Published 25 September 2003

BELOW: All Souls’ School children, in Folkestone at the outbreak of the Second World War, a photo shown to me by Ronald Amos, an old boy, of Church Road, Cheriton. Ron, who worked on the railway for 35 years, says the boys pictured are from different classes. Those he can recall are, back row, left to right: Hughes, Ron Amos, ?, ?, Iveson, Howard, Wise, Waters, ?; 3rd row: Jackson, Harman, Norris, Clithero, Savage, Featherbe, Ovenden, D. Lee, Tovey, Clay; 2nd row: Marsh, ?, ?, ?, V. Blythe, Mullett, Iveson, Blythe, ?, Goodman; front: ?,?, Clark, ?. ?. ?. R. Lee, ?, Waters, Amos (a cousin.)
KAROL Steele, of Dover tells me how pleased she was to see a Memories article in the Herald about the old Dover Road School, which included a photograph of great interest to her family.

“In the third or fourth row of the photo, just left of centre, you can see my father, the late Mick Ryan, who was the Chairman of the Cheriton and Morehall Carnival Association,” she tells me.

“Dad left the Dover Road School for a bricklaying apprenticeship, which he had to give up for a while to do his National Service in the RAF.

“After his National Service, he picked up where he left off, and eventually became a well-respected and well-known bricklaying foreman for several local firms.

“Some of the buildings that bear Dad’s 'brickie’ signature in the cement (usually where no-one will see or find it!) are the William Harvey Hospital, the University of Kent and the Nat West building in London.

“Dad also found sporting fame as a footballer for local team Waverly (Folkestone & District Challenge Cup winners in 1960) and cricket for the Folkestone Printers (winning the Sassoon cup in 1962 and 1963).

“Dad was one of the Printers’ top bowlers, consistently taking over 100 wickets a season, and over one weekend taking 13 wickets for only 23 runs! He later went on to play for the Frenchmen, and umpired and coached at Etchinghill.
“He married twice, and was the father of Denise and Mark by his first marriage to Valerie; and me and Kathryn by his second wife Elsie, and was step-dad to Gary.

“It was with Mum that he decided to reinstate Cheriton and Morehall Carnival in 1987, part of the local social calendar off and on since 1946, but not since 1973. Dad’s interest had been sparked by my two years with Folkestone Carnival Court, first as a Princess then as Miss Folkestone — in 1986.

“They worked together on the carnival for two years until Mum died of cancer in 1989; but instead of giving up, Dad decided to continue organising the Association in Mum’s memory until he himself died of cancer, at Christmas 1991, aged 70.

Fond memories
“Dad has been gone nearly two years now, but on my travels with Cheriton and Morehall Court (trying to fill Dad’s shoes) people still speak of him fondly, and all over the south-east of England memorial trophies are presented in Dad’s name.” Karol adds that on the weekend of September 20 the Mick Ryan memorial cup was presented to the winner of the Kent Carnival Court of Courts at a special dinner at the Masonic Hall in Dover.

“Dad loved Dover Road School, and was always proud to point out the school whenever we passed it on the way to my old school, St Mary’s Primary (when it was still in Dover Road.)

“I remember him being quite emotional
the day they finally knocked it down — something I couldn’t understand until St Mary’s finally met the same fate! Schools, he told me, aren’t just bricks and mortar, and he knew what he was talking about! They are people and memories too.

There is a sad sequel to a recent reference in “From Our Files” for 1953 which told of a local family’s concern for a missing PoW in Korea. He had not been repatriated along with other prisoners.

An ex-PoW himself, V.P.C. Whitamore, of Wootton, near Barham, writes to tell me 2nd Lieutenant Leo Adams-Acton was shot “some would say executed” by the Koreans just about two weeks before the Armistice took effect.

“I was a PoW with him in a place called Pinchong-Ni, a little village near the Yalu river. He was captured after me. A member of Special Forces he was captured from an
island off the north west coast of North Korea, in late 1951 and was of special interest to his captors.”

Mr Whitamore, taken prisoner at Imjin on April 15, 1951, says “Leo was only in our camp for a relatively short time, but we got to know each other quite well and used to discuss Folkestone matters, such as the Esplanade (and how we would like a pint!) and the Arthur Brough Players.

“I was at a reunion of ex-PoWs in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996 when his name came up. He had been stationed in Pusan, South Korea before capture and had many American friends. One, a navigator in the USAF was later shot down and recognised Leo in our camp.

“But, on grounds of security he was unable to greet him, or speak to him. He did, however, send Leo’s mother a letter of condolence on return to the USA.
It’s my dad!
JP makes stand against Erosion leaves lifeboat
 

JP makes stand against ‘unjust’ education rate >| LOCAL JP Mr J Stainer made a defiant XvUO stand at a public meeting in support of non-conformists who objected to a form of national education which put them at a disadvantage when it came to religious education. Parents had to foot part of the cost through the rates although those administering the system were actively opposing the free churches. The JP stressed he was not a passive resister against the Education rate, but was about the first magistrate in the country to stand up and say he would not have anything to do with carrying out requirements of the new Education Act — an "iniquitous law." Those who were refusing to pay their rates over the issue were about to appear in court at Hythe. Local actress Miss Beatrice Lindley was acclaimed a great success in the principal part in "The Marriage of Kitty," at the Pleasure Gardens Theatre, having launched upon a new career in comedy after performing equally well as a vocalist. Motoring pioneer Mr S.F. Edge had quite a task on his hands allocating parking spaces to over 80 cars arriving at the Metropole during a 1,000 mile reliability trial starting from Crystal Palace.

Women to the rescue as tombolas are outlawed! 'I QOQ NEW local attraction was a race meet-.L«/^Oing held by Folkestone & District Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. The knock-out and bogey hill climb was being staged at a new venue, Willys Top Hill, facing the old Elham workhouse, on the Elham Valley Road, property owned by Mr Vincent. Steep, natural banks formed a natural grandstand for spectators. Folkestone Bowls Club staged an 11-day tournament in ideal conditions after recent rain, and there were shock defeats for one or two topflight bowlers, the home club carrying off the gold cup winners' trophy. At Hythe they hit upon a novel way around a gaming law ban on tombolas - a form of darts, but with women throwing the darts for you in the attempt to win numbered prizes. All over Kent notices were being put up by the Kent Agricultural Committee warning of penalties for allowing the growth of noxious weeds such as ragwort — dangerous to livestock — and thistles. There was a sequel at Elham court where Sellindge farmer Arthur Hogben, was fined for failing to destroy a field of thistles. He was fined £10 plus costs. Local MP Sir Philip Sassoon was set to leave on an epic flight by Rolls-Royce powered seaplane to India taking five weeks, in hops of 600 miles a day.

Erosion leaves lifeboat base 80 yards from sea! rtCQ LIFEBOAT stations on shingle beach-XifOwes subject to the scouring action caused by strong tides in the Channel have long been a problem, and 50 years ago the Dungeness lifeboat station of 1938 had to be moved 80 yards closer to the sea. A brilliant ornamental garden bed at the Leas Cliff Hall, designed bv Parks Superintendent Mr D. Marshall, and laid out by staff of his department, commemorated the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Even in the black and white photograph printed in the Herald the high standard of the display was obvious, and it was admired by thousands of summer visitors and local residents. In a £725,000 scheme Camber Sands was all set to become virtually a new town, with a new holiday camp for up to 700 people and an amusement centre, the development to be spread over 20 years. The outline plans required Ministry consent. A primary school, church and village hall, and parking were among features proposed. A large part of East Kent was completely out of the range of television transmissions, 50 years ago, complained a Herald reader.

King stayed at ‘Grand' soon after mansions first opened >f Q7QTHE 'Grand' on the Leas was con-JL«/ f Overted back to luxury flats, 25 years ago, returning the striking property to something like the "Grand Mansions," it had been when it first opened. This was back in 1903 and the owners could claim royalty among early guests - King Edward VII stayed there and granted the right for his coat of arms to be used on tableware and stationery. The stylish brick and terracotta property, as elegant as The Metropole next door, offered self-contained flats grandly described as "suites of gentlemen's residential chambers." Behind the refurbishment was owner Michael Stainer, a chartered accountant, who announced that 30 of the flats had been let and there was a waiting list for the remainder. Royal patronage had stemmed from the friendship with King Edward VII of Daniel Baker, one-time publican, builder and a mayor of Folkestone, who was the brains behind the development. He was backed by the Mansions Syndicate Ltd, consisting mainly of local people. At Lydd laybys were proposed for 'twitchers' -bird watchers - in Dungeness Road. But county planners had turned the idea down at least once because of a speeding problem on the road.