General Chat

Made me chuckle to see you DID change the title Margaret!!!! Maz. XX

Maz I did it just for you looks better as well Margaret

Hi Shan I lived in Wigmore Road. It's close to the motorway (which one I don't know). About two miles or so away from the Savacentre.... even though that didn't stop Mum from making us walk there.... as well as walking all the way to Fairview School.... I was a little kid!! Chloe

ANGUS AND GLADYS: romance in Kent I was born in Surrey and now live in Hertfordshire, BUT my mother was born in Cobden Road, Hythe and lived during her childhood in Lybridge Green, Lyminge, Sellinge, Stowting, Stelling Minnis and Wye. Her family remained in the Ashford area after she left home and my grandmother lived in East Brabourne till my grandfather died and then moved to Smeeth. Since I've started my family history I found that my grandmother Gladys was born in Richmond, Surrey and my grandfather Angus in Rendcomb, Gloucestershire. This is how they ended up in Kent: My grandfather was unhappy at home - his mother died when he was 10 and he didn't get on with his stepmum. He lied about his age and joined the Royal Engineers in 1913. The following year WW1 broke out and he found himself in France. Somehow he got Gladys' photo via his cousin Frank. I have not yet found out which side of the family Frank belongs to, but he was courting a girl called Edith who was in service with Gladys and I think a little matchmaking was going on. At any rate Gladys & Angus started writing to eachother. He was going to meet her for the first time on leave in 1918, but she was ill with the flu pandemic sweeping the world and he had to go back to France without seeing her. When the war was over he came back and they were both working in London trying to save to get married, but Angus lost his job when he was called back into the Royal Engineers to work because the coal miners were on strike. He tried to work again in London but couldn't find anything. So he went to stay with his Aunt Chat (real name Charity) in Sandgate, Kent. I don't know how she got there from Gloucestershire, but at any rate her husband worked as a shoe repairer and she ran a boarding house. Angus had a lot of bad luck trying to get jobs, but eventually he got settled and Gladys got a job at Cheriton. They were finally married in Hythe in 1923, and Angus address at the time of the wedding was Coast Guard Cottages. I have only pieced all this together when my mum gave me a very old cardboard box with most of Angus' letters to Gladys during their courting period. You can imagine they are very precious to me and I only regret that her letters in reply are not there too. Helen

Some familiar names in this thread...Hi Maz Dowling...Damerell here after a long absence...how are you? For the rest of you, I have lived in Gillingham and Faversham (currently in Twydall) since 1972 but originally lived in Gillingham from 1945 to 1962. Then my wife and I moved to Faversham, Peacehaven, Hove and back to Gill.

I was born in Maidstone and still live here. My grandad's family came from Chatham (Todd/Manouvrier). Hubby's family are from the North (Yorks/Staffs. Julie

Hi, just found this thread, I'm a Kentish Maid, born and lived in Chislehurst for 40 odd years and now living in Worcestershire.