DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 07 March, 2021.

Published 27 July 2000

RAF appeal.

FROM sun-baked South Australia I heard the other day from Carole and Alan Jones, who live in Nairne. Carole says they are ex-residents of Folkestone and were particularly interested in an item they saw recently in an Aussie newspaper called The Advertiser.

An anonymous writer signing only as J.B. was asking how Tapley's Hill, between Adelaide and the sea at Gulf St Vincent got its name. Carole says Tapley's Hill Road is a major connecting road running parallel to the beach from north to south and she says they were surprised to see it had a link with Folkestone.

The paper columnist's answer was that the hill was named after Thomas Tapley, who had been a passenger on the Rajahstan, a ship which arrived down under on November 16,1838.

He came from Folkestone and had large interests in Holland.

"Tapley and his large family had their first night's lodging, after landing, at the London Tavern, Adelaide. A week later they moved into the country now known as Happy Valley. Mr Tapley applied for six sections, but the holders of preliminary land orders had a prior claim. He then secured land 'on the hill' and took up his abode in January 1839, at what has since been known as Tapley's Hill.

"By 1844 he was licensee of the Victorian Hotel at the top of the rise and the owner of a considerable amount of livestock. He also had country at Myponga. He died in 1856, aged 66, and is buried in the West Tee cemetery."

Carole says she and Alun have lived in South Australia since 1966, which is when they left Abbott Road with their two children, Gareth and Elizabeth. The youngsters were only 4 years and 6 months old respectively.

 

Town links.

"I still have family in the town and fond memories of spending my formative years there. We correspond with my sister Janet, in Ashford, and my uncle Terry, in Walmsley House, Princes Street, who keep us up to date with family news, and receive marry Christmas cards from ex work mates and friends in the area.

"Alun worked with the GPO prior to us emigrating and was a member of the local Territorial Army. Ah - happy days!

"Nairne is a beautiful little township 40 kilometres from Adelaide, in the hills. We love it here, but a little of us stays in England and Wales, Alun's' birthplace.

"We send greetings to all our family and friends in  Folkestone and Ashford district."

 

Appeal.

This week the Herald received an appeal from the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust 1940 - 2000 which cares for the memorial at the old Capel Battery site.

Flt-Lt Bernard Hyde, Site Director, was prompted by life-long resident of the town, Ray Balderson, to try and discover the present whereabouts of a Spitfire plaque awarded to Folkestone in 1941 by the wartime Ministry of Aircraft Production.

The plaque marks the town's fine achievement in raising £5,200 in double quick time through a Folkestone Herald led public appeal for funds to buy a new Spitfire for the RAF - a 'We're backing Britain effort.'

Plaque

The wartime Ministry of Aircraft Production sent this plaque to Folkestone after a Herald appeal raised the £5,200 needed to by a new Spitfire for the RAF in 1941.

 

The question is where is the plaque today? That's something I have pondered too. If you can help, contact Ray Balderson on 01303 256021.

Mr Hyde tells me Ray was a young lad during the war and his father was the official who recorded all the bomb and shell incidents in what is now Shepway.

"Mr Balderson accompanied his father as he rode his delivery man's bicycle throughout the district, young Ray sitting in the basket on the front!"

Mr Hyde says that if the plaque can be found it could perhaps be displayed at the Hunting Lodge at the Battle of Britain Memorial - a most appropriate place, this year being the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain."
 

Road of Rememberance

IN OUR rejoicing we still remember them - that was the wording on this arch put up at the top of the Road of Remembrance in 1935 when the town celebrated the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary.

 

Folkestone inner harbour

THIS interesting old picture of Folkestone's inner harbour is from a charming coloured postcard lent to me by Memories reader Peter Hooper. It bears a 1946 postmark but everything points to the picture dating from around 1900-1905.

 

1900

Never absent never late in 9 years girl gels medal.

OPENING of a new garrison church at Sandgate, another addition to the "Great Wesleyan extension scheme." was among stories grabbing the local headlines a century ago. Described as a very handsome structure the church was built close to the J.B. Gough Soldiers' Home and the President of the National Council of Evangelical Free Churches came down to open it. Our man Felix was urging the Hythe Bus Company to pull its socks up. It needed to consider the public more, he wrote, and open a Folkestone office to improve its service in such directions as carrying packages between the two towns. He also wrote of another occasion when it was raining and passengers waiting for a bus were dismayed by the sight of a series of open charabancs approaching - since they didn't have umbrellas! A Folkestone Herald scribe wrote enthusiastically about a magnificent panoramic view of Folkestone recently taken by Guildhall Street photographer Mr Burgess, saying how vividly it recorded the far-reaching changes that had taken place in the town compared with a another picture of around 1860 displayed alongside it.

 

1925

Folkestone poster sparks a stir In national papers.

THREE striking, iced cakes which were a masterpiece of craftsmanship, one model of a windmill, one a lighthouse, complete with flashes, and the other a three-tier wedding cake weighing around 50 lbs. were pictured in the Herald. They were part of an array of no fewer than 70 iced cakes made locally, three of which were to be draw prizes at the annual summer “Sparrows" Hospital Fete and Children's Fair in early August. The cakes were on show in a Guildhall Street shop window and another shop in Foord Road. A party of 40 people made up the entourage of the New Scotland Yard CID squad who played a Folkestone Police Cricket Club side in an annual tic. following a lunch for GO people served in the cricket pavilion on the ground at Cheriton. Unfortunately the local squad lost the toss, were put into bat in sweltering heat and ultimately lost the match. Folkestone Rowing Club was described as an asset to the town at ceremony marking the opening of the enlarged club premises in Lower Sandgate Road, which featured a dance floor and facilities for other social functions. The opening was performed by Alderman F Hall, one of the oldest members. When he came to the town in 1883 he noticed there was no rowing club and he told of the efforts to form one.

 

1950

Friesian cattle bound for Turin boosts Lympne.

COWS Fly Across the Channel read a headline in the Herald 50 years ago, over a story about at least 250 cattle it was expected would be flown from Lympne airport to Le Touquet by Silver City Airways in the next few weeks. The Friesians were headed for stock farmers in Turin who were to breed them with bulls from a herd raised by the famous Carnation Milk firm of America. From Boulogne the cattle were going by train to Italy. The Red Ball warning at the East Cliff sands, indicating when it was unsafe to go swimming in the sea was misunderstood, it was warned at an inquest into the death of a 12 year old boy who disappeared when two brothers got into difficulty while swimming in a rough sea. The brother who was rescued said he did not know that when the ball was raised it meant it was dangerous to swim. The Council's Parks Committee recommended that Folkestone football and polo grounds be made available without charge to the Folkestone Chamber of Trade for a Festival of Britain flower show and carnival from July 18-21, 1951. At Lyminge there was a service of celebration when the new Methodist Church Hall was opened, replacing the old church and hall destroyed by a flying bomb in August 1944.

 

1975

Better news for homeless as Council acts on plans.

A BRIGHTER future on the local homes front was promised by a compromise plan over the Shepway Council's housing list. It was reported that in future it had been decided to have two lists. The second would be for those not eligible for a house at present, but might qualify after living or working in the area for a year. Meanwhile a plan for homes to let at “fair rents" on the old Folkestone golf course was being proposed by the World of Property Housing Trust, which wanted the council to finance it. The housing committee approved the idea in principle. Other housing societies had proposals for Manor Road Folkestone, and Rayner’s beach club in Sandgate High Street. And Charlier & Sons won the contract to build 42 council houses on part of the Hythe School of Infantry site, with the lowest bid of £568,448. The town’s war memorial was now flanked by two good buildings, commented Lord Radnor after he had performed a traditional topping-out ceremony, following completion of the properties. The ceremony was at what he described as the “Upper and Lower Pigeon House Priory” - which, he explained, was the oid name for the important town centre site which fronted both West Terrace and West Cliff Gardens which were in the process of being re-developed. The two new properties Were A$p4n House and West Cliff House, the overall cost of the scheme being about £1.25 million.

 

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