Published 30 May 2002

50 years on
MARGARET Haisell (nee Pilcher) is keen to see any photographs taken in wartime which relate to Mundella School. She was shown a Memories photograph of March 14, featuring a Folkestone Town Football Club crowd of the 1950s, when the 'Town' regularly attracted crowds of 3,000 to 4,000 for their games.

That picture happened to feature her father among the fans.

Margaret was also interested in a photo, on the Memories page a while ago, of evacuees from Mundella School, which Margaret attended — and she wondered where she might view other photographs of the war years. Perhaps a Memories reader can help.

Margaret says she has also been trying to find out if any former pupils of Mundella remember the school song. But so far has had no success. If any reader can help they can contact her by e-mail on Margarethaisell@aol.com Alternatively you can drop me a line via the Herald office or by e-mail. I don't have an address or phone number for Margaret.

First War memories
My second topic this week is linked to the photograph, right, of the crowd gathered to give a big send-off to Belgian soldiers about to embark for France to fight in the First World War, after being in camp in the Shepway area.

I was reminded of the copy in my collection of Folkestone photographs when Mrs Susan Morgan, of Downs Road, Epsom, Surrey wrote to the Herald with a copy of some of the memoirs written by her
mother, who died a month ago aged 93.

The late Peggy Maxwell (nee Johnson), lived in the town as a child and recalled how, in the First World War her family had a Belgian evacuee family to stay until they could find more permanent accommodation further inland.

"There was an office dealing with the Belgian soldiers in Sandgate Road and wounded soldier lodging at our house worked there.

"He used to practise the mandolin in the evenings, but his chief pleasure was to go to the Leas Shelter and listen to the orchestra.

"One of the rather pathetic sights was a little group marching round the town singing or whistling the national Anthem, ‘Le Babancon.'

"They were recruiting among refugees, and a few stragglers followed. One newspaper sold in the streets was the Belgian 'Franco Beige' - 'deux centimes, aujourdhui,' was the cry."

And at school Peggy said she had some Belgian children in her class.

"At playtime we tore up newspapers (tres petite) to fill pillows for those who were accommodated in halls and schools. We did what we could to make them welcome," she wrote.

"We were encouraged to learn French, which consisted of strings of words. The Belgians used to interrupt, to say '.... and in Flemish it is....'

Peggy Maxwell went on to recall that many large houses were rest camps, housing troops who were due to go over to France to join the fighting.

"They marched down the Road of Remembrance, a couple with a barrel organ played marching tunes and the troops shouted 'Are we downhearted? No!'

"But," wrote Peggy, "I fear many of them must have been, as the casualties over the 'other side' were high. Casualty lists were published every day at the beginning of the war.

"It was a desperate time and I'll never forget the
NEXT week I hope to feature a Shepway couple back in England to visit their families after setting up home down under in New Zealand. They brought back with them four interesting First World War postcards sent back to his family from Folkestone by a soldier over here to join the fighting in France in 1917.

The sender, known only as Will, wrote his message to a lady called Edie across the back of four charming postcards of Folkestone scenes.
BELGIAN soldiers return to War, says the caption etched on to this First World War photograph showing crowds on the quayside outside the former Royal Pavilion Hotel while a ship waits to embark the troops some of whom had been billeted in Folkestone. The original postcard was shown to me by Peter Hooper, of Dover Road.
Armistice Day out in front of the Town Hall - a weight of sorrow and worry seemed to be lifted."

She also recalled the peace celebrations the next summer, with a joyful fete in Radnor Park and, one of her treasured memories was of an Easter egg in a bed of violets given to her when she was seven by a Staffordshire soldier billeted at her home.

Railway buff

A plea for help via an e-mail came from Roger Lewis, who tells me he has the metal signal box nameboard for Shorncliffe Station - now Folkestone West - and would like to find a photo of the signal box with the sign, to go with it.

He has contacted another Memories reader to
see if he could help, but without success.

Could I suggest any other sources, he asked. Well there are a vast number of railway buffs and writers of books on the subject — not to mention local history enthusiasts - and I believe Ashford Library has an archive of railway material. So, I am sure someone locally will be able to help.

I don't suppose there are many who specialise in collecting photos of signal boxes - but there was a book produced about the old style garden 'privies' (loos) not so long ago, so you never know!

In my copy of Mike Esau's book "The Southern Then & Now," published by Ian Allan in June 1996, I noticed on page 55, a photo of Shorncliffe Station taken in 1949 showing the station sign on the platform opposite the old signal box.
 

Boer War volunteer paid tribute to lost comrade A THE HERALD published a touching pho- V^togrdph taken in South Africa during the Boer War. of Folkestone soldier Sgt Fred W. Croucher. son of Mr CJ.C. Croucher. who was sta-tionmaster at the Junction Station in Folkestone. The recently promoted NCO was pictured planting a shrub on the ({rave of one of his comrades in the Royal West Kents. The Herald did not name the dead soldier but the name on the wooden cross at the head of the plot appears to be Sgt William Canty. Sgt Croucher had been serving in Africa since the beginning of hostilities and regularly sent back reports to the Herald. A reader was warning of the perils of walking near Sugar Loaf Hill at weekends because of the menace of youths who delighted in throwing Ijrge lumps of chalk from the top so that they rolled down the hill and he told how he had remonstrated with the gang after one boulder narrowly missed hitting his young daughter on the head as they took a Sunday afternoon walk. The reader also told of the rowdy behaviour in the street of ten-year-old boys and girls in Tontine Street on a Sunday night. A picture feature was of the "Golfers Utopia” of Hythe.

End of an era as old coaching inn gives way to new store ■f Q/)7 THE LOCAL Conservative Association was I preparing for the visit of a distinguished visitor to open a two-day fund raising bazaar - Mrs Stanley Baldwin, the wife of the Prime Minister. Unemployment in Folkestone district fell from 504 men and 75 women at the end of January, to 152 men and 21 women, by mid-May, it was reported by Mr G. T. Taylor. Manager and secretary of Folkestone & District Local Employment Committee. He revealed that an appeal published in the Press before Christmas, urging people to have painting work done during the winter led to 30 fewer painters and decorators being on the dole. The Herald published a "rubbing" of a historic brass at St Martin's Church. Cheriton. which figured in Folkestone Natural History Society's newly printed publication “Folkestone." which told of more than 170 church brasses then to be found within 15 miles of the town. The Cheriton brass commemorated Joane Brodnax. who died in 1592 and she is depicted wearing typical Elizabethan dress with a large ruff at the neck, as in many portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. It is recorded that in 1467 a Richard Brodnex. with others, surveyed land for Romney harbour. The surname was changed in 1727 to Knight. One of them was a brother of Jane Austen.

Claims of corruption in the council seat of power QPA FIFTY years ago in Folkestone work was proceeding on the Biggins Wood housing site, the country's largest site of council homes on which the majority of houses were built on a foundation strengthened with bored piling which was used because of the difficult site. Work had finished on building homes at Horn Street and work had just started on the Crete Way Down housing estate. Since 1947 the Town Council had built 416 homes, bringing the number of council tenants to 1.700 and the Mayor. Alderman J.F. Moncrieff, was looking forward to completion of the 500th local council house in 1952. At the same time, he said, they were still paying off loans in respect of houses built way back in the 1920s. Folkestone councillors were resisting East Kent Road Car Company plans which would see a three-storey bus station building constructed at Bouveric Square. Some people were pressing for the Square to be kept reasonably open and for some of the trees to be retained. Work was expected to start immediately on the demolition of ugly, war-damaged houses and shops at Harbour Street. Remaining sea defence work in the district was expected to cost a quarter of a million pounds, the Town Council was told.

Silver Jubilee ‘Proms’ plan strapped for £1,000 cash 4 Ck7 7 THOUSANDS of tons of rocks and clay which I I crashed in an avalanche down East Cliff poured under the Coronation Parade arches at the top of the popular sands which were a great attraction for visitors to Folkestone. Fifteen of the arches were choked by enough debris to fill 500 lorries, but it was quickly carted away and dumped in Hythe. at a cost to the rate fund of about £6,000. Ironically, most of that money had been earmarked for drainage improvements to help prevent such falls! Some 60 pupils of Folkestone Girls' Grammar School were working on an unusual project during their lunch break 25 years ago. All were working on an ambitious. 20ft long mural which stood higher than most of the girls. One of its themes was represented by a panel featuring a gnarled tree-cum Crucifixion. Another illustrated more modern "crucifixon" scenes, in the guise of terrorists, the hungry, unwanted elderly, and the uncared-for people of the world. Then a vividly-painted crowing cock changed the theme, showing what people can do if they simply help each other. Finally there was a panel of a spring scene, far removed from the ugly mood of the Crucifixion. Six formers were the brains behind the design for the mural which was put on show outside the Methodist Church in Sandgate Road. "Call me Mister Mayor." that was the reaction of Councillor Mrs Ivy Allan who became only the second woman to hold the office.