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MEMORIES OF RAINHAM Part 1 by Doug Kitney

MEMORIES OF RAINHAM From Action Forum August 2001

Dear Editor,
 
Like my six brothers I was born in Rainham and so I am always interested and make a point of visiting once a month to collect Action Forum. Over the last few months there have been some particularly interesting articles that have brought back many memories. Mr Edwin Jelly, whose shop was pictured on the front of the April 2001 edition, I remember very well. As I was passing his shop one day he called me: 'Oi you' he shouted - which I ignored, so he had another go: 'Kitney boy', so I turned. He had a message for my mother, he had some good boys' suits and would she like one for my 10-year-old brother. I relayed the message and Mother was interested so I had to return to the shop where I collected a parcel containing three suits for my brother to try; all three suits appeared similar, jackets and short trousers, but each with a different price tag.
Mother decided on the cheapest and I returned to the shop with the unwanted ones and the money. On another occasion, Queenie Moor went hurtling round the top of Pudding Road on her bike and smashed into the shop window. Ma Barrett at the Council School Canteen revived many memories. I can picture her now banging on the bench with her huge ladle and booming 'QUIET' in her loudest voice and then very sweetly saying 'Now say your grace my dears'. It always gave me a smile. During the war years I was at Orchard Street Boys' School, Mr Smith was Headmaster. He patrolled the school carrying a large cane and was not afraid to use it. Two female teachers I remember. Miss Woodward stood no nonsense, but the other was a little lady who dressed in a long tweed costume and wore a pince-nez, she was not used to handling boys and frequently fled the class in tears. Finally, with my brother Dick, I was evacuated to Brynna in South Wales and remember a school photo taken of all the Rainham evacuees being on display in a glass case at the side of Mrs Cheesemans Boot & Shoe Shop. I would love to have a copy if anyone still has the picture.
 
Yours faithfully,
Doug Kitney
 

 

 

Rainham Streets Through The Years

  • Old Photos of Smallholders Club Wigmore Rainham Kent

    Old Photos of Smallholders Club Springvale, Wigmore,  Woodside/Springvale. Smallholders club was one of the first premises in Rainham to have a telephone and the telephone number for the Smallholders club in Wigmore is listed here.  The phone number was Rainham 41 Wigmore & District Smallholders Club Springvale although by 1924 this was already 16 years after the first phone directory for Rainham was published that had 17 telephone numbers listed for local businesses and houses.      2 Springvale, Gillingham Kent ME8 0JG 01634 263408

    Old Photos of Smallholders Club Wigmore Rainham Kent

  • Pictures of Woodside Road, Wigmore

    Old Photos of Woodside originally known as Woodside Road, Wigmore, Gillingham Kent in 1916 Old Photos of  Woodside Wigmore in 1974 Old Photos of  Woodside Wigmore in 2001 Woodside Hoath Lane junction approx 1920 Woodside junction with Hoath Lane in 2003  

    Pictures of Woodside Road, Wigmore

  • Old Photos of Station Road Rainham Kent

    These photos of Station Road Rainham Kent have been taken over the last 100 years or so at different locations along the road. Ye Old White Horse Pub Station Road Rainham Kent approx 1900, looking down Station Road with National School on left White Horse pub looking down Station Road approx 1972 Prestige Launderette, Station Road approx 1972 Railway Pub, Station Road, approx 2003 The Railway Hotel, approx 1900 The Railway Hotel Pub, approx 1981   Station Road looking towards Cricketers Pub Station Road looking towards Station, school on left hand side, W&R Fletcher shop in foreground Photos of Station Road Rainham Kent 1996 with Methodist church on right Photo of Station Road Rainham Kent 1996 looking towards Rainham station with Caversham Close under construction View looking up Station road from below level crossing towards Macklands Arms pub, approx 1990   Looking towards Rainham station, Johnsons Ironmongers on the left in distance, Macklands Arms on the right, photo around 1995   Old Photos of Station Road Rainham Kent 2003  

    Old Photos of Station Road Rainham Kent

  • Old Photos of High Street Rainham Kent

      High Street Rainham around 1895 with pub Waterman's Arms on left hand side (Truman Hanbury) Rainham High Street c 1910 Photo of Rainham High Street around 1913 showing Lion Hotel (now Green Lion pub) on right hand side Old Photo of High Street Rainham Kent in 1950 showing Barclays Bank on corner of Station Road and prior to Rainham's Coronation Clock being installed   Same location on High Street Rainham Kent but taken in the snow of 1987  

    Old Photos of High Street Rainham Kent

  • Bygone Old Photos of Marshall Road Rainham Kent

    These old photos of 87 Marshall Road Rainham Kent were taken around 1928 and 1932. The huge pile of flints has decreased a bit between the photos. One of the interesting things in the deeds for our house is a covenant that prevents us from selling flints from the house. I wonder if it was a common issue with building at that time and the ground having so many flints in it. You can read about the history of the Rainham Mark Building estate - Edwin Road & Marshall Road here   Above, 87 Marshall Road in 1928        Above, Marshall Road in 1932. You can see a conservatory has been added at this point and the fascia boards have been painted black but the paint on the walls is looking somewhat tired.  The photos below were taken in the late 1980s when the house at 33 Marshall Road was demolished to construct the Charlotte Drive estate

    Bygone Old Photos of Marshall Road Rainham Kent

  • Old Photos of Berengrave Lane Rainham Kent

    These are various old Photos of Berengrave Lane Rainham Kent taken at different points over the last 100 years Berengrave/Berengrove House prior to demolition

    Old Photos of Berengrave Lane Rainham Kent

  • Old Photos of Rock Avenue Gillingham Kent

    Old Photos of number 22 (Waverley House), Rock Avenue Gillingham Kent in 1926 compared to how it looks now in 2011. This was my great grandfather Arthur Percy Light's house who died in the First World war. http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/3049489/ And this is how the same house looks in 2011 via Google Maps. From the condition of the paint on the upstairs roof it looks like it might not have been repainted since 1926!  Photo below of Light family to the rear of 22 Rock Avenue Gillingham Kent Marion, Harold, Beryl Light and Marion Hudson (seated)   View Larger Map View Larger Map

    Old Photos of Rock Avenue Gillingham Kent

  • Old photos of Hoath Way

    Old photos of Hoath Way

  • Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent

    These are Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent taken in the last century along with some more recent photos showing latest changes along the A2 at Rainham Mark. The Co-op was replaced by Town and Country Cars which is now Hidsons. The Belisha Beacon became the Hop and Vine pub which is now Dominos Pizza. Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent approx 1930. Sngn on building says "Esi-Run Villas Show home open £395" Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent 2003 showing Hop & Vine pub and Town & Country car dealers   Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent 2003 showing Hop & Vine pub and Texaco garage  

    Old Photos of London Road Rainham Mark Kent

  • Old Photos of Bredhurst Road Wigmore Gillingham Kent

    Old Photos of Bredhurst Road Wigmore Gillingham Kent. This photo was taken in approx 1920 Photo taken at approximately the same spot in 2003  

    Old Photos of Bredhurst Road Wigmore Gillingham Kent

  • Old Photos of Ivy Street Rainham Kent

    This old photo of Ivy Street Rainham Kent showing WE Jones Ivy Street Rainham - Woodhams Ales and Stouts was probably taken around 1915   This photo of Ivy Street Rainham towards the River Medway was taken in 2001 in a similar location to the shot above

    Old Photos of Ivy Street Rainham Kent

  • Old Pictures of Historic Hempstead kent

    Pictures of historic hempstead kent. This photo is of Hempstead Hill looking towards the site of the old smallpox isolation hospital situated off Hoath Lane Wigmore. This photo was taken prior to the building of the A278 Link road to join the A2 to the M2 at junction 4 and appears to show that the road splits at the bottom of Hempstead Hill near Spekes Road and goes in the direction of Hoath Lane and Woodside as well as towards Darland Banks/Gillingham. The road now only goes to the left towards Darland Banks and the right hand fork is a tunnel under the A278 Hoath Way nicknamed the Love Tunnel. The buildings above the junction are the Smallpox Isolation hospital, named in the photo as Wigmore Hospital. Hempstead Valley shopping centre shortly after construction in 1978

    Old Pictures of Historic Hempstead kent

  • Construction of The Goldings Rainham 1980

    The estate comprising of The Goldings and The Platters off Marshall Road was built from around 1979. These are some photos taken of the construction of the Goldings/Platters Farm estate from Marshall Road in 1980. During the building work several Dene holes were discovered which delayed the construction to excavate and then to fill the holes for houses to safely be built. View Larger Map

    Construction of The Goldings Rainham 1980

  • Where was Broadwalk Rainham?

    These are old photo of Broad Walk Rainham which is now High Street/A2. Broadwalk was the section of the A2 between Rainham Watling Street junction of Mierscourt Road and Otterham Quay Lane and is currently where the Rose Inn and the Congregational Church are located. I believe the houses in the photo below no longer exist. From Kelly's Directory it appears that Broadwalk was renamed High Street in the 1930s along with other street name changes in Rainham. How Rainham Kent Street Names have changed over the years I believe the houses above are the ones in the photo below to the left of the Chapel  

    Where was Broadwalk Rainham?

  • Old Photo of Moor Street / High Street Rainham Kent

    This is an old photo of Moor Street Rainham, taken in approx 1910 The same Moor Street location in 2014  

    Old Photo of Moor Street / High Street Rainham Kent

  • Reads Terrace Orchard Street Rainham

    Many of the older houses in Rainham and elsewhere were given names for various blocks of houses. One set of houses in Orchard Street Rainham is known as Reads Terrace and is shown as being built in 1887. This is shortly after Providence Chapel further down Orchard Street was built in 1884 There is still a sign on the Reads Terrace houses showing the name and date of consrtuction

    Reads Terrace Orchard Street Rainham

  • Photos of Orchard Street Rainham - Then and Now

    Even in recent timeframes the local area has changed significantly and one example is Orchard Street. I believe land was retained to allow for a bypass to be built avoiding the centre of Rainham but when this plan was cancelled the land was then redeveloped. The photo below from 2001 looking towards Rainham shows the old Lukehurst warehouse with the green wall and corrugated tin roof and car sales yard before the site was cleared to build the new flats Looking up Orchard Street towards Thames Avenue, 2001   Below: Looking towards Rainham with the cleared site after Lukehursts warehouse demolished showing view through to church and Millennium centre Below: Site after Lukehursts warehouse demolished showing view through to church and Millennium centre  Below: Orchard Street Car sales site looking towards school Below: Same location photo of new houses built on Orchard Car sales site, 2003   Providence Chapel Orchard Street, 2001 Orchard Street outside St Margarets School, 2001 New houses, 2003 Former Church Hall site, now flats on Hurst Close/Orchard Street   These photos of Orchard Street Rainham were taken in around 2002 before the bypass land was released and the new housing was built on the former Orchard Street Car Sales and Lukehursts green warehouse    Photos below of Orchard Street during winter of 1987 kindly provided by Darren H

    Photos of Orchard Street Rainham - Then and Now

  • Brown Street VE Day Party Photo May1945

    This is a photo of the Brown Street VE (Victory in Europe) Day Party from May 1945

    Brown Street VE Day Party Photo May1945

  • Thames Avenue Rainham Old Photos

    This old photo of Thames Avenue Rainham was taken on VE Day in 1945

    Thames Avenue Rainham Old Photos

  • Herbert Road Rainham Old Photos

    Herbert Road Rainham Old Photos - photo of Coronation Party 1952

    Herbert Road Rainham Old Photos

  • Tudor Grove VE Day Party Celebrations Rainham Kent, May 1945

    Photo of the VE Day Party in Tudor Grove Rainham Kent in May 1945

    Tudor Grove VE Day Party Celebrations Rainham Kent, May 1945

  • Lonsdale Drive Rainham 1976 - Parkwood Estate

    This photo is of Lonsdale Drive Rainham looking towards cherry orchards (hence the name of Cherry Tree Road nearby) and showing the same scene after building. You can see the same tree on the horizon to get an idea of perspective and position.

    Lonsdale Drive Rainham 1976 - Parkwood Estate

  • Marshall Road Rainham Snow in Winter 1987

    The winter of 1987 was particularly hard with some very heavy snowfall that cut off parts of Kent for a number of days due to the roads becoming blocked. These photos of Marshall Road Rainham Kent show the height of the snow at the front door as well as the cars and roads buried underneath the volume of snow that fell.

    Marshall Road Rainham Snow in Winter 1987

  • Church House, High Street, Rainham Kent

    Church House, on the right of this view of Rainham High Street from about one hundred years ago, had been the home of the Dodd family, and later Mr Seymour Wakeley, before it was requisitioned during the Second World War as a club for forces personnel stationed in this area. The house was demolished in the early 1960s and for many years the site was derelict. lt is now occupied by the Healthy Living Centre and all that remains of Church House is the palm tree which grew in the garden. This is one of the pictures in ‘A Third Picture Book of Rainham‘ available from Sunburst Books, 21 Station Road  

    Church House, High Street, Rainham Kent

  • Rainham High Street 1963 showing Coningsby House

    This fascinating photo of Rainham High Street taken in 1963 was kindly provided by Joe Ennis and is one I've not seen before. There are some notable landmarks visible in the photo. Firstly on the left hand side there is a large house at 69 High Street that was called Coningsby House and a forge that was demolished to make way for Rainham Shopping centre. The shops that are now Nutmegs and Greyfox Estate agents are visible on the left of the picture.  On the right hand side you can see the road sign for Orchard Street showing that the Natwest bank was not built at this time. Next to that is the Royal Cinema known as the Bug Hutch - read more here about the Bug Hutch Rainham - Royal Cinema There is a lorry with the words Fremlins County Ale on the front passing by the cinema. You can see Estate agents sign in the distance which would be Harris & Bone   A slightly earlier photo of Rainham High Street looking in the opposite direction gives an idea of the area covered by the picture above. The house now demolished is surrounded by trees in front of it towards the top left of the image.  

    Rainham High Street 1963 showing Coningsby House