Your photo of the Christmas lights going up reminded me that every year as a boy, dad would drive me right through town from Ufton Lane to the Odeon to see the lights. They were amazing with what I thought was a giant walking stick up every lamppost. It was of course a sugar cane. But I thought they were walking sticks for Santa if he twisted his ankle on his delivery.
We must have stood together to watch those carnivals. I always stood there. You could see more and the young farmers water pistols couldn’t reach us. What a mess they made with their straw and cow poo on the road! ( cue Fast Show Jazz Club). NICE!
My family were friends with Doris and Bernice Seager. Bernice told us there were rings in the cellars for tying up boats. She was a hairdresser and lost an eye in accident. The sisters lived in Highsted valley.
So where exactly was the pub located in West Street? As I remember going into the waste land behind right next to the shops just at the bottom of William Street
the pub cellers were the remains of the oldest hospital and saints chapel in the area, dating from just after Becketts death in 1170, it was supposed to be protected by English heritage. There are still a few articles with dark photos in the old papers showing the cellers, thats why it was built raised up. Sittingbourne council should have been arrested for allowing it to be demolished.
I lived at 38, west street for the summer of 72, better known as the Golden Fleece. If us or the Volunteer were short of something, usually CO2 gas, we would willingly help each other out. So my guess is, it would have been demolished in 1973 at the earliest.
Excellent utube video.
Thank you
Your photo of the Christmas lights going up reminded me that every year as a boy, dad would drive me right through town from Ufton Lane to the Odeon to see the lights. They were amazing with what I thought was a giant walking stick up every lamppost. It was of course a sugar cane. But I thought they were walking sticks for Santa if he twisted his ankle on his delivery.
We must have stood together to watch those carnivals. I always stood there. You could see more and the young farmers water pistols couldn’t reach us. What a mess they made with their straw and cow poo on the road! ( cue Fast Show Jazz Club). NICE!
As always absolutely fascinating
My family were friends with Doris and Bernice Seager. Bernice told us there were rings in the cellars for tying up boats. She was a hairdresser and lost an eye in accident. The sisters lived in Highsted valley.
Nice One!
The grapes pub on crown road, then became a petrol station, now houses
I think the Grapes was demolished but stood where the road now goes through to the south side of the Crown Inn (now the Stumble Inn)
So where exactly was the pub located in West Street? As I remember going into the waste land behind right next to the shops just at the bottom of William Street
About half way between William Street and Ufton Lane
the pub cellers were the remains of the oldest hospital and saints chapel in the area, dating from just after Becketts death in 1170, it was supposed to be protected by English heritage. There are still a few articles with dark photos in the old papers showing the cellers, thats why it was built raised up. Sittingbourne council should have been arrested for allowing it to be demolished.
I lived at 38, west street for the summer of 72, better known as the Golden Fleece. If us or the Volunteer were short of something, usually CO2 gas, we would willingly help each other out. So my guess is, it would have been demolished in 1973 at the earliest.