Published 10 May 2001

Photo quest

MEMORIES reader Derrick Lawson, of Lynwood, Folkestone, has been trying without success to track down a photograph of the town's former Electricity Works, at Morehall, where his grandfather, Joseph Radford Scowen, was a chief inspector in the 1920s. Derrick's uncle. Bill George Scowen, also worked for the company after being gassed in France in the First World War.

Ironically his job, for about five years, was stoking boiler fires at the works. But he survived, reaching the grand age of 89.

The best Derrick can find is a family picture of his grandfather and uncle in an Electricity Works outing group about to set off in one of the old open-top charabancs in 1921.

Another of his uncles,

Perce Scowen came to Folkestone from Camberwell when Joseph Radford Scowen landed his job at the Electricity Works, the site of \ which is now occupied by a /builders' centre behind Station Road.

Back at the start of the First World War Perce's three brothers joined the Services, but he got a job at Hawkinge airfield where he was employed for many years, cycling from Cheriton to the village each day, rain or shine, says Derrick.

"In the early 1930s my fam-
which is now known as Harbour Way." (Electric Cottages are now known as Lawrence Way.)

Derrick went on to tell me that when they went to Morehall his Uncle Perce would take him down the local toyshop at the corner of St Francis Avenue.

"That shop is now The Corner Place, a fish and chip shop. It was once owned in the 1930s by a Miss Jacobs, always dressed in black but a very nice woman.

"Uncle used to take me there and let me choose a toy. I used to look forward to those shopping trips -because I usually got another treat from Miss Jacobs, a bag of sweets!"

Derrick said his family later moved away, but he often wonders what happened to Miss Jacobs.

"In 1932 my father Ernest was transferred to Portsmouth, so after that the Folkestone trips stopped.
Perce Scowen, uncle of Derrick Lawson, ily lived at Dover as my father worked for the old Southern Railway company and we used to come over to Folkestone each weekend to visit my parents' parents.

"One weekend we stayed at Electric Cottages, More-hall, the next weekend we stayed at Dover Street,
THIS Malthy-built charabanc of the late ‘Father’ Eric Wills, of Cheriton, is pictured at Folkestone harbour in 1914 after being commandeered by the Army to convey the luggage of German nationals to an internment camp. Peter Wills’ picture was shown to me by Roy Humphreys, of Hawkinge, who knew I was a motoring enthusiast.
TERENCE Gilham writes from 34 Westwood Road, East Peckham. Tonbridge TN12 5DF (01622 871698) hoping to trace details of Frances Kitney (nee Gilham) a great aunt, and her husband Maurice Kitney who once worked in Hythe where he was a coachman, living in the Lodge at Cannongate House, possibly home of Mackeson, the brewer. He was born in Newington and Francis at Bishopsbourne. "No trace of burials can be found at Hythe of them or of their three children. It is as if they disappeared," says Mr Gilham. He told me hd has heard from a grandson of a brother of Maurice, but he had no further information to give.
except that we used to come back each Christmas.

"Uncle Perce used to build short wave radios at Electric Cottages.

"He worked on all the old planes at Hawkinge during the 30s until the Spitfires and Hurricanes arrived.

"After my grandmother died, in 1935, grandfather and the family moved to
Geraldine Road nearby."

Derrick remembers that later they would visit his uncle and aunt Eva at their home at Hawkinge and recalls vividly how, back in 1941 his uncle told them about unexploded bombs that were often dropped on the airfield.

'"You mark my words, those bombs will cause a bit
of trouble when this war is over' he used to say.

"How true those words were. Perce and Eva have both passed on. Uncle was a great man and is buried close to the airfield where he worked for many years.

"Two daughters survive him, Jennifer, living in Folkestone and Ann in Hawkinge."
 

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