. The tunnels consist of a large railway tunnel built in 1863 and disused for main line railway services since 1926. The tunnel is 1500 metres long, 7 metres wide and about 6.5 metres high. It was used as a scenic railway for the town from 1936 until it closed in 1965 The ARP tunnels were dug as air raid precaution tunnels in 1939 and protected the majority of the Ramsgate population from bombs dropped on the town in the WWII. These tunnels are of smaller dimensions, approximately 2 metres wide by 2 metres high and run for a further 2 miles mainly under roads in the town. 13 © David Parker Sheltering in the Railway Tunnel in wartime

Blocked northern portal of the old Railway Tunnel into the tunnels where exhibitions of the wartime experience and audio-visual representations will be displayed. This is the first phase of works to establish the tunnels as a tourist attraction. On other planning matters, an outline application has been submitted for 800 houses, a primary school, community centre and park and ride at Manston Green which is adjacent to the Nethercourt area of Ramsgate. Unfortunately, this is extending residential development Inside the wartime ARP tunnels today considerably nearer to the end of Kent International Airport runway at Manston. It is mainly for this reason and other more minor concerns that the Society will object to these proposals. The expansion of residential development and the intended intensification of use of the airport are incompatible. There have been a number of proposals for new housing in and around Westwood Cross which will change the face of Thanet’s rural areas, many of these have been ill-conceived and undesirable from the Society’s point of view. The future for Ramsgate could be bright if a co-ordinated approach to the provision of new housing was incorporated into a new neighbourhood plan. There is a definite demand for housing in the area because the new high-speed train schedules have put Thanet, and Ramsgate, within the commuter catchment area for London. The Ramsgate Society will support appropriate development to take full advantage of this new situation for the town but proposals should be designed to enhance the nature of the town and not detract from it. The society is also committed to the continued use Plans for proposed Manston Green development of Ramsgate railway station as a main railway station for the area and not to destroy more green fields in the £20,000 has been received from Thanet District pursuit of a misguided ‘parkway’ station. There are Council for the initial clearance and a further £85,000 exciting times ahead for Ramsgate which means we has been granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund for must be ever more vigilant to achieve the appropriate upgrading works to make the tunnels safe for public outcomes for the town. access. The project is being overseen by Ramsgate A further application (F/TH/14/0083)has been (Heritage Regeneration) Trust Ltd, a trust set up by submitted for the site behind Granville House. The The Ramsgate Society to further regeneration work in new application is little changed from the previous the town, inspired by the society’s promenade shelters application, which the Society objected to and was then project. subsequently refused. An objection on similar grounds When open to the public, guided tours will be taken will be made against this further application. 14 Society Catch-Up by Veronica Pratt Project MotorHouse In an initiative with Rippledown Environmental Education Centre, pupils from Ellington and Hereson School (see right) did a fantastic job of clearing the gardens in front of the Westcliff Hall ready for spring planting and public use next summer. But the garden had to be closed in February because part of the roof (which forms the Promenade) has been declared unsafe and fenced off. This was discovered during preparations Di Bourne (l) and Becky Wing (r), with helpers for a full structural report after Project MotorHouse signed for an Option on the site with Thanet District Friends of St George Council. Local firm GPL Construction are project- For many months it has not been possible to fly a flag managing the construction side of the proposed because the halyards were stuck at the top of the 21 renovation. metre flagpole. Then, just before Christmas, the top www.projectmotorhouse.org.uk half of the pole was blown down in a gale, damaging a pinnacle on the way. The gilded weathervane was blown RTHP into the churchyard where it was found by a kind person A new set of initials! The second phase of the Ramsgate who looked after it for the night. The bullet hole is still Tunnels project is now under way, and it is under the in place! supervision of Ramsgate Heritage Regeneration Trust, Scaffolding has been erected in the Lantern, each which has given birth to Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage pole having to be carried up the 140 stairs – quite a feat. Project. More about the planning application for the The repair will be expensive and lengthy, but at least tunnels on page 13. The tunnels will be open to the the flag will be flown again. public on June 1st, and there’ll be a street fair and The March event is a Quiz Evening on Saturday 22nd entertainment. (See back page.) March. The St George’s Day service will be on Monday www.ramsgatetunnels.org 28th April at 6.30pm.

Friends of Ellington Park CAAG Congratulations on their People’s Millions victory -- Further to the article in the last issue, David Rumsey £50,000 to create a wildlife area within the park, which points out that the Ramsgate Society is represented will include a new pond, indigenous plants and wildlife on the Ramsgate Conservation Area Advisory Group, habitats.The money’s in the bank and the first soil was and that the two groups working together can influence turned on March 1st. council decisions. On Sunday 23rd March, artist Dawn Cole and her It is important that members of the Ramsgate team will be giving the first of the Resting Place Society keep their eyes open for any inappropriate performances, based on the diary of WW1 Voluntary Aid development or repair work in the Conservation Detachment nurse Clarice Spratling who left her home Areas. Such work has not always been granted near Ellington Park in 1913 to go to the horrors of the planning permission or Listed Building Consent, and Western Front. it is possible for the council to require retrospective www.restingplace.eu permission to be applied for – which may not be granted. In extreme cases the council can enforce Friends of Montefiore Woodland compliance. CAAG and the Ramsgate Society have a Once upon a time there was a group known as responsibility to put pressure on TDC to make sure that Montefiore Action Project, active 1999-2008, which this does happen whenever possible. grew out of concern for development of the site prior to the building of the medical centre. The Chairman Ramsgate Montefiore Heritage of MAP, Steve Ward, has generously handed to the There will be a lecture at the San Clu Hotel (Tuesday Friends of Montefiore Woodland a cheque for over 1st April, 7.30pm, RMH members free, visitors £3) £6,000 (MAP’s remaining funds) to support continuing by Joseph Mirwitch on the architect David maintenance. This is a fantastic act of confidence in the (1806-1882). An accomplished master of the Gothic as group’s aims and an appreciation of the work carried out well as the neo-classicism of his tutor Sir , by the volunteers. Mocatta designed the , four other If you’d like to join a work party, you’d be given a synagogues, Brighton railway station and a host of other warm welcome. Details on the website: projects. Montefiore Day will be on Sunday 15th June. www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk www.ramsgatemontefioreheritage.org.uk 15 New Kids on the Block business people and traders from Ramsgate Town Team is a new community organisation the town. Good luck to them, and which aims ‘to work with local societies, traders and watch this space. residents to determine how best to revitalise the town.’ It plans to focus on increasing footfall in the town and Catch up with their progress highlight the benefit of shopping in the High Street – on Facebook, or for information shop local! Pym Brewer is the Chair, Andrea Slaughter email them at is Treasurer, and Debbie Hill is Secretary, with six more [email protected]

Letters a chance to share your thoughts We welcome your letters. Please send to: [email protected]. Or write to: The Editors, 25 Spencer Square, Ramsgate CT11 9LA.

he back cover of Winter 2013 featured potlids, great-aunt was Emma Jane Ann Green, and the and John Paramor wrote to tell us of two information for her death certificate (25/01/1961) was TPegwell Bay lids inherited by his sister-in-law provided by Donald. P. Thorn of Regency Buildings, [name not supplied] whose grandfather, Mr Piper, was Royal Crescent, who caused the body to be buried. landlord of the Belle Vue during the early 1930s. Leonard Watson was enquiring about William Len Gray (hurrah!) wrote to us on two topics in Harland and a legacy to a John Barnet Hodgson. Carol the last issue. He was interested in Catriona Blaker’s [full name not known] replies: ‘Hodgson was the article on the builder W E Smith, and points out that postmaster in Ramsgate, born c1820 in America. He the arrangements of the interior of the mill and the died in 1908 leaving over £10,000 (about £750,000 whole of the machinery and fittings were planned and today). My guess would be that Hodgson loaned money built by Whitmore and Son of Wickham Market, Suffolk. to Harland at some point and it was to be repaid when Len, who worked at the mill for 41 years, on the he died.’ Carol also points out ‘Harland’s surname is maintenance staff, sent us a photo of a plaque which often mis-transcribed on census indices: he has been was in the boardroom commemorating the construction noted as Halland, Harlow and Warland, the latter on in August 1865. [There is a detailed account of ‘The the 1861 census (correct address is Goldsmid Cottage, New Steam Flour Mills’ in the Thanet Advertiser of Victoria Place) with his first wife.’ November 18th, 1865. And at www.gracesguide.co.uk there are details of Whitmore’s corn-mill machinery shown at the London Exhibition of 1862.] In reference to David Webster’s letter about the shell which landed on October 3rd 1943, Len Gray tells us that it landed on a ‘photo shop’ in George Street, next door to Shooter’s Fish and Chips. The shell went down into the cellar before exploding. Mr James Bishop, the photographer was killed instantly. Rosina , 21, and William Walker, 7, were killed in the flat above Shooter’s. An eight-month-old baby was recovered unhurt by ARP rescue staff. Len goes on to say that the first shell to hit Ramsgate fell in the harbour on February 12th, 1941. The second shell landed in the front garden of Shanghai Lodge in Whitehall Road. The occupants of the bungalow were shaken but unharmed.

VIA THE WEBSITE (ramsgate-society.org.uk) Peter Kimpton from Norwich wrote to ask for any information about his great grandfather William Briden, who at one point ran The Falstaff in Addington Street. There’s a story that he was dismissed from the pub for watering down the beer. Does anyone remember him? Hayley Cousins wants to know what the NatWest bank’s building was in the 1900s. Colin Green wonders if anyone has information about the occupants of Royal Crescent in 1961. His 16 Ramsgate Society Outings

The Spring Excursion is on May 14th, and it’s to Chartwell, the family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill. £20 including entrance, departing Ramsgate by coach at 9.00am.

On September 10th, the Autumn Excursion will be to Wisley Gardens in Surrey. £30, (£20 for RHS members). Coach leaves Ramsgate at 9.00 am.

There is a booking form included with this issue of About Ramsgate.

Gift Ideas Ramsgate Society Bear Ideal for the children in your life! Still available, the delightful Ramsgate Society bear stands 24cm high, has articulated limbs, and is suitable for children over 36 months. He is sporting a navy Guernsey sweater, embroidered with ‘Ramsgate’ in white, and the rams logo in pale gold. £9.99 each.

Commemorative mug Now down to the last few – these mugs were produced in a limited edition of 108 to mark the end of the Shelters renovation project and feature a photograph of one of the Paragon shelters in their heyday. Proceeds will support the ongoing maintenance of the shelters. They are printed on fine bone china, are microwave and dishwasher safe and are £7.50 each.

Ramsgate Society Jute Bags Really useful to keep handy for shopping, or use one as a gift bag or Christmas ‘stocking’! These high quality jute bags are available with short or long handles and have ‘The Ramsgate Society’ and the rams logo printed on one side. Short handled version: 38 x 13 x 36 cm. Long handled version: 45 x 11 x 36 cm. They are both £4.50 each.

If you would like any of these items, please contact Wendy Rumsey by e-mail: [email protected] or by phone on 853714. There may be a charge for postage and packing if it is not possible to deliver, but that can be discussed with Wendy, as it will depend on the particular order.

17 Dates for Your Diary MARCH 2014

15th, 10am-5pm Handmade Fair, Custom House

15th, 7.30pm O Magnum Mysterium, a concert of sacred music from the 16th to the 20th centuries by Thames Chamber Choir, St Augustine’s Church, 7.30pm £10, concessions £7.50 19th, 7.30pm Ramsgate Society Meeting and Talk, St George’s Hall Kent Theatre in the time of Jane Austen by Alan Stockwell 20th, 7.30pm The Bygone Celebrities of Ramsgate, King’s Theatre [email protected]

21st, 7pm Fun Quiz in aid of the Friends of Ellington Park, St Laurence Church Hall 22nd, 7.30pm Quiz Night at St George’s Church Hall

23rd, 5.30-7pm Resting Place, a performance based on the life of Clarice Spratling. www.restingplace.eu Ellington Park Bandstand APRIL

1st, 7.30pm Lecture on David Mocatta by Joseph Mirwitch, San Clu Hotel, Victoria Parade

5th, 10am Historic Churchyard Tour, St Laurence

4th-21st Looping the Loop Festival, a feast of theatre at various venues across Thanet www. loopingtheloopfestival.org.uk

16th, 7.30pm Ramsgate Society Meeting and Talk, St George’s Hall: Garden Wildlife by Don Wilks

17th, 7.30pm The Ramsgate Story, King’s Theatre [email protected]

19th, 10am-5pm Handmade Fair, Albert Court

19th. tba Mayor’s Charity Masked Ball, Manston Officers’ Mess

21st , daytime Seaside Shuffle Jazz, Harbour Parade

23rd, 7.30pm Red Rose Day Variety Show, King’s Theatre [email protected]

23rd-30th Denis Smith solo exhibition, York Street Gallery

MAY

3rd, 10am Historic Churchyard tour, St Laurence Church

5th, daytime Seaside Shuffle Jazz, Harbour Parade

15th, 7.30pm Old Ramsgate – Workers and Trades, King’s Theatre [email protected]

17th, midday May Fayre – Ellington Park

17th, 10am-5pm Handmade Fare, Albert Court

21st, 7.30pm Ramsgate Society AGM, St George’s Hall

25th-31st St Augustine’s Week highlighting Christian history and culture. Also featuring the life of Augustus Pugin: www.ramsgateandminster.com 26th, daytime Seaside Shuffle Jazz Concert, Harbour Parade

30th, 7pm Fun Quiz Night, St Laurence Church Hall

JUNE

1st Grand Re-opening of the Ramsgate Tunnels.

1st Bucket and Spade Rally, Government Acre and Royal Esplanade

5th, 7.30pm A Starlite Entertainers Production The Ramsgate Story [email protected] a night of nostalgia with refreshments and raffle 5th tba Montefiore Day concert at the Montefiore Synagogue 18 Volunteers required The Society would like to hear from any volunteers willing to work in the Ramsgate Society’s 50th anniversary shop, which we hope to have open in Patron: Sir Terry Farrell Harbour Street from April 2014. President: Peter Landi Ramsgate Tunnels are looking for volunteers interested in being trained to guide parties of Vice Presidents: Davena Green visitors into the tunnels and explain the history. George Arnheim

In the first instance, ring Jocelyn McCarthy on Chairman: Jocelyn McCarthy 01843 588536. Vice Chairman: John Walker Secretary: Rosemary Kirk Who am I? (from page 9) Treasurer: Mark Robson compiled by Terry Prue Minutes Secretary: Wendy Rumsey

his quote is from an update on what we now Committee: Ken Jones popularly call the Jack the Ripper murders, Gerry O’Donnell requested by the then Home Secretary, Henry Ken Read TMatthews. They are the words of Sir Charles Warren Janet Reid from a memo of September 19th 1888. David Rumsey His failure to catch the Ripper has led to suggestions Jennifer Smith he was at best incompetent or at worst a conspirator in a cover-up to protect the monarchy. His own view was that the interference of Henry Matthews plus constant The Ramsgate Society media speculation and criticism had made his job 50th Annual General Meeting virtually impossible. St George’s Hall, Wednesday Sir Charles was a career soldier who had only been st appointed Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis in 21 May at 7.30 pm 1886. By November 1888 he resigned and was to leave ny member of The Society wishing their name London for various posts back in the army while his to go forward as a committee member may get wife and children moved home to Ramsgate. By August a form from the secretary and be duly proposed 1900 he finally ended his military career and (as the andA seconded by other Ramsgate Society members Blue Plaque over the door says) would be living in The agenda will take the usual format of reports 10 Wellington Crescent until 1914. from the executive committee, treasurer and chairman, His most notable contribution to the life of followed by election of officers, and committee. The Ramsgate involved the provision of activities to calm constitution changes will be an agenda item: any items the disruption caused by unruly boys. Through his for inclusion in the agenda including nominations for the efforts Ramsgate had one of the first scout troops in committee should be with the secretary by April 23rd. the country by the spring of 1908. By New Year’s Day There are some recommended changes to the 1914 Robert Baden-Powell wrote to Sir Charles to constitution. These recommended changes were agreed congratulate him on the quality of his Ramsgate boys as by a majority vote at the EGM held on November 20th ‘exemplary citizens of the Borough’ 2013. The AGM will be asked to confirm the decision He died in 1927, aged 86, and after a lavish funeral taken at the EGM. These changes are summarised as: in Canterbury Cathedral was buried next to his wife Under clause 4: subscriptions at Westbere with a guard of honour formed by the 1st Ramsgate (Sir Charles Warren’s Own) Scout Troop. • Life membership will no longer be available, so that clause will be removed. Acknowledgements • The addition of a subscription opportunity for Many thanks for help and contributions from Alastair corporate members, viz: corporate bodies, including Stewart, Catriona Blaker, Andrew Sharp, Ken Read, partnerships, societies, companies, education and David Rumsey, Denis Smith, Phil Spain, Terry Prue, other similar institutions and organisations to Marie Muscat King and Alex Ramsey. become members; each such body may appoint three nominees, each of whom shall have full membership Copyright in text and pictures rests with contributors. rights. • The addition of the word trustees in Clause 7. This edition of About Ramsgate was produced by Veronica Pratt and Stephen Davies and printed by Rosemary Kirk secretary Saxoprint. [email protected] 19

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