News, Local history and Thanet issues from Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate see www.michaelsbookshop.com I publish over 200 books about the history of this area click here to look at them.
First one is carol singers in Ramsgate town centre in 1952
Second one I think is Margate
Next one obviously Margate jetty
Next one I think is the Surf Boat Friend of all Nations. The internet says built in 1857 by J Samuel white of cows and wrecked in the Great storm of 1877
Next one is the launch of the Margate lifeboat
Next one is pegwell village one of those strange hand tinted photographs so probably early 1900s
Next one probably a tug on Ramsgate slipway I can't read the name perhaps you can
And the last one obviously the convalescent home in pegwell
It being Saturday I'm fairly busy here at Michael's Bookshop in Ramsgate posting this between customers so apologies for mistakes and omissions. We've also had some secondhand out of print Thanet local history books come in so you may want to visit. We are only open four days a week so best check on Google maps or our website before coming.
I am trying to add the information that comes from the Facebook comments to the photos where I have put them on my Thanetonline blog. So if you're particularly interested it may be worth looking there.
First picture is Ramsgate Water Gala around 1905. I based the date on other similar pictures that are dated. It gives you a good insight and what people in Ramsgate were doing about 120 years ago.
The next one I'm guessing is unloading coal and at Margate as you can just see the lighthouse far right.
The next one is the building of Ramsgate Harbour Arches. Note the railway for the crane or digger on the left, obviously this would be in the 1890s.
Charles Traill says the sailing barge is Cambria
Next the sailing vessel I think that is Margate in the background on the right.
Next a small coaster on Margate Harbour arm.
Next two are the toll booth on the East cliff in Ramsgate. I think these both date from the 1940s and relate to the condition it was in after the war and repairing it. This was originally used to charge people money for visiting the Eastcliff.
The next one Margate Harbour arm.
The next one a coal lorry at Margate probably 1920s
Here at Michael’s Bookshop in Ramsgate I am getting a lot of the history of our house or street enquiries at the moment. If you are trying to do this in the first instance I recommend you come here to the bookshop and look at the cheap reprints of old Margate Ramsgate or Broadstairs directories. When you do this you have to be careful to work backwards from the most modern one as sometimes the street numbering or the street name even changes. We always have some original Kelly's directories in stock but they tend to be expensive. After that we do have some books that give more detail but for most streets there's very little history. I should stress here that we really don't mind people sitting in the local history books section and looking at the books for a considerable time.
As is captioned on the photograph, depicts a "Swimming Gala" which was held in the inner harbour Thursday 13th August 1908. The gala featured novelty races and contests organised back then by Ramsgate Swimming Club. Pictured is what was called a 'hobby horse race'
Next looking from Ramsgate’s East pier towards the seafront and railway station my guess is around 1900
Next looking across Ramsgate inner and outer Harbor fishing snacks in the foreground I'm guessing early 1900s
Next Margate looking down at the paddle steamers on the jetty
Next a Thanet tram I'm not sure of the location
Next unloading coal at Margate Harbor arm
Next Lockwoods contractors it says Westgate on the sign so this could be in Westgate
Next some repairs to Margate jetty decking
Next Pegwell I think this is the construction of the sea wall
Next Pegwell coastguard cottages top right
Next Pegwell you can see the coast guard station on the top of the cliff
Finally pegwell you can see the newly constructed pier and seawall
If you are interested in the history of Pegwell as a resort I recommend coming here to Michael's bookshop in Ramsgate and having a good browse of the book called “Adventures in Shrimpville Pegwell Bay 1760 1916” by Martin Easdown.
Once I have posted these batches of pictures on the various local Facebook groups I often get additional information in the comments.
I'm now doing my best to add this information to where I have put this post on my Thanetonline blog.
The first picture comes from the middle of a Bygone Kent magazine. To me at the moment the most interesting thing is that it shows the bell on the clockhouse. It says this is based on the painting by Kenneth Beacham Martin who was deputy harbour master in 1831. Ramsgate clockhouse was built in 1817 so this picture is likely to be fairly accurate, something that can't be said for some of Martin's other paintings. It also looks as though the clock face is black.
The next picture is the front of the bygone Kent magazine that it comes from. Here at Michael's bookshop in Ramsgate we are pricing a large collection of bygone Kent at the moment, all at 99p each if you wondered.
The next picture is the mayor in Cecil Square Margate.
The next picture shows Margate seafront you can see Hazardous Row on the right. Personally I have been looking for pictures of Margate slipway without a lot of success so this one came up.
The next one I think is John Todd king of the donkeys so Ramsgate
The next one Kent Terrace Ramsgate
The next one is a break and I think it is outside Minister church probably around 1900
The next one a Margate corporation horse-drawn vehicle not sure of the date but as it's got inflatable tyres probably around 1930.
The next one a Thanet Times flyer
The next one the convent in Margate
The next one St Mildred's Bay Westgate as the first world war seaplane base.
The next one a steamroller in Queens road Margate
The next one Kent Terrace Ramsgate
Next one Kent terrace in the background of this one from the foreground I think it's a fairly early photo
The next one is what eventually became Pleasurama I think this is in the early days just after the railway station and before it developed the Merrie England or Olympia name
The next one looking up Madeira walk and you can see a picture of the houses that have just been rebuilt after the Second world war bombing.
The next one Ramsgate East cliff I'm guessing this is 1920s
The next one Westbrook bridge
Another rush job today, in my previous post I missed posting to a lot of the Thanet Facebook chat groups and pretty much only posted to the local history Facebook groups.
This is really down to the amount of time that I have. So sorry if I missed your group.
says Lots of detail in the print 'after' K B Martin. The bell was, in fact, a 'nest' of 4 bells, like a Russian doll, of different pitch, to strike the hours and quarters etc.
There were steps up to the door of the clockhouse - today the ground level is higher than the threshold.
Mr. Gott's Vinegar Bottle House, is very prominent - was it really that large?
The early view of Margate Harbour, is great and I don't think I've seen it before. The Brig was probably a collier from the North East.
The cecil Square event is the review and welcome of the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles by the Mayor and Corporation. The regiment came fairly frequently for training camps in the area and they always attracted lots of interest.
Attached is part of a report from May 1909 - it might be that occasion?
Trying to place this.. Margate Harbour before the Imperial Hotel was built? Corner building (2nd left, behind the sails) must be the old Evans chemist?
Now, i think the Imperial was built around 1870ish. And s you can see on the far left of the photo, the harbour goes right over to where the road currently is. So, stab at 1865?
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