Back in the 1980s the Design & Technology department and A level students at Rainham Mark Grammar School built a hovercraft. This was used to give rides across the school field on open days and fairs as well as general messing about some lunchtimes! This photo was taken at a school fair in around June 1987

History Articles

There is an exhibition at Rainham library until 31st July 2017 celebrating the independent shops in Rainham through photographs by Robin Halls. A great opportunity to check out the local businesses in the area. The exhibition is supported by Careful Now Promotions.

In a few years it will be good to see photos of the local shopkeepers, something that is normally missing from the history records now.

History Articles

The large Oast House, Wakelely's Oast, which stands beside Rainham railway station is the home to the Rainham and Wigmore Community Association (RWCA) run by volunteers for the local community.

We are trying to build up a picture of the history of this wonderful old building, which was built in the late 1800s. We are looking back to it’s original use as an Oast House and as the main Office for the Wakeley Brothers many businesses and on through the 20th century, up until the present day.

The photo above shows Rainham station and Platform Row cottages just in front of the oast in the 1950s

The Oast House was sold in the early 1970s and the dedicated committee and members of RWCA spent many hours of ‘blood, sweat and (no doubt) tears’ in getting the money and resources together to convert this massive building suitable for the community to use, in whatever way they desired.

There was a row of cottages alongside the Oast which were demolished as part of the conversion project in the 1970s. They were known as Platform Row. Interestingly there is reference to families moving in to Platform Row in 1965 after their existing homes in Hartlip were marked for demolition. As the cottages were demolished in the early 1970s it doesn't look like they had a very long term move.

The aerial photo from 1930 shows the siding towards the Oast Houses and the cottages just beyond the Oast.

Apparently the Challis family lived in the first cottage after the railway line ,Mr Challis was a guard on the railway their eldest daughter Theresa went to school with Lyn Scotting, I was told that the Platform cottages were for Wakely workers.

Drawing below of the Oast showing Platform Row cottages

History Articles

The Rainham Spectacular was a fair that took place during the 1970s and early 1980s in Cozenton Park Rainham to raise funds for the Community Association. The first Rainham Spectacular was in May 1972 when it cost 10p for admission as can be seen in the poster below. Events took place at a similar time each year into the 1990s.

The programme for 1973 included Naval gun teams, miniature train rides, dog show, gymnastic display, vintage cars and sky divers as well as stalls and shows run by over 50 local organisations. By now the cost to enter was 15p (1970s inflation!) and it was estimated that nearly 20,000 people attended and raised £1200 for the community centre.

Rainham spectacular 1981 news clipping thanks to Steve Chinn

Newspaper clipping of Rainham spectacular from 1981

AF 1977 no.?

This was the 6^th Rainham Spectacular, the Miss Rainham Spectacular and Beauty Contest was sponsored by the Evening Post and Debenhams. Entrants open to 16-26 year olds within the Evening Post circulation area. The contestants were to be in daywear and judged on looks, poise, deportment and grooming. The vouches prizes were for ; 1^st £50.00, 2^nd £20.00 and 3^rd £10.00

AF 1978 no 103

There were 25 entrants to the Miss Rainham Spectacular and Beauty Contest.  The Winner was Melanie-Jane Webb of Lonsdale Drive , her attendants Karen Beney and Anita Crowshaw

Jubilee edition of the Rainham Spectacular programme from 1977 thanks to Dave Alcock

AF 1976 no ?

A plea for MOT failures for a display by stunt drivers. Each car donated would be painted with the owners name and the colour of the sponsor. Sponsorship was a minimum of £25.00.

1977 no? 

Bob Thompson and banger racing enthusiasts put on a display of skill and daring; jumping over cars and caravans and other obstacles.

There was also a jousting competition.

Programs cost 10p; entry was 20p for adults and 10p OAP and under 16s.

AF 1977 no.98

1500 people had attended the spectacular and £250 raised. 

The winner of the Stunter Kite prize was Alan Miller aged 13 who gave an address that neither the GPO nor Police knew, so the winner was asked to ring a given number to claim his prize.

Hazel has come up with some more Miss Rainham details and a couple of names.

 AF 1976 no. 81

Rainham Spectacular, an invitation to take part in Miss Rainham Spectacular and Beauty Contest, anyone living or working in Medway was eligible to enter, over the age of 16, it was free to apply and the prizes were ; 1^st prize £20.00 of cosmetics, 2^nd prize £6.00 of cosmetics and 3^rd prize £3.00 of cosmetics

By the following year the prizes had improved!

1977 no.?

This was the 6^th Rainham Spectacular, the Miss Rainham Spectacular and Beauty Contest was sponsored by the Evening Post and Debenhams. Entrants open to 16-26 year olds within the Evening Post circulation area. 

The contestants were to be in daywear and judged on looks, poise, deportment and grooming. The vouches prizes were for ; 1^st £50.00, 2^nd £20.00 and 3^rd £10.00

AF 1978 no 103

There were 25 entrants to the Miss Rainham Spectacular and Beauty Contest.  The Winner was Melanie-Jane Webb of Lonsdale Drive , her attendants Karen Beney and Anita Crowshaw.

The famous escapologist Peter Mendini , performed on 27^th May, his amazing Spiderman trapeze act and later escaped from a burning rope high above the arena.

Miss Rainham Kim Unger at Rainham spectacular from 1981

History Articles

This Rainham Spectacular programme from 1975 was kindly provided by David Alcock

It gives a great glimpse into life in Rainham in 1975 and some of the local businesses around at the time like Autoplant Engineering in Medway Road, Burns Radiio in Woodlands Road, Riverview Service Station on Station Road and FW Simes and Son Ltd on High Street Rainham

Click to view the whole Rainham Spectacular 1975 programme as a PDF

History Articles

As a fundraiser for the Rainham and Wigmore Community Association an annual pram race was held on Station Road. Thanks to Steve Chinn for these photos from 1981. You can see the Railway Hotel pub in the background of some photos

History Articles

Thanks to David Alcock who sent a selection of programmes for the Rainham Spectacular fair at Cozenton Park it's possible to get a glimpse into life and the businesses of 1970s Rainham.

1977 was the Queen's Silver Jubilee and the programme had a patriotic Jubilee theme to it with union jack flags adorning the cover. The event took place on Saturday 4th June 1977.

Some of the businesses represented by their adverts in the programme were Sophisti-Cats, Woolcraft, Hayfield Builders, The Old House Restaurant Lower Rainham Road (subsequently The Barn?), Poultons, Greens Garage, Pat and Parkwood Service Station.

The full programme for 1977 can be viewed here

History Articles

Back in 1972 plans were being drawn up for a new community centre in Rainham. The old community centre was at the top of Station Road in the former school but this was being demolished for the new Rainham precinct shopping centre.

The oast houses became available in 1970 and were purchased to be converted to a new community centre. This poster was to promote the plans and start fundraising for the project

History Articles

Back in the 1970s many shops in Station Road had Christmas lights as shown in the photo below. These were often held up with permanent brackets fixed to the walls and many of these brackets are still in place if you have a look at the first floor level of shops down the road. Many of the brackets consisted of 3 metal legs bolted to the walls as can be seen in the photos below. 

In the photo below you can see the metal frame for the light stands above the Phipps Anthony sign between the 2 upper windows.

In the next photo below the frame is to the right of the Maltbys sign and again consists of 3 iron legs bolted to the wall.

History Articles

In Rainham there was originally a Tesco store in the Rainham precinct but in 1994 a much larger store was opened on the Bowaters site at Rainham Mark. This has become a Tesco Extra in the late 2000s.

When the Tesco store opened at Bowaters there were concerns that it would mean the demise of the central store in Rainham so Tesco were required to guarantee that it would remain open for a period of time. This has now long expired but the store in Rainham Shopping centre is now badged as a Tesco Metro and trades on convenience and location.

As a result of the 2 stores in such close proximity there is a local naming convention with Big Tesco and Little Tesco - the Tesco Extra is known as the Big Tesco.

Tesco Extra Rainham/Gillingham - Bowaters Rainham Mark

History Articles

Joe Ennis has written for Action Forum for many years with a series of articles about the local area surrounding Rainham.

 Joe's daughter Annabel has collected these articles together and created a website with them which is a fantastic record of these articles and a great resource to read them through again.

Joe Ennis - Nature notes and Rides from Rainham

In August 1978, Joe started contributing a column to Action Forum, a free monthly community magazine for the rapidly-growing population of Rainham.

Joe's 'Rides from Rainham' explored local places of interest by bicycle. Spoiler alert: Joe's travelling companion and literary foil 'Kemsley' was in fact Joe's bicycle: a three-gear Raleigh 'Palm Beach'. It was a ladies bicycle, bought by then-nursery nurse, Eve, in Bristol for a week's wage. This thrift reflected the post-war era Joe and Eve grew up in.

Joe's articles were often accompanied by an illustration or sketched map, sometimes drafted by his own hand, or occasionally by Eve.

After nearly two decades, Rides from Rainham was retired and Nature Notes sprung to life in Action Forum. In Nature Notes, Joe's destinations were no longer limited by pedal-power, and he invited his readers to enjoy nature and the changing seasons in places accessible by foot, bicycle, car and train.

History Articles

This video was shot around Rainham station in 2016 and shows the railway line leading into distance of Gillingham and the Oast community centre adjacent to the tracks 

 https://youtu.be/TFY-8vhIoHc

History Articles