Lazarus Guestbook

Ian Tyler

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 21:03:59 +0000

Folkestone rock pool
I knew the rock pool well as I swam there from 1957 until 1964 Ish with Folkestone swimming club. Sam Rockett trained me to swim the channel but Life moved on and never achieved my goal. I knew Janet Rockett more than her brother as we did life saving training in winter on the wooden floor. I have a photo of Folkestone swimming club in the rock pool from the newspaper about late 50's

Steven West

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:42:11 +0000

I was born 200 yards from the Clifftop Cafe in Capel, so some fond memories of running up and down the Warren as a kid when visiting grandparents. My father used to work at the cafe when it was owned by a man called Vic and tells of going up and down the warren daily, selling ice creams on the beach. Used to be a very busy place. There are two cave like areas in the cliffs, off the paths, that were gun placements in WW2 and these are not too far below the cafe, but no doubt now overgrown. Its been years since I have walked down there, but am there this Christmas so may go down and have a look.....

Steven West

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:42:09 +0000

Peter White

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 10:49:48 +0000

I wonder if you were a schoolgirl when living in Court-at-Street in the late 1950s early 1960s? When I worked at a grit factory in Aldington I would ride my blue Norton motorbike through Lympne then past the Welcome Stranger where quite a few school children would be waiting for the school bus. I am sorry to admit I used to ride as fast as possible past the waiting children in order to show off. I never gave a thought to any danger to the children so if you were one of those children I apologise most sincerely.

Alan Blackman

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:24:48 +0000

Firstly - fantastic site. Spent hours pouring over the photos and stories.
I lived in Hawkinge and attended Harvey from 1971- 1976
Our house backed onto the aerodrome as it was. Many happy memories of discovering new treasures buried out there. Attended more than one dig when we uncovered such beauties as ME 109's
Amazing times!
Worked down the Old High Street growing up firstly in the Joke Shop demonstrating the latest tricks, then for Ray H? Engraving ID bracelets in the shop window and selling mugs with people names on to the tourists. Got in the newspaper the day the 2nd world war shop next door caught fire and we had to douse the wallets on the inside of our shop on the top floor to stop it from burning too !!
Happy days !!

Alan Blackman

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:14:51 +0000

Alan Blackman

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:14:46 +0000

Trevor

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 15:49:59 +0000

Just been reminiscing over the pictures of Moyle Tower on the seafront in Hythe. In the late 60's our school took over the place three years running for a week in May. A creepy old place, with drafty cabins in the gardens decked out with unstable bunk beds. Strange tasting cocoa before bed each night. Great times.

Kai

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 20:07:05 +0000

I'm sure The Roach Pond was so named because it contained lots of Roach fish Rutilus Rutilus.

I used to fish a lot there as a kid. It's a shames it's all but gone.

Pam

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:05:04 +0000

Cameron Macintosh has staged a new version of 'Half a sixpence' at Chichester festival theatre , its set in Folkestone and uses many of its location on stage and many of the lyrics use places in and around Folkestone , being set in Edwardian times it made me think of this site and its many past photos , I'm sure it will transfer to the west end its a must see.

Sue Maycock

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 01:55:06 +0000

I went to Folkestone Girls Grammar School back in the 60’s as a boarder, first at Westbourne House, which was part of the Technical College as there was no room in the Grammar School boarding house. The Tech. school needed the beds for tech. girls, so we then went to The White House in Wellington Place in Sandgate, now demolished and was closed down in a hurry as we were studying for our O levels. The 8 boarders were then moved to Clewer House in Coolinge Lane, where I finished my schooling.

As sixth formers we were allowed to go into some of the coffee bars in town. One was Morrelli’s, the other we frequented was The Acropolis in The Old High Street. The latter was run by a Greek family and a number of Greek students who were learning English at a local college used to go there and play backgammon or tavli as they called it.

I wondered whatever happened to The Acropolis and when it was closed? I do recall that one of the sons (was he called Archie or Andy?) used to drive a white E-type jaguar, which was very impressive back then. Does anyone else recall these details at all?

christine smith

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 10:45:57 +0000

Hello Mark, glad to hear from you again. I did leave you a reply somewhere but not being an expert at this type of communication it got lost and I saw later that you thought I hadn´t posted again.... I see you have investigated this and probably a lot of other cases. Isee you have been to her grave in Horn Street. I can´t imagine the state it must be in. Mum and I used to go regularlyl when I was a young girl. Mum had grown up in Somerset Road and as a single girl was known as Kathy Hood. Her father had trained the Folkestone F.C at some time and was known as Sammy. Before the accident they has been evacuees with family in Gloucester. They hadn´t been back long lbefore it happened. Thanks for giving your time. Look forward to lfurther postings and hopefully Janine witll have first hadn information for us....

christine smith

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 20:00:08 +0000

hello Christine,

Have just seen a very interesting message from Janine and also Mark but allthough I wrote a reply commenting on the fatal accident involving my half sister I see that it hasn´t been published although I thought I had filled in the message reply box correctly. Janine is the niece of two of the victims of the hand grenade and I would love to make a connection with her. Can you help?

Janine

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:27:19 +0000

I discovered your site by sheer luck, I was searching for an incident in Cheriton in which my uncle, my auntie and an unknown little girl found and played with an unexploded bomb during WW2. I think it would have happen in Somerset Road. Sadly I understand the little girl was killed and my auntie had serious injuries. My uncle was luckier and was ok. My mother, a Kirkham, was born in 1920 in the hospital on Military Hill growing up in Cheriton, the family moving from Stanley Rd to Somerset Rd to Ashley Ave. She was one of eight children. My parents met when my father was stationed at Shorncliffe in 1938. My grandmother finally settled in Cheriton High Street, a few doors up from a little food shop run by sisters, known I think as Spelzines. It was by the pedestrian bridge over the railway. Cheriton was my second home and I have so many happy memories of spending time with my Nana. Going shopping with her being just one...... now who remembers the massive bunch of bananas that hung in the greengrocers near the junction with Risborough Ln. Happy days.

Penny Ansell

Wed, 25 May 2016 11:14:31 +0000

Does any one remember the Brevit/Brevet Club ?

penny ansell

Wed, 25 May 2016 08:15:05 +0000

Does any one know the where abouts of Jerry Rocket. His dad and Mum ran the indoor swimming pool. We were teenagers together.
He had a lambretta and we went all over on it.
Love this sight, so much info THANKYOU

Barry Taylor

Tue, 24 May 2016 21:38:02 +0000

Kiaora
Have just found your brilliant website while digging around finding what I could about the Imperial Off Licence in Ashley Avenue which in the 1950s and very early 60s was run by my grandfather, Percy Taylor.
I was born and brought up in Downs Road, attended Mundella, then St. Eanswythes under Mr Williams I think, then Harvey. Emigrated to NZ after Uni.
How the place has changed in a mere 60 years! Looking back I think us kids of that generation were very lucky with the environment we had - the hills, the seafronts - how terrible the old front under the Leas looked the last time I was back- the sprung floor in the Leas Cliff Hall where you shoot people in the air with a bit of cooperation!
Will be making the last return this year- it's a long way!

Penny Ansell

Fri, 20 May 2016 16:18:41 +0000

Has any one any pictures of the Marina Rock pool.I was bought up in Folkestone and used to go there all the time. I know it was demolished in 1966

J evans

Sun, 01 May 2016 23:11:01 +0000

I was very interested in the memories of Princes Hotel. My grandmother was a resident in the 1950s and 60s and we used to spend a week there every school holidays. Major Beaumont was indeed the son-in-law of the lady owner, a Mrs Bladon. Although the hotel had casual guests, there was a core of elderly and rather grand residents. As a child I had to greet them all by name....good morning Miss Aisher, Good morning Mrs Holland Walker, Good morning Sir Harold etc. The set up was ideal for old people. The day started with early morning tea in one's bed room, all meals were provided in the dining room (tea in the lounge) and you could also entertain. My grandmother used to give regular bridge parties for her friends. She could also have her children and grandchildren to stay whenever she wanted. If she was unwell, meals were brought up on a tray. It all sounds very grand, but in fact the hotel was a little shabby and her room did not even have a private bath. She had to go to the loo down the hall and, if she wanted a bath, go down the corridor in her dressing gown. I have no idea how much it cost, but she was not super-rich and she could comfortably afford it. Mercifully she died before it was pulled down in 1977 (?), but I did hear that one of the reasons it was demolished was because the building was so old-fashioned, it was impossible to bring the plumbing up to modern standards.

J evans

Sun, 01 May 2016 23:10:20 +0000