Published 27 July 2000
RAF appeal.
FROM sun-baked South Australia I heard the other day from Carole and Alan Jones, who live in Nairne. Carole says they are ex-residents of Folkestone
and were particularly interested in an item they saw recently in an Aussie
newspaper called The Advertiser.
An anonymous writer signing only as J.B. was asking how Tapley's Hill,
between Adelaide and the sea at Gulf St Vincent got its name. Carole says
Tapley's Hill Road is a major
connecting road running parallel to the beach from north to south and she
says they were surprised to see it had a link with Folkestone.
The paper columnist's answer was that the hill was named after Thomas Tapley,
who had been a passenger on the Rajahstan, a ship which arrived down under
on November 16,1838.
He came from Folkestone and had large interests in Holland.
"Tapley and his large family had their first night's lodging, after landing,
at the London Tavern, Adelaide. A week later they moved into the country now
known as Happy Valley. Mr Tapley applied for six sections, but the holders
of preliminary land orders had a prior claim. He then secured land 'on the
hill' and took up his abode in January 1839, at what has since been known as
Tapley's Hill.
"By 1844 he was licensee of the Victorian Hotel at the top of the rise and
the owner of a considerable amount of livestock. He also had country
at Myponga. He died in 1856, aged 66, and is buried in the West Tee
cemetery."
Carole says she and Alun have lived in South Australia since 1966, which is
when they left Abbott Road with their two children, Gareth and Elizabeth.
The youngsters were only 4 years and 6 months old respectively.
Town links.
"I still have family in the town and fond memories of spending my formative
years there. We correspond with my sister Janet, in Ashford, and my uncle
Terry, in Walmsley House, Princes Street, who keep us up to date with family
news, and receive marry Christmas cards from ex work mates and friends in
the area.
"Alun worked with the GPO prior to us emigrating and was a member of the
local Territorial Army. Ah - happy days!
"Nairne is a beautiful little township 40 kilometres from Adelaide, in the
hills. We love it here, but a little of us stays
in England and Wales, Alun's' birthplace.
"We send greetings to all
our family and friends in Folkestone and Ashford district."
Appeal.
This week the Herald received an appeal from the Battle of Britain Memorial
Trust 1940 - 2000 which cares for the memorial at the old Capel Battery
site.
Flt-Lt Bernard Hyde, Site Director, was prompted by life-long resident of
the town, Ray Balderson, to try and
discover the present whereabouts of a Spitfire plaque awarded to Folkestone
in
1941 by the wartime Ministry of Aircraft Production.
The plaque marks the town's fine achievement in raising £5,200 in double
quick time through a Folkestone Herald led public appeal for funds to buy a
new Spitfire for the RAF - a 'We're backing Britain effort.'
The wartime Ministry of Aircraft Production sent this plaque to Folkestone
after a Herald appeal raised the £5,200 needed to by a new Spitfire for the
RAF in 1941.
The question is where is the plaque today? That's something I have pondered
too. If you can help, contact Ray Balderson on 01303 256021.
Mr Hyde tells me Ray was a
young lad during the war and his father was the official who recorded all
the bomb and shell incidents in what is now Shepway.
"Mr Balderson accompanied his father as he rode his delivery man's bicycle
throughout the district, young Ray sitting in the basket on the front!"
Mr Hyde says that if the plaque can be found it could perhaps be displayed
at the Hunting Lodge at the Battle of Britain Memorial - a most appropriate
place, this year being the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain."
IN OUR rejoicing we still remember them - that was the wording on this arch
put up at the top of the Road of Remembrance in 1935 when the town
celebrated the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary.
THIS interesting old picture of Folkestone's inner harbour is from a
charming coloured postcard lent to me by Memories reader Peter Hooper. It
bears a 1946 postmark but everything points to the picture dating from
around 1900-1905.
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1900
Never absent never late in 9 years girl gels medal.
OPENING of a new garrison church at Sandgate, another
addition to the "Great Wesleyan extension scheme." was among stories
grabbing the local headlines a century ago. Described as a very handsome
structure the church was built close to the J.B. Gough Soldiers' Home
and the President of the National Council of Evangelical Free Churches
came down to open it. Our man Felix was urging the Hythe Bus Company to
pull its socks up. It needed to consider the public more, he wrote, and
open a Folkestone office to improve its service in such directions as
carrying packages between the two towns. He also wrote of another
occasion when it was raining and passengers waiting for a bus were
dismayed by the sight of a series of open charabancs approaching - since
they didn't have umbrellas! A Folkestone Herald scribe wrote
enthusiastically about a magnificent panoramic view of Folkestone
recently taken by Guildhall Street photographer Mr Burgess, saying how
vividly it recorded the far-reaching changes that had taken place in the
town compared with a another picture of around 1860 displayed alongside
it.
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1925
Folkestone poster sparks a stir In national papers.
THREE striking, iced cakes which were a masterpiece of
craftsmanship, one model of a windmill, one a lighthouse, complete with
flashes, and the other a three-tier wedding cake weighing around 50 lbs.
were pictured in the Herald. They were part of an array of no fewer than
70 iced cakes made locally, three of which were to be draw prizes at the
annual summer “Sparrows" Hospital Fete and Children's Fair in early
August. The cakes were on show in a Guildhall Street shop window and
another shop in Foord Road. A party of 40 people made up the entourage
of the New Scotland Yard CID squad who played a Folkestone Police
Cricket Club side in an annual tic. following a lunch for GO people
served in the cricket pavilion on the ground at Cheriton. Unfortunately
the local squad lost the toss, were put into bat in sweltering heat and
ultimately lost the match. Folkestone Rowing Club was described as an
asset to the town at ceremony marking the opening of the enlarged club
premises in Lower Sandgate Road, which featured a dance floor and
facilities for other social functions. The opening was performed by
Alderman F Hall, one of the oldest members. When he came to the town in
1883 he noticed there was no rowing club and he told of the efforts to
form one.
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1950
Friesian cattle bound for Turin boosts Lympne.
COWS Fly Across the Channel read a headline in the Herald
50 years ago, over a story about at least 250 cattle it was expected
would be flown from Lympne airport to Le Touquet by Silver City Airways
in the next few weeks. The Friesians were headed for stock farmers in
Turin who were to breed them with bulls from a herd raised by the famous
Carnation Milk firm of America. From Boulogne the cattle were going by
train to Italy. The Red Ball warning at the East Cliff sands, indicating
when it was unsafe to go swimming in the sea was misunderstood, it was
warned at an inquest into the death of a 12 year old boy who disappeared
when two brothers got into difficulty while swimming in a rough sea. The
brother who was rescued said he did not know that when the ball was
raised it meant it was dangerous to swim. The Council's Parks Committee
recommended that Folkestone football and polo grounds be made available
without charge to the Folkestone Chamber of Trade for a Festival of
Britain flower show and carnival from July 18-21, 1951. At Lyminge there
was a service of celebration when the new Methodist Church Hall was
opened, replacing the old church and hall destroyed by a flying bomb in
August 1944.
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1975
Better news for homeless as Council acts on plans.
A BRIGHTER future on the local homes front was
promised by a compromise plan over the Shepway Council's housing list.
It was reported that in future it had been decided to have two lists.
The second would be for those not eligible for a house at present, but
might qualify after living or working in the area for a year. Meanwhile
a plan for homes to let at “fair rents" on the old Folkestone golf
course was being proposed by the World of Property Housing Trust, which
wanted the council to finance it. The housing committee approved the
idea in principle. Other housing societies had proposals for Manor Road
Folkestone, and Rayner’s beach club in Sandgate High Street. And
Charlier & Sons won the contract to build 42 council houses on part of
the Hythe School of Infantry site, with the lowest bid of £568,448. The
town’s war memorial was now flanked by two good buildings, commented
Lord Radnor after he had performed a traditional topping-out ceremony,
following completion of the properties. The ceremony was at what he
described as the “Upper and Lower Pigeon House Priory” - which, he
explained, was the oid name for the important town centre site which
fronted both West Terrace and West Cliff Gardens which were in the
process of being re-developed. The two new properties Were A$p4n House
and West Cliff House, the overall cost of the scheme being about £1.25
million.
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