WOW - HERNE BAY - The place I live -
A beautiful Seaside resort that boasts the nicest set of neighbours ( well - MINE ARE LOVELY ! ) and best community spirited population of any town anywhere
I Grew up in ....... and oh there's that saying / Quote -
' I lived in this hole - and i'll die in this hole '
oh ok - it's from Ice Age the Movie - Shoot me for being a big kid - BUT - so so true -
I don't wanna be anywhere else !! - I LOVE THIS PLACE !!
Yeah - we all have the odd urge to Travel and i have been Lucky enough to go to a few places
- BUT it's true, When i see the sign saying 'Herne Bay' I smile ( and if truth be known i go into 3 year old Abby mode and say - " For a day orrrrrrrrrrr a stay visit Herrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrne Bay !! " ( My parents have alot to answer for ) - Well you just have too, don't you !! -
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS !!
My heart Definitely belongs in the Bay !!
I was bought down here by my Parents aged just a few weeks from London - We came here first shortly, to be followed by Nan and Grandad, my Aunt / Uncle and Cousin ...
I was just a few weeks old - awwww - and adorable i was too ! and with my brother only a few months older than me ( he was the git one ! ) - Mut ( AKA MUM _ But - she HATES the word MUM - so i was brought up calling her Mutti / Mut - as it 'sounds better' - I KNOW - I KNOW - DON'T EVEN GO THERE !! ) and Dad had the almighty task of getting us, and all their worldly possessions into a lovely quaint house in Bognor ( pronounced by myself later as - bog. errr..nerrr ) Drive with no help what-so-ever - everyone else was too busy packing !
First Reminisce - Parents ALWAYS going on about the lovely Dustbin men who stopped work and helped my dad to unload the van as my Mut was TRYING to sort out my brother who was misbehaving - : No change there then - OBVIOUSLY I WAS THE ANGEL - This has not changed !
Well - From what i remember - ( which - is not much ! ) we were not there long when Mut n Dad had found a house in Albany Drive - just a few steps away - and there we were to move too - WOW - and move we did - Mmmm - Thinking back I was probably about 3 as i went and stayed with my Nan / Grandad / Aunt / Uncle and Cousin in one GREAT BIG HUGE HOUSE in York Road for the night - which was no mean feat as - omg - even i agree - i was a pain in the proverbial !!!
Yes - we lived very close !
I think i cried and screamed for most of the night - Until Poor Uncle Bill went and slept in the other room and i stayed with Auntie Gaye .... Think i was quite Happy then - lol - well - i usually am when i get my own way !! ( No change there then ............................................ WHO SAID THAT !! )
From there - everything is a tad blank - ( see my other blogs on my illness and all will be clear as mud ! )
But - i wanted to embrace a few ' Landmark / Significant things about my olde home town - so going into Historic mode now !!
Up until the end of the 18th Century, Herne Bay was no more than a spluttering of cottages, carriage Houses and inns, and the only people living here were fisherman n their lady wives, smugglers and a few agricultural labourers. There wasn’t even a proper road to the coast from Herne or Canterbury until it came under the control of the Turnpike Trust at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.
Can you imagine - No A99 - or Thanet Way - well - that's not even worth thinking about !!
The first significant houses in town were built around 1820 and they are standing still at the Kings Hall end of Marine Terrace - Mmmmmm - The Kings Hall not sure if this is the top end - or the bottom end of town - Proper HerneBayItes - AS I CALL THEM !! - Think the
Kings Hall end - is the Top end of Town ??!! -
BUT - I'm guessing i only asked people from my area - ( Remember - keep up - Albany Drive ! !) so - obviously - the t'other end is the top !! ;) - The Top of of the Town is where i shall start my memories and Historical Tour.
A military encampment was established at the base of The Downs ( circa 1799 ) as part of the coastal defence precautions against the French - this in turn showed the powers that be - that there were fabulous opportunities for residential houses to be constructed - and so -
The Ship Inn Houses commenced building around 1816 - To begin with the old town consisted of a scattering of locals who supported few shops, a flour mill, a post office and a bakery ...
Then things began to happen - The King's Hall ( as known now ) was built as The Pavilion in 1903–1904, developed as the King Edward VII Memorial Hall in 1913 in memory of the late king, The King's Hall is built into the Downs on East Cliff at the east end of Herne Bay. Before 1903, the Downs was a grassy slope down to the sea which during the Napoleonic Wars held a gun position and military camp.
The Downs was later upheld by Herne Bay Urban District Council as a place of recreation it has stayed with this in mind ever since.
The next Notable piece of Nostalgia for me is the Clocktower ( and yes - yes - i hear your crys - BUT - This is my Blog and if i have missed things - WRITE YOUR OWN !! )
Well - what a piece of Architectural delight - eye catching - beautiful and stunning (built 1837), Herne Bay's Clock Tower is a Grade II listed landmark.
It is believed to be one of the earliest purpose-built, free-standing clock towers in the United Kingdom.. It is placed on the seafront and i always remember playing and sitting on the cannons and running round and round it - looking up - mesmerised by the height and different shapes - and the clock - omg the clock actually made a noise - just like Big Ben,
and now - Thanks to the Promo Team - when there are special Festivals -
OMG - THEY LIGHT IT UP !! - IT'S UTTERLY BEAUTIFUL !!!
Now - Another Place of note for me - The OLD pier - such a shame it had to be torn down -
I used to love skating there - Skating was a massive part of my life - and the pier was superb - Roller Disco's and Zooming along - NEVER IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OF COURSE - lol - Up and down the little area where you sat to put your skates on - in and back out of the changing rooms - JUST CAUSE YOU COULD !! - It was so much fun for a kid.
Now the pier was designed and built ready to be opened to the public on 4th June 1832 - 4th June was also my Nan's Birthday and also the anniversary of the birthday of George III. Due to the shallow waters off Herne Bay the pier stretched off into the horizon for some 3,633 feet, a length necessary to provide the draught of water required by the passenger steamers to call at low tide. Built with timber piles,the pier was designed by a Thomas Rhodes working in the offices of Thomas Telford, the famous civil engineer.
At the pier entrance reused stone balustrades from the old London Bridge were used to create an attractive welcome for visitors, and what a glorious welcome it was - Tall and Proud, Once complete the new pier gave rise to a sudden influx of visitors to the town.
Sadly, the timber pier gradually fell into disrepair suffering from the effects of marine woodworm culminating in its closure at the end of the 1862 season.
Although the pier was doomed the town was not however cut off from London as the railway had reached Herne Bay in July 1861
The town was missing its pier. Local opinion must have concurred as on 31st August 1873 the second pier was opened on the site of the dismantled first pier. HURRAHH !!
This time iron was chosen as the construction material but resources only permitted a short pier of 320 feet. BOOOOOOO
In MY Humble Opinion The Pier should be lengthened once again - and brought back to aforementioned beauty !! A True Part of Herne Bay - a town to take pride in.
Although = Once again - the Pier as it stands now is marvellous - and i believe hosts many events - and entertains children and adults alike with a host of Market type seaside beachhut style shops and quaint eateries ... All over looking the beautiful front where the Gardeners do a fabulous job of maintaining the Prom..
To keep this Blog short enough to be 'enjoyed'?? - and Long enough to be of interest - i just want to tell you - one of the Oldest Shop's in Herne Bay - lol - ISNT A SHOP AT ALL !!!! ;) - It's the Ship inn !! I meant Building - and - i find that amazing - as there are some gorgeous HUGE Victorian Buildings on the front that i thought were way older - but - apparently not , Ships Captains used to bring coal and use the 'SHIP' as it was a focal point of the town at that point !! - There - Learn something new every day !!
So - There you go - I hope you have enjoyed that - Not my 'usual' style - and i tried to keep it informative - and i hope it made sense !! - please feel free to comment - I love to hear your thoughts - MANY THANKS xx
