North Side of Wateringbury Crossroads

 Another article which once again we thank Dail Whiting for:-

Article Courtesy of Dail Whiting    

A photograph posted previously shows the cyclist in the area of the village that Dail refers to:- 

Cyclists outside the Queens Head c 1910

Lydia Brooker

Another great post from Dail Whiting. Thank you again Dail.

Words and Photographs Courtesy of Dail Whiting

Richard Dawes - Artist Photographer

 Another great post from Dail Whiting. Thanks again Dail.

Words and Photo Courtesy of Dail Whiting

The Queens Coronation and the party at Wateringbury Place

Diane Hayes has asked a question which would be great if we could add some photos to the website:-

As the coronation of King Charles draws near does anyone remember the party held at Wateringbury Place for the village to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth . 

I was a young child and only remember we got a mug. 

Diane Hayes

Beerhouses in Pizien Well

 We thank Dail Whiting for another contribution from her next book as follows.

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Following on from my last article, 'The Pizien Well Name' I thought some of your readers might be interested in another extract from my next book relating to this fascinating part of the village. I am extremely grateful to Martin Cronk who kindly lent the wonderful photo's of his ancestors from his private family album. 

Click on the page to Enlarge the view 

Thanks again to Martin Cronk for the photos from his private family album 

and Dail Whiting for the article from her next book

The Pizien Well Name

Dail Whiting kindly sends an extract from her next book.

Thank you Dail and good luck with the book which we look forward to seeing.

 

Coach Outing from the Telegraph Public House 1952

Another Gem from Colin Brotherwood, lots of names and faces that I personally remember well:

Coach Outing from the Telegraph Public House 1952

This battered photo was in the possession of my Aunt Doris Brotherwood. She gave it to me for my family tree folder. It was folded up in about 3 places hence the crease marks on it. When my father Lionel was alive he named quite a few people. So I scanned it and filled some names in. 

I thought I’d share it as someone else might be able to fill in a few more names.

Colin

Sadly I have been asked to remove some people from the photograph which I have done and updated below.

Click the picture to enlarge it

Colin Brotherwood's Baptism Certificate - 3rd June 1962

Colin Brotherwood kindly sends us a copy of his Baptism Certificate from the 3rd June 1962, he would have been 7 years old in August.

Wedding Reception at Wateringbury Working Mens Club in 1954

Colin Brotherwood kindly sent us the below:

My Mother and Father ; Jean and Lionel Brotherwood got married at Wateringbury church on 6th November 1954.
Looks like they had their reception at Wateringbury Club. Here is a copy of the bill for the drinks. Just over £12. Amazing.

For those who had an ancestor or ancestors who served during WWI

For those who had an ancestor or ancestors who served during WWI, and are commemorated on either the War Memorial in the Chapel of St George in Wateringbury church, or the old School War Memorial now in the vestry of Wateringbury church, you may be able to help me complete a personal project, for which I would be very grateful. 

For more information, please go to:

www.wateringbury-revisited.net/wwi.html

Thank you

Dail Whiting

The Phoenix Brewery 1976 - Courtesy of Kent Messenger - KentOnline

 

A photo from Kent Messenger - KentOnline Classic Pictures from the 1970's

All three names that were so familiar to me growing up in Wateringbury during the 1950/60's

Happy Christmas from ours to yours

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 

From our House to Yours

The Original Kings Head Hotel at The Cross Roads Wateringbury

 

The Original Kings Head Hotel

The corner of Tonbridge Road and Bow Road.

Also showing Amos Bakers.

The only recognisable building today is that on the far right which is now the Hair Dressers in Bow Road 

Message

 Hi, If you wrote to me via Facebook regarding Hop Huts between Pizien Well and Cannon Lane could you send me your note again via my email John.gilham@mail.com. I was in the middle of replying when your message disappeared and I cannot find it again. 

Wateringbury Inn Sign Miniatures

Thanks once again to Dail Whiting for this publication on the Whitbread Inn Sign Miniatures relating to Wateringbury.

 

Courtesy of Dail Whiting

Cyclists outside The Queens Head - Wateringbury - 1910

 

1974 Advert for Station Garage

 

The sale of Wateringbury Place 1909

 

BLOSSOM TIME IN KENT - April and May 1963

 

I still call this lovely county The Garden of England though its not the garden it was when I was a kid in the 1950's and 60's. Wateringbury was surrounded by Plumb, Cherry, Pear, Apple orchards and Hop Gardens. 

Wateringbury was on the AA and RAC sign posted Blossom Route encouraging drivers to visit our countryside and see the Fruit Blossom that was everywhere.

This is a  Southern Railway and Maidstone and District day out that bought visitors from London into Kent to see our spectacular Fruit Blossom. The Train from London came to Tonbridge then a Maidstone and District Coach went through the countryside and through Wateringbury to Goudhurst. This timetable was for April and May 1963.

Letter of 1855

 

Amazing how in 1855 a letter would get to someone if simply addressed to a Town, 

a Village and the the persons name

Jude and Co - Shive Hole Collar

Ruth and Terry kindly sent us a photo of what looks like a Shive Hole Collar from Jude and Co the Brewer of Wateringbury.

(Dale kindly advises that it’s spelt Shive and dated around 1872

from Jude & Co Brewery which was The Kent’s Brewery situated just below the South East corner of the Crossroads. Where Hanbury Close now stands) 

The Collar was used in a Beer Barrel where the Bung is fitted and the Tap then goes.

It was found in a field in Wateringbury.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shive

Quart Tankards once owned by George Martin of The Harrow Public House - Old Road Wateringbury

 

Late 2021 Peter Baker Left a comment against a posting relating to The Harrow Public House in Old Road and more recently he kindly added to it and included some photos of the Tankards.

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Hi I am not sure I have ever been to Wateringbury but there's a good chance I flew over it a number of times decades ago at 2,300 feet whilst training for a PPL Night Rating out of Biggin Hill and down to Lydd and back! Apologies if I disturbed the peace.

However, I've stumbled upon the website today as yesterday, in Denmark of all places, I picked up a nice pair of quart tankards inscribed as owned by George Martin, the landlord of the Harrow, Wateringbury, around 140 years ago. Naturally Google soon brought me here! The tankards have stamps inside showing they were made by Gerardin & Watson (London pewterers 1805-1854) and were certified as good measure with a VR362 (Kent) stamp. What these were doing in Denmark, I have no idea!

Peter

19 November 2021 at 09:56

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With the photos Peter adds a comment:

Well, what can I say about the tankards?  They were on sale at a large Genbrug/Loppemarked (recycle/fleamarket type) store near Aarhus in Jutland.  Most of the items on sale are from house clearances and downsizing.  The area is generally quite affluent, like Wateringbury thesedays, so I am sure we can put the find down to some likely cultural exchange in the past e.g. perhaps George Martin was charging tourists the modern day equivalent of London prices per pint i.e. over ten quid to fill a quart pot, so perhaps the Danish customers with typical irony of a sort which easily matches British humour decided that fair exchange was no robbery!

The inscriptions on the tankards look amateurish but in fact match what I understand to be a very common practice of publicans of that period in choosing to identify their pewter should it ever go walkabout after a heavy session.  With the number of pubs/breweries I read about that once competed in your village I can see how that might be essential! The shield shaped border around the name of the landlord and pub, and its location is typical, as is the method which looks like several minutes' worth of hard scratching rather than what we'd now accept as professional engraving!

Also typical is the placing of the landlord's "M" (for surname Martin) initial on the top of the handle which I suppose might have been the quick way to distinguish the owners of sundry drinking vessels, at the end of any major village event when a whole host of used tankards is viewed from above?  

Wateringbury War Memorial & the Old Village Hall

 

 

A Postcard of Wateringbury War Memorial and the Old Village Hall on the corner of Bow Road and Tonbridge Road.

Not sure of the age but it is a postcard posted with a 7p stamp.

Teston School Children 1920

 

Photo Courtesy of Dail Whiting from her Personal Collection

A little outside the village but a great photograph courtesy of Dail Whiting of Teston School Children from 1920. Not sure what the N.05 on the board means, maybe someone can help with its meaning. 

The two little boys on the left in the front row are brothers John and Douglas Weeks. 

Can anyone help with other names?

Customers of The Phoenix Pub on Red Hill Wateringbury

 

Photograph courtesy of Dail Whiting from her private collection 

 

Dail writes: I have just read your blog and noticed an email from Maria, the granddaughter of Bill Sharpe, and thought this photo might be of interest as Bill is in the photograph.

The photo was taken outside the Phoenix pub on Red Hill.

The man standing in the doorway on the right is John Weeks. The teenage girl is Brenda Adams formerly Brenda Baker. Brenda's father might be the man on her right (looking at the photo) Freddy Baker. Sitting on the step on the far right is Bill Sharpe the local chimney sweep and other odd jobs man.
Additionally I believe the man behind Brenda is Cyril Hammond and the man next to Bill second from the right, front row is Freddy Mace.

Can we fill in some names ?

The Dog was called Nelly

Wateringbury School Photo from about 1943

 

 Photo Courtesy of Dail Whiting from her Private collection

Wateringbury School Photo from around 1943

with Headmaster Mr Aldridge next to Miss Nancy Dibble.
 

Back row, left to right.
? Juke - David Clark(e) - unknown - Stan Pearson - Brian Maytum - Ernie Hutchins - Raymond Cole - unknown - John Mannering - Unknown

Second from back row, left to right.
Peter Jukes - Alan Butler - ? Taylor - Lionel Brotherwood - ? Taylor - Harold Watson - Bill Hutchins - John Fisher - Mark Goodwin

Third from back row, left to right.
unknown - Rodney Watson - Unknown - John Smith - Head Teacher, Arthur Aldridge - 
Teacher, Nancy Dibble - Unknown - Barry Berwick - ? Dickson - Roy Hutchins

Front row, left to right.
 ? Martin - Reggie Dickson - Bruce Berwick - Dudley Martin - Colin Berwick - Jack Martin

Good Intent Pub

Can we help Mike who asks:

“I would like to see any photographs of the public house called the Good Intent in Pizen Well. Pub used to be opposite house where I was born.Cheers.”

Regards,
Mike Shepherd 

 

Dail Whiting kindly responded with this link confirming:

 https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1200469

Unveiling Ceremony, War Memorial Wateringbury

 

 

Unveiling Ceremony of the War Memorial in its original position on the western corner of the Tonbridge Road / Bow Road at the Cross Roads.

Wateringbury In the Steps of George Newman and Beyond

 A Reminder of Dail Whitings Book 

Wateringbury In the Steps of George Newman and Beyond

 Click Here to Purchase your Copy

The North Pole Inn

Thanks to Brad Waters from Australia who sent some family photos from around 1956 when his Grandfather Ian and Grandmother Vee Waters were landlord and landlady of The North Pole Inn.

The photos show his grandparents and locals in the bar and a great photo of a fancy dress ball held in the bar.

I thank Paul Skelton of 'Dover Kent Archives'  website for putting us in touch.

 http://www.dover-kent.com/2014-project/North-Pole-Wateringbury.html