Kent Today & Yesterday

I knew The Greyhound in the 60s but knew nothing o...

2012-05-14T20:23:03.924+01:00

I knew The Greyhound in the 60s but knew nothing of the murders so couldn't resist looking up John Knocker. Briefly, a labourer, he joined the 81st Foot Rgt when he was 14 at 1pm on 27th July 1858 in Chatham for a 'Free kit'
(4'3"3/4,fresh complexion, hazel eyes, Lt brown hair.) There are 9 pages of service and medical records.He served for 21 years in India,(in 1861 in Rawulpindee) Bermuda, Cyprus, Malta & America, ending up as corporal with 4 good conduct awards & medals)
He was shown as an army pensioner & labourer on the Broadmoor census and died in 1928.
He had a brother James.
The 81st Foot regt fought in the First Afghan War but not (I think)the second and third Afghan wars.

Whilst researching my Gravesend family I came acro...

2012-05-14T14:09:53.115+01:00

Whilst researching my Gravesend family I came across the burial of 'An Unknown Stranger' who 'Drowned'
Last known abode given as 'The Canal.'
Perhaps the vicar's sense of humour matched mine!

John Knocker: 1851 census - aged 4 living with mot...

2012-05-14T13:51:13.431+01:00

John Knocker: 1851 census - aged 4 living with mother Eliza O'Donell( born Limerick)in Wood's Buildings,High St, Chatham, Kent.
1881 census in London - soldier.
1891 census Patient in Broadmoor.
Trial was 24 May 1886, Kent Assizes:
- “Insane when act was done- to be kept in strict custody.”
John could well have been a Sapper of Royal Engineers, Brompton, Chatham.

The local police officer on the scene was Sergeant...

2012-05-09T08:21:04.537+01:00

The local police officer on the scene was Sergeant Charles Eve who was based at Cobham. He was my grandad. I have a small file of clippings from The Times and Flight which I can share if you email chriseve@shaw.ca

The steam and heritage gathering is on again this ...

2012-05-03T09:00:11.027+01:00

The steam and heritage gathering is on again this year,12th May in Dartfords Great Park.
Colin

This is a very good post. The Hufflers pub is one...

2012-04-22T20:59:43.335+01:00

This is a very good post. The Hufflers pub is one of the closest to where we have just moved to. I understand that this leg of your walk is due to be revamped. Can't wait. One day we will complete the whole leg of this walk.

Hi Glen In the 70's I provided telecomms suppo...

2012-04-19T10:38:22.513+01:00

Hi Glen
In the 70's I provided telecomms support for an international company that was oil prospecting in Kent!they had very large 6 wheel all terrain trucks and set off charges which were monitored remotely.Those firms don't waste their money.With the recent press releases about shale gas reserves,anything might be possible,given the price of excavation being worthwhile.
GP

Hi Hels, thanks for your comment. I personally bel...

2012-04-19T00:13:53.528+01:00

Hi Hels, thanks for your comment. I personally believe the chances of coal mining company back to Kent in the near future are minimal.

The Kent coalfield was beset with geological problems which made mining difficult and eventually uneconomic.

IF mining does return the number of people employed would be quite low as modern mining methods involve greater mechanisation than in the past. On the plus side modern methods are
likely to be greener so any environmental impact should be less.

Time will tell.

Love the top photo! If coal mining is resumed in K...

2012-04-16T01:16:28.411+01:00

Love the top photo! If coal mining is resumed in Kent, there will be two important questions to ask:
a] will employment opportunities increase for locals? and
b] will any lasting damage be done to the environment?

Wow. Thank you for sharing, and greetings from Ca...

2012-04-01T17:32:54.737+01:00

Wow. Thank you for sharing, and greetings from Canada. My grandparents on my father's side were born in Kent.

the music is very good also i play the drums for t...

2012-03-30T18:44:09.232+01:00

the music is very good also i play the drums for the people in the pictures

Fascinating walk, thank you for posting. How exte...

2012-03-16T10:10:47.998Z

Fascinating walk, thank you for posting. How extensive was the fireworks factory site, and were other structures accessible?

Hi Glen It looks like Kingsnorth will mean less di...

2012-03-13T17:54:30.708Z

Hi Glen
It looks like Kingsnorth will mean less distance to travel for you demolition pictures,as it has been given the chop.
I installed radio sytems when it was built.
I also went looking for the WW1 U-boat that was abandoned by the BeeNess Jetty.

I think solar panels/wind turbines in the countrys...

2012-03-12T00:26:02.676Z

I think solar panels/wind turbines in the countryside look terrible. As bad as the towers which have just come down. I am a bit of a sceptic when it comes to the green energy/global warming debate. A programme on the BBC tonight said that more green house gases in the UK are emitted by cows than cars...

As long as the post-demolition plan is adhered to....

2012-03-11T04:37:08.616Z

As long as the post-demolition plan is adhered to... that is creating a 300 acre green energy park on the site. Solar panels in a field adjacent to the towers = a good start. Now let them deliver the park!

Probably move to Australia Hels :-)

2012-02-23T17:31:30.111Z

Probably move to Australia Hels :-)

A familiar story indeed. Just fill in the gaps. &q...

2012-02-23T05:43:56.517Z

A familiar story indeed. Just fill in the gaps. "London X Company operated from Y Mill. The company was formed in the 1880s and initially produced Z tons per week. Pre-WW1 the company was taken over by B and production increased to Z+ tons per week. The company mainly specialised in the manufacture of C. The mill remained open until the 1960s."

Now I absolutely do understand that needs change, as do technologies. And we need to move to non-polluting industries that don't create climate change. But closing industry after industry after industry creates nothing but mass unemployment. What are the next generations going to do? Move home?

There aren't enough words to describe how bril...

2012-02-18T09:31:12.960Z

There aren't enough words to describe how brilliant this post is. I live in the area immediately to the west of the Darent and below Bob Dunn Way. It has been so frustrating because I could see people walking down along the river but could not figure out how I get to it. I really want to walk my dogs down there and to let them frolic in nature, not just along pavements and old disused office block carparks.

Thank you for the lovely photographs. My ancestor...

2012-01-29T19:09:41.017Z

Thank you for the lovely photographs. My ancestors lived in Shoreham and Otford and worked the land of the beautiful Darent valley. Went back there today and walked the Old Polhill Road. When I was a child it was the road we took to visit my grandparents. It was once so magical - like travelling back to another time. The narrow road twisted down under a green tunnel of trees until one reached the golden valley. The road was closed when the M25 was built and is now a concreted bridle path strewn with hideous debris. So sad, but so glad I saw it before it disappeared.

Hi Glen Had a close shave in 1965,when I went to ...

2012-01-27T22:28:14.732Z

Hi Glen
Had a close shave in 1965,when I went to British Uralite to service R/T equipment,which they stated was no longer in use.It was,I noted ,absolutely covered in a fine white dust.
Also the Frogs/Toads? along the canal go quiet if you get too close.

How fascinating. I am currently doing a lot of rea...

2012-01-26T16:11:38.420Z

How fascinating. I am currently doing a lot of reading about George Arliss and thought you may be able to help me with an enquiry. Most studies of his life refer to only two autobiographies ('Up The Years From Bloomsbury' and 'My Ten Years In The Studio') - but many booksellers also mention 'On The Stage' and 'George Arliss, By Himself'). I was wondering whether you could tell me whether all four are genuine autobiographies by George, as I thought one of two might be red herrings.
Many thanks
Jeremy Isaac Jezza5@yahoo.com

Kent is full of very well known castles and less w...

2012-01-20T20:06:48.099Z

Kent is full of very well known castles and less well known castles also. There are also a lot of ruined castles which we are sorry to have lost. Canterbury castle is such an interesting one.

Hee! Thanks for the shout out! I have yet to visi...

2012-01-16T12:13:38.315Z

Hee! Thanks for the shout out! I have yet to visit central Park which is diabolical, because I have been promising to for over 2 years!

I've noticed frankly unacceptable levels of pollution in a lot of Kent streams and rivers, I must say.

Thank you for the lovely photos and info in this post. It seems like a lovely walk!

What was the name of your ancestors in Chelsfield,...

2012-01-06T21:27:49.245Z

What was the name of your ancestors in Chelsfield, mine too were farm labourers and like yours had no graves. But we have found census proof that they were there.
Rosemary
rosemary@rbaldock1.wanadoo.co.uk

I used to wait for that little bus when I was a ki...

2011-12-22T00:40:14.908Z

I used to wait for that little bus when I was a kid.... I'd look out for that Indian head to appear on the bonnet before the bus turned out of Beadles Lane and on to Old Oxted High St. Fond memories.