Thanet Advertiser 14 March 1947.

STREETS OF RAMSGATE.

Mother, leave the washing-up for a few minutes, draw your chair near the fire, and read how the housewives of Ramsgate queued in High-street so long ago as the 1700's.

Just as you line up to-day waiting for the shops to open, so they queued up then, but for another reason. In those days High-street was very different and opposite the entrance to Turner-Street stood the Town Pump. Writers have recorded the tale of how the inhabitants were there from 5 a.m. till dusk taking their turns to draw water.

In addition there was a recognised body of 30 men employed as water carriers, who took water round the town daily to houses without private wells, and charged the householder according to the distance from the pump.

High-street appears under the name West End in early maps, and was in 1730 a simple track leading to St. Lawrence village. Forty years later 128 people lived in the street. So much history is bound up with this main thoroughfare that this week we are dealing with the stretch from the Market to Chapel-place, and the upper part will be explored in a separate article.

London Hotel.

Beginning at the Market-place we'll remind you that the Midland Bank site was originally the London Hotel, favourite officers' club during the Napoleonic wars. The Earl of Albermarle dined here prior to leaving for Belgium. After Ramsgate ceased to be a military depot, however, the hotel lost its glory and was purchased by a Mr. Crow, who converted it into an ironmonger's shop, as it remained for many years.

On the opposite corner stood the original post office and reading rooms, next to which was the "New Inn" and two or three shops and then the "Bull Inn," kept by Mrs. Stone and members of the Hudson family. The "Bull"—later the "Bull and George"—possessed a spacious yard and stabling, which were used at one time as cavalry barracks. Next door was the booking office of the coaches which ran dally to Margate and Canterbury.

In 1817 there was a school in High-street, carried on by Mr. Thomas Whitehead, of Margate. It was in a room at the rear of the post office, then at No. 66, and was at first very unsuccessful. Later Mr. Whitehead, who wanted to return to Margate but was persuaded to remain, moved into the upper part of the street and eventually established his school in the original Chatham House buildings.

Taverns

A feature of High-street in those days was the taverns. In addition to the "London Hotel," the "New Inn" and the "Bull," were the Uprights (later the Central), the "George and Dragon" on the corner of George-street—which was then a passageway—the "Rose and Crown" (1779), and in later years the "Pretoria" and the "Postman Arms," which have since disappeared.

The "Wellington" was in existence, too, then being a prosperous coaching inn. Mrs. H. Bush, who lived there before the war, told us that the hotel was formerly known as the "Duke of Wellington," and before that as the "Golden Lion." The deeds date back to 1775, when business was apparently prosperous. Thirty years ago, before alterations were made, the yard at the rear contained traces of water-troughs and hay-boxes, and ancient stabling.

Incidentally, she added, there was an armchair on which the Duke of Wellington was supposed to have sat.

Now we'll have a look at High-street as it was when grandfather was a young man—in the days when shops were open all hours of the day and night Miss Allen, whose father was in business as a draper opposite the Post Office, will tell you how the shop remained open on Saturday nights to catch the theatregoers on the way home. The majority of the late customers were men wishing to purchase white paper collars for use on Sunday mornings.

Opposite, were the six iron statues stretching from Sanger's Apiphl theatre (built 1883) to the first Office. Those statues, with their suspended lamps, were purchased by the late Lord George Sanger over 60 years ago, and when they were first erected even the horses shied at them. Two statues remained until the beginning of this war, when they were taken for scrap metal.

Noted Apartments.

Remember that quaint little court next to the "Central Hotel?" That disappeared when the hotel was demolished just before the war. Remember Mr. Welch, grocer, of 53 High-street? He was noted for his apartment register. Then there were Messrs. J. Mardon, steam printers, of 59 High-street, Richford, butcher, at No. 76, and the Misses S. and A. Goodhew, at No. 28.

The "Bull and George" remains till its unfortunate end in 1915, when a Zeppelin appeared over the town at 2 am. on 17th May, and one of the 20 bombs which fell in this first air raid dropped on the hotel, killing two people. A special edition of the Thanet Advertiser was published the same morning, telling how crowds of people poured into the streets before the raid was over. A verdict of wilful murder against the Kaiser was returned at the inquest which was held on the victims.

Later the hotel was demolished and the present multiple stores were erected on the site. It was said that the Germans had unknowingly carried out a much-needed piece of street-widening!

Many Alterations.

Since the 1918 war there have been many alterations. Ramsgate Picture House opened in 1920, and two multiple stores have replaced the old penny baazars. The Picture House was formerly a toyshop and basketmakers.

Perhaps the whole can be "summed up in the words of Miss Allen's brother. Mr. Edmund Allen, now in Queen-street, was born at his father's shop in High street 74 years ago, and until the business was transferred about 17 years ago to make way for a multiple store, the family was one of the oldest links with the town's main shopping centre.

"I can remember the site of the Palace Theatre when it was an open-air skating rink, and when the circus was there," said Mr. Allen. “The street has changed tremendously inasmuch as the businesses are concerned, and in those days the shops were all those of the small traders. There were no large firms such as there are now."

An unusual feature for the centre of the town, he added, was the long garden space, going back to Broad-street, at the rear of the buildings.

And there you have in brief outline the story of High-street, from its early days as a rough track for coaches, through its gay pre-1914 days, to its 1947 position of main shopping centre.