Wednesday 31 July 2024

Click to expand some old Thanet pictures

 

These two pictures were together so I am assuming the launch of the same Ramsgate lifeboat, unfortunately not clear enough to read the name but after 1903/4 as you can see the pavilion in one of them.

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Michael Cates
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The Lifeboat was Charles and Susanna Stephens, the occasion her official launch and dedication on 25th May 1905.

This next group are of the building of the Military Road arches so late 1890s



As these were with the ones above they may be some sort of opening ceremony for the opening of work on the arches  

All of that lot were from the Tom Stokes collection 

And all the rest come from the Mick Twyman collection but are not labelled but probably Margate or near Margate


Fairey presumed G-EAAJ from the book Wings over Westgate by Geoffrey Williams, which we have in stock

I am assuming this is Margate. In 1859 the Volunteer movement started up in Britain and General Peel agreed to accept the services of such men who would ask for no pay and fight when needed. To everyone's astonishment an armed force of over one hundred thousand men was enrolled within a short time, having as their motto "Defence not Defiance"

Interesting Broadstairs one as it is dated published Feb 1st 1796 so must have been before then





Garlinge Damaged Barn 

Here at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate I am slowly working towards getting some of these pictures into book form.

I had a lot of problems posting the picture link to local Facebook Groups on Monday and for a while it looked as though I was going to banned from posting to groups. I am still banned from the We Love Old Ramsgate Group, but whether this is to do with the groups administrators I don't know. 

I do often link to the books that we have just put out at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate but then I assume from feedback and from the amount of local history books we put out that this is also something local people want to know.   

Anyway any ideas on this one would be helpful as there is a possibility I may have to give up posting to local Facebook groups, or just post one picture at a time something I don't think I would have the time to do. 

Another warm and sunny day here in Ramsgate. Michaels Bookshop has been fairly busy this morning with definate signs of people visiting because they are on holiday. 

Monday 29 July 2024

Click to enlarge, Margate in The Boer War, 1736 Map of Ramsgate, Broadstairs Lifeboat around 1900

These four Margate photos are all titled The Boer War, either the first Boer war 1880 to 1881 the second Boer war i.e. 1899 to 1902, does anyone know which? 




This is the oldest street map of Ramsgate and is taken from the book The History and Antiquities as well Ecclesiastical as Civil of the Isle of Tenet, in Kent The Second Edition, With Additions by John Lewis

It should expand enough to read. You will notice that none of the streets have the same names as they do now. Here at Michaels Bookshop where I work in King Street, at that time King Street was called North End with Queen Street called South end Harbour Street East End and The High Street called Westminster with the top of it called West End. 


Next this picture as you see it is captioned Queen Street Ramsgate and I had though it was looking up Cliff Street, but now I don't think it is, can anyone identify where it was?

If it's wrong I can get the caption off using AI

I have tried enhancing it but it won't go far enough to read the sign on the window.
The Francis Forbes Barton Lifeboat served at Broadstairs from 1897 to 1912 here is the link to the RNLI article  and I think this was the one that is in a bad state in Ramsgate.





Friday 26 July 2024

Click to enlarge Ramsgate photos, Nelson Place Broadstairs photo and photos of Cecil Square in Margate.

 

Starting with Ramsgate Pier, we publish a book about this one here is the link and some sample pictures from the book about the pier here is the link 


This is the old post office in Ramsgate that was a bit further down the High Street than where it is now.


Ramsgate Fire Station, from the look of the ambulance and uniform I am guessing during WW1


Ramsgate Town Hall corner of Queen Street and Harbour Street, from the decoration I am guessing Queen Victoria's jubilee

 

Nelson Place Broadstairs I think 


The next four are all of Cecil Square

 



From the decoration I am guessing for the coronation in 1953

We went secondhand record shopping in Ramsgate yesterday, with about four shops here it is feasible to find what you are looking for. I don't much like buying secondhand online as I like to look at what I want to buy and make sure of the condition. There is no new record shop in Ramsgate and hasn't been for years I think Our Price in the High Street was the last one.

Bookshop wise the situation is pretty bad now three sources of new books having gone recently, the children's bookshop in Addington Street, W H Smith in the High Street and now Book Bodega closing this weekend.  

Michaels Bookshop in King Street which is where I work is still here but we only do secondhand books apart from local history books about The Isle of Thanet 

Here is the link to the secondhand books we put out today 

I suppose the bottom line here is use it or loose it. Of course it isn't so bad for readers buying new books online as the should be in perfect condition. 

A new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to tackle antisocial behaviour (ASB) and alcohol related disorder has been approved by the TDC Cabinet at a meeting on Thursday 25 July.

This includes bad language which I don't think we have ever had before in Thanet

‘all persons are prohibited from using foul or abusive language in such a manner that is loud and can be heard by others and cause either alarm or distress to any other person in any public place.’ 


Wednesday 24 July 2024

Click to enlarge pictures of Broadstairs Pier, WW1 Margate Air Raid , Port Richborough, and WW2 Armistice Day in Ramsgate








 Buckingham Rd. 1917





It has been one of those mornings for me, where you fight with internet ordering and robot controlled telephone lines.  

Once again historic photos from the Tom Stokes and Mick Twyman collections 

At work here at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate it is the first day of the school holidays so a lot of younger readers.  
 

We went book buying in Margate yesterday, mostly The Old Bank Bookshop although we did walk up the High Street which I think is getting a bit better at the top and a bit worse at the bottom. Surprisingly there are now very few charity shops left in Margate town.

here is the link to the pictures of the books we put out today

Monday 22 July 2024

Click to enlarge, pictures of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs, possible ramble










King Street Margate


 Cobbs Brewery Margate

I think this one is Margate, Its in the Mick Twyman collection but has no file label. from the look of the shipping I would guess around 1830

This Broadstairs one looks to be from the first half of the 1900s

Once again pictures from the Tom Stokes and Mick Twyman collections. I have been working on getting the first 150 or so from the Tom Stokes Ramsgate collection into book form. there were a few caption errors which had to be removed using AI as the captions are embedded in the photos. 

Writing this blog and working in Ramsgate at Michaels Bookshop I feel there should be a lot of potential for using artificial intelligence however removing these captions or part of these captions without marking the picture is the first time I have found it really useful.