Price £1.00 where sold

©

Spring 2012 THE RAMSGATE SOCIETY’S QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF NEWS, VIEWS AND HERITAGE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SEASIDE TOWN OF RAMSGATE

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

The work of the Ramsgate Pilot Boats.

Picture from: www.bobleroi.co.uk

Ramsgate Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the birth of A.W.N. Pugin

The Wombles? Sir Charles Warren See page 6 Ramsgate resident and our centre pages’ feature. By Terry Prue

The Ramsgate Society is a Founder Member of Civic Voice and is affiliated to the Kent Federation of Amenity Societies and to The Kent History Federation. Patron Sir Terry Farrell CBE, RIBA, FRSA, FCSD, MRTPI. The Ramsgate Society is a Registered Charity - number 1138809 Aims and Objectives of The Society

To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning, to stimulate public interest in, and to care for, the beauty, history and character of the town and its surroundings; and to encourage the preservation and improvement of features of public amenity or historic interest in Ramsgate.

This educational magazine ‘About Ramsgate’ seeks to fulfil those ideals in an informative and entertaining way.

We would like to receive contributions to this magazine About Ramsgate from anyone with an interest in the town. Articles - typed, handwritten or by email, may be sent to the Editor: -

Robert Holden, 6 Chatham Place, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 7PT. Tel: 01843 582997. Email: [email protected] Alternatively, it is possible for articles to be produced from a recorded interview.

The next issue is due to be published June 2012

Website of The Ramsgate Society: www.ramsgate-society.org.uk

NEW MEMBERS... A very warm welcome to our new members. We hope that you will all enjoy membership and take a keen interest in the activities of The Society.

From Ramsgate Mrs Jane Williams, Mr Dieter Johannsen, Mr Wally Smith, Mrs Joan Hewitt, Miss Ray Bryce, Mrs Hazel Morphy, Tony & Suzanne Coates, Neville & Joan Court, Nigel & Janette Phethean Mrs M. Beacon & Mr D. Larg, Mr Steve Harper, Mr Dennis Franklin.

From Further Afield Sheila Jones - Beckenham, Mrs Jennie Curtis - Woodmansterne, Mr Alan Turtle - Ringwood, Ken & Janet Williams - Rochester, Iris Bean - Ryde I.O.,W., Julian & Inna Cottrell - London, Dennis & Lesley Streeter - Epsom, Mr Christopher Randall - Spilsby, Mr Barry Purvis - Burnley.

From Overseas Mrs Janice Taranchokov - Otaki, New Zealand.

MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW DUE FOR 2012

Members wishing to continue paying by cheque should PLEASE COMPLETE THE ENCLOSED RENEWAL FORM PROMPT RENEWAL IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED

All monies to be made payable to The Ramsgate Society Addressed to: Miss Jennifer Smith, Hon Treasurer, The Ramsgate Society, Mayfold, Park Road, Ramsgate, Kent. CT11 7QH

New Members joining The Society on or after January 1st in any year, the subscription will cover the period until April of the following year

Members now have the option of paying Subscriptions by Standing Order

Page 1 Important - please note change of our email address to: Editorial [email protected] Travelling to New Zealand for 5 weeks - returning 21st March - has meant we have had to do a little early prep of this issue to at least get it out on circulation ASAP after return. Mention was made of this in the Winter 2011 issue so that hopefully readers understand beforehand the lateness anticipated. To that end, I type this first part of the Editorial with a garden still full of snow (7th Feb 2012). Nice though it may be to look at, I trust it will all be gone by our return!

On Page 6 you will see our John Walker writes about the ‘Love Where You Live’ Campaign with particular reference Your Editor’s footprints, swept away moments later by the surge of the next big wave at location... to litter. Now returned ,we might reflect that 43° 45.60’ S and 169° 36.34’ E. time was when people would take Anyone care to write in identifying the name of the bay pride in keeping their own bit of from these Latitude and Longitude co-ordinates? footpath clear. As far as possible we continue to do so here in feeding litter in through the beak - and thus perversely Chatham Place, as do our neigh- beneficial - making them inherently seagull proof. All it bours when need arises, most takes is a little imagination. Not forgetting either that the notably on dustbin day when the use of the word ‘please’ on notices goes a long way. odd bag gets torn and the strewn Let’s make it fun to use litter bins. Indeed Ramsgate could contents left by the dustmen. All go a step further and turn bin design into an art form invit- credit too to the Working Men’s Club ing people to come up with their own designs by way of a who take care of their own footpath competition.

frontage. On a less important note; I might observe that you go Seagulls also are a pest in this A top loading bird halfway around the world only to be confronted with a proof litter bin in regard, though we have just been street named after your home town beside your hotel. The issued with seagull proof bags so cultural design next street along was Margate Street! The town in which hopefully this will improve matters. seen in they feature is Kaikoura in the South Island of N.Z. We even have a go at our back alley Oamoru - N.Z. - Chatham Passage - on occasion, They are about though the fly tipping at our back 100ft apart, thus gate is often a bit beyond that. encouraging Which brings us on to the present their use. culture of today’s society. Having just returned as mentioned Can’t get away from Ramsgate from a period of time in New Zealand (and Singapore) I can - even on our holidays! report that they are wholly litter free, entirely a consequence of a non-littering society, copious provision of rubbish bins and rigorous enforcement with stiff penalties. No evidence was seen of chewing gum spots either - so prevalent here. Maybe it is banned from sale - something in desperation we might support. So what to do? The problems are manifold. Certainly there needs to be a culture of town pride embedded in us Whilst visiting Art Deco Napier on the North Island - all, which of course starts at a very young age. My parents flattened by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in that style insisted upon proper disposal of litter and to this day we to some acclaim - I took the opportunity to try and leave nothing but our footprints, as indeed do - in turn - develop links. Art Deco Napier and Regency Ramsgate if our own children. This needs to be heavily restated to our you like. For the moment we will merely exchange young citizens for the future. For the present penalties newsletters / magazines - but it is a start. need to be a whole lot stiffer with unforgiving enforcement.

Packaging also needs to be addressed to reduce the Part of bulkage of waste - the sort of product on sale of small size Napier’s and huge packaging. Defiant of access without proper litter free tooling to penetrate the encasing plastic is a particular thriving wasteful problem and frustration. We should not be blaming the council for litter strewn town areas, we should be addressing the problem ourselves as centre. individuals. The provision of litter bins needs to be far more generous, they could be of attractive varied design, to provoke com- ment and use. Seafront ones might be of seagull design,

Page 2 THE CHAIRMAN'S LETTER

Dear Members funding available from the Ramsgate Town Council. I

Welcome to the Spring edition of About Ramsgate. I believe this would be a good way of raising awareness hope the winter was not too difficult for you, and that of The Ramsgate Society and would significantly improve the appearance of the town centre. If this goes we can look forward to a brilliant summer. In my last letter we anticipated the completion of the ahead, once again we would require some volunteers. two pilot schemes on the shelters. Unfortunately, they Please look on our website for information, or there will be more news at our General Meeting. were not completed due to manufacturing problems with various components including finials and metal We've recently been approached by the Acting Head panels that had to be remade. We've been advised that Teacher of the Marlowe Academy, Mr Carl Wakefield, by the time you receive this issue they will be completed who invited Peter Landi, our Vice President, and me to We have instructed the contractors to start work on all meet with some of the teachers and students of the the smaller shelters, and these have been cordoned off. Academy. This was a very interesting and fruitful meet- The shelters will be taken away to their workshop and ing. We had a tour of the Academy and met quite a foundry to be refurbished. number of students The contractors have prom- from the history, IT and ised that they will be re- drama departments. Mr turned in June - we hope Wakefield would like the some of them will be students to be made aware returned in time for the of the history and heritage Queen's Diamond of their town and believes Jubilee, fingers crossed. that The Ramsgate Society Our fundraising has made is the perfect partner in this great progress thanks to enterprise. Peter Landi in various donations including his role as Academic Liaison one of our life members in for The Society, together the States who has with Peter Borrough, could donated $200 for which we give a presentation to the are truly grateful. This students on Ramsgate's war leaves us with £18,600 to years. Mr Wakefield find. We are keeping our 26-03-2012 and the Government Acre shelter is extended an invitation to fingers crossed that the coming together. Thanks must go - among others members of the committee Monument Trust may come mentioned and unmentioned - to Cllr. Elizabeth Green to attend an informal lunch to our aid. The who was able to arrange some valuable to meet staff and students Monument Trust is part of KCC funding support. to tell them about the work the Sainsbury Foundation of The Society and its ob- which has 18 trusts. Our thanks once again go out to jectives. We have also been offered the use of their David and Wendy Rumsey for their persistence in state-of-the art facilities including dining room, confer- pursuing funding, with the help of Tessa Hilder who is ence facilities, cinema, theatre and cafes, whenever we our Funding Buddy mentor. require them within the school term. We suggested to Mr Wakefield that some of his sixth form students By now you will all be aware of the refusal of the should be given a history walk round Ramsgate, and this planning application for the slipway. Thanet District offer was gratefully accepted. I believe this partnership Council is now working on the Harbour Master Plan, and will be a great asset to The Society, and will bring us further discussions between our Society and groups some young members, which The Society needs if it is such as the Harbour Users’ Association will take place. to continue doing its great work for another 48 years!

You may also have noticed that great improvements This year we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of have taken place on the Eastcliff Chine and waterfall. Augustus Pugin and on 15 July The Society will be We still need volunteers to help with planting around the providing a tour for delegates attending the Pugin waterfall, so please contact me or Ken Read, or any Conference, which will be held at Kent University. member of the Committee. May I bring to your attention to the fact that your We've recently been advised that there is a sum of Society will be 50 years old in 2014? So let's start £2,500 match-funding for any project in Central Ward thinking about a fitting way of celebrating our that will contribute to the improvement of our town. I've anniversary. been asked by Paul Verrall, Landscape Manager for TDC, I hope you enjoy all the forthcoming festivities including if The Society would like to plant up and maintain the the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. brick planters in the centre of town. There will be some Jocelyn McCarthy

Page 3 HEADSTONES AND WHAT STORIES DO THEY TELL?

In the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Bygone Kent - advertisement below - our public spirited Trevor Shonk asked if anyone might have further information on the people named below who are buried in St George’s Churchyard. His letter is reproduced here under the Bygone Kent heading of Uncovering Graveyard Stories. Can anyone help?

UNCOVERING GRAVEYARD STORIES Since June, my brother and I have taken on the enormous task of clearing the grounds of St George's Church, Ramsgate, which have been forgotten for too many years. In a sense, we have brought people back to life, having cleaned headstones, removed ivy, and cut back trees. The history of the churchyard is amazing, but history is being lost through neglect. It is up to all of us to track down and record Terry Prue’s forgotten families who died with no fame other than their name! For example, we uncovered and cleaned a headstone which read: Who am I

To the Memory of Thomas Amsinck Esqr and what’s Bom the 18th December 1763 my connection Died the 24th February 1841 with Ramsgate? Also

Maria Amsinck Can you guess the author of this quote? Widow of Above Born the 16th of January 1775 “I take this opportunity of tendering my Died the 16th of February 1862 grateful thanks to Dame Janet Stancomb- The rest of the headstone sits in the ground, but what a Wills……. who, not only at the inception of wonderful name! We also found and cleaned a beautiful the Enterprise gave financial help, but also headstone in slate which reads: continued it through the dark days when we were overdue, and funds were required to In Memory of RobTJAs Weems son of meet the need of dependents of the Rob! & Grace Weems expedition” who died in the Downs on board the Schooner Falmouth Nov 18th 1836 Aged 16 years Don’t know? Death to me no warning gave But quickly sent me to my grave Turn to page 18 for the answer... Make haste to Christ make no delay There's no one knows their dying days Distant from friends and far from home Unto my Father's house I'm come

Also unearthed was a family tomb near the memorial garden but it is well worn and the lettering is not that clear. However, we could just make out that it is a tomb for a Royal Navy surgeon from Ramsgate called Courtney, who died aged 63 on 3 January 1856, and Emma Anne, who died aged 71 in 1860. If anyone has any more details on any of these people, we would like to hear from you.

Can anyone help? Replies to The Editor please.

Page 4 Have you ever wondered what these black and orange boats are up to? Text and photos by Robert Holden

…depression West Forties 998 expected German Bight 994 by same time tomorrow. The area forecasts…... ….Humber, Thames, Dover, West 6-7 veering North West 7 then North Gale 8 later, rain at first, good except in rain. Wight, Portland, Plymouth….

Broadcast four times every day on BBC Radio 4 the Shipping Forecast goes to our very maritime nation’s soul. We have all listened to it at one time or another. Less obvious is other radio traffic that routinely takes place, of which, on the same day as the fictional but representative forecast above, the casual observer on the beach or cliff top will be unaware.

‘Ramsgate Port Control – Estuary Leader, clearance to leave? Over. Yes OK Leader – away you go.’ Then per- haps a couple of hours later ‘Port Control, Estuary side of the southern North Sea, under the comparative Leader. Leader, Port Control. Port Control Clearance shelter of the Kent Coast. to enter? over. Yes OK Leader. Just be aware that a If not put back on board an inward bound ship they wind farm vessel is manoeuvring onto the fuel berth. would have had a rather long journey by ferry or tunnel Ok thanks – out.’ back to their continental point of origin.

Such is the work of a Pilot. For our Estuary Services Pilots, a taxi service is provided to and from Ramsgate. The taxis can sometimes be seen parked up near the tug Cervia awaiting collection of the next Pilot or two for return to Gravesend - depending on ship traffic at that time. Besides calling on vessels that are slowed but still underway (which actually assists the transfer process) the pilot boats also find themselves visiting ships at anchor in Margate Roads. It is not uncommon for large numbers of vessels to be at anchor in this roadstead waiting out bad weather. It is at times like this that identifying which ship it is they have to call upon is near impossible – especially at night. A quick VHF Radio call to the ship in question asking the deck lights be flashed off and on soon resolves that problem.

Coxswain Steve Carter at the helm as our Pilot Boat roars ahead at full throttle.

Such matter of fact VHF Radio conversation on Channel 14 (Port ops) completely masks the reality of the any weather workaday life of the Pilot Boats operating out of Ramsgate and Sheerness. Managed by Estuary Services Ltd. they carry out the necessary task of ferrying pilots, and small packages. They also facilitate crew changes to ships bound to or from the River Thames, or further up the North Sea. All this irrespective of the weather in all but the very worst of conditions. Earlier this winter they found themselves taking Pilots off outward bound ships from continental ports, ships that would normally have been served by the Wandelaa Pilots off Zeebrugge. This was due to the Centre, crew Member Mark Stanford and extreme left heavy south westerly gales of the time that made the Trevor Allison - from Sandwich Sailing & Motor Boat Club work of transfer impossible, forcing the ships to this

Page 5 The Ramsgate Pilotage Service is known as the North East Spit Pilots. It is derived from the name of a buoy marking the outer eastward limit of the Margate Sand – about 5¾ miles north north east of North Foreland light house. Before the closure – and later collapse - of Margate Jetty Pilot disembarking down they would operate out of an office at the head of the jetty the Pilot Ladder of a car using heavy wooden boats, well decked in, which would be carrying vessel. moored one side of the jetty or the other according to the weather direction. At this time they were known as Margate Pilots, but they still went to the area of the NE Spit. Towards the end of their time operating out of Margate – sometime in the 1970’s - they used a purpose- built steel vessel – rather more robust, sea kindly and faster. Today’s fleet are also purpose-built for the demanding nature of their work with twin powerful engines that punch through any weather thrown at them. Even with special well upholstered seating the ride can still be rough, as I can testify.

The Ramsgate and Medway vessels are maintained from workshops situated in the arches close to the Harbour Office. Those undergoing repair can be seen either out of the water on the commercial quay or tucked into their own corner of the harbour right in front of the Sailors’ Church, a not inappropriate location given the work they do. So when you are snuggled up beneath the duvet, the wind rattling the slates and snow flurries collecting in the cor- ners of the bedroom window, spare a thought for the Pi- lots and the Pilot Boat crew who, at that very moment, could be out there surging up and down the side of a ship delivering or collecting a Pilot - as safely as possible.

The Ramsgate Society ‘Love Where You Live’ Litter Campaign John Walker writes…

According to a survey last year by TDC, the public The Campaign is called ‘Love Where You Live’ and will saw litter as one of their major concerns in Thanet. culminate in a “Big Tidy-Up” in the town centre and sea The Council currently spends £3million a year on street front on Sunday 27th May 2012. cleaning and illegally dumped waste, clearing 5,000 The Isle of Thanet Gazette will be promoting the project tonnes of litter and is one of only two Councils in England over the next few weeks, so look out for this in the who spend more on street cleaning than refuse collection. newspaper. The Ramsgate Society called a meeting at Custom House A public meeting will be held on Friday 13th April at Chat- on Tuesday 7th February with Ramsgate Town Council, ham House School at 7.30 pm, attended by the Mayor Thanet District Council, The Isle of Thanet Gazette, KCC, David Green and MP Laura Sandys to launch the campaign and a number of Ramsgate residents’ groups. It was and we hope as many members of The Ramsgate Society agreed that The Ramsgate Society would take the lead, will attend this meeting and support this much needed with the full support of the others, to organise an anti- initiative. litter campaign to focus on the town centre and sea front We very much hope that members of The Ramsgate Soci- and other areas that residents’ groups would like to see ety will join us on 27th May and do their bit to help clean cleaned up. up the image of the town. There was a strong feeling that the amount of litter dropped in our streets reflected badly on the image and - and The Wombles picture on the cover? It was they, prosperity of the town and that local residents would be readers will remember, who liked to clean up Wimbledon willing to play their part in getting this message across in Common. ‘Loving where they Lived’. Editor. a “day of action”.

Page 6 PUGIN IN 2012 This year is the celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of A.W.N. Pugin. Throughout the year there will be events around the country, organised by the Pugin Society and others. For fuller details of these, as the year unfolds, see the society's website at: www.pugin-society.ltol.org.

PRINCIPAL PUGIN SOCIETY EVENTS IN RAMSGATE

Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 May: Art Workshop for young people, based around Pugin Themes. A two day hands-on workshop run by Dawn Cole, award-winning print- maker, and Tony Roche, from the Wallpaper History Society, who is an accomplished wallpaper designer. Wednesday afternoon (2.00-4.00) will focus on details in The Grange and St Augustine's to learn something about Pugin's design principles. On Thursday (1.00-4.00) these ideas will be put into practice with opportunities to make Pugin-inspired relief prints and stencilled wallpaper designs in the Cartoon Room, by kind permission of the Landmark Trust. Cost: £5.00. Space is limited, no more than ten. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday 23 June: East Kent Churches through the Eyes of Pugin. A coach tour exploring East Kent churches through the eyes of Pugin, led by Nick Dermott, of English Heritage, Chair of The Pugin Society. The tour will leave Ramsgate railway station at 10.15 and return at about 5.00 p.m. There will a break to allow people to buy lunch. Cost: £20 with SAE. Apply: Professor Julia Twigg, 9 Nunnery Road, Canterbury, CTl 3LS, [email protected], 01227 766879. Open to public.

Thursday 12 July: Pre-conference Lecture by Rosemary Hill and Pugin style wallpaper. Buffet Supper in Ramsgate. The Pugin Society celebrates the opening of the international conference with a lecture and supper in Pugin's home town of Ramsgate at Chatham House School. The lecture 'Pugin: A Life for Our Time' will be given by his celebrated biographer, Dr Rosemary Hill. Lecture tickets £5: supper tickets £20. Tickets from Professor Julia Twigg, 9 Nunnery Road, Canterbury, CTl 3LS. Please enclose SAE. Also available via the conference website, see below. Tickets will be on sale until 30 June. Numbers are limited.

St Augustine's Week 21-27 May. A special week of celebrations centred round A.W. N. Pugin's St Augustine's church and P.P. Pugin's St Ethelbert's and St Gertrude's church in Ramsgate. There will be a series of stimulating events and talks relating to Catholic history and culture and, it is hoped, a linked music festival. The week will be directed by Father Marcus Holden and the Friends of St Augustine's. For further details nearer the time see: www.augustinefriends.co.uk or ring 01843 592071. Father Marcus has also offered to say Mass in The Grange chapel if there is a request for this at any time during the year. Visiting The Grange and St Augustine's. Throughout the year it will be possible to visit The Grange, the house that Pugin designed and built for him- St Ethelbert's and St Gertrude's Church, Hereson Road. self on the West Cliff of Ramsgate, and St Augustine's, the church he designed and built next door. The Grange, under the ownership of The Landmark Trust, will be open as usual on Wednesday afternoons 2-4 p.m. (booking in advance required 01843 596401). St Augustine's is also open on Sundays 2-4 p.m. every week. Please note that some restoration will be in progress in St Augustine's during the year. This should not affect visiting, but just in case, if you are coming from any distance, it might be as well to ring 01843 592460 to check in advance.

Page 7 A Short History of Wellington Crescent By Terry Prue Part 4: A truly distinguished resident

Sir Charles Warren (1840 – 1927) was the most famous His military career began in 1857 and included technical permanent resident of Wellington Crescent. In his time he work on excavations in Jerusalem and as boundary was extremely well known – if not always popular (1) - commissioner for Griqualand (now part of South Africa). and it was indicative of his status that his funeral in These events will influence his later writing but for brevity Canterbury Cathedral was a lavish affair with representa- we will skip his military exploits and jump to his tives of the King, the War Office, local authorities and the appointment as Commissioner of Police in London in1886 many organisations he supported. It even included a – just two years before the first of the Whitechapel marching band and members of the police, scouts, cavalry Murders in April 1888. and infantry for which “large numbers of people lined the Almost immediately he felt unsupported by the Home streets as a mark of respect to one whose memory they Office and by November 1888, when he tendered his cherished and revered” (2) resignation for the second time, it was accepted. Clashes In the 1900’s some postcards of Wellington Crescent with Henry Matthews, the Home Secretary had centred included the sub-text ‘home of Sir Charles Warren’ and it primarily on disagreements on how the police budget was feels fitting that March 9th saw the unveiling of a Rams- allocated – Warren wanted an improved pension scheme gate Society blue plaque on No 10 by the East Kent Divi- for his officers and the curtailment of expenses he felt to sional Commander, Chief Superintendent Mark Nottage. be less necessary. There may also have been a politically- Sir Charles was undoubtedly a man of his time and that is based antagonism since Matthews was a Conservative and Warren had stood for Parliament as a Liberal just a perhaps the main reason why he is now so little remem- bered: – a military man fighting to preserve the Empire, few years earlier in 1885. the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who failed to catch The final trigger to Warren’s departure was not the lack of progress in the Ripper case but reaction to an article he Jack the Ripper, a writer on obscure elements of archae- ology and mathematics, a proselytising Christian, a wrote in Murray’s Magazine entitled ‘The Police of the Temperance Society supporter, an enthusiastic mason Metropolis’. The content was largely historical but also included his views about police budget allocation and CID and an early pioneer of the Boy Scouts. None of this is inherently very compelling in an age that more easily re- independence. Home Secretary Matthews was furious and veres David Beckham and Lady Gaga. barred Warren from making any more public statements – an action which Warren felt infringed his right to reply to criticism. When asked by an American newspaper for the reasons behind his resignation Warren referred to ‘a great An extract from grievance (that) has been the interference of the Home 400 Facts and Curiosities of Ramsgate Office in the police department’ and that ‘It has been so (3). by John Huddlestone:- for two years’ He then left London and returned to military service – first FACTS ABOUT THE PRESENT DAY in The Straits Settlements (now Singapore and surround- ing areas) and then back at Chatham. It was in 1898 – There are 295 Streets in the Borough, ten years after leaving the police – that he first moved to and 140 streets have shops in them. 10 Wellington Crescent with his family. Not that he stayed long! Within a year he had volunteered for a commission The total number of shops in the Borough in the Boer War, South Africa, and after an interview with is 1,112 and these embrace Lord Wolsely, this request was granted. 80 different trades. Shops described as His diary records the response to his departure from Kent “General” head the list at 106. There are on 24th November 1899:

94 Licensed Houses in the town, “I had a most enthusiastic send-off from Ramsgate, and and 15 Off-licences. at Broadstairs, Margate and Westgate. There were crowds There are 80 Confectioners, waiting to take leave, it was most affecting. There were gathered the families of many soldiers and police who had 43 Bakers, 38 Butchers, served with me at different times, and I had known 51 Boot and Shoe Makers, nothing of them being in the neighbourhood.” (4) 45 Drapers and Milliners, 14 Tailors, At the end of August 1900 he was back in Ramsgate 41 Grocers and 55 Greengrocers. again and was extremely active in his time at Wellington Crescent up to the First Word War. Among his activities Produced in 1937 by Thanet Publicity Service were the publications of three books, which can still be Printed by W.H. Bligh & Co., Ltd., Ramsgate. found as free online eBooks today:

Continued on the next page...

Page 8 The latest of The Ramsgate Society blue plaque unveilings took place on March 9th and commemorated the residence of Major-General Sir Charles Warren at 10 Wellington Crescent from 1901 to 1914. In attendance at the ceremony (l to r) were: Frank Batt – originator and organiser of The Ramsgate Society blue plaque scheme, Chief Superintendant Mark Nottage who conducted the unveiling, County Councillor Liz Green who secured the community grant for the scheme, Local Historian Laura Probert, Denise Burring – District Commissioner, Thanet Scouts, Jennifer Smith of the Ramsgate Society and Terry & Janet Prue of Wellington Crescent. Picture courtesy of The Isle of Thanet Gazette.

 ‘On the Veldt in the Seventies’ (1902) Bishop of Ely) was vicar.  ‘The Ancient Cubit and our Weights and At this time there was a vacancy for Superintendent for the senior Sunday School classes where the poor discipline Measures’ (1903) from the older boys was proving disruptive to the infants  ‘The Early Weights and Measures of Mankind’ (1912) under Charlotte’s charge. Canon White-Thomson invited He also wrote articles for various publications on military, Warren to take over the Superintendent’s role in the sum- archaeological and religious subjects. mer of 1904. In addition to this he travelled extensively in Europe with Sir Charles later described his experience: “In 1904, over his daughters, served as a pallbearer at the one hundred boys in the parish funeral of Prince Edward of Saxe-Weiner (nephew where I was living were riotous Chief Superintent Mark Nottage in Sunday School and flatly to Adelaide, wife of William IV), and frequently inspects the Plaque spoke on his experiences with: refused to go to church in the

morning” (5) By various  The Palestine Exploration Fund devices he won the boys over  The London Missionary Society – including his introduction of a  The Church of England Temperance Society new rule that only those with  St John Ambulance Brigade (of which he was good behaviour would hence- Life President) forth be permitted to attend His major contribution to Ramsgate society church. concerns the early days of scouting and deserves Seeking ways to maintain the coverage in more detail. At the time of the 1901 interest of boys 14 to 18 he Census the Warren family in Wellington Crescent introduced the Church Lads’ included youngest daughter Charlotte (then 31). Brigade to St George’s in 1904 One of Charlotte’s activities was to teach the and soon had a group of 40 infants’ class in the Sunday School at St George’s “with a large swimming club Church where Canon White-Thomson (later attached, a good bugle band

Page 9 and a gymnastic and shooting club”. Then around 1907 he wrote to Sir Charles to congratulate him on the quality of became aware of the activities of Baden-Powell and, par- his Ramsgate boys as ‘exemplary citizens of the Borough’. ticularly, the camp he had run for Boy Scouts on In 1913 a family death led to Sir Charles buying and even- Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour in 1907: tually moving to The Oaks at Westbere, 3 miles east of “The whole of General Baden-Powell’s proposals were so Canterbury. From this base he retained his links with splendid that I started a troop as early as I could – in April Ramsgate but also brought scouting to his new location. 1908 – and we were in full working order in May”. He even managed to publish two more books and was Up until then he had been closely involved researching a third on archaeology in the with both Christian and Jewish Boys’ Weald of Kent (6) . Brigades but contact with Baden-Powell’s Lady Warren died in 1919 and was buried ideas converted him: at Westbere. Five years later in 1924 Sir “After some month’s work with Boy Scouts Charles moved to a flat in Weston-super- I came to the conclusion that the Scout Mare to be near his younger son, Richard. Movement was far and away in advance of When he himself died on 21st January 1927 anything else yet devised, and ‘Scouting (at age 86) his body was brought back to for Boys’ I looked upon as a very up-to- lie beside his wife at Westbere. date document” At this final resting place there was a guard Through his energies and patronage the of honour round the grave at his interment. st 1 Ramsgate (Sir Charles Warren’s Own) It was formed, of course, by the 1st Scout Troop came into being and by New Ramsgate (Sir Charles Warren’s Own) Scout Year’s day 1914 Robert Baden-Powell At 10 Wellington Crescent Troop.

Sources / Notes 1. His use of great force to break up a demonstration in Trafalgar Square (‘Bloody Sunday’ 13 Nov 1887) and his performance in the Battle of Spion Kop in the campaign to relieve Ladysmith in the Boer War are main causes for negativity but since this is for The Ramsgate Society my emphasis will be on his life from his resignation from the police in 1899 through to his activities while living in Ramsgate and his eventual death in 1927. 2. The Kentish Gazette and Canterbury Press, January 29, 1927. 3. Boston Daily Globe 13 November 1888. 4. This and later quotes about Sir Charles in Ramsgate are taken from ‘The Life of General Sir Charles Warren’ by his grandson Watkin Williams and published by Blackwell in 1941. 5. Talk to the Dover Boy Scouts’ Association in January 1921 quoted in Watkin Williams’ biography. 6. 1915 ‘History of the Bread and Cheese Field Trust’ & 1916 ‘The Wergild in England’ (I’m not making this up – honest) AIRPORT CONNECTIONS Mayor of Ramsgate’s Charity Events

Our next charity event is... The Mandy Winters Show in Photos taken at Quex House, Quex Park, Birchington. aid of the Mayor of Ramsgate's Charities. For all your transport needs. From 1 passenger to 53 passengers. Including special guests. Schools and Private Hire our Speciality. Saturday 21st April at 7.30 pm Professional and Courteous Drivers. Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Available. at the Granville Theatre, Tel: 01843 823007 Ramsgate.

Tickets only £12. Please book at the Box Office 01843 591750.

Page 10

CLAUDIUS AND I An anonymous and wry contemporary look at a local Roman’s way of life…

It was a late Autumn day and the days were shortening. We had crossed on the ferry from RVTVPIAE harbour traversing the Wantsum channel to the Isle of Tenet, to collect shellfish for the garrison’s evening meal - of fish soup and rye bread. The ferry had despatched us at a shallow mud covered bay at the Tenet side of the Wantsum and we started our quest for the shellfish and crabs for the evening's meal. It was a fruitful quest and by late afternoon our baskets were full of local cockles, mussels clams, and edible crabs for the delicious soup that would be made from them. "Come Claudius, we have a little time, let us walk up the cliff and take in the view of our fort from this side of the river". We walked for sometime and coming to a dip in the land- scape we decided that was far enough. It was now quite late and the sun was beginning to set. In the distance we could see the giant Triumphal Arch of white marble shining gold in the rays of the setting sun. In the shallow bay were several galleys making their way to the Wantsum and others to Gaul, bringing and exporting everything we needed for our miserable existence. Our thoughts turned to Rome and our loved ones that we had left behind . "Come Claudius, we must make haste or we shall miss the ferry." Anon.

Image courtesy of CLICKET.COM

St Laurence Church Yard Tours THE FRIENDS OF

ST GEORGE

We warmly invite you to the annual St George's Day service on Monday, 23 April at 6.30 p.m. in St George's Church. On Saturday, 26 May we look forward to seeing you at the ChocFest in the Church Hall between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. This is an occasion for chocoholics to indulge as there will be chocolate to St. Laurence Church is pleased to confirm that tours of drink, eat and buy. There will also be a chocolate the historic churchyard will once again take place on the raffle and lucky dip. If, however, chocolate is not first Saturday of the month from April to October. really your thing we shall also serve coffee and tea, The tour leader is Barbara Byne, who is a member of The so do come and support us. Friends of St. Laurence Churchyard and of The Ramsgate On Sunday, 17 June there will be a concert in church Society. This interesting tour takes in the graves of Sir at 4.00 p.m by the Eclectics - a choral group. William Garrow, (Garrow’s Law), Lady Augusta Murray, For the artists among, you the Art Exhibition will be her two children, who were grandchildren of George III held in church from 4 to 15 July. and Dr. Collis Brown, among many other fascinating If you would like to exhibit, please get in touch with personalities. Apart from the social history involved, you Frank Batt (07989 403383). will also learn about the flora and fauna within the Jennifer Smith churchyard walls. Tours begin at 10.00 a.m. and will last approximately one hour. No booking required - just turn up on the day. The church will be open and visitors will be able to have April Monthly Meeting refreshments and look around the church after the tour. The speaker arranged for our 18 April, Dates: 7th April, 5th May, 2nd June, 7th July, Meeting, Mrs Eileen Randall, 1st September and 6th October For further information, please contact the Parish Office is not able to come. on 01843 592478 Instead Miss Barbara Byne is going to Address: St. Laurence-in-Thanet Church, High Street, St. Lawrence, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 OQT give a talk about the Tyrol.

Page 11 New member Alan Turtle’s letter below to our Treasurer will strike a chord with many - not only in coming to terms with modern technology, including finding out about The Society via our Website, but also his recollections of Ramsgate.

I have been taught and pestered by a grandson one tenth of my age to use a computer to write this letter, by far the most difficult thing in my whole seventy years I have found to do. With an aeronautical background for most of my working life, giving instruction to up and coming youngsters about the fine de- tails and knowledge needed to dismantle, repair and reassemble aircraft as large and as complicated as a Harrier, my slide rule a constant companion, you would think the task of mastering such a simple contraption as a computer would come naturally to me. (You may be interested to know Alan that my father was Glorious Wellington Crescent an engineer at Fairey Aviation in Hayes, Middlesex up to 1948, specialising Photo Robert Holden. in cockpit works and problem resolution. Editor). Not so! I think I suppose logically, and mechanically, one part makes another part work that makes even more parts function correctly. I have discovered that is not how computers work. So in desperation I have turned to an eight year old to show me, and to guide me through the pit falls that folks of my generation suffer complete bewilderment at the way it has a mind of its own, hiding my memos from me in places it seems to know I had never heard of, and I am sure gives a little chuckle when I want to refer to it at a later date. I have been fascinated by your web site, living in the town all my young life of which my family goes back centuries, and the lovely memories I have as I grew up. I would like to join and become a member of your society, I cannot see how I can be of any assistance, but if you know of any way I can, please do not hesitate to let me know. My great great grandparents, uncles and aunts had many varied businesses in the town from greengrocery, the post office (on the corner of Alexandra Road,) timber yard (incidentally in the chalk pit opposite where you live, which now I see contains flats) butchers (Boundary Road), scrap metal, and even shrimp, mussel and cockle barrows that my aunt Min' ran from Hill Brow Road just off Station Approach Road. A vibrant late March market day Friday I have lived in the New Forest The Marina Swimming Pool under in Ramsgate High Street. now for the past forty odd years construction in the 1930’s. and my grandchildren are asking Photo taken by Freda Dobbs. so many questions about my hometown of Ramsgate. They don't seem to want to believe, unless I present them with evidence, how beautiful I remember all the buildings in the town were. The majestic Granville Hotel, with its beautiful ballroom where I used to attend ballroom dancing lessons, now so sadly gone to developers, The Marina swimming pool the biggest in the country many many happy hours, now a car park! Pleasurama sadly burnt to the ground also now an empty space. But as I look at this 'Google Earth' that the children have shown me, the town and the architecture of most of the buildings have not changed a lot, only the frontage of some of the shops. If because I now live in another part of the country its not possible to join The Society I quite understand, and wish you well in all your efforts to keep the heritage of my hometown as I remember it all. Regards Alan H Turtle.

Ellington Park – May Fayre - Double Diamond Jubilee Celebrating 120 years of the Park’s existence on Saturday 26th May - Noon – 6 p.m. Free Entry

Page 12 THE RAMSGATE (HERITAGE REGENERATION) TRUST Ltd From Peter Landi I thought it appropriate to bring our Ramsgate Society readers up to date with the progress of the Ramsgate (Heritage Regeneration) Trust - RHRT. The process of forming the trust began in June 2010 at Ramsgate Library. A subsequent meeting was held at Clarendon House on 4th October 2010. Prospective Directors were required to submit CVs in advance and then spoke to their CV. Members were then given the opportunity to ask questions. The votes were then counted and the following Directors were elected: Jocelyn McCarthy, Peter Landi, Ken Read, Bernie Morgan and Graham Attwell. Regular monthly meetings have been held since that time at Jocelyn’s house. The need to have the Trust properly set up took several months. Jocelyn was elected as Chairman, Lionel Jermy as Company Secretary, Ken Read as Treasurer and Rosemary Cryle as Minute Clerk. All these appointments to be for one year. Bank Accounts were set up and the usual administrative procedures put in place. A wish list of buildings to be renovated was considered: Albion House, Royal Victoria Pavilion, West-cliff Lift, and West-cliff Chine. Together with an overview of arrangements for the Clock House and West-cliff Concert Hall (later known as the Motor Museum) which have other Community Trusts/Associations investigating future proposals. RHRT was asked by the Ramsgate Town Council to be the figurehead for a bid to gain funding for the Ramsgate Tunnels Project. This was agreed, funding was obtained, and the project is now being pushed forward by the Tunnel Group headed by Peter Burrough, Stephen Davies and Phil Spain, along with David Green and others. Efforts to save Albion House and the Royal Victoria Pavilion have been ongoing but the wheels of progress at Thanet District Council grind exceedingly slowly and this has been very frustrating. A new Assets Manager has been appointed at TDC and we hope that a more open relationship can be formed. RHRT has also been considering the possibility of obtaining office space in the Town Centre which could used by The Ramsgate Society, and also as a Visitor Centre and meeting place. All these projects require funding – and there’s the rub! Funding is the lubricant which is necessary for the smooth running of the engine of progress. Anyone with some experience of obtaining funding, willing to help/advise/direct would be most welcome. Please get in touch. PLEASE!! Most of you will be aware that the seafront shelters are going to be restored and work has commenced on the first two. This has taken longer than anticipated with some unexpected problems arising but future progress should be faster. Graham Attwell one of our Directors, has been working hard on tidying up the West-cliff Chine with the cooperation of Paul Verral of TDC. He also provided and installed a new home for the tawny owl of Ellington park. The Trust members have also been tidying and planting around the Madeira Walk waterfall. It should look really good in the Spring. We would be delighted to see more Ramsgate Society members becoming Members of RHRT and our Chairman will be speaking to you on this subject at future Ramsgate Society meetings. Membership forms available. Single Membership only costs £5.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW RAMSGATE? The answer to the Winter 2011 issue’s offering and yet another one to get you out and about looking.

‘The knapped flint building, on which this For this issue’s arch and dedication feature, is in one of challenge we offer our three ‘M’s villages - Minster, Manston this gate. or Monkton’ , is how we introduced the A clue: It has last issue’schallenge, pictured left. connections with It seems no-one knows of its material in this location so that is one point to the magazine. So editorial team. where is it and what Well, this small chapel is in the building is on the village of Manston at the top end other side of the of the High Street. It used to be gate? Indeed - one of the outlying chapels of the what fundamental Ramsgate Methodist Circuit but is building is now given over to other behind the camera? religious usage.

Page 13 Replies to queries - to the Editor please. A chance to share your Letters and Emails Contact details inside the front cover. thoughts, knowledge and enquiries with fellow Society members. Thanks.

Elsie Miller in Ashford wrote concerning the Winter issue... I have just finished reading your "About Ramsgate " and I thoroughly Dear Robert enjoyed the read. Several items caught my interest. First, the proposed development at I am from Ramsgate. and went to Holy Trinity school, and after the war, Ramsgate Harbour. When are these developers going to realise that I attended Hereson School. and finally Ellington school. Ramsgate Harbour is and always has been a working Harbour. With My friend sends me the magazine, she is a member and I in turn send it the increase of guard ships for the wind farm, the slipways are required on to another friend .We have known each other since our days in and so is the workshop. Like you I remember when Claxton's did the Ramsgate., We both married American airmen., several of us old girls repairs to Watkins Tugs. Living as I did in Kent Place we were quite have kept in touch and shared our memories of our teen years, Ramsgate used to the sounds of the shipwrights and took no notice of it. I was a magical place for us. remember also the slipway being hauled up by the big capstan, with the I loved reading about the Coronation dances - never missed a dance men pushing it around with big spars. I loved the sound it made, there. also both the lock gates were operated by capstan. I remember the I have been back many times and to me Ramsgate is still home and last big tide surge in 1953, when the sea lapped Harbour Parade and always will be. Thank you so much for bringing us news of our home the water was level with the crosswall. Although we haven't had a tide town... surge since, it doesn't mean it won't happen again. Hazel Furness - nee Hughes, writes... Shirley Goffe asked if anyone remembered the Spain School Thanks to all who work so hard to produce the Magazine. For someone of Dancing. I was a pupil there during the 1940's. The principal was who left Ramsgate in 1952 to live and work in Australia I find that trying Miss Constance Spain and she was assisted by her sister Beryl. to remember the location of streets, except for the very well-known ones, Many of the costumes were made by the pupils’ mothers, and I remem- is very hard. Is there a street map of Ramsgate and area which Icould ber my mother making a ballet dress out of parachute silk and butter purchase? The other query is about the Youth Club, After I left the muslin and a tuxedo dress out of blackout material. These didn't use W.R.N.S. in 1946, I was involved in helping at the Youth Club, which, clothing coupons. from memory, was in a house located in Chapel St. (I think) There was a The picture of the Colonnade was interesting. For the past three years I grass tennis court opposite the house (behind a wall?). I used to cook have visited the National Archives at Kew researching the early history buns and cakes for the canteen and also coached some boys at tennis. of Ramsgate Lifeboat from 1802 to 1855. I was able to access the Two of those I coached were called up for National Service and one Minute Books of the Harbour Trustees, and found in the Minutes for whom I subsequently met, told me that he played tennis for his RAF 12th December 1851, that the Trustees required a Life Boat House be station team. I felt rather chuffed that my coaching had got results! I built and sited near the Colonnades. It was to be large enough to house wonder if there is anyone around who was a member of this youth club? the Lifeboat at one end and a Fire Engine at the other. Work was Best wishes, completed in 1852, and housed the Beeching Lifeboat Hazel Furness "Northumberland”. I enjoy receiving the magazine and always find the articles interesting. Bobbie Ricks writes to say… I took tap and ballet lessons at the Spain School of Dancing behind the In a follow up email Elsie writes… Duke of Kent (that was) about 1954 or 55. I was nine or ten and we used I refer to my e-mail of 27th January, where I said I remembered the a room above the Premier Garage - now council flats. slipway being hauled up by capstan. Although I can remember this on I remember walking on the stage of the Granville singing "! saw mummy one instance I have since found out that the slipway was electrified in kissing Santa Claus" with the rest of the class and the audience 1914, so this must have been a one off. Perhaps the mechanics failed. collapsing with laughter at our skimpy costumes and little legs! My Member Pat Taylor asks... mother used to make my costumes and I never lost the urge to show off Hi! I wondered if anyone could help me track down the location of a as I am still 'tapping' at the age of 67 years!! nineteenth century dame school run by a Mrs Pettman in Ramsgate? I Honeysuckle Inn am interested because the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, attend- My husband Shaun was born in the "Honey" during the war in 1942. His ed the school in 1811. She was Mary Godwin at that time, marrying parents Rose and Pat Ricks managed this very popular Tomson and the poet, Percy Bysse Shelley, when her education had been completed. Wotton pub from the late 30's until the early 1950's. During the war it I realise that the school will most probably have disappeared long ago used to be packed with soldiers, sailors and airmen from all over the but it would be good to know where it was originally. Mary only world. He understood from someone that the area was dug out for lime stayed there six months, going to Dundee in 1812. Thanks! centuries ago as it goes way back into the Mausoleum grounds. LucyAnn Curling sets an unusual enquiry.. Has anyone seen the ghost? He has a straight fringe with long hair at the I note your message in red at the top of this form, but my question is back (a bit Cromwellian.) Shaun only saw him once but he remembers more about a school in Ramsgate than about my family. In 1819, my seeing him clearly at the bottom of the stairs in the bar. By the way, Pat Ricks was the son of HARRY GOLD the entertainer who used to have a great-great-great grandfather Edward Curling and his eldest brother Pierrot show on Ramsgate sands from 1917 onwards and his wife's father Thomas were at the Rev. G Abbot's boarding school in Ramsgate. used to take photos on the same sands at the same time!!

Recent help from KFHS has identified the school as being in the High Thanks Bobbie - it really is a small world . Jan - Editorial assistant. Street in Ramsgate (from a book entitled a Short Account of the Isle of Thanet .... by Robert Edward Hunter MD available on Googlebooks). I Map of the so called wondered whether any historic material existed from the period which six mile mine in the area of the would tell me more about the school - for example the timetable, the Honeysuckle pub. cost of attending and so on. From letters between Thomas and his Editor. grandmother Mrs Catherine Curling, I know that Thomas made friends with the Watchman Mr Diggs on the beach and I wondered how he Sourced from the managed to do that. I would be most grateful for any information you Internet. It has a can give me or direction to further sources. Best wishes Kent County Library stamp at the top left. Janet (nee) Avery emails from the U.S.A.

Page 14 Rose Queen at St George’s By Dennis Kirby

From a letter written to Jennifer Smith - our Treasurer - we learn about the Rose Queen of St George’s. Does anyone know if the ceremony took place at the church or the school - or even the hall? As usual, replies to The Editor please.

I have been scanning a number of family photographs for a friend of ours, many of which he has recently inherited. Some of them are well over a hundred years old. I thought you might be interested in this rather charming picture. Unusually, it does have some information on the back. It reads: Maud Fendick, Rose Queen at St. George’s. She does not appear to be related to our friend, but we think she was probably a friend of the Larkin family, our friend's ancestors who lived in Effingham Street. Arthur Larkin was Mayor of Ramsgate. We have discovered that she was born in Tonbridge in 1885. Her father, William Fendick, died in 1890 aged 33. It appears that she then moved to Ramsgate with her mother and sister, for in 1911 they were liv- Arthur Larkin, Mayor of Ramsgate ing with her grand- 1921 - 1922 at the War Memorial in mother in Crescent St Georges Churchyard. Road. Maud was by then an elementary school teacher. In the photo she appears to be in her early teens so this would date it to around the end of the century. I believe it was the custom in some areas for the Sunday school children to dress up and parade round the town, led by the Rose Queen. I imagine that the crocuses are beginning to appear near the Church gates - I must say that the lantern is looking splendid.

Laundry to Jam and beyond - Len has an answer

On page 17 of the winter issue of About Ramsgate we asked if anyone knew what happened to the premises in Ashburnham Road after Kenard’s Jam Factory closed in the 1900’s. Once again Len Gray has written to us with some interesting information.

After the Jam Factory closed, C.J. Hudson Flour Mills used it as an extra store for bagged flour. Flour milling was con- trolled by the Government years ago, but as soon as it was lifted our mill ran 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Wheat lorries would queue right up Margate Road, then a break and the queue would continue in Park Road. B.R.S. Transport would be queued right up into the mill yard. We only had a two storey workhouse, so milled flour was taken to the new temporary store - the Jam Factory. Everyone was on overtime, except for us maintenance men, who only received overtime if there was a breakdown.

Len always replies to ‘How well do you know Ramsgate?’ invariably proving that he does know Ramsgate very well indeed - just once in a while the Team wins as with the Winter 2011 challenge.

Page 15 Town Planning By Robert Holden MICWCI (ret’d.)

“The area of brownfield (previously developed) land is Observation 2. Using the site of the former gas works, growing faster than it is being used. Yet Government which lies pretty much in the centre of Ramsgate, as an proposals risk neglecting large areas in our towns and example - and forgetting for the moment possible land cities which need regeneration and place the countryside at risk.” So say the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) in their latest newsletter ‘Field Work’ Winter 2011 - back page headed ‘Matter of Fact’. Without going into the finer details of this somewhat Site of the former gasworks comprehensive statistical article, we might make a basic courtesy of Google Earth observation that renders the government objective of building on formerly built upon land as useless as a chocolate tea pot. First conceived under the previous Labour administration, it is not to be critical of it as such, as the aim is laudable enough. The problem is in the actual workings of it, examples of which abound in Thanet in a highly visible way. Let us make some observations. Observation 1. Work has now started on the destruction Boundary Road of prime agricultural land once worked by Nash Farm. I refer of course to the oddly named ‘New Haine Road’ development adjacent to the new Westwood Cross contamination issues. This is prime Brownfield land ripe shopping complex. Oddly because New Haine Road for conversion to housing under the above mentioned government objective. Granted that very recent thinking This image is published on the UK Planning Portal and used may relocate the Ramsgate Fire Station to part of this here for educational and information purposes. Note that this is based on an old map of the area with houses and site, there will still remain sufficient land, one would bungalows where Debenhams now stands. expect, to provide for a goodly number of new houses. Observation 3. The crux of the problem! That of land ownership. Some of those 74 houses/flats could go onto the gas works site and help support central Ramsgate shops and businesses. But still preference is given to

Nash Farm ‘House Harvesting’ on prime farmland. Government rhetoric is fine - but the reality is utterly flawed through the fact of different land ownership. Brownfield land

owned by one party (perhaps not wanting to re-develop) whilst green field land, highly prized by developers and Manston Court Road readily available, with its usage encouraged by Govern- ment - local or national. This is hardly in the spirit of the Phase 1 ‘Brownfield First’ agenda. Surely this needs a thorough country-wide rethink - does it not? itself is the other side of Haine Road proper and some CPRE state “Brownfield land available could supply the distance to the south of the development - beyond West- largest number of dwellings since records began in wood Cross. Or do they mean a new development at London and the South East”. Until that matter of Haine Road? ‘Brownfield land ownership’ is resolved and converted to Phases 1, 2, 3a & 3b, of 8 Phases of this development, ‘Brownfield development’ we will be no further forward at involve the complete remodelling of Manston Court Road the expense of even more lost farmland. And anyway, and Nash Road with a new roundabout at their junction with all the empty properties around and the many unfin- with Star Lane - and the construction of the first 74 ished town centre developments, do we need to consider ‘units’ in the small southern corner. Units!? - Houses farmland at all? and 3 floor of flats to you and me! Continued on the next page...

Page 16 Planning continued... Separately, CPRE are looking at One could be forgiven for wondering how that will affect restarting a Thanet branch. We might observe that with our Chalk Aquifers that lie between 187 to 900 ft below the current rate of green field loss there will not be much the surface in this area. Perhaps in years to come, when left of Thanet’s ‘Rural England’ to ‘Campaign’ for! the mine is worked out, it could serve as an underground reservoir. There could even be ancient water down there Well - the Richborough Towers and Chimney have gone. already - beneath the 18” of clay 20ft into the Limestone. You cannot go away for a minute without a local land- mark disappearing! Anyway we can now look forward to Ramsgate Town Centre received a boost just this week, some state-of-the-art eco power generation on the site - as this is typed, with the opening of the new ASDA store waste to energy, and about time! in replacement of Nettos - formerly on the site. We can also look forward - in due course - to a new With Aldi’s already occupying a site in lower Boundary limestone Mine, the entrance to which will be just south Road, Peacocks in the former Marks and Spencer building of the new power station and the wind farm’s electrical - soon to be come an Edinburgh Woollen Mills shop - and distribution station. one or two other changes in the town centre and water- This has been on KCC’s back burner for some while. front, it all looks promising for our town centre to carry on What the limestone will be used for is unclear - oblivious of the superficiality of Westwood Cross. All roadstone, cement manufacture - don’t know. But it will rather encouraging really. cover quite a large subterranean area of the River Stour Those who take their flood plain to the west. sea air along Harbour The stone is of the Carboniferous Period laid down 270 to Parade will have seen 350 Million years ago. It lies immediately below the Coal the scaffolding to the Measures at 1160 ft. That’s a big deep hole to get to it! front of the Alexandra Restaurant. The well Proposed Limestone Mine respected London restoration company Szrerelemy are giving the façade a proper going over, so we can expect to see a really good make over.

The new industry? Concrete pontoon construction. Shades of Mulberry Harbour here! More concrete pontoons for wind farm use? Yes concrete does float! Here we see the polystyrene chamber fillers in place and the last of the steel reinforcement being tied together, in readiness to receive perhaps 40 tons of new wet concrete decking. Then it is two to three weeks of curing before the next stage. The eventual location of these pontoons is unknown. It could be in the ferry area but it could also be at another port, being constructed here to make use of a readily accessible location. These two wind farm/wind energy companies certainly are keeping the harbour busy, if that is for whom they are intended.

Page 17 Who am I and what’s Society Officers my connection with and Ramsgate? Acknowledgements

Compiled by Terry Prue Patron: Sir Terry Farrell Answer from the page 4 quotation. President: Roy Adsett This quote is from Ernest Shackleton (1874 - 1922) and appears in the introduction to his book ‘South: The Endur- Vice Presidents: John Barman ance Expedition’ published in 1919. The book describes his Peter Landi third trip to the Antarctic which had the aim of crossing the continent via the South Pole. The reference to Dame Janet Officers of The Society: Stancomb–Wills is to Ramsgate’s first lady mayor and a major benefactor to the town. Dame Janet befriended Sir Chairman: Jocelyn McCarthy Ernest Shackleton and helped to fund many of his expedi- Vice Chairman Frank Batt Secretary: Rosemary Cryle tions to the Antarctic. Treasurer: Jennifer Smith

Ernest Shackleton became a close personal friend of hers and he often stayed at East Court on the East Cliff. Committee & other Responsibilities: In the darkest days of the Endurance Expedition – when the Endurance herself sank after being crushed by the ice – Magazine Editor: Robert Holden Shackleton had a constant reminder of the Ramsgate Magazine Assistant: Jan Holden connection: the three lifeboats that provided eventual Planning: Robert Holden escape and a modicum of shelter were named after the Deputy Planning: Ken Read: three principal sponsors of the expedition, the James Caird, Planning Support John Walker the Dudley Docker and the Stancomb-Wills. Ernest Shackle- Buildings at Risk: Ken Read ton visited Ramsgate as late as August 1921, just four Membership Secretary: Janet Reid months before his death at South Georgia 5th January 1922. Membership Data Base: Jan Holden Environment: Frank Batt Website Respondents: Robert & Jan Holden St George’s Programme: Jennifer Smith Fundraising: David Rumsey Music Group Committee Member Paul Strain Website Manager: Andrew Mothersele

Acknowledgements: Do you enjoy listening to Classical and / or Light Music? Costumed Walks: Jennifer Smith, If so read on…. Janet Reid A new Group has been formed to enjoy Roy Adsett. listening to classical and light music together. Magazine Editorial Panel: Jennifer Smith We meet on the second Roy Adsett. Wednesday of every month in St George’s Church Hall from 7.30p.m. until 9.30 p.m.

Each meeting features a society member’s programme of music - classical, jazz, big band etc. - About Ramsgate is printed by: together with a few words of explanation about why the music has been chosen. £2.00 per evening

Disclaimer: The views of contributors are not necessarily those of The Ramsgate Society. They are published in good faith for the enjoyment of all. We look forward to receiving articles of interest from other members and the wider readership, which often provide a developing historical record for the benefit of Ramsgate and society in general. Copyright issues: It is solely the responsibility of contributors to ensure that material submitted for publication complies with the laws on copyright and the reproduction of copyrighted material.

Page 18 SOME DATES FOR YOUR DIARY APRIL

Sat 1st St Laurence Churchyard Churchyard Tours starting at 10 a.m. Parish Office No booking necessary -see page 11 01843 592478

Wed 11th St George’s Church Hall Music Group – Classical/Light Music - £2.00 See page 18 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m.

Public Meeting to launch the Love Where You Live Full details Fri 13th Chatham House School Campaign See page 6 7.30 pm Ramsgate Society Members urged to attend

Wed 18th St George’s Church Hall The Ramsgate Society Monthly Meeting 7.15 for 7.30 p.m. 01843 582997 NOTE CHANGE OF PROGRAMME 07989 569935 Miss Barbara Byne – a Talk on The Tyrol Please note £2.00 Meeting Fee

Sat 21st Granville Theatre The Mayor’s Charity Fund – see page 10 Box Office The Mandy Winters Show 7.30pm tickets £12 01843 591750

Mon 23rd St George’s Church St George’s Day Service - 6.30pm

MAY Sat 5th St Laurence Churchyard Churchyard Tours starting at 10 a.m. Parish Office No booking necessary – see page 11 01843 592478

Wed 9th St George’s Church Hall Music Group Classical/Light Music - £2.00 See page 18 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m.

Wed 16th St George’s Church Hall The Ramsgate Society - Annual General Meeting 01843 592102 7.15 for 7.30 p.m. 07939 287652

Mon - Sun St Augustine’s Church Full details 21st -27th Various events throughout the week See page 7 St Ethelbert’s & St Gertrude’s Church Sat 26th St George’s Church Hall ChocFest 10.30 a.m. – 12.30p.m. See page 11

Sat 26th Ellington Park May Fayre – Celebrating 120 years of the Park’s existence See page 12 Free Entry Mid-day – 6 p.m.

Sun 27th Town Centre Love Where You Live – Big Clean Up Full details Page 6

JUNE Sat 2nd St Laurence Churchyard Churchyard Tours starting at 10 a.m. Parish Office No Booking necessary – see page 11 01843 592478 Wed 13th St George’s Church Hall Music Group Classical/Light Music £2.00 See page 11 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. Sun 17th St George’s Church Concert by Eclectics – a choral group. 4.00 p.m. See page 11

Sat 23rd Coach Tour East Kent Churches through the Eyes of Pugin Full details £20.00 On page 7

RAMSGATE GENERAL HOSPITAL Calling anyone who trained or worked at the old Ramsgate Hospital. I wonder if any Society Member still belongs to the Thanet Nurses’ League? Also anyone who has memories of being a patient at the hospital, or other tales to tell. I am hoping to compile an article about our local hospital long before the days of the Q.E.Q.M. If any Society Member can help (or who knows of someone who can) please contact me via the Editor (phone, letter or email) 01843 582997, M: 07989 569935 Email: [email protected] (new email address). Thank you...JanH.