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Ramsgate Matters

The Quarterly Journal of The Ramsgate Society

Autumn 2016 Ramsgate Matters Chairman’s Report, August 2016 Contents

2. Aims New Members Chairman’s Report 4. Signs and Significance 5. Ramsgate Rewritten 7. Elizabeth Fry: Terry Prue 9. M Blaker 11. DBA 13. Remembering Ramsgate Impressarios 14. Taking it on the chin As I write this report the Ramsgate Festival is in full Who am I ? swing with dozens of events taking place throughout 15. Past Present Future the week. The sea front is crowded with people and the 17. Answer to Who am I ? harbour is bustling with visitors enjoying something of 18. Diary a heat wave. At this time of year the town looks great 19. Society and one can see why more and more people are coming Officers to see Ramsgate as an attractive place to live and work. Credits All this activity doesn’t just occur spontaneously but requires a great deal of work by may dedicated people, mostly volunteers, who put in a huge effort to make An Apology Ramsgate an attractive destination for visitors. Our Ramsgate Matters wishes to apologise to the Society’s appreciation and thanks go to everyone involved. former Chairman Jocelyn A. McCarthy for the inad- I am beginning to feel that the various organisations vertent misspelling of his surname in a recent edition around the town are starting to work more closely of the magazine and for his generous and humorous together to recreate the sense of civic pride which response to the mistake. Editor. made the town so attractive to earlier generations. Ramsgate Town Council, The Ramsgate Society, the Coastal Communities Team, the Ramsgate The Ramsgate Society welcomes Regeneration Alliance, the Town Team, Ramsgate new members: Arts and numerous active residents groups and organisations are all playing their part. From Ramsgate: Many of these are represented on the Neighbourhood Graeme Campbell and Lorna Dallas-conte Plan Group, which, under the auspices of Ramsgate Rob and Sally Holden Town Council, is working hard to develop a town wide John Pidduck Neighbourhood Plan. The first stage will be to engage Sandra Rafferty local residents in the development of a vision for the town which we can all share and then to develop From Elsewhere: this into a set of policies which will form part of the Jean Barraclough, Devon Local Plan. It’s a gradual process that is beginning to Brian Bingham, take shape and when complete will be a great help in Shireen Dorosti, Broadstairs attracting inward investment, creating local jobs and Mrs A Drane, Canterbury improving the image of Ramsgate to the outside world. Kim and Jim Moran, Broadstairs One important objective will be to ensure that new Mrs Shane Ridley, Dorset development that does take place is of good quality Peter and Elizabeth Tipton, Hampshire in both design and construction. Generally speaking Clive and Bev Whitehead, Margate people are more supportive of development when it is Jane Winehouse, Enfield of good design and has been the subject of early and genuine public engagement. Subject to funding being available a number of key The Ramsgate Society is a Registered Charity: 1138809 projects are being planning which could have a The Society is a Founder Member of Civic Voice, transformative affect over the next few years. The An affiliate of the Federation of Amenity Groups Ramsgate Coastal Communities Team has recently And the Kent History Federation applied for a £1.7m grant from the Government Coastal Communities Fund for a packing of measures Picture Credits to regenerate Harbour Street and the sea front area J Dawes. B Daubney around the harbour. The Ramsgate Society is working

2 Chairman’s Report Continued on a £2.75m bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the Clock House and Smeaton Dock as a Heritage Centre for the town with a special focus on the town’s maritime history. The Motor House project to redevelop the old Westcliff Hall site as a community enterprise could make a major contribution to the community facilities of the town and especially in providing opportunities for young people who have so much to offer if given the chance. So much of the attraction of Ramsgate is due to hundreds of Listed Buildings and the many Conservation Areas in the town. Conservation Areas are areas of special architectural and historic interest. 2017 will be the 50th anniversary of the introduction of conservation areas into the planning system in 1967 at a time when a great many of our historic buildings were being demolished and replaced by unsuitable buildings of inferior design. The Ramsgate Society is hoping to team up with the Ramsgate Conservation Area Action Group to draw attention to the importance of maintaining and enhancing our conservation areas which can be an important factor in the economic regeneration of our towns. The Ramsgate Coastal Communities Team with the support of Ramsgate Town Council, the Ramsgate Society and Thanet District Council will shortly be applying to Historic to be designated as a Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). The aim of a Heritage Action Zone is to achieve economic growth by using the historic environment as a catalyst. Securing HAZ status will help support funding applications for a number of projects that will help to regenerate the economic, social and environmental needs of a particular area. This is a national programme so competition for inclusion in the scheme will be competitive but if successful could help attract the sort of grants and professional expertise the town needs. With all best wishes John Walker, Chairman

Earlier Festivities. The Society’s Aims

“To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in Ramsgate. To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the town. To encourage preservation and improvement of features of public amenity or historic interest. To pursue these ends by means of meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publications, other forms of instruction and publicity, and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature.”

3 Signs and Significance The Ramsgate Coastal Community Team, of which the Society is a member, has just applied for a grant to update pedestrian signage, in and around Ramsgate. Change is in the air and inevitable controversy for most of us do not judge what we see in the same light as anyone else. When the weight of lettering in this magazine is increased very slightly it affects our response to it. Clearer to read or heavy and not so sophisticated, possibly relate to our ages as much as aesthetics

The front cover presents a new signs, which have appeared recently on private or commercial properties. All have used historical research to inform their design. They challenge but also capture something of our contemporary culture. Should anyone doubt that, they might consider how rich the town is, simply in the range of fanlight and house nameplates from the 18th 19th and 20th centuries. They are well worth more than a glance.

The magazine rear cover, is the Ramsgate Festival installation by Theresa Smith of Mooch [www.mooch. co] for the Harbour Arm. She took the photograph on the right and also took inspiration from the motto that encircles the Victorian lighthouse by re-interpreting the Latin ‘a refuge for the desperate or suffering’ in a modern illuminated face.

Just like Theresa’s Crown by the Pavilion last year, her text-based submerging tidal sculpture has received enthusiastic reviews and generated enormous interest. Of course, just like every artwork that works, it has aroused critics apparently offended by change or originality.

4 Rewriting Ramsgate’s Story

History is not a constant. Fresh facts, insights and information constantly link present, recent or distant past with the future. These can change the image of the Town and they could affect economic and social change. While research and acceptance of change are not rapid, exchanging new ideas does affect attitudes.

Ramsgate like Minster and Canterbury is a historic centre for a cure, visit or journey. That was the first meaning of pelerinage or pilgrimage. An ancient local pilgrim route was pioneered by Catriona Blaker in 2015. In Pugin Week, it leaves Canterbury Cathedral on 3rd September at 8.30am when John Coverdale leads the 17 mile rural route to Ramsgate. As coastal paths extend so do new ideas for secular or spiritual, virtual or physical experiences. Pugin’s 19th century designs will appear on Britain’s latest currency, the plastic £5 and feature in the National Pugin Centre, opening in Ramsgate in 2017.

Traditional beach and amusement resorts abound around Ramsgate. The town enjoyed success in these areas but should not now be classified as another failing coastal community. Its strength lies in a wealth ofnatural, coastal, maritime, architectural, technological and historic assets. They extend over almost all of our nation’s past. Exceptional architecture, communications and outstanding micro-climate are advantages to become better known. Prehistoric Ramsgate is an area of which awareness is slightly blurred. Our town is surrounded by and built on one of the largest concentrations of burial sites known in Britain. Apart from a splendid former virtual archive of archaeology, the extraordinary Ebbsfleet Hoard lies in the British Museum and local Roman and Saxon artefacts, on show for a century are in store. There is more, all around.

The Gateway to Britain was how Bede first described it, but he was probably writing of much more than ‘the troubled waters’, meaning ‘Ritupiae,’ now Richborough. Pegwell Bay and the Downs form a huge natural haven that was used long before the Romans. Lying between Ramsgate Harbour and the Goodwin Sands, for over 1500 years, it was a national assembly point for fleets and a refuge for naval, maritime, fishing, pirate and trading vessels.

The Goodwin Sands: Lie opposite Ramsgate harbour and are one reason for its eventual construction. Rather than being investigated as a unique phenomenon, they are presently being treated as another source of ballast for exploitation. As the world’s largest marine graveyard, the Goodwins could acquire World Heritage status as scanning technologies develop. Meanwhile they have been featured in the drama, literature, film and poetry of major authors for 400 years and they lie deep in our cultural psyche.

An earthquake zone lies beneath the Goodwin Sands. It was active in 2015 and for over 1000 years before that. The mass of sand, rock, chalk and water reduce the violent effects of the Channel and North Sea junction.

5 Waterspouts and earthquakes in chronicles probably refer to violent surges and storms that eventually prompted harbour construction.

The Harbour: was designed as a self-dredging, double ellipse. It preserves original Georgian and Victorian features in an amphitheatre with corniche, arched approaches and The Arm, that sets off a panorama of Town, harbour, marina, port, and monuments from an ideally situated viewpoint and restaurant. The rarity and beauty of this ancient and modern, fully functioning, vital complex and structure is rarely extolled.

The Status of Royal Harbour was of course conferred by George IV in 1721 but the obelisk to commemorate the event was built of Dublin Granite before Paris, New York and London acquired antique Egyptian versions. Ramsgate’s is an artefact of note in its own right.

A Harbour as a centre of Technologies. The 200-year old slipway beside the Custom House is being updated. The integral sand bank once was used for beaching out of control sailing vessels, with a degree of safety. Later the bank became launch pad for the world’s first hovercraft service that moved to Pegwell Bay as the first Hoverport. The mundane nature of sandbanks obscures their historic significance. When the Hoverport succumbed to larger Channel traffic, an opportunity to build a glass-domed holiday resort was happily rejected in favour of the present nature reserve now famed for its bird and seal colonies and coincidentally the approach to the ancient Downs survived. Shipbuilding especially for the fishing industry was long a feature of Ramsgate. Innovative refillable tanks preserved catches and helped the port become a leader in a mass market. Present harbour vessels service some of the largest offshore energy arrays in the world. The world’s busiest shipping lanes in the Channel and Thames estuary are piloted from here. The seaside beach by the harbour was a pivotal subject at the start of what is now a modern international market for art, after Queen Victoria bought Frith’s “Ramsgate Sands.” The skyline and scene is hardly changed with Albion House, where Victoria stayed, unaltered. Van Gogh who described himself a ‘child of the beach at Ramsgate’ would also recognise it, as would millions of visitors, many eminent, who arrived by train directly on the beach having just travelled through cliff tunnels that would protect the entire population in time of war and are just being recognised as an attraction. The iconic Clock House, the lighthouse and depth gauge, dry dock that was an ice house and evidence of the Azimuth and Ramsgate Meantime all have relevance in the modern world. The Pulhamite artificial stone, lining and defining the harbour was recently recognised by Historic England for its quality and unique role in urban and coastal landscaping. It remains to be sensibly exploited to benefit future generations, and visitors from around the world.

Sir Moses Montefiore: whose home and the school that he endowed were demolished, has memorials in his Mausoleum and Synagogue. They survive with his Italianate Greenhouse, an exquisite structure that may be regarded as the forerunner of every steel-framed, hung-curtain skyscraper that now dominates world architecture.

Survival in Ramsgate once meant having to work on land and sea to provide a living. Cycles of extreme failure persisted from when this was the most accessible peninsular for any invader and was devastated regularly from 600 to 1100. Few modern towns have had three municipal airports or lost coal, electrical, print, brewing and pharmaceutical industries while introducing new industry and maintaining a resort. Ramsgate has enclaves with character of their own and architectural qualities that while evident, appear miniscule beside Brighton, Bath or Regents Park. They are however more comprehendible, vernacular and are already appreciated as uniquely “Ramsgate Regency.”

6 Elizabeth Fry and the Good Samaritan of Ramsgate Terry Prue

What follows is the complete text of a true story of an unexpected coming together of Elizabeth Fry and Kennett Beacham Martin. The name of Elizabeth Fry should be familiar to all, if only from her portrait on our £5 note. A strict Quaker, she devoted her life to the protection, care and rehabilitation of prisoners and particularly female prisoners. In 1818 she widened her campaigning activities to the convict ships bound for the New World. She fought against the practices of women prisoners being under the ‘care’ of sailors, of having insufficient clothing, no religious instruction and no source of income to prevent them being destitute and therefore forced into prostitution upon arrival. By visiting nearly every convict ship she made frequent trips to Gravesend and to Ramsgate to meet the women and crews before their departure from England.

The name of K.B. Martin may be recognized as the long- term Harbour Master at Ramsgate but prior to that he had been the captain of sailing vessels and then the very first steamship, The Eagle, to run from London to Ramsgate in 1820. The account that follows was written by Captain Martin and describes his meeting with Elizabeth Fry on a journey from Ramsgate in 1821. It is reproduced from the ‘Memoir of the life of Elizabeth Fry, with Extracts from Her Journal and Letters’ published in 1847. I hope you will agree it is a delightful tale that is here made even more charming by the addition of illustrations kindly provided for us by local artist Michael Blaker.

It was on a fine sultry day, in the summer of 1821, that I was racing up the River Thames, in the command of the Ramsgate Steam Packet, Eagle, hoping to overtake our Margate competitors, the Victory, and Favourite steamers, and bringing them nearer to view as we rounded the points of the Reach of the river.

It was in the midst of this excitement, that we encountered one of those sudden thunder squalls, so common in this country, and which passing rapidly off, with a heavy rain, leave behind them a strong and increasing northerly gale. I was looking out ahead, pleasing myself with the reflection that we were the fastest vessel against a-head wind, and should certainly overtake our Margate friends; when upon entering Long Reach, about two miles below Purfleet, I saw a boat labouring with very little effect against the gale, and with a whole ebb-tide just making to add to their difficulties; in this boat were two ladies in the close habit of the Society of Friends, evidently drenched with the heavy shower which had overtaken them.

I was then a dashing, high-spirited sailor; but I had always a secret admiration of the quiet demeanour of that Society, and occasionally had some of them passengers with me, always intelligent and inquiring, and always pleased

7 with any information a seaman could extend to them. Well, here was a dilemma! To stop, would spoil my chase, in which most of my passengers were as eager as myself but to go on, and pass two ladies in such a situation!

I passed a word softly to the Engineer; desired the mate to steer alongside the boat carefully; threw the delighted rowers a rope, and before the passengers were fully aware that we had stopped the engines, the ladies were on board, the boat made fast astern, and the Eagle again was flying up the Thames. I have those two persons strongly, nay, indelibly stamped on my mind’s eye. The one I had last assisted on board, still held my hand, as she thanked me, with dignified but beautiful expression: ‘It is kind of thee, Captain, and we thank thee. We made no sign to thee; having held up our handkerchiefs to the other packets, we did not think we should succeed with thee.’ I assured them that I could not have passed them under such circumstances, and called the stewardess to take them below into the ladies’ cabin and see to their comfort. They had been well cloaked, and had not suffered so much as I had anticipated.

“The gale had cleared away the rain, and in a very short time they came upon deck again, one of them was Mrs. Fry, and she never lost an opportunity of doing good. I saw her speaking to some of my crew who were looking very serious as she offered them tracts, and some of them casting a side glance at me for my approval or otherwise. I had some little dislike to sects then, which I thank God left me in riper years, - but who could resist this beautiful persuasive, and heavenly-minded woman. To see her, was to love her; to hear her, was to feel as if a guardian angel had bid you follow that teaching which could alone subdue the temptations and evils of this life, and secure a Redeemer’s love in eternity! In her you saw all that was attractive in woman, lit up by the bright beams of philanthropy; devoting the prime of life, and health, and personal graces, to her Divine Master’s service; and I feel assured that much of the success which attended her missions of mercy, was based upon that awe which such a presence inspired. It was something to possess a countenance which pourtrayed (sic) in every look the overflowings of such a heart, and thus as a humble instrument in the hands of Divine Providence, she was indeed highly favoured among women.

“She told me that her companion Mrs. Pryor and herself had been down to Gravesend to take leave of the unfortunate women, (convicts) on board a ship bound to the settlements, and gave me so touching a description of their behaviour, that I volunteered to take charge of any thing for her at any time, or render her any service in my power in my voyages. When about to land, her anxiety to make some pecuniary recompense was very great, but I would not allow her to do so. Mrs. Fry never forgot me when she came near our locality; I saw her from time to time; the earthly tabernacle failing, but the same spirit lighting up with animation her untiring energies. It was an honour to know her in this world; may we follow her to the society of the accepted and blessed in that which is to come.”

K.B.Martin. Ramsgate, February, 1847

8 Michael Blaker RE

Michael is a Senior Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers.

Few artists have had a London gallery, their own art magazine or make fine etchings and produce exquisite edition using their own techniques, as well as books, as well as stories, novellas, travel, historical and autobiographical works. Michael is well known as editorial consultant to the Printmakers Journal, the authority in its field.

His paintings in oil and watercolour reveal his passion for beauty including that of Catriona his wife, and for travel as far afield as Japan. You may find his work in collections of the Tate, the V&A, and, happily, in Thanet, recently in Margate and here in Ramsgate Matters.

9 The Society is more than grateful for Michael’s original illustrations to the piece on Elizabeth Fry. Lasting enthusiasms emerge in works about Ramsgate Harbour, its fishing and historic vessels and the jazz band in Ellington Park. Michael played pre-pop swing piano and slide whistle with The Eminent Victorians, The Portobello Jazzmen, The Spasmodic Six and The Union Place Revivalists. The piano and his two presses remain close at hand. His love of the beach at Ramsgate and of dogs, about which he also writes, is clear in the energy and joy of his work. 10 DBA

In the late nineteenth century Chapel Place was home to titled, military and Free Church leaders. By the late twentieth century trade, including letterpress printers, had established itself within and behind the large properties. Now DBA Editions have relocated from their Grange Road Studio to a splendid new print workshop at 29 Chapel Place (approached from Chapel Place Lane) in the old letterpress workshop. A print tradition continues in a twenty-first century form

11 DBA is Fiona de Bulat and Paul Atkins are fine art printers who established DBA Editions in 2010. Fiona has worked with Royal Academicians including Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Sir Terry Frost and Ivor Abrahams. She now lectures at Kent University. Paul is Print Coordinator at Camberwell College of Arts (UAL) and has worked at Roehampton University, London Print Studio and Sky Editions. They recently produced Black, White and One, an exclusive portfolio for Ramsgate’s UpDown Gallery and at the Living in Print exhibition at the Falstaff in The Ramsgate Festival exhibited works produced in their workshop that week.

Workshop does not describe what is a glorious gallery of nineteenth century print technology. The equipment and their teaching expertise offer an exceptional arguably infinite range of technique and possibilities. Fiona and Paul offer etching, lithography and relief printing workshops, with tuition in making prints from wood, lino, stone, zinc, screens and a huge range of materials. Weekend workshops allowing tuition on a one-to-one basis have run throughout the summer using traditional and experimental methods. Some of the printing techniques sound daunting but the etching with sugar lift shown on this page, once considered only for advanced students, was achieved under supervision by an absolute beginner. The creation of portfolios for anyone applying to college or gallery is another field in which Fiona and Paul work as tutors and advisors.

DBA’s studios are light and airy, built and designed by artists for artists as a clean, tidy space hung with inspirational examples of fine printmaking.

For more details: email [email protected] 12 Remembering Ramsgate’s Impresarios Raised in the Admiral Harvey pub in Ramsgate Harbour, Blanche, Emile and Prinz Littler went on to transform twentieth century show business and became the world’s largest theatre, music, television and entertainment group. The last edition of Ramsgate Matters outlined something of their success and noted that the town had no memorial to them. It was planned to continue their story.

Almost immediately a letter arrived from Vale the Littlers, but in principle he too would be delighted Square. Michael Wheatley Ward who runs the Sarah to see a blue plaque at the corner of York Street. Thorne Theatre in Broadstairs and who will always be associated with the Theatre Royal Margate, explained These coincidences were related to another resident that he had worked for Emile Littler at the London of Vale Square, the former Black and White Minstrel Coliseum. song and dance man, Sonny, who recalled that he had of course toured theatres that were owned by He considers that a Blue Plaque to the family in the Littlers. During that conversation Sonny was Ramsgate is long overdue. By coincidence he lives greeted by Angela Drane, a regular visitor to Ramsgate in the former residence of Lillie Langtrey, who was who is advertising manager for the British Music once employed by the Littlers: the Jersey Lily, friend Hall Society She was just passing but became more of the Prince of Wales and later King, used to lease than enthusiastic about the concept of a memorial. the substantial villa, known as the Cottage, as and Angela spoke to the editor of Call Boy magazine, the when she was performing in Ramsgate. Michael is in Music Hall Society’s journal, who was immediately touch with todays Littler family. They have apparently encouraging. Call Boy’s readership includes variety expressed an interest in being prepared to help fund a and pantomime stars, performers and enthusiasts. plaque, if a suitable location can be found. The Littler family was influential in transforming show business simply by organizing and extending The Admiral Harvey was demolished long ago. The the season for pantomime. For many theatres three Mariners Bar that effectively replaced it when Harbour months of family and matinees audiences have the Road was built, is run by Jason, formerly of Eddie same effect on Theatres as Christmas sales do for the Gilbert’s fish restaurant. He not only owns the 1901 country’s retail outlets. They ensured the continuing lease for the Harvey which was granted to the Father of existence and preservation of hundreds of theatres.

13 Taking it on the Chin By Tom Pendry © www.bitebackpublishing.com

These memoirs that are in effect an autobiography of Lord Pendry of , must have been written before anyone could guess just how aggressive politics was going to become, between, within and without parties. Publication was well timed to coincide with an Olympic summer. Tom Pendry was Shadow Minister for Sport until 1997 and arguably had as much, if not more influence on British sport and its 21st century success, than many who became Ministers but lacked his experience, contacts, enthusiasm and physical skill.

His is a fascinating story of Ramsgate at the start of the Second World War: Born in the very same Broadstairs street as another Thanet politician, Edward Heath, his family moved to Ramsgate in the early 1930s and experienced early bombing. However, before that began, the family responded to the first air raid warning of May 1940. Five boys, one girl and their parents all squeezed into a newly constructed Anderson shelter. From inside, it sounded as though the war had already arrived in Ramsgate and in a way it had. A Luftwaffe reconnaissance plane had been shot down and the pilot was being captured in the cornfield right beside the Pendry home. When real bombing began some www.bitebackpublishing.com months later, Tom was five. He had to queue up in St Luke’s Parish Hall for his gas mask and still regrets being just too old for the Mickey Mouse version that was given to his younger brother. Soon came evacuation with all of St Augustine’s Junior School bound for Stafford. The school shared their train with Ramsgate’s most recent arrivals, returning survivors of Dunkirk.

Tom Pendry went on to box for the Royal Air Force and for Oxford University, to become a Member of Parliament, to dislocate his shoulder showing Muhammad Ali how to land a punch, and after leading the first anti apartheid march against a white South African cricket team, was thanked personally by Nelson Mandela. His views on being an election agent in Margate, teaching the offside rule to Henry Kissinger, working for athletics, football and promoting ideas on tourism as well as female access to sport and recognition for disabled competitive sport, were not always quite politically correct, but have subsequently triumphed. All reveal personal, local and international insight. As President of the Football Foundation and a member of the , his book reveals humanity, his failings as well as his successes, all are expressed with a massive enthusiasm and a readiness to ‘take it on the chin’ for numerous beliefs and interests.

Who am I and what’s my connection with Ramsgate? by Terry Prue “Philosophy is akin to poetry, and both of them seek to express that ? ultimate good sense which we term civilization. In each case there is reference to form beyond the direct meanings of words. Poetry allies itself to metre, philosophy to mathematical pattern.” (For answer see page17)

14 Past, Present and Future

Seashells and inkwells Ageless Thanet One Year Old Last year the campaign Ageless Thanet recruited in Ramsgate and introduced activities for anyone aged 50 or more that might combat feelings of being lonely or isolated. The range which proved very popular, included singing, signing, exercise, tai chi, art, craft and simply meeting to discover how to become involved within the community. Dementia support was offered through the creation of a cliff top orchard, drama and crafts. Scores of unexpected suggestions have been followed and naturally some grew while others either became just memories or led to new friendships. The scheme reorganises organically and September 4th sees a new 50 plus festival with new activities ideas and initiatives. Tel: 01843 21000 www.agelessthanet.org.uk:

Architect at Sea

The art part of the Ramsgate Festival was launched as was last year’s, by Terry and Janet Prue, in the Waterloo Room at the Falstaff. They gave a talk on historic literary giants who knew, used, abused or visited Ramsgate in unexpected, amusing, witty and even scurrilous ways: It was hugely enjoyable.

Roll of Honour

Catriona Blaker presented an aspect of Augustus Pugin for the Ramsgate Festival that was far removed from In Ellington Park for the Drumhead Service, former the Palace of Westminster or Gothic Revival. Her talk Society Secretary, Laura Probert presented the on Pugin and the Sea and was rightly given in the Sea- Ramsgate Roll of Honour for the First World War to the men’s Church, by the harbour from which Pugin’s boat Mayor. The research of years and months of cross- regularly sailed to rescue wrecks and salvage material referencing, were bound in leather with the help of a that helped fund his self-financed works, the Grange grant from the Society as a gesture of civic gratitude. and the Shrine of St Augustine.

15 Past, Present and Future Continued

Image Restoration

A blackened, encrusted panel, looking like a lump of burnt metal, was recently given to the Falstaff by an anonymous donor who promised that it had hung in the Falstaff years ago. Long soakings in solutions of Marseilles soap slowly removed layers of dirt and revealed a three-dimensional image of a historic battle or siege. With the picture a story emerged:

In 1594, Henry of Navarre ended the war of Three Henrys by conquering Paris, abandoning his Huguenot faith, and becoming the King of France as a Catholic. The event was cynically retold as “Paris is worth a Mass” but it came to symbolise peace after religious and political conflict. Just over a century later, Louis XVIII was restored to the throne from Britain after Napoleon was defeated. It was 1815, the year of Waterloo, and Louis commissioned the painter Gerard to remind France of earlier reconciliation. A newspaper report asked “is this past or present?” and Tosti, Europe’s leading engraver, made the image widely available as a print. In 1853, when Louis Napoleon III joined France with Britain and Austria to fight Russia in the Crimean War, the fashion was to transform print into three- dimensions as ‘reliefs’ of great intricacy.

The symbol of unity emerged again, just as Ramsgate’s municipal Museum at the new Falstaff was seeking items for its cabinet of curiosities. The Falstaff used to hold Waterloo dinners each year to commemorate a battle that was seen as having saved Europe. So far we do not know when or where it was hung and any information is welcome. We are more confident that a painting of an event in 1594, was made in 1815, was reproduced in metal about 1854 and in 2016 returns to the hotel and former municipal museum where it used to hang.

16 Who am I and what’s my connection with Ramsgate? See page 13 for the quote.

Today’s quote comes from ‘Modes of Thought’ written in 1938 by Alfred North Whitehead – a man acknowledged as a pre-eminent mathematician, philosopher and metaphysician of the 20th Century. His name features in both the ‘100 Most Influential Philosophers of All Time” (1) and the ’50 Modern Thinkers on Education’ (2) but do not expect a neat synopsis of his ideas in this column: It is some small comfort to note that an academic reviewer in 1926 was honest enough to admit: ‘It is infuriating, and I must say embarrassing as well, to read page after page of relatively familiar words without understanding a single sentence’ (3)

Alfred was born on February 15 1861 and the Census of the same year lists the family address as being within Chatham House School – the school that had been founded by his grandfather and where his father was a schoolmaster. Ten year’s later the 1871 Census has the family listed at 10 Chapel Place, Ramsgate, although later that year his father would become ordained and move the family to the vicarage at St Peter’s Broadstairs. It was here that Alfred would stay, and be educated at home, before moving to a boarding school in Dorset from age 14.

In 1880 he won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge and remained for 30 years, rising to the status of ‘Fellow’. He left the university to spend three years collaborating with his former student and one-time lodger, Bertrand Russell, to complete his most famous work, Principia Mathematica, a three volume treatise on mathematics and logic.

From 1914 to 1924 he was Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Imperial College London before moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts and becoming a teacher of philosophy at Harvard from 1924 to 1937. He remained in America till his death in 1947. While his philosophical theories are difficult he was also renowned for his great humanity and passion for educational reform. In a speech to the Mathematical Association of England in 1916 he famously said: “Culture is activity of thought, and receptiveness to beauty and humane feeling. Scraps of information have nothing to do with it”.

(1) Brian Duignan 2010 (2) Palmer, Bresler & Cooper 2002 (3) Shailer Mathews of the University of Chicago Divinity School on Whitehead’s 1926 book ‘Religion in the Maki

In Memoriam

The Society extends sincere condolences To Family and Friends of members: Viv Adsett Sylvia Griffiths John Barman Jean Hougham Griggs Brian Frear

17 Diary Dates

September 2016 November 2016

Saturday 3 – Saturday 17 September Saturday 5 November St Laurence Parish Hall becomes a Heritage Centre St Laurence Churchyard Tour with displays, guided walks and evening talks. 10.00 pm – 11.00 pm Refreshments after tour. Donations welcomed Saturday 10 September St Laurence Church Tower Tours Wednesday 16 November 11.00 am, 2.00 pm, 4.00 pm The Ramsgate Society Members Evening Church Tour 12 noon 7.30 pm St George’s Church Hall, Broad Street, Part of National Heritage Open Days Ramsgate

Wednesday 21 September Saturday 26 November The Ramsgate Society Mr Robert Barrass Book Reading 6.30 pm for 7.00 pm St Laurence Parish – Kent Railways Hall. £5 including supper 7.30 pm St George’s Church Hall, Broad Street, Ramsgate December 2016

Saturday 28 September 9-18 December The Friends of St George’s: The Friends of St George’s Christmas Tree Festival Come and Sing Time Songs 2pm to 5pm St George’s Church, Broad Street, 7.00 pm St George’s Church Hall, Broad Street, Ramsgate. Entrance Free Ramsgate. Free

October 2016

Saturday 1 October St Laurence Churchyard Tour 10.00 pm – 11.00 pm Refreshments after tour Donations welcomed

Sunday 2 October Concert of French Music by Katherine Spenser Wind Trio 5pm St George’s Church Hall, Broad Street, Ramsgate Tickets £15 Details p.17

Saturday 15 October St Laurence Church Tour 10.00 am – 11.00 am, Church Tower Tours 11.00 am and 1.00 pm Church Yard Tour 1.45 pm – 2.45 pm Handbells 12 noon and 2.00 pm. Static displays Part of Canterbury Festival Umbrella Programme. Refreshments available. Donations welcomed.

Wednesday 19 October The Ramsgate Society Speaker John Coverdale – Pugin Visitor Centre 7.30 pm St George’s Church Hall, Broad Street, Ramsgate

Saturday 29 October 7.30 pm St Laurence Church: The Noyse Concertina Ensemble Part of Canterbury Festival Umbrella Programme. Donations welcomed.

18 FRENCH FANCIES A CLASSICAL CONCERT PRESENTED BY THE RAMSGATE SOCIETY Patron: Sir Terry Farrell KATHERINE SPENCER & FRIENDS WIND TRIO play President: Clive Aslett DEBUSSEY, BIZET, FAURE, OFFENBACH, Vice Presidents: George Arnheim SATIE, MASSENET Davena Green

ST. GEORGES CHURCH HALL, Chairman: John Walker BROAD STREET, RAMSGATE Secretary: Rosemary Kirk SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2016 Treasurer: Mark Robson at 5 pm Committee: Mehir Basit TICKETS NOW ON SALE Richard Oades £15 Nigel Phethean INCLUDING WINE & CHEESE Janet Reid Irene Seijo TO BOOK TEL: 01843 580832 Jennifer Smith

EMAIL: [email protected]

Contacts Brian Daubney, The Editor, 12 West Cliff Road CT11 9JW [email protected] If you would prefer to receive the magazine by email, please let us know

Subscriptions Single Membership £8; Joint Membership £12; Overseas Membership £20. Standing order mandates can be downloaded from www.ramsgate-society.org.uk or are available from the Secretary: [email protected]

Credits Rear cover: Chris Constantine http://www.mooch.co DBA, Dover Kent Archive, Jenny Dawes, Michael Blaker, Ramsgate Society.

19 The Ramsgate Society Registered Charity no. 1138809

Assess, Research, Promote and Develop The Heritage of Ramsgate