RAINHAM’S CORONATION CELEBRATIONS by Freddie Cooper
Continued from March 2002
In 1953 the population seemed to be captivated by the Coronation of our young Queen and almost everyone entered into the spirit of the occasion. Rainham was proud to play its part. The most heated arguments occurred afier the event when the Committee had to decide how to dispose of a balance of £164 which was left alter all accounts had been paid. Many ideas were eventually eliminated in favour of a village clock. Barclay’s Bank, at the junction of Station Road and the High Street, was one obvious location but Mr C.D. Lake, the Deputy Borough Engineer, who still lives in Wigmore, suggested that the Church Clock be renovated and a new face placed on the western side of the Tower.
He had ascertained that the clock mechanism had been constructed around 1730 by William Gill of Maidstone and that this originally operated an hourly strike on the tenor bell. Apparently the peal of bells go back to the l6th century and the treble and No. 2 were provided by parishioners in 1913 in memory of King Edward VII and the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary. Mr Lake suggested that the chestnut trees on the grass bank be removed and new trees planted in the churchyard, this would have thrown the Church tower into more prominence and given a wider vista along the High Street. Apparently the Vicar at that time was quite keen on the project and thought that a small additional contribution could be made. The arguments in Committee created our first real divisions, the Church scheme seemed to follow a precedent but a most vocal group considered it wrong in principle to apply money, which had been raised by residents of all faiths and none, upon the Parish Church. The arguments that everyone would view the clock were not persuasive enough.
That is why an ‘English Electric’ Arctic clock is still situated on Barclay’s Bank building with a plaque to the left of the front door. Incidentally Gillingham Borough Council maintained it until 1998 when Medway assumed responsibility. I have frequently telephoned when it has stopped and I hope that others will do the same. The present officers are Mr Strila and Mr Dray on 331151. Perhaps our Rainham Councillors will also note the arrangement which has been reasonably honoured for 50 years but Councils do need reminding at times.
Freddie Cooper
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Memories of Rainham - MEMORIES OF RAINHAM SCHOOL FOR BOYS
Dear Editor,
In reply to Michael Croucher’s article on Rainham Secondary School for Boys in December 2000 AF, like many old Rainham boys, my brother and I attended the old Orchard Street School, now St Margaret’s Junior School. I started there in September 1945, leaving in December 1949 as a prefect. I was somewhat surprised that Mr Croucher didn’t mention the backbone senior staff, namely Harry Thomas (Science) and Bert Newell (Art). Both were on the staff before the war along with others like Mr Sargeant. The names of others, after more than half a century, I sadly can't recall. Mr Smith I can recall, however, was headmaster when my brother Frank and I began there; although short in stature he ruled with a rod of iron. During our second and third year Mr Smith retired, to be replaced by Mr Bacon, who I recollect swept down the hall for his first assembly complete in black gown to the amusement and sniggers of all us boys sat as normal cross-legged on the floor.
Other staff I can call to mind with respect are Bill Taylor, my old form master, whose old Morris car I have helped to start with a push with the help of other lads on cold nights after school. Teachers with cars were a rarity in the 40s and 50s. Harry Thomas did own an ageing pre-war Austin Six I remember. Mr Sargeant I remember well with great respect; he taught woodwork and TD. Sadly he died during my final year. I recollect all of us prefects led by (Bomber) Ronald Ware, headboy, attending his funeral at Rainham Church. Mr Smith taught us metalwork assisted by Mr Clark who came to the school on interview in his Royal Naval Chief's uniform. Mr Johns taught us history, I have him to thank for my interest in the subject which has lasted a lifetime. Like Mr Croucher I too have been on the receiving end of Mr Brown’s size 12, assisted by an overweight Mr Morris, who also took us for music before the arrival of Alf Springate.
Maths was taught by Billy Bones as we called him. Mr Bowden was his real name — he had an amusing habit of rhyming a boy's name to what might happen if he didn’t stop talking. A great friend of mine was Alan Barrett Danes. Mr Bowden would recite ‘I’ll give you such pains Danes’. Mr Patterson taught us how to grow spuds in a straight line in the school garden, when all we were really interested in was looking at the girls in the school next door, namely Rainham Girls. Although both schools occupied what was in reality one building divided into two schools, the consequence if caught eyeing one of the girls while in the building was a fate too dire to mention; however, in the school garden it was permissible, resulting in rows of spuds far from straight and a l great interest in gardening or rural science as it later became.
The school in Orchard Street in 2003, now St Margaret's Infants and Junior School
Careers education was almost non-existent in those initial post-war years, apart from the odd school outing or a visit from some heavily ringed naval officer from the Dockyard. I can call to mind going only on one visit to a building site which today is Damson Way, being told as we clambered in and out of unfinished houses (no hard hats in those days) that many building trades would be taught to us if we became apprentices. The foreman emphasised that the building site language would come naturally. This was said in response to a barrage of newly acquired grammar from young apprentices who only the previous term had been our fellow pupils at Orchard Street. The late Harry Thomas, and especially the late Herbert Newell gave me the push and the incentive I needed to take the first initial steps towards teacher training and qualifying as an art teacher in 1957.
Over the intervening years Bert became a good friend I was privileged to be invited to Mr Bacon’s retirement function at the newly built Howard School. After 42 years in the job I enjoyed I too am now retired and have a lot to look back on thanks to Rainham Boys’ at Orchard Street.
(Howard School below)
John K. Austin
Retired Schoolmaster
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The new Tilbury estate off Station Road including Finwell Road in Rainham was built in the late 1960s and my parents moved there in 1967. This is the photo of the house shortly after they moved in.
The purchase price of a new bungalow in 1967 was £4150. The same house now is estimated by Zoopla to be worth £407,000!
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As can be seen from the plans below the grandly named Broadview Garden Estate consisted of Broadview Avenue, Herbert Road and Arthur Road. The estate was sold off as individual plots of land for residents to build their own property on but the developer had a series of designs that had to be used hence the reason many of the houses have a similar look and feel despite the years that have passed.
What is now Orchard Street was at the time just a road that joined Broadview Avenue through to Arthur Road. It didn't continue any further towards Rainham although the Church path footpath did exist and Maidstone Road also continued to the A2.
The adverts offered a choice of building plots from £30 Freehold and boasted of Company Water mains on the estate and gas supply being available, that roads and paths would be made and offered Railway Bus and Tram services. It was described as "The finest building estate in Kent".
The vendor was C.E. Andrews of Wigmore House, Wigmore, Chatham (interesting that it was Chatham not Gillingham given as the address)
You can see the rural nature of Rainham at the time of the land sales in this 1930 aerial photo of Rainham
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After the article about The Missing Rainham Bypass - Rainham Southern Relief Road Maggie Francis has kindly passed on this copy of Action Forum showing the plans for the road and the rest of the area from 1965 which originally were for a full ring road around Rainham in addition to the bypass. The full story is below
THE RAINHAM PLAN — 30 YEARS ON
I recently noticed a report which indicated that Gillingham Borough Council had agreed to compulsorily acquire land on the northem side of Longley Road which they considered an eyesore and I wondered if the members were told that it was the Council which caused the original blight.
This goes back thirty years when a plan was produced (reprinted herewith) by consultants, after an exhaustive survey, for the regeneration of the village. I started the process by putting down a motion of ‘no confidence’ in the Planning Committee who had been turning down applications for the enlargement and the development of shops in Rainham High Street. This was brought to a head when Woolworths applied to enlarge premises, now Lukehurst’s main shop, which had previously been a cycle shop with the old cinema adjacent. The Council refused this application with others and I considered that the natural development of High Street shopping was being stifled to the detriment of Rainham residents. I knew that the Borough Engineer strongly favoured a new Shopping Centre and I felt that the refusals were part of a plan to bring that about. My censure motion created a degree of personal acrimony but the Council resolved to appoint consultants to advise on the future shopping needs and its location and changes which might improve the central area of Rainham. I considered this a waste of public funds as if a new shopping centre was to be created then there were only two possible locations in close proximity to the top of Station Road which has always been recognised as the central point of the village.
One of these sites was where the shops were ultimately built and the other was between Station Road and Ivy Street, just behind the Co-operative store which was then open land having once been the grazing area for Jacobs dairy. The plan proposed by the consultants went far beyond what was anticipated but it included various pet ideas which had been ‘floated’ by senior officers and some members from time to time. A major bypass was included, running parallel south of the A2 from Holding Street to just east of Miers Court Road which itself would be widened and rebuilt leading into a new loop road running eventually along the line of Hothfield Road and Tufton Road and then sweeping south around the outside edge of a new shopping centre served by large car parks and a bus station. Readers will note that the bottom of Orchard Street was diverted to connect up with the new loop road under a major fly over. Rainham High Street and the top of Station Road would be for pedestrians only with no through traffic between Holding Street and Miers Court Road.
It is interesting to see the number of shop units recommended, less than half of which have been built and some of those are empty. The Council adopted the recommendations in total. I was strongly opposed as I considered that the centre of Rainham would be divided into four distinct areas: (I) south of the bypass; (2) between the bypass and the High Street, with hardly any provision for access; (3) between the High Street and the loop road; and (4) north of the loop road. Both routes of the proposed bypass and the new loop road with other properties covered by the plan caused an immediate blight. The whole of the area on the south side of Tufton Road to the north side of Longley Road was a “reserved space’ all of which caused consternation and a great deal of worry to numerous residents who realised that their properties were devalued and probably could not be sold. Both Gillingham Borough Council and the KCC had to buy properties along the routes of the proposed roads and of course the route of the proposed bypass (as amended) is still in the structure plan so much of that area is still blighted.
Some residents in Station Road moved and I know that Wilkin’s the hardware shop on the comer of Tufton Road had to be acquired. Whilst many residents were worried and some probably lost money inevitably there were other landowners who prospered by the proposals. Much of the shopping centre and car park was a cherry orchard and the Co-operative shop was built mainly on the old school site. I left the Council in I967 and have no record of when the proposed new loop road was deleted from the plan but it was in for some years and blighted the area of land in Longley Road which is now the subject of concern and possible acquisition. To the best of my knowledge this land was owned by Holden’s, a firm of builders, who applied for various developments which were refused.
It just shows how Authorities produce plans which have a profound effect upon residents for good or ill for many years. The main point made by the consultants was that every effort should be made to ‘recapture an intimate village atmosphere otherwise Rainham would be swallowed up by the ever-expanding Medway Towns and would completely lose any identity or character of its own’. I leave readers to decide if the slightest vestige of ‘village atmosphere’ remains. It was considered that the eastern part of the Borough had a potential population of 40 to 50,000 which would justify a new shopping centre but it was emphasised that this should not be large enough to pose a threat to the main centres of Chatham and Gillingham (how different from the attitude adopted over the Savacentre).
The consultants claimed that their plan would preserve and improve the character of the village but in my view one of the main errors was the demolition of the old Church School at the top of Station Road, this took away one of the four buildings in that area which were necessary to preserve the soul of the village and its retention would have enabled community activities to have been centralised in a building to which many of us already had a close attachment. So what have we got from the grandiose plans of thirty years ago — we have a shopping centre comprising about half of the shops then proposed with a car park but no bus station. Many of the retail shops in the High Street have become banks, estate agents or offices, the bypass has never been built but remains in the plan causing blight along its proposed route and the new loop road which caused so much concern to residents was presumably subsequently removed from the plan.
Whatever the intentions, Rainham was destroyed as a village a long while ago — it’s just part of the sprawling conurbation of Medway which looks like spreading ever further in future years.
Freddie Cooper
August 1995
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