Thanks very much, Anu. It's always good to hear that the effort is appreciated.

Hi Geoff. Tell me, is there anything in Herne Bay's recent history that you haven't been involved with? I'm glad that you got some feedback on the picture, although I assume the identity of "Back row, second from left" remains a mystery....
Thanks for all that on the 711 Club. A Humphrey Lyttelton connection, too, huh? Well, "Humph" still has his band and even now tours extensively, has a regular Monday night jazz show on BBC Radio 2 (formerly the Light Programme, for those of you who've been away from our shores for oh, 30 or more years) and is the chairman of Radio 4's "I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue", a delightfully silly panel game. Being the Philistine that I am, Jazz has never appealled particularly to me, I'm afraid. You should bear in mind that "my" era was the late 70's, which generally meant Glam, Heavy Metal or Punk rock. When I went to see local bands, they would ostensibly be rock or folk-rock hybrids, playing at the Harbour Lights, now the Hotel Continental in Beach Walk, Whitstable. Other than that, it would be Margate Winter Gardens, Folkestone's Leas Cliff Hall or up to London for the bigger bands. I have mellowed somewhat since then and even allow the occasional Rhythm & Blues into my collection. Not much, though.....

Here I go again, rambling on when I only intended to send a short message to anyone who wants it saying "The compliments of the season, and may Santa be good to you". Regards to you Steve

Wow. No, that was wonderful to read, Audrey. Thanks very much. Ramble away. I have to admit to being a little young to remember the 711 Club or the Four Fathoms being anything other that that. Not a sprog, you understand (40 at the time of writing) but by the time I was frequenting the Bay's attractions, we were into the 80's.

Dear Steve, I thought I would like to wish you and all the contributors to your website a very happy Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year. At the same time I am including a photo of a group of Herne Bay 'Lads' circa 1952-3. I am wondering if the photo, plus names, will ring any bells with your viewers. I apologise if the picture is not too good as I have had to 'doctor' the damage of 50 years with Corel Photo Paint's assistance. The group, were ones that frequented 'Macs' the rink and the Kings Hall, these being virtually the only places for teenagers, in those far off days. The names that I can remember are as follows :
Back row (L-R): 1 Mick Mayhew, 2 unknown, 3 Peter Garrity, 4 Mike Phillips, 5 Bert Adlee.
Front Row: 1 Michael Firrell, 2 Colin Shillcock, 3 Geoff Holden, 4 John Nolan, 5 John Ells.
Colin Shillcock passed away shortly after this photo was taken and I met Bert Adlee in Macs when I was in the UK in the 1980's and Mick Mayhew on another visit in 1998. I recently discovered that Michael Firrell lives in Surrey but that is far as it goes. Where are you "Unlikely Lads" or for that matter any of the Herne Bay class of the 50's, 60's & 70's?
Hooroo, Geoff Holden.

Hi, Geoff. Thanks for the wishes. And there's nothing wrong with the photo at all. It's seemed to have scrubbed up very well. Anyone who would like a better view can click on the picture to see a full sized version, which will open up in a new window

Thanks, Jean. The site doesn't get updated as often as I would like but I have a few more photos to add now. I hope they'll be going up in the next few days.

You know what, Audrey? I just love getting this sort of feedback. I know we all have a tendency for "rose tinted memories" but hey, they're OURS to remember as we will. Seeing major changes is always a little disturbing but I know none of us can do anything about it. I read an article in a book from 1897 which described Herne Bay as quite long but very shallow, maybe only 100 yards in total, so all properties are close to the sea. How times change.....
No, it's not only Down Under where it seem 'de rigeur' to drive your children the 100 yards from house to school. It's a major cause for concern across the country these days. The school run creates unparallelled havoc for half hour every weekday morning and afternoon. A number of local schools are looking to follow Briary school's lead by setting up "walking busses", so the children get to walk but in safety, with volunteer parents.
As far as breakfast is concerned, wherever possible, mine will often consist of egg and bacon in a muffin. I think it's important that the world gets to know what I eat. It helps to "humanise" the site. Or not.....

Hi Geoff. Always good to hear from you. If you are prepared to share the photo, I am more than happy to post it. Certainly, it would be intriguing to know "where they are now".
As far as the floods of 1953 and 1962 are concerned, I too looked up a book in Herne Bay library recently which was full of such images. It sparked off interest in that side of the area's history, along with the freezing of the sea (was that 1952?). So, I have contacted the KM to see whether it would be prepared to let me post some images. It's likely that there will be a copyright issue but I will see what the response is. In the meantime, I will start work on a specific page anyway, although pictures are going to be needed, really. Anyone got anything they are prepared to share? I will ensure the source is acknoledged and all images will be copy-protected.

Hello, Stan. Browse away. Good to see that I can poach some of Dave's (Taylor) visitors, too. For those of you not in the know, Stan is probably one of the most prolific contributors to Dave's website guestbook.
Just as an aside, Stan; do you have any connection to the Dilnot bakery in Whitstable High Street?

Hi, Audrey. As far as the billiard table is concerned - good question. I'll ask for you later.
I must say that I don't recall the Bun Penny being called anything else but perhaps someone could enlighten us?
So, you would have had the sort of view of the Carnival that I always envied as a kid. Mum and dad would give us each a handful of coppers to throw onto the floats but I always wanted to keep them myself. I knew that those on the balconies were generally out of reach even for the participants with the long-handled money nets.....

Gosh, thanks, Kathy. I am flattered. It's a simple thing but my own.....

Hello, Anne. Thanks for those memories. The "Miramar" is still there, although it is no longer an hotel but an old people's home. It is also about twice the size that you would remember. I'll sort you out a photo, though.
Sharks teeth can still be found on the beach, particularly at the Bishopstone Glen end. We used to take the girls there quite a lot when they were toddlers and would almost guarantee coming back with a number of said dental souvenirs.
The pier actually lost her final battle to Mother Nature on 12 January 1978. although there were a few near misses before that, I believe. You'll see the photo in the Herne Bay section, under "Photos (1)".

Why, thank you, Angie. I consider myself humbled. In truth, it's always gratifying to get positve feedback from local residents. I hope that I can give a positive reflection on the area without making it unduly biased, despite my opening comments on the home page. However, if anyone thinks that I have treated someone or something incorrectly, please let me know. I'm not in this to upset anyone.

Well, Emma, other than the poor photo I have on the Herne Bay Station Road "Street Life" page, I can offer no information on the station's history, although I will take a look in the library among others and see if there is anything I can locate. In the meantime, if anyone does have any information to pass on to Emma, please use the link under her name.

Thanks Robert. So, you would have got the bus at the same place as my old (Langtonian) mates Barry and Calvin. Well, both the Tollgate and the bus shelter are still there but the area has changed considerably in the last few years. I recall the Tollgate being a tiny grocery shop, where I would buy sweets from on my way home from Whitstable Boys School (now Whitstable Junior School). Whoever owns it today must be highly tolerant, what with all those railings around it and the constant traffic. At the time of writing, the Canterbury Road end of the High Street is being resurfaced and the traffic queue extends from the railway bridge at Belmont Road right back to Borstal Hill. Who'd want to live here just now? Still, it should soon be sorted......

Hello, Claudia. Thanks for visiting. The Fairy Glen, at the end of Glenbervie Drive, is still there but much of it is a housing estate now. There is still a path linking Glenbervie and Gainsborough Drives that leads to the fields on the cliffs where the coastguard hut used to be. That, too is now gone, demolished because it was getting too close to the edge, due to the rapid local erosion.
Those of a particularly adventurous nature can still walk along Bishopstone Glen, although, again, Mother Nature has dealt a hefty blow via subsidence in the area. Not that local kids seem to care too much. Much of the coastline around this neck of the woods has slipped into the sea. During the 70's & 80's, the council spent a fortune on sea defences and land underpinning. Most seems to be under some sort of control but it only takes a prolonged heavy downpour for the collapsing to start again. Many is the time we've walked along the promenade east of Beltinge, only to find it cordoned off and covered in piles of clay, following another slip. It would be safe to assume that this is something Man is never going to win. Nature will beat him every time.

Well, Kirk, I am unable to comment on the "dumping of leftover food into the sea", I'm afraid. You might want to bring it up with either the restaurant or the council next time you're down, though.
I do, however, agree with your sentiments but I think the problem is often not so much with restaurants or amenities but with those people who think that the idea of clearing up is somehow beneath them. At the risk of sounding unduly holier-than-thou, I consider any kind of littering to be abhorrent. I have always either taken my rubbish home or used a bin. Some members of modern society, however, seem to feel differently. The idea of simply chucking rubbish on the ground or throwing it out of a car window (another particularly anti-social habit) just would never occur to me.
Anybody with any more interest in the topic of the Red Spider should look up Dave Taylor's Simply Whitstable site, where there appears to be quite a lively debate on the subject.