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EDITORS NOTE I should have mentioned last month that Anne Woodward was inadvertently left out of the list of committee members on the 2007 programme and is on the “Talks” sub-committee - sincere apologies!
SOCIETY EVENTS Just a reminder for those of you who have reserved a seat that our Annual Lunch this year is on November 4th. The event is already fully booked. If anyone coming would like a vegetarian main course please advise Doug as soon as possible on 269847.
Our talks start again on 24th October (United Reform Church, East Street at 7.30.p.m.) with a talk on Kent Pubs, especially some of our local inns, given by Peter Meiklejohn. Peter is librarian of the Association of Kentish Men & Men of Kent (AMKKM). He will be followed on 14th November by Clive Emson, who started his career as an Estate Agent in Hythe (now Wards). He will talk about some of his experiences as one of the most renowned auctioneers in Kent and Sussex. On 28th November David Featherbe returns to give us another illustrated talk on wildlife. An accomplished photographer and speaker, his talks have always proved popular.
A Summer Evening: On 28th June 49 members of HCS and AMKKM had a very pleasant evening tour across Romney Marsh to Rye, Newenden and Rolvenden. We were accompanied by Rev’d & Mrs John Wright who was vicar of Newenden before coming to Horn Street. At Hole Park he introduced us to David Barham, the present owner’s octogenarian father. Mr. Barham led a conducted tour impressing everyone with his profound knowledge of all the plants. Designed by his grandfather, Col. Arthur Barham, in the 1920’s, the gardens form part of some 250 acres of parkland. Supper was at the Six Bells in Woodchurch.
FRIENDS OF ST. LEONARDS’ CONCERTS On 28th October musicians from Bavaria, Adrian Lazar (violin) and Caroline Burgius (piano) will give a concert in association with the Egerton Festival. Tickets are available from Peter Brandon, 55 High Street, or at the church for a 7.30 p.m. start.
HCS COMMITTEE SECRETARY Following our appeal last month we had several good applications and are very pleased to announce that Mrs Mary Hunter has been appointed by the Committee to fill the vacancy.
TOWN EVENTS Age Concern will hold a darts match on 7th October (7.30 – 10.00 p.m.), and on 21st October a Jumble Sale, at 9.00 a.m. and an American Supper at 7.30 p.m.. Finally, on 2nd December from 7.30 – 10.00 p.m. there will be a Wine & Buffet Supper. For details & reservations please telephone 269602
FHODS inaugurated their new Tower Theatre with “Songs from the Shows” in July and since then the Youth Section has presented Terry Pratchett’s “Carpe Jugulum”. The work of internal conversion continues, and from 24 to 28th October it’s “Oh What a Lovely War”, that merciless and often most moving satire about the senior direction of WW1, but, nevertheless, a show full of humour, as well as songs to join in. BOX OFFICE - 01303 223925
CORRESPONDENCE Letters, and e-mails, are always welcomed by your Editor and this month Deryck Weatherall writes to remind us that actions speak louder than words. He encourages us to promote the preservation and conservation aspects of our objectives by doing a day’s work with the Romney Marsh Countryside Project. Transport, tea, buns (and bonfires!) are provided, good company is assured and one can work at one’s own pace. Full details are in the Walks and Events booklets at the Information Centre and Library.
We have also heard from Martin Crozier who writes “I wonder if you would know if there are any records kept in Hythe about residents long gone? Sir Thomas Henry Crozier (1868-1948) lived at Cylinders in Saltwood and I have all his details and really wanted to record them locally if that were possible, so that future people would be able to trace him. The grounds of the house are built on now of course, but it is still standing. painted white and black.” If anyone would like to follow this up we will put you in touch.
For our part we have often wondered where ‘Cylinder’ came from and Mr Crozier explained that it was a site where gunpowder was made; part of the process involved burning chemicals in cylinders. Five or six of these stood on the land and gave their name to the house and road.
GOOD NEWS The Cricket Clubhouse has re-opened! The arson attack on the Cricket club in April 2004 deprived HTCC not only of its Clubhouse, but also of memorabilia built up over nearly 100 years and displayed inside. The splendid replacement building was opened last month by England spin-bowler Derek Underwood. As a gift from the Venetian Fête Society, Cllr John Schoner handed over the bat used by the late Percy Chapman when he made his career best score of 260 for Kent (against Lancashire) in 1927. Percy Chapman was the Hythe and Kent cricketer who captained the England Team which won the Ashes in 1926. We understand this most appropriate gift was discovered on the internet; it is especially relevant because of the historic link between the Venetian Fete Society and the Club. We told the full story in NL86: it goes back to 1894 when HCC took on the running of the Fête as an adjunct to Cricket Week and actually ran it until 1914 despite some dramatic problems such as low water levels and even the collapse of Ladies Walk Bridge in 1895 under the weight of the spectators.
HCS has sent a strong letter to KCC (the relevant authority) objecting to the new street lamp in Church Hill right at the heart of our Conservation Area. New safety laws outlawing the use of ladders by workers changing the bulbs require columns that can be lowered. However, there simply must be a better solution!
We have noted several “niggles” around the Town and we would like to hear your views. The new shop-front for the “Relate” charity shop is painted bright orange – perhaps it will frighten the herring gulls away (good) but complement the built environment it will not (bad). There seems to have been an increase in the amount of litter around the Town – please call the Council (01303-858660) and complain about specific examples that you find offensive. Many also do not like Aldi’s “black” windows facing the beautifully restored Town Square or even the exterior of the new Oaklands Health Centre which – absolutely great as we know it is inside – does nothing for the appearance of Stade Street. To us it appears to be three unrelated buildings – a traditional ragstone and brick unit, an elevated wooden “Portakabin” (sadly, not portable) and a modern section which could look good on the South Bank but perhaps not on the Canal Bank. We have English Heritage to thank for preserving the older building and wall but in that process we may have lost the opportunity for an altogether more handsome design that was proposed in response to objections raised to the initial plan:
Readers may wonder why we raise this matter again now that, for better or worse, the deed is done. Well, our view is that if the people most affected – Hythe residents – had been democratically consulted at the time and the, apparently viable, alternative brought to everyone’s attention, the outcome might have been quite different. Subsequent law requires planning authorities to consult with interested public bodies (such as HCS) and we shall need your support – possibly financial as well as moral - if future projects (such as the detailed design of the Sports Centre) are to be more satisfactorily resolved.
More details of the “Martello Lakes” (formerly “Nicholls Quarry”) development at the west end of Dymchurch Road have been published with an Outline Planning Application. Plans were on view at the Town Hall in September. The number of houses has increased from 720 to 1050 - close to the maximum permitted density. Two exits to Dymchurch Rd are shown but one of them only permits east-bound traffic to enter or leave. Also the “industrial” area is in the North-west corner, requiring all the commercial traffic and workers to pass through residential areas – surely not good?
SOCIAL HISTORY “Society for the Preservation of the Beauty of Hythe” We came upon a reference to this Society, hitherto unknown to us, in the files of the Hythe Herald (9th March 1906) and asked our readers in NL130 for more information about it, believing its aims likely to have been largely congruent with our own. And so it proved.
As so often, Miss Denise Rayner, with her extensive knowledge of press reports of that period, came to our rescue. It appears that the initiative began on the suggestion of a regular visitor to Hythe, Miss Emily Field, with a private meeting at the home of Dr and Mrs Randall Davis (i.e. Oaklands) which led in turn to the calling of a public meeting in the Institute on 2nd March 1905 chaired by the Vicar, the Revd Herbert Dale. (Perhaps as a visitor Miss Field saw more clearly than residents what was of value!) A resolution was passed that ‘a Society be formed for the preservation of the natural beauty of Hythe (and) its Military Canal, to preserve the ancient buildings of interest, and to encourage the artistic improvement of the town and its open spaces.’ Clearly there was enthusiasm and general interest, for the first meeting was held in the Town Hall a few weeks later, with the Mayor in the chair.
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It is reported that at this meeting rules were made for the constitution and management of the new Society, a committee was appointed, and the MP, Sir Edward Sassoon Bart. invited to be the first President. The last Wednesday in October was to be an annual Hythe Arbour Day for tree-planting or pursuance of some major project. The greatest achievement was the establishment of Victoria Gardens (also known as Parade Gardens) between South Road and the seafront (the area of the present Swimming Pool). SPBH wanted the area to be dedicated to the public ‘for all time’ but councillors were unwilling (it would have meant no Pensand House!) but they did agree to a lease of 10 years providing the society maintained the gardens. Alas, at the end of ten years, England was at war, and other aims had enveloped the volunteers and the cash-flow, so in 1916 the project and the Society were dissolved.
It was a worthy venture by responsible, committed and public-spirited people. Its first Resolution, passed unanimously on that April afternoon is worth quoting now in these latter days: it urged on the Corporation of Hythe:
‘…the desirability of so regulating the proposed building of houses on the Corporation fields (i.e. the area from the Parade across the South Road Sports Ground) so as not to interfere with the beautiful view of trees and fields from the Parade.’
A fine idea - completely ignored – dare we say “as usual”!
Is there any proof that Mrs Keppel stayed at the Horn Street Mill House (see NL 131)? It really does not seem very likely that it was quite up to her standard, and even less likely that the King’s chauffeur-driven 12hp Daimler (all his cars were claret in colour, with no number-plate) parked indiscreetly outside on a summer afternoon for an hour or two!
As we thought, there were two mills. That on the East side of the road burnt down in 1859 and was completely destroyed, though no less than three fire engines attended, plus a Fire Piquet from the Camp.
That on the West side (further up opposite the pub), also burnt down, in August 1961. It, too, had a pleasant-looking millhouse alongside, but that was demolished, and only the row of mill-hands’ cottages remains. This mill was unusual in using both wind and water-power, and being capable of grinding corn, making paper, and (at a different period) for crushing seed to produce oil.
There are pictures in Easdown and Sage’s book Hythe – A History and also in Whitney’s Bygone Hythe. (Incidentally, those who remember Charles Whitney and enjoyed his lovely book, now out of print, will be pleased to know he prospers still, as the Rev’d Charles, for he was ordained in Gloucester Cathedral in July 2004. His removal from Hythe was a loss to historical research here.)
In our Festival Exhibition in the Library last July, we showed two pictures of the High Street taken 50 years apart, and both depicting the Store on the corner of Bank Street ornamented with a curious Knight’s Helmet. It shows up also on Page 33 of Rufus Segar’s book Remember Hythe (which all our members have, we hope) where the little man standing below is clearly asking ‘Now whatever is that there for?’
The answer stares us in the face on the back cover of the above-mentioned Easdown/Sage book, in a photograph taken around 1939, where the helmet is seen to be part of the swinging sign of Ninnes Antiques. Frederick Ninnes opened in Number 32 (later 64) as a watchmaker in 1887, and by 1911 was able to expand across the whole block to the corner, selling also silver and militaria. He traded until 1947 when the Newmans founded their Furnishing Shop there. A furniture store it remains to this day, but without the helmet, though it must have been there in 1992 when Rufus drew it; trust him to notice a detail like that! Where is the helmet now?
GEOFFREY ROBERTS In NL130 we reported Geoffrey’s death and here is the concluding part of Mike Umbers’ appreciation of his contribution to HCS and our Town: Geoffrey was a man of parts. In addition to his service to HCS (see NL130) and the Hythe Tree Campaign, in 1993 he became Chairman and Trustee of the Group set up by HTC to investigate the Community Centre Project. There was money in the bank and, apparently, for once a following political wind. Two sites were finally proposed for public discussion: The Green or South Road. (An impractical suggestion of the South Canal bank with a new bridge was rejected!) The Town Council published a statement that the 1853 Covenant that The Green shall not be applied to building purposes only applied to buildings for domestic or commercial purposes. “A Community Centre ....... is considered to be outside the restrictions the Borough itself imposed more than 140 years ago when social/leisure requirements were somewhat different.” Councillors voted 8-7 for The Green – a majority of only one, and a public Referendum was held.
Geoffrey had become personally committed to finding an acceptable site, but he and we and everyone had to take account of the public vote: the first question asked was ‘Do you believe there is a need in Hythe for a Community Centre?’ And the answer was YES 394, NO 1,290! It could be that many of the “no’s” were simply anxious to protect The Green, but even allowing for them, in no way could this be an endorsement to go ahead. Geoffrey resigned in 1995, believing that without resolute and competent support from a united Town Council, and public backing, building and running such a centre and maintaining it in the future would be a serious financial risk. The Town Appraisal of 1997 offered an opportunity to test public opinion again, and to ask societies whether they would use such a facility, and how often, but the organisers were specifically barred from raising the issue.
It is an article of faith in our Society and among many individual councillors and organisations that Hythe needs a Community Centre – look at Lydd, look at Saltwood, look at St Mary’s Bay, they all have one, (though many need subsidy, as the Hythe Institute did), but Geoffrey’s final view came to be that many societies would prefer to use smaller more affordable venues, and that it would be wiser to make more use of existing venues: he argued for the use of school facilities (and Hythe Bay School may indeed be useful in this respect when it is fully completed) and especially he argued for a deal with Brockhill Park School. When the School applied for funding to become a Performing Arts College we gave support, and in June ’97 (NL76) naïvely said:
‘Headmaster Lyng may have cut the Gordian knot with his application to build a centre for film, dance, theatre and concerts, and given Hythe a much needed Hall with a range of use for many societies.’ Sadly, in practice, this has not happened.
Geoffrey’s views may have been unpopular with some, but they were considered and pragmatic. Hythe still has no venue for larger events and it seems quite likely that we will be without a Community Centre after yet another ten years.
CIVIC AWARDS Continuing our review of new or restored properties that could be nominated for this year’s award we are suggesting that consideration be given to “The Old Auction Rooms” in Marine Walk Street. The front of the building has been set back from the road and the result is quite pleasant, although some may single out the new windows as slightly anachronistic. Do go and have a look and tell us what you think!
A WORD OF THANKS The appearance of our Town Hall is a matter of civic pride, and surely this year it has never looked better. The organisation of the floral displays throughout Hythe by Sally Chesters and Tony Hill of HCS and the Tourism Forum with the support of the Gardeners’ Society, Hythe Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and the shop-keepers has been a fine example of mutual co-operation. The early-morning labours of Alistair (aka Mac) Page in watering and dead-heading are deserving of special thanks.
COLOUR SUPPLEMENT Long foreseen, this innovation really is on its way but unfortunately we cannot get it ready for distribution this month – Ed. |
