Collecting money outside the Town Hall for Dr. Barnardo's Home in the 1920's - Photo courtesy Stuart Hall

I want this page to be about Folkestone people.  Of course, there have been some famous people who have hailed from Folkestone, and they will be mentioned, and some not so famous, like my Mum - who will also be mentioned! :-) (And she wasn't even born in Folkestone, she was born in Etchinghill). I will also put up photos that I have come across that I feel the people in it are more the subject than the view behind them.  If you know of someone that you think belongs on this page, and you have a photo, scan it and send it to me along with a little background information, and if I agree, up it will go. Once again - if any of the pictures remain blank after the page has loaded, right click your mouse into the space, and click 'show picture', and it should download for you.

Of course, we have to start with Folkestone's most famous citizen, Dr. William Harvey who was the first to understand  how our blood circulates around our body.  Above centre he is demonstrating his theory.  As you know, Folkestone has a statue of him at the end of Castle Hill Avenue, facing out over the Leas, on the right is an old photo of it, showing one of Folkestone's first taxi ranks too!  The statue is still there today, but the taxis have changed somewhat!.

There is a separate page dedicated to William Harvey.  If you would like to read more about him, click HERE

Here are some Folkestone people paddling in 1912.  Note the game nanny on the right who is willing to get her feet wet for her charge!

Goat carts seemed to be all the rage in the early days.  Here are two children with one, and what is that on the little girl's shoulder?  Is it a black cat?

I snipped the picture on the above from a postcard of the Leas so you could get a closer look at that pram.  Isn't it wonderful?

Here you can see people enjoying what I love to do each time I visit.  They are having a plate of cockles or whelks down by the inner harbour.  This photo dates from 1965, but you can still find a stall there in exactly the same place.

I don't know the location of this photo, but the name on the side of what looks to be a removal van is F. Hopkins.

I don't know the date of this one, but it shows the Folkestone Indoor Bowls Centre.  I have a feeling that it is/was located on Cheriton Road, but I stand to be corrected on that one!

I listed this one under the people page, because it shows people doing what many still love to do these days.  They are playing golf down on the links which used to be located at the foot of the hills.

This photo was sent to me by author Alan F. Taylor, along with his  permission to put it up here. It shows a street party in North Street to celebrate King George V and Queen Mary's Jubilee on May 6, 1935. Names he gave for this group include Mrs. Carey, Stan Taylor, Josie Brickell, Joan Tilly, Doreen Milton, Dorothy May, Cissie Sharp, Lilly Taylor, Lilly Sharp, Mrs. Care, Mrs. Milton, Mrs. King, Mrs. Starling, Mrs. Warman, Jessie May and Mrs. Jenner.

This 1924 picture shows children and adults crab hunting at low tide.  In the background you can see the Metropole and Grand Hotels up on the Leas.

In stark contrast to the photo on the left,, this one is a modern one sent to me by James Ashby of Luton. It was taken in the beer garden of the Lifeboat Public House when he was on holiday in Folkestone.  He didn't say who the people were.

I am not absolutely sure about this one, so maybe one of you can help.  But I think it might be of a royal visit to Folkestone, and that could possibly be the Town Hall behind. On the other hand, I could be completely wrong!

The card says: 'Souvenir from St. Margarets, Folkestone.  Empire Day 24th 1916.'  Which must have been St. Margaret's school which can be seen on the 'Buildings' page

I bet you didn't know that Folkestone had a Suffragette movement did you?  Well, these were the Suffragette Folkestone Womens' Co-op Guild. On the building top right, an advertisement can be read for Crouches Wallpaper.

Now here is a man who has done a lot for Folkestone in my opinion, and has had to fight almost as hard for it as the suffragettes did for our vote. His name is Charles Newington, and he designed and built (with the help of the Gurkhas) the white horse which now graces the Etchinghill escarpment.  I have a page dedicated to this, so if you would like to read more, please click here:The Horse on the Hill

I told you I was going to put up a couple of photos of my Mum, Anne Brown!  Here she is standing outside the Ensign Cafe, 42 Tontine Street, which she owned in the 50's. My grandfather made and painted the sign above her head.  He was a wonderful artist.  The sign was in a hunter green, and stayed looking brand new for years.  It's gone now, I suppose someone threw it out, what a shame!  The one they replaced it with was nowhere near as nice.

This is myself on the left, my Mother, and younger sister Pat standing in the doorway of the Ensign.  I have no idea who the boy  was, just somebody who wanted to get into the picture I guess! Weren't we adorable? Ha ha!!

Here are some people sitting near what we used to call the Little Sands, just to the west of the East Head.  We used to often go down there as it wasn't as crowded as the East Cliff Sands - of course, there was a good reason for this - with this section full of fishing boats, you got all sorts of undesirable stuff washing up onto the shore!  It was pretty smelly too!

Here are some people who had no time to sit around on any of the beaches.  They were the workers at the Sanitary Steam Laundry in Cheriton, and the year was 1924.  You can see the outside of this business on the 'Buildings' page, and a couple more photos on the 'Cheriton' page.

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I promised you some famous people who either lived or visited Folkestone frequently, so here we go:

King Edward Vll, and his mistress Alice Keppel stayed at the Grand Hotel, in fact  there is still a bar there named Keppels. He would often have his wife along on the same visits.  Alice's husband George was also well aware of what was going on, and turned a blind eye. Alice was the great great grandmother of Camilla Parker-Bowles - talk about history repeating itself!.

Hattie Jacques of the Carry On films was born in Sandgate in 1929.

and Michael Bentine of The Goons and The Bumblies lived in Folkestone as a child during the 20's - 30's

T. S. Elliot spent some time in Folkestone recuperating from an illness.

and H. G. Wells lived in Sandgate for 20 years, shown left and above outside Spade House,  his home there. This is where he wrote Kipps, which was based on his unhappy life as an apprentice draper.

CharlesDickens came to Folkestone many times. In 1853, he stayed for a few days holiday at the Pavilion Hotel. He was engaged at the time in writing 'A Child's History of England', and the town appears as Pavilionstone in his essay 'Out of Town' from the collection (Reprinted Pieces). Returning in the summer of 1855 he rented number 3 Albion Villas, "a pleasant little house with the sea below and the scent of thyme sweetening the breezes from the downs". Although working furiously on the beginning of his novel Little Dorrit he found time for "swarming up the face of a gigantic and precipitous cliff" and could be seen many a day "from the British Channel, suspended in mid-air with his trousers very much torn at fifty minutes past 3pm".

Robert Morley spent some of his early childhood in Folkestone.  Moving a few times, but he talks fondly about living in the Leas area with a string of governesses, whom he and his sister would terrorise. He says in his autobiography 'A Musing Morley', "If there's one thing young people lack today, I am afraid it is Folkestone standards.  It may well be what's wrong with the country.  Who today rides in a Bath chair?  'I think,' the doctor would say, soon after the spots disappeared, the rash faded, the temperature subsided, 'I think he could go out for a little, in a Bath chair.'  And in a bath chair I went.  The very best Folkestone Bath chairs had folding mahogany shutters with windows through which one looked out on to the patient back of the attendant, silently plodding ahead.  With the shutters drawn one was insulated from the noise, a silent world with the delicious uncertainty that one might have suddenly become stone deaf.  It was necessary sometimes to open the shutters and shout, just to reassure oneself.

You can read Robert's views on the Folkestone lifts on the Lifts page.

I believe June Brown, whose biggest claim to fame is playing Dot Cotton in East Enders owns or owned a house on Earls Avenue.  I don't know if this is the same house, but I came across this article, talking about strange encounters: June Brown has had other strange ghostly encounters worthy of the X-Files. For some years June lived with her second husband Robert Arnold in an old, somewhat spooky, house in Folkestone, Kent . It all started when objects started to move around the house by themselves."We quickly realised that we had a very helpful ghost on our hands. One day I was in the kitchen preparing a dinner party for my daughter and a cooking utensil went missing. "I said out loud 'Where's that blasted spoon?' And the next second a pan lid rattled on the other side of the kitchen. I walked over to the pan and lifted up the lid and there was my spoon!" June and Robert were convinced that it was an uninvited phantom guest that was helping June with the chores. And when June's young daughter Sophie experienced similar strange occurrences it was the last straw. To know for certain they did some research. "We discovered a previous occupant of the house was an old lady who died. Her body wasn't found for some time.

OK, I am pushing things a little here.  Lily Savage/Paul O'Grady  doesn't live in Folkestone, but she/he does have a house in Aldington, which is very nearby!

And rumour has it in Folkestone that Paul  lives in Aldington because he bought his house from Vic Reeves of the Reeves and Mortimer fame. Vic's real name is Jim Moir.

Reeves & Mortimer

John Logie Baird, the father of television was of course born in Scotland, but there is evidence that some of his early experiments in television were conducted from the premises of 26 Guildhall Street, which he was renting in 1923,  (presently occupied by a pet supplies shop).  He transmitted to an address in Sandgate Road, which later became Triangles Cafe.  There is a plaque to commemorate this at the Guildhall Street location.

Baird with his Nipkow disc television apparatus.

OK, enough of the name dropping and back to the real people of Folkestone.  This was the Folkestone Hockey Club in 1910.  First of all, for any Canadians who might be reading this, I very much doubt this club played their hockey on ice, because as far as I know, Folkestone has never had an ice rink! I am very surprised they are all men, because when I was at school, hockey was very much a game for the girls. I wonder what the rope was for around that fellow's neck?

Haven't found a photo of him yet, but  Sandgate was also home to illustrious author Jocelyn Brooke.  He lived with his parents, brother, sister and much loved nanny at 22 Radnor Cliff. His father was the owner of the well-known wine merchants in Sandgate Road, J.H. & J. Brooke. This was a solemn place more like a bank where the purchase of fine wines could be discussed. However the fact that one could theoretically buy a bottle of beer over the counter caused his father to be ostracised from the teaparties of Radnor Cliff as being in trade. The previous paragraph was taken from the website: www.sandgate-kent.org.uk/jbrooke.htm

Don't forget - If any photos remain blank after the page has finished loading, right click your mouse into the space, and left click 'Show Picture'

People living in the Canterbury Road area may not recognise this face, but will certainly recognise his name.  He is none other than the original Jesse Sellen - the butcher who used to be in business at 67 Canterbury Road, and whose name can still be seen on the side of that building. This photo was sent to me by Linda Nicholson, his Great Granddaughter, who lives in France. Jesse and Emma had three children, Albert Edward (Ted) who carried on the business after him, Lily Emma, and John.  Linda tells me she is still in contact with one of John's children, a lady now in her sixties.

This photo was carried in Linda's Grandmother's locket, and as far as she is aware, it  is the only one in existence, as Jesse's Granddaughter Flossie, daughter of Albert Edward, burned all the papers and photos after Jesse's death. Thank you for sharing this photo and  information with us Linda. Linda was put in touch with me by Ian Martin, a distant relative of Jesse, who is trying to trace his family tree.

This is a photo I took of 3 Albion Villas in 2006. It has a plaque on the wall commemorating its most famous resident.

I received an e-mail from Dave Tooley, because he had just discovered that he had a famous relative.  Here is what he said: My Great Grandmothers sisters daughter (my 1st cousin twice removed) was a famous survivor of the Titanic sinking in 1912. Her name was Elizabeth Nye. She went on to become a founder member of the Salvation Army in New York. She was the woman who caught the baby who was thrown into the lifeboat by a crewman seconds before the ship foundered. Read here how she described the sinking in her own words:- http://www.sacollectables.com/cmha/volume3/pages/titanic.htm http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography.php?id=529

Elizabeth Nye, seated centre front row with her parents & siblings. Photo courtesy Encyclopedia Titanica.

Now we get to some very interesting e-mails and photos that I have received from Steve Walker - an avid collector of Folkestone postcards, and someone who has pipped me to the post many times on e-bay! The first photo he sent me is of his Grandparents,  Edward and Elizabeth Sellen, who were bakers, not butchers this time!  They are standing outside their bakery and confectioners shop at the end of Warwick Terrace, near the Junction Station.  Between them is his mother, who was born in 1906, so the photo was probably taken circa 1910.  The man standing next to the delivery cart was called Arthur and he worked for them for many years, delivering to their customers and helping in the bakehouse.  His  grandmother used to make the sweets.  The shop is now a private house, although when he visited in 1985 it was a florists. Now was Edward related to Jesse?  I really don't know.

Steve snapped this photo of a throng of people waiting outside the Devonshire Hotel to catch a glimpse of the Channel Swimmers, most of whom stayed there.  Steve was living in the hotel next door at 7 Marine Parade, and took the pic from his balcony.  The gentleman above is named Hassan, who won the Channel swim in the year 1954.  He was in the process of signing an autograph for Steve when this photo was taken. I used to collect Channel swimmers' autographs too Steve, along with the visiting bandsmen up the Leas. If you would like to read about Steve's memories of living in Folkestone, please check out the Folkestone Memories book below, you will find his recollections on August 8th 2006.

Steve also sent this photo of Folkestone Corps Salvation Army Band 1924-25.  Commandant & Mrs John Walker, Commanding Officers, centre front (his  paternal grandparents. His maternal grandfather, Edward Sellen  is 3rd from left second row and his father, Luther Walker is 3rd from left third row.  Bert Clarke, 2nd from right, third row. He is still gong strong at 100 years of age, and can still put names to everyone in the band!

More from Steve, above he is standing outside 7 Marine Parade with a friend, you can see the Royal Pavilion Hotel in the background.  In the middle, he tells me he is pictured with Channel Swimmer Sam Rockett's two children and dog outside his  house, together with Janet Parham from No6 and Jennifer Sprake from No 10 Marine Parade. On the right, is Steve again in the Folkestone Boys Brigade Band, circa 1956-7. ready to go on Church Parade.  The Captain is George Hickmore who lived in , he thinks, Archer Rd, where the photo was taken.  He later moved to Capel.  Steve is on the far left.  The boy in the grey suit is his best mate, Andy Arghyrou, whose parents owned George's restaurant in Tontine St.  His older sister, Nina, was always considered to be the most beautiful girl in Folkestone by Steve and all his young friends. Steve was saying he would love to get in touch with Andy again, so if anyone knows of his whereabouts, drop me a line, and I will pass the information along to Steve. I knew of the Arghyrou's, as they lived in Tontine Street at the same time as me.  I think my older sister Paula might have been friends with  Nina.

Aren't these fabulous photos that Steve sent?  On the left are his Grandparents, baker Edward Sellen and Elizabeth & John Walker.  Just look where they are walking!  Right under the Victoria Pier. On the right is Steve's Great Grandfather John Whittingstall, who was not only a fisherman, but also worked on the harbour.

Wasn't Folkestone a great place to grow up?  Above is Steve taking a ride with his Aunt.  Why on earth did they do away with those boats, they were so much fun! In the photo below, Steve is with his family at the swimming pool.  His mother was on the right.

Thank you so much for sharing these with us Steve!  You will find a few more photos of Steve's scattered throughout this website.

Now we come to a couple of photos that are considerably older than Steve's.  Above, we have a Boy Scout concert taking place in Folkestone. I don't know what the theme of it was, but I love Britannia standing resplendent at the back! On the right, you can see a parade being led by Lord Kitchener on the white horse.  They are heading through Cheriton, as you can see the White Lion in the background.

Folkestone Memories

If you have your own memories of Folkestone, be sure to share them with us by jotting them down in our book below.

This page updated April 12, 2008

I bought this card purely because I was fascinated with the inscription on the tombstone, which was/is located in the Parish Church in Folkestone.  It reads as follows: In Memory of Rebecca Rogers who died August 22, 1688 aged 44 years A house she hath its made of such good fashion The tenant ne'er shall pay for reparation Nor will her Landlord ever raise her rent Or turn her out of doors for non payment From Chimney Money too this Cell is free Of such a house who would no Tenant be. This makes me curious about the life of Rebecca Rogers, did she lead a hard life, always dodging the landlord?  Was she evicted at some point?  I have vaguely heard of a chimney tax, were you assessed according to the size or number of the chimneys on your home? What a strange subject for a postcard at a high class seaside resort. If someone has the time before I get over there again, would they please check to see if this tombstone is still standing?  I would love to know.

Baird photo above left courtesy http://www.kinema.uwaterloo.ca/hills961.htm

David Tomlinson. Another David, who writes to me every once in a while, tells me he used to deliver newspapers to his parent's house.  They lived off Shorncliffe Road, near the police station. He says he caught a glimpse of the great actor a couple of times.

How about this for a wonderful Folkestone character?  Alan Taylor sent me this photo of Timothy Daly.  He was a well known rag and bone man around Folkestone. He died at the Union (St Mary's Hospital Etchinghill) aged 70 in April 1898. It was said he could kick a man's hat off. This information came from George Marsh the photographer. Thank you Alan, he definitely belongs on this page!

These three are from Mike Vernol.  Here is what he says about the above two "Couple of pictures of Folkestonians taken either 1953/54.  Both are sports representatives involved in the sports interchange in Middleburgh, Holland. The one in the Middleburgh square is the basketball team - the team was originally all Hillside school members team started by Richard Steptoe (deceased) (No 12) when we were about 13/14  we were known then as Folkestone Stags - we played in a league at Shorncliffe Camp -  initially we were the only kids all the other teams were soldiers and other adults - didnt do to well first season!  Were great thereafter.  The team developed and by the time this photo was taken were known as Folkestone Saints  (cause When the Saints go Marching In was our signature tune) - the team/club is still in existence!!  The guy on the left is A. A. HERMITAGE (deceased) sports master at Hillside who initially advised and assisted in the teams development and later played a greater part. No. 3 John Fuller (I think) No 8 (me) No 6 Robert Lee,  front row No. 9 Alex Jeffrey, 12 Richard Steptoe, 11 Tom Saunders,  5 Eddie Blecher. Sorry dont recall the others (at this time I had actually left the town to work in London and the others were newcomers). The other photo is on the boat on the way - some of the Folkestone swiming team for the interchange.  On the left Colin Swan, then Richard Steptoe, Ketith Milton, Les Pittock and yours truly."

And here is what Mike says about the above photograph: "Here is a very famous picture for you - taken on 22.6.44 in France  - appeared as front page in the soldier magazine at that time as "Hanging out the washing on the Siegfried Line". In fact it was actually part of the Atlantic wall. Its one of my uncles married to one of my mum's sisters (there were a few!!) R. P. TURNHAM (bob) - he was a butcher: after the war owned the butchers shop halfway down the High St - previously his dad who was an even more famous Folkestone butcher owned a butchers shop on the side of the town Hall. My second job was delivering meat for him when I was about 13 until I left school - previously had been a baker delivery boy (on Sats) for Martins of Cheriton."

Here she is in her Salvation Army uniform, supplied to me by Mark Rose, who is also a member.

These were the Bouquets Folkestone 1936 Company

I think this Girl Guide concert must have been held in conjunction with the Boy Scout concert shown further up, because there is Britannia once again.  The scenery behind looks similar too doesn't it?

This was J. Carden Family Butcher.  They sure believed in letting you know where your Sunday dinner came from in those days didn't they?  Can you imagine the flies???  I don't know where he was located.

This photo of the Fenchurch Street Christmas party was sent to me by Chris Long.  I noticed in both this one, and the North Street party shown further up how clearly you can see each face, no matter how far back you look in the photo, must have been the same photographer.  I also have to say though that that was one ugly Father Christmas!  I would think those children had nightmares after meeting him!

Linda also sent me this photo that she took while visiting Folkestone to try to track down information on her ancestors.  I believe this sign is still there on the side of 67 Canterbury Road.  It reads: Park Gate Jesse Sellen Family Butcher Noted for Best Home Fed Pork

These were not Folkestone people, but they were people, and they were in Folkestone at the time.  They were the 6th Field Co. Div. Engineers and the 27th (City of Winnipeg) Battalion, who were stationed at Shorncliffe Camp at the time. This baseball game took place at the Folkestone Cricket Ground on Cheriton Road during World War 1. Unfortunately, the men from my adopted home town of Winnipeg were beaten, but apparently it was a very good game, and well attended. My grateful thanks to Alan Taylor's son, who came across this article in a local Folkestone newspaper he was browsing at the library. I have a website on Winnipeg too, and didn't know which one to put these pics on - so decided to put them on both!

This was the 6th Field Co. Div. Engineers at bat

And on the right, it is the turn of the Winnipeg team.

The photo on the left was sent to me by Jean Adams who says: "This pic is of my husband's grandparent's shop in Bouverie Rd West (16). Not exactly sure when it was closed (must be at least 40 years) as his Aunt took it over after the death of Percy Webb." Isn't that a great picture?  I wonder what you could buy from the vending machines?  Bubble gum?  Sweets?  Or maybe cigarettes? Jean, I checked my 1958 Kelly's Directory, and the shop was being run by Miss M. E. Webb at that time, possibly your husband's Aunt?

Now here are a lot of Folkestone people.  Well, men anyway.  It looks like an outing of some kind, a church outing, or possibly a pub crawl?  Didn't those Pullman charabancs carry a lot?  I can count about 28 men in that vehicle! Thanks go out to Alan Taylor for that great photo!

Here are some people using a very unusual mode of transportation.  They are outside the Bathing Establishment getting a ride in a llama trap.

Here we have the business belonging to Frank Curtis, Purveyor of High Class meat at 5 Rendezvous Street.  One has to wonder how high class the meat was, hanging out in the elements and the flies in the middle of summer.  High - quite possibly!

The above two photos, and the obituary on the left was sent to me by Iain Crump, who is researching his family history. Albert James Hart and his wife Emily were his paternal Great-Grandparents.  Albert was very well known in Folkestone, hence the long obituary when he died.  Above left you can see the delicious looking sweet shop which was run by Emily at 13 Guildhall Street, which was later Steddy's toy shop, and as I type this, I believe it is Best Wishes card shop.  The Harts owned it between 1908 and roughly 1914.   For some time Alfred was the Landlord of the Bouverie Arms in Cheriton, and also the Black Horse Inn, Hawkinge. On the right you can see the two of them heavily dressed as was the custom for a visit to the beach in those days. As you can read in the obituary, Alfred dabbled in many things from builder, to pub licensee, carpenter and town Councillor. Incidentally, Iain is looking for a photo of Vye & Son when they were located on Rendezvous Street, as his Grandfather George Crump worked there in 1910.  If anyone can help, please send it to Iain HERE

On the right is a photo sent to me by Alan Taylor.  He was responding to a query by a lady named Catherine Smissen, who was tracking an ancestor of hers by the name of F. Gilbert, a writer and designer who had these premises from between 1916-18 to 1940-47. He also had a brother T.C. Gilbert who had an electrical and radio business at 26 Guildhall Street. Alan's father served his apprenticeship there to become an electrician. He told him that in 1924 John Logie Baird who invented the television was experimenting in the basement of their shop, as is mentioned above alongside the photo of John Logie Baird.

Also in the photo above is a delivery van belonging to Langleys florist in the Old High Street.  Whether those people are connected to Langleys or F. Gilbert, I am not sure.

Catherine's Great-Grandmother, Fanny Martin Gilbert was living in Swiss Cottage at the bottom of the  Road of Remembrance - or rather Church Slope as it was in those days at the time of her marriage to George Richard Peel at the Salem Chapel Folkestone on 4th July 1891.  Salem Chapel was on the site of the Baptist Church, Rendezvous Street.

I received an e-mail from Matthew McKenzie, telling me I am sadly lacking in photos of Folkestone during the 70's and 80's, which is very true.  However, Matthew was more than willing to supply me with the following snaps, but please note that the copyright to these is owned by Ed Mackenzie.  This is what Matt had to say about them: "During the late seventies, my father, Ed Mackenzie, set up an activity holiday centre "Folkestone Activity Holiday Centre", which ran first from the West Beach - where the Rotunda used to be, and then from the Sunny Sands. This centre provided residential holidays with watersports for young people and adults. It ran until 1989. I also plan to set up a web site with the hudreds of old FAHC photos I have recently had scanned.  If anyone would like to get in touch with me, please drop me a line using the following e-mail address:  mat@m-d-m.com ".

Both left and right here are of Matt, one taken in the 70's at the their West Beach boathouse, and the other from 2006,  when he tells me he had become a much better wind surfer.

Thank you Matt, these are wonderful photos.