From our Message Board

The following was left on the message board by Paul Reynolds which I though would be good to share with you all and Paul kindly agreed.

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Hello all. I was born in Wateringbury in 1948. My mother was Dorothy nee Thorne, father Bill Reynolds. We lived at 12 Glebe Meadow. My mother kept in touch with a number of village people over her life. We left in 1954, but by some irony I had a job for awhile in the early 90's at West Malling Airdrome. Mrs Apps lived next door. my grand parents lived in The Garage Flat, opposite Dr. Severns House. I remember my mother talking about John Severn and the now famous Fighter Pilots who visited his house during the battle of Britain era. She had a friend Helen Long on Red Hill I believe. Her father Gus Thorne was in the Merchant Navy in WW1 and had the Cricketers Pub in Maidstone before moving to Wateringbury. My father lived for some years wih his Cousins in Pheonix Cottages Nettlestead. I remember the Bardens, Eileen, who married Sid Targett. I went to Peter Targetts wedding in Maidstone, a good old fashioned beery punch-up type. I do not remember anything of school or if I had school friends. I remember the Tramps and going Hop Picking. The Gypsy fights in the Pubs. There was a Flop House for tramps on the road to Teston. The Garage Flat was supposed to be built from the Old London Bridge Stones that formed the Gallows. It was a cold place full of huge black Spiders, the biggest ever seen. There were Oast Houses at the back of the Yard, and used to be very busy. For a small village there were lots of shops. Eric Boreman, Skinners, all people my Mother knew well. There was the usual village simpleton all the children were warned not to talk to. All I remember of those childhood days were the walks in the Orchards and lanes, the River Medway, and busy village life. Best regards to all of you.

The Pickett Family - Wateringbury

Another fine donation by Brian & Ann Skinner which reads as follows:-

Have attached the next batch of pics which relate to the Picketts. My wife Ann is the youngest of three daughters of Bert and Mabel Pickett.

Pic. No. 1 Shows Westbury Cottage ( On the Mereworth Road just passed David's nursery - Bijou Nurseries) where the three girls were born and it is thought the family lived there until 1936 when they moved to 1 Hoyfield Villas, Station Road. We recall that a few years ago the Kent Messenger included an article headed something like 'The Manor Born' showing that the cottage has now grown beyond all recognition.

Pic. No. 2 Shows an article about Bert which appeared in the 'House of Whitbread' spring issue 1938.

Pic. No. 3 We believe shows the Wateringbury cricket team and Bert 4th from the right in the back row. Judging from his apparent age we think this might date to the late 1930 s.

Pic. No. 4 Shows the Wateringbury football team and Bert 5th from the right in the back row and again judging from his age think this might date to the late 1920 s

Words & Photos Courtesy of Brian & Ann Skinner

Janet Whitlock (nee Barden) saw this entry and responded as follows:-

The Pickett’s featured a lot in my life.  Mrs Pickett and my mum Daisy Barden were very good friends and were very involved in the church activities at Nettlestead.  Mrs Pickett’s daughter Molly was the organist and choir mistress when I was in the church choir.  I have a photo of the choir with Molly outside Nettlestead church on her wedding day.  My mum and Mrs. Pickett both lived to a ripe old age and I remember calling to see Mrs Pickett when she was around 96 years old and living in a retirement apartment where the Telegraph used to be.  My mum was lucky enough to reach her 100th birthday and we celebrated this at the Wateringbury Hotel in 2004.

  

H.R. Skinner - The Butchers - Prospect Place Wateringbury

A fantastic donation to the website by Brian Skinner who's Grandfather & Father owned the butchers shop at Prospect Place, Tonbridge Road Wateringbury.

I will let Brian tell the story of the photos as follows:


Pic. No. 1 shows the butchers shop at Prospect Place. I have included another picture, Pic. No. 2 which has been edited for other purposes thinking you might find it useful just for identifying the main characters. In addition to my grandfather, Harry Roland Skinner it shows Edwin, my father and Lesley HRs nephew. The man on the left kneeling down is Fred Baker who continued with my father until They both retired. Fred lived in a cottage below the Telegraph (the Inn now long gone) and had two children Gordon and Brenda. they would be in their 80s now but may still be living in the village. Regretfully I do not remember the names of others shown in the picture and believe some lived outside the village

Pic. No. 3 shows an  advert, dated 1935, promoting Frigidaire and referring to H.R.Skinner & Son. By calculation it shows that the shop was making use of mechanical refrigeration as early as 1928 when block ice was the most common method used.

Finally Pic. No. 4 is of H.R. and his wife.

FOOTNOTE. Whilst putting this together it became obvious that the Legend ‘Christmas circa 1937’ marked on Pic. No. 2, must be wrong. The 1935 Frigidaire picture shows the signwriting over the shop front as ‘& Son’ so our picture (which does not) must be earlier, possibly prior to 1931 when my parents were married.

Regards Brian.

Courtesy of Brian Skinner