Hoo Peninsula Film Project

Over the past few years, I’ve been meeting lots of the peninsula’s longer-standing inhabitants, or ‘peninsula elders’ as I like to call them! And I’ve been recording on camera their stories and memories about living and working here.

Often more than just the typical - and edited - recollections you tend to read in history books, I’ve heard some fascinating tales, some of which have been truly shocking in their detail. Always unique and personal insights into everyday life in this often overlooked corner of Kent and Medway, it’s been a real joy and privilege to have listened to them.

I now have a growing selection of recordings, each of which is being very slowly and carefully edited. When finished I’m planning to donate them to historical archives and any interested local history groups for posterity and, hopefully, for watching by future generations of historians, and residents, seeking to expand their knowledge of local social history.

All those ‘elders’ I’ve had the pleasure to meet so far have been very generous in their willingness to be recorded on film. Not always an easy process, especially when an amateur like me is doing the filming!

I have a whole list of people on my list to get through in the coming months, but it’s always good to hear of anyone else with a few interesting stories to tell.

Just get in touch via the contact page.
 

Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre - expanded photo library now online!

Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC) has increased the number of photographs viewable online. The site now boasts 2,000 images of the area, along with an easy-to-use search function.

Many photographs of the Hoo Peninsula have been added to the MALSC website, including the small selection below.

The Church of St. Peter & St. Paul (Upper Stoke)

Shearmans General Stores (Allhallows)



The Horseshoe & Castle Pub (Cooling)



Railway Station / Crossing (Isle of Grain)



School (High Halstow)



Post Office (Hoo)



The Bell Inn (St. Mary Hoo)

To view the full collection of Medway photographs click here. When you arrive at the photograph search page, just type the name of the location you want to search.

It’s good to see so many photographs online and accessible to all. The staff and volunteers at MALSC have obviously been busy and their efforts are very much appreciated.

Note: All of the photographs on this post appear by kind permission of the Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre.

Stoke Photos, Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC)

Special thanks go to the Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC), who have published these photographs on their website. Their site contains many historic images of Medway, but they have a particularly interesting batch for Stoke. To view all MALSC photographs, click this link.

The first photograph is of the Choir at the Church of St Peter & St Paul in Upper Stoke, taken in approximately 1905. Unfortunately, the names of those photographed are not known, but MALSC are keen to hear from anyone who may have any information (as indeed am I). MALSC can be emailed by clicking here.

The next photograph was taken in approximately 1900 and, as well as the Windmill in the background, shows Forge House on Cuckolds Green Road in Lower Stoke. I don't know if the 'forge' (as opposed to Forge House) is the wooden hut / building on the left but, according to the 1891 census, my Great-Grandfather (Herbert Watson) worked for a Blacksmith in Lower Stoke - he was just 16 years old at the time! The 1891 census lists Herbert and his parents living at School Hill. Their neighbours were the Stratford family (also related) and they had a lodger called Reginald Filmer.  

Again, many thanks to Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre for the use of these photographs.  Pleae visit their main website.