Introduction

Well here we are again in 2023. This WordPress blog has been going many years now but still attracts the occasional newcomer. It is rare for a female to post anything; one assumes they’re too preoccupied with grandchildren or too busy creating bucket lists. It seems likely that chaps tend to reflect more on the past and are less likely to live so much in the present.

The site was established and is still managed by me, Mike Kent, previously of Higham and subsequently of various other places but currently of Haslemere.

Below each series of photographs you should find the comments of various visitors. Not many to be sure but greatly valued nevertheless; by me at least.

If you leave a comment, I might be motivated to add some more photographs, which might even feature you.

Most photographs can be enlarged by clicking them.

All photographs remain the copyright of Michael John Kent but all former members of any of the youth clubs mentioned in this blog, or anyone personally mentioned in the text, or anyone interested in the history of Higham village or the surrounding area are free to take copies for their own private use.

20 Replies to “Introduction”

  1. Hi Mike
    My name is Geoff Allen
    It was great to look at the pictures of the Hicoey Club which I was a member of, these were certainly great days full of fun.
    I went on a Camp competition in probably 1963 in Kent, you were there as well. On the last day we were required to build a Bridge in teams with on certain amounts of wood and string.
    You probably don’t remember this but if you do and have any pictures I would be more than pleased to buy copies.
    Thanks again for taking the trouble to bring my memories to life.
    Best wishes
    Geoff Allen

  2. I certainly remember you well, Geoff. You used to take the bus with us to St Peter’s in Rochester on Sunday evenings in 1965/6.
    The exercise you mention took place over the weekend 7th to 8th September, 1963. It was organised by Michael Barton, mainly for the apprentices at the company where he worked.
    He also took a series of photographs and these I will put on the site once I have updated the software since it seems not to be working at the moment.
    Mike

    1. Hi Mike
      Thanks for posting the pictures which are great. I remember having to poll vault over the stream as we had run out of building materials.
      They certainly evoke many treasured memories of my youth at the Church Institute and village.
      Glad to see that you are still alive and kicking. Keep it up..
      Very best wishes to everyone.
      Geoff Allen

    1. Well “Dockyard matey” good to know you are still in the land of the living, how about emerging from the shadows and let us know what you are at these days,
      Best wishes
      Malc Redsell

  3. Hi Mike
    Just came across this site quite by accident. Not sure whether it is still live as there don’t seem to be any posts since 2018.
    Really great to see all those old photos, bring back so many great memories. Lots of names that I wouldn’t have thought about had it not been for this site.
    Thanks for taking the trouble. Hope you are keeping well through this terrible year.
    Roger Millgate

    1. Absolutely, it’s still alive, Roger. You will find a few posts from later than 2018 but, I agree, not that many.
      I have updated the introduction to make it clear that the site is still in business-thanks for the feedback. The last person to find it had simply gooogled Carole Winslade; he was a fellow from my school who knew her quite well back in 1962/3 from hanging around in Gravesend waiting for our various buses or trains to the out-lying villages.
      I was very sorry to learn about Reg (from Jill Saffrey); we lost touch with him & Verena when we went to the USA for four years and were told (wrongly it seems) they had moved away when the dockyard closed.
      I am in regular email contact with Ian Holliday, Les Baker & Malc Redsell, and indeed, Michael Barton and Steve Ditchburn. George Saffrey and I have always kept in close contact since the late 1960s when we both owned pre-war cars and later we both lived in the same area -George & Isobel in Berkhampstead and us in Leighton Buzzard and Harpenden.
      You might recall that Hilary was from St Margaret’s youth club so I spent much of my time between 1967 and 1972 over in Rochester rather than Higham, and none at all further up the line towards Gravesend.
      I’ll look around for a few more photographs with you in them. Look under Camp 65 for a photo of a Standard Eight being towed away.

      Mike

  4. Lovely to get a response back from you so quickly.
    Great to hear that Michael (Dubrey) Barton is still going strong and all the others that you mention. Hear some gossip from Higham very loosely as we belong to the U3A in Gravesend and several of the people there are from Higham. One even attends St. John’s and knows Les and Patsy (I still can’t get used to her as Tricia) and also Mark Leeson.
    I wasn’t aware that Jill Saffrey knew Reg or Verena, perhaps it was through the choir that Verena was in. From the time they were married R and V lived in the same house in Wallace road although Verena has since moved to a small property in what was the dockyard.
    We went for a look round Higham about 4years ago. Couldn’t believe all the changes. No pubs in Lower Higham, St. Mary’s although being used as a sort of community resource looking very dilapidated and even the marshes where we used to ride motorbikes, had barbecues etc. now so overgrown it was almost unrecognisable.
    I didn’t realise that you had stayed in touch with George, he and I were in the same crowd at the Math school and were sometimes mistaken for one another. Also his Dad was chief inspector at Kent Alloys when I started there as an apprentice.
    Roger

  5. Well, there you go Roger. Saw your name on the U3A website when I was looking for a photography group: emailed the site but – nadda! I live in Gravesend…
    Sorry about Reg, had heard he was unwell but never thought he was so bad.
    Hope your 2021 is a good one.

    1. Hello Roger Millgate – what a pleasant surprise. It is a good few years since we went to the youth club and camps together and certainly some 50 years since I tried to help repair (abismally) your little Standard Eight broken rear axle.
      The last time I saw you was at the funeral of `Keith Horsham.
      I am sorry to hear about the loss of Reg. I too lost my brother John a few years ago with Cancer where he wished to see his final days in Thailand where Simon lived. Reg, Verena,John and Gillian were friends for years living in Rainham until Chatham Dockyard was closed down. `John, Gillian and Simon moved to Landrake Cornwall to take up a position at Plymouth Dockyard. Hope to hear from you in the future. Wishing you well and keep safe Steve

      1. Hello Steve, nice to hear from you. I had heard about John from Reg. I believe he and Verena contacted Jill but then let things slide when he had his own problems.
        Good to know some of the old crowd are still going strong. I can still see you with bags of milk bottles on your handlebars and also remember the bike rides we had when we both had ‘Jack of Clubs’ bikes before the days of cars.
        Hope you are keeping well and staying safe during the current situation.
        Roger

  6. Thanks Ian. Yes, Reg had been poorly for a long time, but when they finally realised what was wrong with him treatment was going really well and then he suddenly had a P.E. and couldn’t be revived. Still greatly missed.
    If you want to join a photography group, our U3A currently has two groups with potential for starting a third. Unfortunately Covid has curtailed most activities and all monthly meetings but a few groups, like photography, are managing to continue via Zoom etc.
    Nice to hear from you, keep safe.
    Roger

  7. Ian
    If you Google ‘u3a gravesend branch’ it will take you to the website where you will find all the details including cost, groups, meetings, where we meet etc. Far more info than I can type out. There is also a link for contacting membership secretary if you want to join at some time.
    Who knows when monthly meetings will be able to start again.
    Hope to see you there at some point.
    Look after yourself.
    Roger

    1. Glad to hear you are in Gravesend, I’m in Singlewell Rd near the Prince of Orange, been there 50 years!! I’ve just retired from The Peoples History, a group I founded 10 years ago. I also founded the Gravesend International Club back in the 70’s at which I met my wife Jeanine. We’re two offspring Isabelle and Edward, the former living in Rochester. We also have two surrogate ones with our nearest to a grandchild , Louis at 5. Prior to the pandemic I occasionally met up with the “lads of the village” (Michael, Les and Mark). Also met up with Steve and Malcolm at a bus event in Essex. I,ve had a rewarding career here in the South East in management and management consultancy with periods of lecturing at the Mid Kent College where Jeanine who also taught there. That’s about it !!!!

  8. Hello Mike and Adrian.
    Charlie Elston, who stumbled on your blog while looking for old memories , sent me the link. I just want to thank you for all the nostalgic feelings it has generated as I have looked at the photos, many with me in them and lots of old friends with whom I have, sadly, lost contact over the last 60 plus years.

    I was a member of St. Augustine’ s YF in the early 60’s and was in the 1966 panto – no pic of me, but name on the programme. I also went to two of the summer camps – Nolton Haven and Cei Bach (spelling). We had a great time both years and the weather was awesome (or is that rose pink specs).

    I went to see Tony Betts in Fenny Bentley. He was already terminally ill, but it was good to spend time with him.

    I was really pleased to see some contributions from Harry Hanshaw whom I lost touch with. We were apprentice engineers at Derby Loco Works as well as being together at Gussies. I left Derby in the autumn of 1966 to explore ordination. I had to do a couple of years catch-up with A levels, then theological college and university. I was eventually ordained in 1973 (deacon) and 1974 (priest) to a parish in Leeds. I was married in ‘74 – big year that. We have two, very grownup children and two grandchildren. I eventually ended up in the West Midlands where I’ve been for the last 42 years.

    Thank you for the blog and the opportunity to see some of the pics I never thought to see. I hope other Gussies YF members may see my posts and get in touch.

    Every blessing,

    Michael

    1. Good to learn your news, Michael. There is now a photograph of you in the section on Puss in Boots. I hope you are able to remake contact with other Derby folk from that period. Although some of we soft southerners moved around (I even lived as far north as Chesterfield for nearly four years), enough former youth club members stayed in Higham or nearby to keep us all in touch with the village and hence, with each other. Indeed, my sister still lives in the village

      I only look at this site occasionally, for obvious reasons if you look at the dates of the posts, but in this case I must have had a premonition. A same day reply.

      We all owe a great debt to Tony & Olive Betts.

      Mike

      1. Many thanks for the ‘Mandrake’ picture, Mike. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be 20 in stage makeup!

        Michael

Leave a Reply

Your e-mail address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.