Date
| Visitor
| Location
| Comment
|
| 25 March | David | Sydney, OZ | The site brought back many happy memories. I lived in Herne Bay (Links View) from 1978 to 1986, when I moved to Sydney, Australia. Both my children were born in the area and spent many a summer weekend at the sea front playing on the trampolines and roundabouts. It's nice to see the town getting back to it's former Victorian glory. My son (who is now 22) and I visited Herne Bay last year as part of a business trip to London. He, of course has been brought up in Oz, surfing at Bondi Beach and other Australian surf beaches. He remebered a fair bit about Herne Bay but could not remember the pebble beach, depite being taught to swim there! Keep up the good work. You're welcome, David. It's a brave and/or hardy soul that learns to swim both from a shingle beach and in the North Sea...... |
| 24 March | The Sage | Lulea, Sweden | Great job.....very well done.
Don't you love enigmatic correspondents? Actually, I do know who this is from. Thank you, Mona. Always good to hear from you.. |
| 21 March | Kent Anderson | Dayton, Ohio, USA | Hello Steve. I was researching a 1934 golf trophy inscribed "Herne Bay Golf Club" and came across your site. I think you have done a particularly good job for an individual site. iI enjoyed your pictures. You live in a lovely town. Thank you for taking the time to share your hometown with visitors on the web.
Hello, Kent. Thanks very much. It's not much but it's my own and it's good to hear appreciative comments, too.. |
| 20 March | Jessica | Durrington, West Sussex | I really enjoy this site. I love the shops and the countryside.
Hi, Jessica. Thank you - I like the region, too.. |
| 14 March | Philip Wraight | Hampshire | Hi Steve. Tried the feedback Email but it wasn't having any of it earlier today. Did you happen to see on the BBC news web site on Fri/Sat that there is a new report on UK towns and it says that Herne Bay should be renamed Hernia Bay?! Such an accusation must demand some kind of a response from someone like yourself perhaps, or are you supping coffee in Macari's and swapping hernia stories with the rest of them? Regards from 'ampshire!
Hello again Philip. Long time, no hear. I didn't catch the article, as it happens. I've not heard Herne Bay referred to Hernia Bay now since I left school in 1978. Good to see the media is able to keep up with current lame/cheap jokes. |
| 13 March | Eileen Noble | Ontario, Canada | Hello Steve. You have been asking about the 1953 flood. Unfortunately, I have no photographs available. I am however sending you a letter and response from 'The People's Friend", January 3, 2004 issue. While Herne Bay is not mentioned, it might answer a few questions about the cause of the flood and its effect in other areas. On January 31, 1953, almost 100,000 hectares of eastern England were flooded, and in total 307 people in the UK were killed. Around 119 people died in Essex alone, with Canvey Island and Jaywick particularly badly affected. The floods were said to be the worst peacetime disaster in the history of the country. They were caused by the combined effects of storm surge and a full moon spring tide which devastated coastal communities in England and the Netherlands. Damage in today's money was estimated at over 5 billion pounds. Among the worst hit areas were Norfolk, where about 100 people died, and Suffolk, with more than 40 deaths.
Hello Eileen. Good to hear from you again. I looked up some information on the floods and found that, whilst Herne Bay and Whitstable were hit hard, only one person in Kent was killed as a direct consequence of the flood. |
| 10 March | Babs Caiger (née Ward) | Hi Steve, I have tried in vain to find some old school friends who went to Sir William Nottige School, Whitstable, in the 1950's I left in 1952. My name then was Barbara Ward and I lived in South Street, Whitstable. I would love to contact:
You write a very good article; if you could find out any information I would be very grateful. Kind regards, Babs
You are very gracious, Babs. Thank you. Even I have been roller skating on the pier, much to the amusement of my first girlfriend. I really think she didn't like me that much..... | |
| 5 March | Andy Newell | Herne Bay | Dear Steve, Just to let everyone know that the real reason why the pier collapsed was that when war broke out, most of the piers were broken in two places to stop the German invasion, but unfortunately our pier, when put back together, was not done properly. On the night of 11 January 1978 we recorded a hurricane force twelve northerly but take a good look at any picture. It clearly shows the pier broke in two places; the same two places dismantled during the war otherwise we would have lost the complete pier. Do I think we will get our pier back? Answer "Yes we will". Watch this space... Hi Andy. Thanks for that snippet. I'd like to share your optimism for the return of the pier but I won't hold my breath. It's going to take a lot of money and some brave investors..... |
| 25 February | Matthew Essam | Longfield, Kent | I was really pleased to find a site put together for enjoyment rather than commercial gain. I am starting a project to collate information on the 1953 floods which effected Herne Bay and what measures have been put in place to safeguard against it happening again. I would love some photos or comments from anyone who was living in Herne Bay then and can remember the floods. I was sorry that you did not move there until 1965. Any suggestions you or your fellow "Herne Bayians" may have would be very welcome.
Hi, Matthew. My arrival to the area was well after the last major flood. The '53 one was by far the worst, with the sea encroaching across the Memorial Park and as far as the railway cutting in Herne Bay. In Whitstable, it got as far as Borstal Hill. So in 1953, both towns were completely under (sea) water. In '62, whilst damage was still severe, it was not as devastating. I'm not sure about Herne Bay but my first house (bought when I got married) was in Albert Street, near the harbour. It was one of a few in that area that did not get flooded in 1962. |
| 22 February | Audrey Moore (Née McIver) | Frankston North, Victoria, OZ | Hello again Steve. You have heartened us no end with your comments about your weather. We will be in your neck of the woods on March 6th for a week or so and although it is 3yrs or so since our last visit, we were leaving our winter behind. This time.... it's our summer. Is Macari's still owned by the Macari family? Do they still have the three outlets on the front in the summer? We didn't see the pier in Autumn 01 so we will make a point of seeing it this time around. Is the Anglers Arms still in William St, and is it still where the angling prizes are presented after the annual competition? I can't remember which Angling club used that pub, just that I have my name on the Bijou Rose Bowl there for the heaviest fish in the comp caught by a lady (and as it happened,it was the only one caught by a lady on the day). That happened in the early 50's. I doubt we will see the rebuilding of the pier (so beloved by our generation for it's Skating Rink) but it is nice to imagine that one day the next one will be able to stroll it's length on a warm summer day, and fish from it's deck as we did. I know we won't see the Bay at it's best at the moment but as it may be our last visit (cost and age being what is) we will stroll around just one more time and see if there are any places and faces that look familiar. Last time we met 'Titch' Willet (never knew his first name) with his council cart, he looked at me and remembered my Mum.
Welcome back, Audrey. Both here and for when you arrive for real. Macari's is indeed still run by the family but I think you'll find the other outlets are not there now. As far as the Anglers Arms is concerned, there's no pub of that name that I am aware of now, although the angling club itself is by the Divers Arms on the front, near the clock tower. |
| 21 February | Christine Steele | New Zealand | Hi from NZ. Someone has pinched our summer; we have had storms, winds, uprooted trees, power cuts. Christine, driving to work in the early morning,
rounds a corner in the car straight into a huge flood across the road. Just had to keep the foot down and go for it. Frightened the living daylights out of me! However, down the bottom half of the North Island, things aren't so good. Serious flooding, houses floating off down river, stock losses and
poor people just losing everything. By a miracle no one has been hurt or killed, although one guy had a lucky escape when his caravan started floating off, with him in it. He'd gone to move it to higher ground and decided to batten some things inside down, looked out the window and saw a four foot wall of water coming across the paddock. He got out just as the van floated away and smashed itself up against a bridge along with his four wheel drive. The Prime Minister pledged a measly $20,000 from the Goverment. To their shame a mini telethon set up on Thursday night by a TV personality has seen the NZ public raise nearly $1.5 million and it's still running. So, if you are enjoying some unseasonally warm weather, can we have ours back now....please? Hello back, Christine. Sorry to hear of things going awry down there. Unfortunately, we don't have your weather here, either. Whilst not exactly deep winter, it's a relatively standard British one, with temperatures at about 8°C, a bit of wind and rain. Oh and the occasional media/general public whinge about council gritters not getting out in time when the frost arrives..... |
| 20 February | Julie Forster
| London | I was doing a search for the Chestfield Barn in Whitstable when I came across this site. It brings back many happy memories of family holidays throughout the 70s. My nan and granddad moved there from SE London in the late 60s(four great-aunts lived there too). We had great fun on the Downs, walking down and staggering up the "Hundred Steps" (I seem to remember there were 'only' about 80), going on the pier, swimming out to the raft/diving board (opposite the swimming club), going to the amusements, Bishopstone Glen and Reculver. My granddad died in the early 70s but nan continued to live in HB and then Whitstable until her death in the mid 90s. The place has changed a lot over the years - for the better in most part - and we often come back for visits. I love it.
PS: Is the bookshop Ridout & Son still there? It was one of my favourites and what about the Macari coffee lounge!!! Hi Julie. Thanks for that. Let's see now: 100 Steps - gone. Ridouts - gone. Macari's - still hanging in there. Actually, Macari's hasn't changed. At all. |
| 20 February | Steve Neil | Whitstable | Steve, Just found the photo of Sea Cadets awards day. The guy next to Adrian Dash is Chris Hilden, quite often seen in the Monument Pub in Church Street. I am next to Adrian. I am still living in Whitstable; I did join the Navy for five years, serving from 1980 - 1985. Micky Foster has moved back to Whitstable after serving 20 years. I bump into him in ASDA. Happy Days
Hi Steve. Wow - some names from the past, there. I do (vaguely) recognise the name Hilden but I don't think I have seen any ex-cadets for years now. I seem to recall Mick Foster lived just up the road from Andy Ougham, in Chestfield. |
| 18 February | Brian Mackenzie | Schofields, NSW, OZ | Happy new year Steve (yeh, I know its late but first chance to drop in). Thanks for the pointer to the Maritime Heritage Trail - great to see a truly magnificent pier (just as I like to remember it). I seem to remember (from prior news) that the company that suggested an action to restore the pier is now going to supply some sort of a facility that does nothing more than promote their endeavour (wind farm?). What a shame that the contract/undertaking was not more defined regarding the pier. Whilst I hope (one day) to return for another visit (sooner than later), a sweetener would have been the ability to walk out to the end of the pier. Well, you never know....... Continued good health Welcome back, Brian. There have been a few references to the pier in the last year. Whilst GREP (the windfarm people) did try to woo the council with possible support for a rebuild, other companies seem to be more serious in the proposal. If they go ahead, we really might have a decent pier again. I shall certainly be keeping an eye out for developments. |
| 14 February | Maria Merrell
| Southwick, W Sussex | Really enjoyed visiting your website. Have just started trying to piece together my grandmothe's branch of the family tree. Her name was Sybil Hay and she grew up in Herne Bay from about 1901 when she was three years old. She was brought up by her grandmother Ellen Tester who lived at 5 Richmond Terrace, Herne Bay. It is said that my grandmother's father was a soldier in the Boer War where he lost his life as did his wife who followed him out there. Their name's were William and Edith Hay.
Hello Maria and welcome. You join what seems to be a growing number of amateur genealogists around the UK. |
| 9 February | Ian Mackay | Herne Bay | Hi Steve, As a relatively new resident of Herne Bay, just thought I would drop you a line saying what a good site I think you have produced. Its easy to slag off "The Bay", but it does have its good points and you have highlighted them well. Keep up the good work!
How about that? TWO Herne Bay comments in a row. Thanks, Ian. Always appreciated. |
| 7 February | Jay | Herne Bay | Found your site last night and was hooked! Been having another look this morning - you know how it is when you find a good site and just had to write and praise your work! Loved the photos - they made me see Herne Bay with fresh eyes and I live here! Amazing how easy it is to take things for granted - everyday familiarity makes it easy to forget what a great place Herne Bay is. Read some of the comments (quite a few actually; addictive, and even though they are on a comments page, it always feels like snooping and reading someone else's mail - perhaps that's why they are addictive), and noticed quite a few references to looking for old Herne Bayers and requests for old photos of Herne Bay. Just a thought but how about a section for lost Herne Bayers or a section for people to send in their old photos of Herne Bay - I know there are two excellent books by John Hawkins, of Herne Bay in old photos (no connection, so this is not an attempt for a sneaky plug), but your website probably reaches a far wider audience and there must be loads more old photos out there. Sorry if you have already covered these two issues - I haven't explored all the site yet, that delight is still to come. Re this week's news; I understand that the new Post Office facility at the Co-Op is going to provide the same facilities as the Cavendish Road Post Office but I still think it's terrible that Cavendish Road is closing - yes I did write and protest - I'm not just a whinger! Cavendish Road PO has been there for years - another bit of our heritage down the drain when it could so easily have been modernised and improved. Anyway, enough for now but once again, it's a great site Steve, keep up the excellent work (where do you find the time)and have a great 2004.
Wow. Thanks, Jay. Always good to get something from someone local. I have asked about old photos in the past but to date it's got no further. I don't spend as much time on the site as I used to and I'm also getting close to filling my webspace allocation, so I may have to consider a rewrite again to whittle it down a bit. There is also the matter of copyright, as far as photos that have appeared in books or on postcards, etc. This is only an amateur site and although I gain no financial reward from any of it's content, I have to tread carefully as far as using other people's material is concerned. |
| 30 January | Pete | Wilmington, Kent | Dear Steve, Excellent site. I spend a lot of time around Herne Bay and Canterbury and love its 'forgotten' feel. May I suggest a couple of pictures you might like to add - purely because of their local interest - Mayfair House in Clifftown Gardens and its two neighbours (I'm sure the current occupants will give you the history!) and the similar style house halfway up Beacon Hill. Oh, and Mac's Music Store - just because the owner is one of Herne Bay's nicest characters. Hi, Pete. I'll see what I can do about Mac's shop but I am generally wary of taking pictures of specific private houses without the owner's knowledge. No promises on that score but I'll look into it. |
| 20 January | Jon Reed | I came to Herne Bay to carry out a geography experiment about the Herne Bay beaches. I was wondering if you knew what coastal defences there are at Herne Bay. For example there are groynes on the beaches. Are there any other coastal defences thatyou know of?
Hello, Jon. I think you'll find the most obvious example of the sea defence at Herne Bay is Neptune's Arm. Whilst it does create a harbouring facility, it's main role is that of sea defence.
Other examples all along the coast around Herne Bay are the massive rocks placed on the shoreline. You will find these on the seaboard side of Neptune's Arm, at Hampton (where much of the beach has disappeared under these rocks) and at Reculver at the foot of the concrete embankment below the towers. | |
| 19 January | Tony Smith | Grafton, NSW, Australia | Steve - enjoy the photos very much - I left Whitstable (1, Teynham Road) for Australia in 1964. Going by most of these photos not much has changed. I was amazed to see Valente's is still there and the "White House" as we used to call it by the Hotel Continental. What I would love to see a photo of it the "King Ethelbert" hotel at Reculver. I used to be there most nights singing to the organ played by a fella by the name of Bill Byrant (I think). I'm also trying to track down 2 work mates (one of whom I think has since died) and would appreciate it if you can supply me with a web site which can help me track them down.
Hello, Tony. Right; first things first. I will get another picture of the Ethelbert sorted once the sun decides to return to these shores. In the meantime, I have sent you under separate cover a shot taken a couple of years back. Sorry about not putting your comments up earlier but they're here now. |
| 18 January | Gail Robinson | Harpenden, Hertfordshire | Having left the Herne Bay and Whitstable area in 1989 and only making flying visits back to see relatives, it was great to see some current pictures and relive some memories. My father Peter McCracken recently retired having driven buses around the Herne Bay/Whitstable/Canterbury area for over 35 years and will possibly remember some of the comments made on your feedback site. Talking buses - Oh to have another chance to take the 'open topper' to Reculver on a hot summer's day..... Keep up the site - I will visit it regularly. Hi, Gail. Thank you. The site isn't going anywhere. At least not for the foreseeable future. |
| 13 January | Steve Punter
| Rothesay Bay, New Zealand | G'day Steve, you're doing a good job and yes, nice bike. I drool. It's a long time since I straddled my '69 Triumph Bonneville. Somehow the Honda 650 that followed it never did quite match it. And then there was the Yamaha 50cc... let's not go there; I was poor... and the Matchless 500 with the bent frame that didn't like right-hand bends. Your photos of Whitstable, HB and Reculver are, for me, like peeling a 40-year old onion. If, one day, you found yourself in the vicinity of St Mary's Primary School in Northwood Road and if your camera happened to be in your pocket, I would really appreciate a photo of my old primary school. That's if it's still there. It was a Convent as well, most of the teachers were nuns. Fond memories. I left in '64, and have never been back (26 hours cooped up with other humans at 30,000 feet doesn't attract me one bit). I've got some pictures of boiling mud pools...and snow-covered mountains....volcanoes....and sheep....lots of sheep....if you want payment in kind. Hope 2004 is a better year for you than 2003 appears to have been. Been there, too. Empathy. Keep it up, mate. Another Steve.
Hi, Steve. Thanks. You'll find St Mary's school in the "Whitstable Photos (2)" page now. The pictures aren't particularly good, I'm afraid but I'll replace them as soon as I get the chance. |
| 9 January | Dick Eburne
| Herne Bay | Dear Steve, Underdown House is in Underdown Lane Eddington not Underdown Road. Thank you for this site. I appreciate the picture of the Kings Road/Underdown Road junction taken from outside my shop - Herne Bay Books. You are doing a great job with the photographic record.
Hey, Dick; was that a plug, perchance? |
| 7 January | Sinclair Easton
| London (formerly HB) | Were you a carpenter?
Hi Sinclair. No. |
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