Report: 21st March 2013 - Regency Ramsgate

Peter Borrough showed his excellent film on Regency Ramsgate at our last meeting.

As well as illustrating the history of the building of the harbour it showed the many distinguished figures of history who had influenced the building and prestige of the town during the 19th century Regency period including several Royal visits.

The last meeting of the season will be on Thursday April 4th when Mike Bundock and John Fishpool assisted by society members will be presenting some of the findings of their Research Projects based on Shopping and Shops through the Ages in Herne Bay and the work that has been started on investigating the histories of the soldiers on the World War I memorial in the park.

Visitors with memories on any of these subjects are invited to come along as well as members who may be able to add their contributions. Doors open at 6.30pm for 7pm start. For more information phone 01227 362666.

Report: 7th Mar 2013 - Authors and Artists of the South East

“Authors and Artists of the South East” was the subject of Anthea Bryant's talk at our last meeting. She commenced her literary journey in Canterbury which Geoffrey Chaucer illustrated so graphically in his medieval Canterbury Tales and also covered more modern connections with Thomas Sidney Cooper, Rupert Bear, Bagpuss as well as Jane Austen, Ian Fleming and Count Zborowski (the inspiration for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) at Higham Park Bridge.

She travelled across to Faversham and the 16th century play based on the real life drama of the murder of local dignitary Thomas Arden in 1551 and from thence covered Rye with Richard Harris Barham's Ingoldsby Legends, E.H Benson's Mapp and Lucia series and onwards to Downe House with Charles Darwin, Sissinghurst and Vita Sackville-West, Chartwell and Winston Churchill, Port Lympne and Sir Philip Sassoon returning back to Bekesbourne and Joseph Conrad finishing with Charles Dickens and Bleak House at Broadstairs. Altogether a very entertaining and informative talk delivered in Anthea's very colourful and animated style.

Continuing the theme of local authors, particularly appropriate as this was World Book Day, Mike Bundock, Society Curator and Archivist, introduced Kay Steventon and Judith Ford co-authors of their new book published by the Society "Will Scott and Herne Bay". They are the grand-daughters of William Mathew Scott ( pen name Will Scott) who, although he was born in Leeds, spent 44 years in Herne Bay from 1920-1964.

He was a caricaturist, author and playwright who is now best known for his children's series the Cherry books (published between 1952 and 1965). The book explores his relationship with Herne Bay and in so doing, provides a fascinating view of the town where he spent most of his adult life. Members were able to purchase their copies personally signed by the authors and copies at £7.50 each are now available at Herne Bay Museum, William Street Herne Bay or can be ordered direct from the website www.hbhrs.org

The next meeting will be on Thursday 21st March at United Church Hall High Street Herne Bay when Peter Borrough will be speaking on “Regency Ramsgate”. Doors open at 6.30pm ready for start at 7pm. All visitors welcome at £2, Members free. For more information contact 01227 362666.

Will Scott and Herne Bay

Will Scott's logo for Herne Bay

We are proud to announce the launch of the latest of our publications: "Will Scott and Herne Bay".

The Leeds-born caricaturist, author and playwright Will Scott (1893-1964), is probably best known for his children’s series the ‘Cherry books’ (published between 1952 and 1965). His literary output included thousands of short stories that appeared in publications such as the Evening News, Strand Magazine and John Bull, as well as three full-length novels featuring the indolent and brilliant detective Theodore Disher, and a volume of short stories about the tramp-detective Giglamps.

Scott’s 1930s mystery play The Limping Man was performed in several West End theatres, broadcast by the BBC Home Service, and filmed in 1931 and 1936. The 1931 film adaptation of The Limping Man (entitled Creeping Shadows, directed by J.O.C. Orton) was advertised as the ‘new Dracula’.

His fiction writing has been compared with that of O. Henry, G. K. Chesterton and Saki (Hector Hugo Munro). Scott’s literary career was, however, secondary both in terms of chronology and of choice, to his time spent as a caricaturist.

Following a brief stint as art editor of Pan magazine in 1920, Scott moved with his family to Herne Bay in Kent and began his career as a writer of fiction. He would occasionally illustrate his own stories with black and white sketches, and sometimes contributed illustrations and designs to publications that promoted Herne Bay. In later years he began to paint again as a hobby.

For more information, visit the Will Scott website, or see the extensive Wikipedia entry compiled by another of our members (thanks Linda).

Vikings in Thanet

Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society

Just to let you know that our first Talk of the 2013 Season is on Monday, 25th February.

We all think we know about the Vikings, warriors in horned helmets who spread terror when they raided Britain!!.  But is this the true story?  

We should find out more at a Talk given by expert Helen Harrington entitled "The Vikings of the Shetland Isles - the reality behind the modern Myth".  Admission is only £2 (free to IOTAS members) and everyone is welcome  to come along.  

The Talk is at the Lecture Hall, Crampton Tower Yard, Broadstairs.,  Doors Open 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. start.  Hope to see you there.  If you need any more information visit our website at www.iotas.org.uk or visit us on facebook.

Report: 21st Feb 2013 - The Dissenting Churches of Canterbury

At our latest meeting Ian Moat gave us a very informative talk on the “Dissenting Churches in Canterbury”.

He covered the history of the growth of the non-conformist church movement in Canterbury which included Baptists, Congregationalists, Countess of Huntingdon, Methodists, Presbyterian, Quakers and Salvation Army.

He also covered the background of the Jewish and Huguenot communities who settled in Canterbury over the centuries. He explained that his interest had grown from his own family's connection with the Plymouth Brethren chapel in Sturry where his great-grandfather, grandfather and father had all been preachers in the past.

One of the interesting stories was the story of Robert Cushman who was an apprentice grocer living in Canterbury in 1611 and questioning the teachings of the established church was imprisoned and excommunicated. After his release he went across to Leiden in Holland from where he established a separatist community with himself and John Carver as Elders. Finally in 1620 he sailed to England on the Speedwell meeting with the pilgrims on the Mayflower who were ready to sail to Virginia to start a new life free from the restrictive religious edicts of England. He served as agent of the New Plymouth Colony and representative of the colony with the company of Merchant Adventurers of London until he died in the spring of 1625.

David Birch, Chair, thanked Ian for his very illuminating talk with fascinating local and national history connections.

He announced that an extra feature of the next meeting would be the launch of the latest society's publication "Will Scott and Herne Bay" He said that both Kay Steventon and Judith Ford the authors, would be attending to explain the background of their researches. The main speaker for the meeting on Thursday March 7th at the Herne Bay United Church Hall, High Street, would be Anthea Bryant appropriately speaking on "Authors and Artists of the South East" starting at 7pm. Doors open at 6.30pm and visitors are most welcome at £2 members are free. For more information contact 01227 362666.