Rook Spectacular at RSPB Northward Hill (High Halstow), Saturday 22 January 2011

Join a guided walk at RSPB Northward Hill, with a Reserve Warden, to the Heronry viewpoint to watch the stunning sight of thousands of rooks coming in from the marshes and returning to their roost site. There is also a chance of seeing Woodcock and the Long-Eared Owl.

Meeting at the Main Car Park at Bromhey Farm (Cooling) at 1.30pm, the event is expected to finish around 4.30pm.

Book in advance by phoning 01634 222480, or email here. Ticket prices are £4 (for non members) and £2 (for members).
 

E.ON Public Exhibitions – Pipeline proposals on the Hoo Peninsula

Residents on the Hoo Peninsula recently received a newsletter from E.ON. This gave details of their consultation into proposals for a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) pipeline. The pipeline could run from Kingsnorth to St. Mary’s Marshes, then out into the North Sea, if a new cleaner-coal power station were built after the existing Kingsnorth Power Station closes in 2015.

There are two public exhibitions in the coming week:

Tuesday 18 January - from 10am until 4pm at Hoo Village Institute, 25 Main Road, Hoo, Rochester, Kent, ME3 9AA.

Wednesday 19 January – from 2pm until 8pm at Stoke Village Hall, Mallard Way, Lower Stoke, Rochester, Kent, ME3 9ST.
  

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.

An artistic view from Upper Stoke

I recently bought this old postcard (series no 5396), entitled ‘On the Medway’, showing the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Upper Stoke. It was produced by Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co. Ltd, of London and Manchester, although it says it was produced in Bavaria.

With a strong family connection to Upper Stoke, this postcard is one of my favourite images of the area. I can't identify the name of who painted the picture or when that was, but is shows three small children walking through the churchyard with a dog running behind, boats on the River Medway, birds flying overhead and a traditional house behind the church.

Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co. Ltd were active between 1830 and 1920 and originally published books, but later moved on to producing Christmas cards, advertising cards, comics, art reproductions and real photo portraits.

 

Then & Now – Methodist Chapel, Lower Stoke

I sometimes manage to find old postcards and photographs of the area. This one shows the United Methodist Church at Lower Stoke and was published by ‘I. J. Maylam'. Unfortunately, there isn’t a date anywhere on the item. If you know when it might have been taken, please get in touch.

Built in 1889, at a cost of £614, the building is today known as the Methodist Chapel and operates as part of the Medway Methodist Circuit.

On the outside of the building are ‘foundation stones’ that list the names of people who contributed to the cost of its construction. These local family names include Ayers, Plewis, Mugeridge, Coopper and Smith. As previously mentioned on this site, I have a connection to the Ayers family.

Watson or Edwards?

Many family mysteries are best left unsolved, but when the mystery relates to people long since gone, there really shouldn’t be a danger of causing anyone upset. This particular mystery starts some 177 years ago, so I think I’m safe.

Last week I met-up with Mick Edwards (pictured below), who has lived in Hoo all his life. We spent a couple of hours drinking coffee at TAGGS in Hoo village centre, talking about our shared Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth Edwards (nee Watson).

Elizabeth Watson married John Edwards in September 1833, when she was 19 years of age. Only months before the marriage, she gave birth in Allhallows to a son, John, who was given the surname Watson - her maiden name. I am a direct descendant of John Watson. Following their wedding, Elizabeth and John Edwards had other children, including a Charles Edwards (John Watson’s brother). Mick is a descendant of Charles.

Both Mick and I have spent many hours trawling through historic records to find out why John Watson was named Watson instead of Edwards, especially when there is plenty of evidence to suggest he was the son of John Edwards.

Does it matter whether I’m really a Watson or an Edwards? Of course not, but it’s quite strange to think of myself as Tony Edwards, if not for an ‘accident’ of birth in 1833.

Without the fantastic resources available at the Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre, none of this would have been known to us.

 

Bat and Trap – full results of the Peninsula League 2010

My father recently found his old bat and ball (pictured below) which I remember using when playing Bat and Trap at his pub near Canterbury. With this bat we triumphed in a local league championship in the early 1990s – a victory which to us beat any Ashes glory!

Digging out these items from my Dad’s house reminded me about the Peninsula Bat and Trap League, which I mentioned on this site last October, publishing details of the League Finals Night on 3 October 2010.

Before Christmas I received more information from Danny Gibson, who co-ordinates the Peninsula Bat and Trap League. He sent the End of Season Tables, which includes information about all local league teams – click on the images below to enlarge.

End of Season Tables (Sixes):

End of Season Tables (Trebles):

The 2011 season will start in April/May and finishes at the end of September. Games are usually held on a Wednesday evening, commencing at 8pm. Any pub wishing to submit a team should contact Danny Gibson on 01634 290079 or 07988 769604. Or Danny can be emailed here.

Diary Date: Spring Concert (Hoo), Saturday 5 March 2011

Hoo St. Werburgh Parish Church present their Spring Concert on Saturday 5 March at 7.30pm. The concert includes international soprano Christine Hubbard, who will perform songs from the classics, shows and proms.

To book tickets, or for more information, contact Stuart on 01634 251705.
 

New Year’s Day Walk - Cliffe

On New Year’s Day, I headed for another RSPB Nature Reserve, this time at Cliffe Pools. I started out from Cliffe village on Pond Hill and then onto Pickles Way. Unsurprisingly, there were lots of people enjoying the fresh air and taking the opportunity for some exercise.

Although there are many trails to choose from, I opted for the Saxon Shore Way – heading through pools and lagoons towards Cliffe Creek.

When I arrived at Cliffe Creek, I had a look for Cliffe Fort, which was built in the mid-nineteenth century. Although derelict and closed to the public, it is still possible to view some of its exterior walls from the footpath. There are also the 100-year old remains of the Brennan Torpedo installation (on the shore side). Such a shame that these once important naval defences are now largely forgotten.

Within a couple of hundred yards of the fort rests the wreck of a Danish schooner, the ‘Hans Egede’. Although damaged by fire in 1955, she was used for many years as a coal and grain hulk on the Medway.

Heading back to Cliffe village, I took the less scenic, but more direct, route along Salt Lane, West Street, Higham Road and Church Street.

An excellent few hours spent exploring a small part of RSPB Cliffe Pools Nature Reserve, with some interesting local history along the way. I’ll certainly be back soon, as there are plenty more routes left to explore!

More information about RSPB Cliffe Pools Nature Reserve can be found by clicking here.

 

Kent Wildlife Trust receive award from Medway Council – Isle of Grain

As a member of Kent Wildlife Trust, it’s excellent to read in their latest magazine (Wild Kent) that they have been awarded £35,000 by Medway Council to help with the development of a country park on the Isle of Grain.

The site, which is designated a Local Wildlife Site and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), is populated by some invertebrates (including the Shrill Carder Bee) and is a well-known spot for watching winter waders.

The Trust has also received £3,500 from Natural England to help with the running of a young rangers scheme. The Trust will work with young people to develop a long-term site management plan and to improve facilities for visitors.

More information about Kent Wildlife Trust can be found by clicking here.
  

New Year’s Eve Walk - Northward Hill

On New Year’s Eve, I went to RSPB Northward Hill, between Cooling and High Halstow, to explore some of their trails. After checking the detailed information board at the main car park at Bromhey Farm, I decided on the Heron Trail.

Starting from Bromhey Farm, it wasn’t long before I met others out enjoying the fresh air on the last day of 2010. Although there was poor visibility across the marshes, the views were still very interesting.

When I arrived at the Heronry viewpoint, at the end of the Heron Trail, the site and sounds were remarkable. There were hundreds, possibly thousands, of rooks making noises that could be heard for miles. On checking the RSPB website later at home, this is described as a “4,000-strong rook and jackdaw ‘spectacular’ preparing to roost in the wood”.

More information about RSPB Northward Hill can be found by clicking here.

Beauty and the Beast - Dramarama (High Halstow), 13/14/15 January 2011

Dramarama, the High Halstow dramatics group, present ‘Beauty and the Beast’ on January 13 (Thursday), 14 (Friday) and 15 (Saturday). Performances begin at 7.30pm and tickets are £4. A matinee performance will be on the Saturday at 2pm. The show will be held at the Recreation Hall in High Halstow.

More details can be obtained from Fred and Hazel (01634) 251135, Noleen (01634) 271026, Joanne (01634) 250911 or Wenda (01634) 253169.
 

Christmas Day Walk - Allhallows

With festivities over and life returning to normal, Christmas Day seems like a long time ago. The weather has improved a bit, for the time being, and no doubt everyone has been busy making resolutions.

I made an early pledge – to do more regular exercise! On Christmas Day I went for a long walk from Allhallows and was joined by friends and a dog called Jake.

We set out from Allhallows at 10.30am and went through the Leisure Park and along the beach, past the Yacht Club, aiming for West Point and St. Mary’s Bay. We hoped to get as far as Egypt Bay, before returning to Allhallows, but it took much longer than expected to walk to St. Mary’s Bay (due to long sessions of playing ball with the dog). At 12.30pm, with lunch still to cook, we took the decision to abandon the attempt to get as far as Egypt Bay. We headed back to Allhallows, cutting across footpaths that led through marshes and fields, eventually passing behind Dagnam Farm.

We arrived back at Allhallows at 1.30pm and headed home for the usual Christmas Day excitement and to finally open some presents!