Seeboard, Upchurch Marathon, Winget, St.Margaret's Players,                                    Medway College,  APCM, Leech Opticals, Higham, KFI, Stockbury, Morris School of Dance, RNLI

          

In my first post I did say that contributions would not be on a regular basis, but here I am again, and thank you for sticking with me! I am now working on a different computer with a different photo-editing system which I have used the time in Lockdown to try to understand, so the images are displayed in a slightly different fashion to the previous ones. Also, Blogger somehow messes with the script and you may see large gaps. I've no idea why this happens - all is fine on the preview!!

 

I hope you enjoy the latest selection of photographs from the Dudley Studios Collection.

The electrical power industry was nationalised in 1947 with the Electricity Act. Twelve area branches were created as six hundred power companies were merged. In 1990 these area boards became independant, and by the end of the year were privatised. South-Eastern Electricity Board (Seeboard) merged with British Insulated Callender's Cables (a Swedish-Swiss company excelling in power, robotics and automation technology), and updated the London underground system, under the new umbrella of Seeboard Powerlink.  In 2002 they bonded with 24seven, a utility management company which was owned by London Electricity, and became EDF Energy, a name familiar to us all.  In this image from 1955 the original Seeboard is laying power cables in Aylesford village, which lies four miles from Maidstone on the banks of the River Medway. I think this view is from Mill Hall area, incidentally where one of my great-grandmother's was born in 1859. I'm sure the view was somewhat different to this one. Today there is a large housing complex around the area.

These lads are lining up for the Junior Marathon which was part of the Upchurch Fete celebrations and took part the day before. I wonder if any of them are reading this now?                                                             This was in 1955.

                                

These service vans were parked outside the factory in Esplanade, Strood, Kent. I wish they were in colour. I guess they were green and yellow.

Still with Winget - and I make no apologies, as for years Dudley Studios was in the factory, taking the photographs that would sell their products across the world. All visitors through the main door of the beautiful building, ( that sadly our Council saw fit to demolish), 

were greeted by doorman Mr. Bob Mercer.

    Stockbury church was desperately in need of restoration, as many of them were in the fifties.  £10,000 was needed - quite a lot then. The work was underway when thieves made use of the scaffolding to help themselves to lead from the one part of the roof that didn't need restoring! They also displaced some of the tiles.  Work was halted and an appeal for funds reached the BBC  programme ''The Week's Good Cause'' and £1,165 was raised immediately for the 700 year-old  church. The Vicar, Reverend Wallace E. Edwards 

is seen here discussing the work with the experts.

Medway College of Technology and College of Art combined forces for a 'Rag Day', held annually, raising money for local charities. Of course humour played a great part and some of the participants can be seen (above) at Gillingham railway station, and below at Rochester. All the locals enjoyed this time of year as the Towns were filled with colour and unexpected sideshows, like one I remember of a student crouched over a drain with a fishing                                                     rod - he sat there all day! 

The Kent Farm Institute owned 300 acres of farmland at Grove End Farm, Tunstall, near Sittingbourne, and it became the centre of training for student farmers. Mr. Peter Day who was Chairman of the County National Farmers Union, spoke at their open day in June 1956. ''Agriculture is the greatest industry in this Country today and we have a responsibility to the Nation for the care of this Country's soil. It is our raw material and our industry depends on it. We must improve and maintain it although it means hard work, long hours and frustrations by weather and Governments.'' He also pointed out that unlike hens, farmers could not sit still and make a living! This photograph shows one of the would-be farmers demonstrating hand milking to the MP for Faversham Division Mr.P.L.Wells and his wife.

St. Margaret's church, Rainham, badly needed redecoration by 1955 and £1,500 had already been raised towards financing it. There was an Autumn Bazaar in the offing, plus the proceeds from a  production of ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' performed by the St. Margaret's Players to help inflate the funds.

I noticed an interest in Leech Opticals on social media recently, possibly because it has now been turned into flats, with the name of the Company emblazoned on the side to maintain the history of the building. I applaud this idea. I notice that Norfolk preserves the history of its buildings in a similar manner and am surprised that it doesn't happen more often here.

Visitors are seen here touring the factory. I'm sorry I don't have any further details, but perhaps somebody else knows the occasion?

Gillingham Park Fete in 1956 took part over two days and was visited by 25,700 people.  Imagine if each one of those had been able to contribute £1 to the 

Royal National Lifeboat Institution!

This stall is hoping to raise funds for the RNLI, which is run by volunteers and is funded solely by voluntary donations. - a charity that saves life at sea.   To make a donation or to see what great work these selfless individuals undertake 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, visit rnli.org.

These delightful dancers are from the Morris School of Dancing and were entertaining crowds in the Rochester Castle Gardens in 1956

     

                                                Abuse of  copyright will be dealt with under the copyright law.

Upchurch Fete, Mayor of Rochester, All Saints Hospital, Town Crier, Winget, Little Theatre

The once annual carnival at Upchurch was always a grand affair, with many floats taking part, and residents all coming together to raise lots of money for charity. Here in 1955 the Carnival Queen was Patricia Atkinson with assistants Susan Cumberworth and Ruth Kitney.  Miss Upchurch was Shirley Swift with assistant Maureen Atkinson.

Such gender-defining competitions are now universally considered immoral and the Upchurch carnival itself, the fete and the marathon no longer take place, although the village still adheres to 

the long tradition of fund-raising which it has enjoyed since the mid-nineteenth century, and now includes a Festival of Music and theatre

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In the days before the advent of  'Medway Council' Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham were each served by a Mayor.   From 1938 - 1945 John Thomas Hawes was Mayor of Chatham. 

Looking a little similar to the author Charles Dickens he was the obvious choice to play his double

in the 1931 Pageant which took place at Rochester Castle, where he performed with Dame Sybil Thorndike.

                      Born in Coventry in 1878 he discovered Chatham during his Naval career.

             

                        He is pictured here wearing the regalia of his post at the end of his term of office.



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Many an expectant mother, myself included, would arrive at All Saints Hospital, Chatham, 

pre-natal clinic with raised blood pressure. The Doctor would first enquire ''Did you walk up from Chatham?'' The climb up Magpie Hall Road was an endurance with the extra weight

on board, especially in the summer. However, it was a good hospital and served the area well. Probably the majority of people reading this were born there in what used to be the Medway Union Workhouse, built in 1849 to replace the one in Union Street Chatham which was believed to be the 

inspiration for Charles Dickens when writing 'Oliver Twist.'

These photographs were taken in 1954

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Peter Sadler revived the old tradition of a Town Crier in 1986 because he felt that Rochester needed one.

He was self-funded and motivated, but the Council eventually adopted him as their own following the obvious popularity of his character on the High Street. His ability to speak German, Dutch and French was a great asset and endeared him to countless tourists. He made friends right across the world.  He represented Rochester in Canada in 1993 at the World Town Crier Championships.

After his death in 2003 aged 81 he was succeeded by Robin Burfoot who died in March this year also aged 81.

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Winget Batching plant at British Road Services depot in Priory Road Strood in 1961.

The houses immediately behind are in Smith Street and the ones a little higher are part of Cuxton Road

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This property, seen here in 1955 was an ex-wine warehouse from the 18th Century, and was being used by Kent Art Printers as an art studio. 

A local journalist called Duncan Rand transformed it into a 100-seater theatre, and it was curtain-up in 1958. There is an annual one-act festival which is held in his name, and attracts drama groups from all over Kent and beyond. Mr Rand died in 1981.

Dame Sybil Thorndike once gave a performance there and enthusiastically declared it to be ''a darling little theatre.''

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                                                   Abuse of  copyright will be dealt with under the copyright law.

Boxing Day, Soldiers Sun Pier, Jess Conrad, Autoyachts

Young Patients on Boxing Day, 1952, in St.Barts Hospital, Rochester.

 It looks as though Father Christmas found this little girl, in

 her cot which was presented to the hospital in 1932 by the Richard Watts Charity. Above the bed is a notice from December 1913 which reads ''This cot is maintained by the voluntary contributions of children attending the elementary schools of the Borough of Chatham.'' 

This was, of course, before the days of the NHS, but perhaps also a glimpse of the future??   I do hope not, and also that these historical items have been preserved somewhere as this historic hospital is now closed and up for sale - sad times. 

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The infamous tidal surge that swamped the east coast of England and north Kent in 1953 was the worst such disaster in living memory.  The Isle of Sheppey was marooned as four miles of water separated residents from the mainland.  There was no A249  Sheppey Crossing over The Swale back then.  The road and railway links were submerged, and phone lines were down. Cattle and sheep were drowned, but luckily there were no human fatalities, although a few hundred suffered from exposure. The flood came during the night.  The Army and the Navy ferried supplies out to them, the Navy working from Chatham Dockyard, and the Army from nearby Sun Pier. Clothing, coal and firewood that were donated by Rotarians in Hythe, blankets and hot meals were all welcomed by the victims.

These photographs were taken on behalf of the Milk Marketing Board as the soldiers willingly loaded the boat and carried the white stuff out to the islanders.

Pier Chambers on the right of the picture was home to the North Kent Area Planning Office.

A good view of Sun Pier, with Hooker Flour mill on the right. 

Their work completed the soldiers relax and pose for the photographer.

Knight tug 'Kathleen', with three crew members on board, nudges the precious cargo into deep water, as an industrial landscape behind is evident, from Doust Shipyard around to the Crown and Quarry cement works. Gasholders dominate the scene and the line of cranes at Cory Wharf are eagerly unloading the waiting ships - oh, those were the days!!

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Jess Conrad was born Gerald Arthur James on 24th February 1936 in Brixton.  A popular singer during the 50's and 60's this heart-throb was also a successful actor, and was once considered for the role of James Bond. He has been in a catalogue of film productions alongside many famous names, and starred in the stage productions of Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. As a jobbing actor he once shared a flat in Chelsea with Terence Stamp and Michael Caine - not a lot of people know that!!

Drink or drugs have never featured in his life, and he considers keeping fit important. He was goalkeeper for the Showbiz X1, taking on the task without any previous experience, and eventually became their manager, who worked above and beyond the call of duty, designing the logo, drumming up sponsorship, negotiating with the FA, and packing hampers for when the team travelled away. He even had it written into his film contracts that he be flown back to London on Saturdays to play football. Now their President he merely introduces the team before a game.

This photograph was taken in 1963 at the Bull Hotel in Rochester, accompanied by Renee Bergman, a Dutch model who used to be the face of  Camay soap, and whom he married the same year. They went on to have two daughters, Sasha and Natalie. The couple are still married today, which in itself is a remarkable feat in showbusiness!

A member of the Grand Order of Water Rats he was King Rat in 2013. His services to charity been recognised and this popular character has been awarded an O.B.E.

His latest film, released in 2016, was 'Mob Handed' in which he stars as the Judge.

For any fans reading this he is appearing at the Criterion Theatre, 69 High Street, Blue Town, Sheerness, on March 18th this year. It is advertised as 'a fun-filled evening of anecdotes and film clips as Jess recalls his fabulous life,'  Certainly not a bad life for a fellow who left school unable to read or write!

  

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At 171 Pier Road, Gillingham, Autoyachts were marine engineers and motor distributors.

A lady in a white coat is filling a car with Shell petrol as another member of staff cleans the windscreen. The car number is 449 UKN.

The offices above at no.173 belong to F.Parham Ltd; building contractors.

This is now the site of Gillingham Marina.

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Abuse of  copyright will be dealt with under the copyright law.