Published 14 March 2002

I was there
WAY BACK in June 2000, Memories carried a whole series of photographs of Folkestone’s 1937 Coronation celebrations in Bridge Street, which had been taken by a local amateur photographer, the late Mr J.F. Smith, a pharmacist with Chas Taylor & Son, chemists, at Canterbury Road.

The old photographs, like the one below, came to light when local historian Alan Taylor was presented with a collection of coloured and black and white magic lantern slides by Mr Smith’s daughter, Mrs Gwen Hoad, of Ashstead, Surrey.

Made her day!

A newspaper clipping or photocopy of this was sent to Mrs Edith Boughton, of 19 Spruce Road, Kidlington, Oxford, who has
written to me requesting a copy of the picture, saying printing of the Memories article “put a sparkle in my Christmas.”

Mrs Boughton remembers being in one of the photographs, but, she said, she had her back to the camera! However her grandparents, just in front of her, were also pictured.

Edith remembers that the photographer won a competition with one of his pictures (as recalled in Memories) and that he gave them a box of chocolates for the having the “best dressed street.”

She says she also spotted herself in an evacuation group photograph printed in the Herald some months ago. At the time it was taken, she said, she was 12 years old. She stood just in front of the headteacher on the right-hand side, while a cousin, now in Canada, stood in front of her, wearing a check patterned dress.

Edith wanted a copy of the photograph.

The school concerned was Mundella School for Girls, which was evacuated to Llanbradach, Glamorgan, in June 1940. A group picture of around this time, with many of the girls' names, was published in the Herald, back in August and again In September with news of three of the old girls who appeared in the photograph.

Mrs Anslow, of George Gurr Crescent, Folkestone, was among others also requesting a copy of the picture.
GLORY DAYS - A look back to the glorious days of the 1950s when the old Folkestone Town Football squad regularly attracted crowds of 3,000-4,000 for their games in the dear old Kent League at Cheriton Road. This picture of the terraced end of the ground - in the 1953 season, it is thought - was loaned to the Herald by current Folkestone Invicta FC president. Bill Hewson. What wouldn't Invicta do for crowds like this on a regular basis, commented my colleague Mick Cork, especially as they're playing in a much higher league these days....How times change!

Another Memories reader, Mrs Yvette Fassbender, of Stade Street, Hythe, has contacted me about Mike Dugdaie’s photograph of ‘Captain’ Lawson Smith giving diving demonstrations from the old Victoria Pier in Folkestone - see the top photograph on this page.

Pictured with the helmeted diver in that snapshot were Mike’s mother Betty (nee Aguilar) and her sister Denise, who still lives in France, which is where the Aguilar family came from.

“I went to Endsleigh School, in Exeter, at the beginning of the War,” writes Yvette, “and I was friendly with
a pupil whose name was Betty Aguilar. I remember she said she came from Lille. I went to tea with them once and recall that I had chocolate spread for the first time!!!

“I wonder if there is a link somewhere?” she asks.

A peculiar twist to the diver story, Sittingbourne reader Philip Sidey tells me, is a tale I haven't had time to check up on, to the effect that Captain’ Lawson Smith, or another diver, got into trouble with ‘the law.'

It seems he caused a nuisance by walking along the Leas wearing his diving gear or helmet!
 

Memories of early ‘Sally’ Army troubles revived «f QAQ MEMORIES of the troubled beginnings X9v£of Salvation Army work in Folkestone 19 years before were revived by a Lifeboat Service, parade and entertainment organised by the Salvationists at their Bradstone Road headquarters. The meeting was preceded by the Salvation Army Band parading through the streets dressed as llfeboatmen. inside the Citadel the Salvation Army songsters, in sailor costume manned and sang from a “Gospel Ship” against the backdrop of a model lighthouse and life-saving apparatus, all in working order. Then, the ship having been converted into a lifeboat, the male members of the “Army," dressed in the full costume of lifeboatmen, became its crew and sang some appropriately worded nautical songs. A “monument of marine engineering" was how Herald writer Felix described the port's newly extended harbour pier. The pier work involved the laying of thousands of 20 ton concrete blocks/ and new landing stages were In an advanced stage of construction. A ship arrived In Folkestone with an unusual cargo - nearly a thousand Iron pipes which were to carry a water supply to Hythe from Folkestone Water Works.

//era/</predicts resumption Elham line’s Sunday trains A QO"7THE UNITED States liner Kroonland, bound f for New York, was forced to anchor off Folkestone and the Isle of Thanet, bound for Dover from Calais, anchored off port for two hours hoping for fog to lift, but eventually made for Folkestone, negotiating its way between 50 odd vessels anchored for safety off the East Kent coast, She eventually disembarked her passengers five hours late. It was reported that the fog in town was so bad that some conductors helped pilot their buses by sitting on the front wing to help the drk ver. Another walked In front of the vehicle, but even so the bus mounted a pavement, while another was reported to have attempted to turn into the Old High Street, believing that In fact he had reached Dover Road. The Leas was swathed in swirling fog while the sun was shining on the lower promenade and In nearby Cheriton. The Herald predicted that a Sunday service was soon to re-open on the Elham Valley railway line to Canterbury, with three services each way. These would include trains to enable people to get to Canterbury Cathedral in time for a Sunday church service, and also to return to their homes in time for lunch. The local Royal Artillery Territorial unit was 27 men under strength and was appealing for new recruits.

Rowers celebrate 100th year and buy freehold Q PA THERE was a taste of things to come 50 years ago when there were enough smaller master bakers - 30 in all - producing their own tasty bread, to warrant a master bakers' association in the town. They were worried about the competition of mass produced loaves. Chairman John Strickland, whose business was well known, told of resentment caused by the “severe shock this winter” due to “the Influx of something sliced and wrapped in paper," produced by big businesses. he said, which contributed nothing to the local rates. Folkestone Rowing Club, celebrated its centenary In appropriate fashion, by acquiring the freehold of its......well-appointed premises in Sandgate, and by holding a centenary dinner and dance at the Majestic Hotel. Mrs A.H. Hills, of MLongshlps," Capel, was celebrating her 101st birthday. Lack of unanimity among the town's licensees was the reason given at a Licensing Meeting In Folkestone for the court refusing a half-hour extension of drinking hours during the winter as well as the summer. Some 39 of the district’s 7S licensees backed the bid while 30 opposed it. R.E.M.E. Sgt Ian Campbell, whose mother lived in Royai Military Ave, Cheriton, was an Army specialist involved in atom bomb tests in Australia.

Historic coins stolen in raid on property of Lord Clark «| Q*JT "y RARE Greek coins worth about £5,000 were JL«7 § I among items stolen from Lord Clark’s garder house home next to Saltwood Castle, a sophistlcatec burglar alarm failing to go off. They also took jeweller; be longing to the late Lady Clark. All the coins dated frotr the 5th Century BC. Peter Street, organiser of an arts bonanza due to be held in the summer “mortgaged him self up to the eyeballs'1 he told the Herald in raising cast for the festival. Chairman of FOCAL the Festival ol Creative Arts, he predicted the 1977 event would ai least break even and that for 197S would make a gooc profit. Shepway Council agreed to a £5,000 guarantee Suggestions that Common Market money might be usee to complete the Channel Tunnel were strengthened dur Ing question time in the House of Commons. Folkestone MP Albert Costain, who fought a long battle to clear up whether the scheme was alive or dead, challenged the transport secretary to make the position clear, because of the blight of uncertainty on local property. Transpon Secretary William Rodgers said It would be wrong tc Ignore any proposals involving E.E.C. cash - there was < revival of interest in the scheme, he said. Manager of: neighbouring store stopped bailiffs forcing a door of i boutique shop in the Old High Street to take possessior of stock. He said they did not produce a warrant Eventually someone arrived with a key to open up.