Herne Bay Then & Now

The Herne Bay Historical Records Society has taken the decision that, to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the historic landmark of the passing of the 1833 Act of Parliament, it would publish a volume of old pictures of the town alongside contemporary photographs taken from the same viewpoint in 2013.

Some places have altered over the intervening years so that they are now almost unrecognisable – others remain largely unchanged. It could be argued, moreover, that not all the changes have been for the better!

Although essentially a picture book, each set of photographs is accompanied by a short piece of explanatory text about the featured location so that these images illustrate aspects of the history of the town as well as revealing the changing face of Herne Bay over the years.

Published October 2013. Soft covers, A4 size, 116 pages high-grade glossy art paper, 100 pairs of greyscale images.

ISBN: 978-1-909164-10-9

IoTAS talks in July

Isle of Thanet Archeological Society

As part of the Festival of British Archaeology, IoTAS are organising two Talks.

On Thursday, 18th July, there is a Public Talk by Peter Golding entitled "Under our Feet" (local geology).  

If you have ever wanted to know more about how our landscape was formed, and the effect it has had on our history, please come along.  The Talk is at the Lecture Hall of Christchurch University, Broadstairs Campus, Northwood Road, Broadstairs (free parking at rear of building).  Admission is £5, £3 for IOTAS members and £2.50 for students.  Doors open 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. start.

The second Talk is on Monday, 22nd July, and is at Crampton Tower Yard, Broadstairs.  It is being given by Karen Botha and Imbel Livene of Quex House and is titled "Protecting the future of our past, the way forward for the Powell Cotton Museum". Admission is £2, free to IoTAS members and again doors open at 7.15 p.m. for 7.45 p.m. start.

If either of these Talks interest you or any of the members of your organisation, please come along.  Everyone is welcome.  

More information can be found on www.iotas.org.uk

The Kings Hall Herne Bay - celebrating 100 years

This book has been compiled to celebrate 100 years of the Kings Hall at Herne Bay, a building that has had such a positive influence on many residents and visitors.

There can be few people in the district who have not experienced an event that has been held at the hall, and even if the interaction is not first hand, they will doubtless have a close relative with connections. With such a rich history and so many memories in the minds of people with an interest, it is gratifying to note that various individuals and groups, including the owner of the building, Canterbury City Council, have chosen to mark this landmark occasion.

The main sources used for the compilation of this work, have included two souvenir booklets produced for the respective openings of the East Cliff Pavilion in April 1904 and the Kings Hall in July 1913. Local newspapers including the Herne Bay Press, the Herne Bay Argus and the less well known Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, have all proved invaluable, as has access to various collections of programmes for the countless events that have taken place over the last century.

Published July 2013. Soft covers, A4 size, 54 pages high-grade glossy art paper, greyscale images.

ISBN: 978-1-909164-09-3

Be a Subscriber, be a Star!

This is your chance to subscribe to our forthcoming publication "Herne Bay - Then and Now: A Pictorial History Celebrating 180 Years" by pre-ordering a copy.

As a subscriber, you will have your name printed in the finished book - that's practically stardom! What about buying the book as a gift to a friend or relative and having their name included in the book?

This publication is a compilation of archive pictures of Herne Bay paired with matching contemporary photographs, as below, but bigger.

Each pair of pictures is accompanied by an explanatory text written by John Fishpool (HBHRS President) and Mike Bundock (HBHRS Curator & Archivist). This provides an entertaining and fascinating insight into the history and development of Herne Bay.

The subscription price is £10 + £2 P&P. Please make your cheque payable to Herne Bay Historical Records Society.

In order to meet our print deadline, you will need to place your order before 21st July 2013. Please complete this form and send it to:

HBHRS, 56 Beacon Hill, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 6JN

Many thanks.

Luncheon tickets up for grabs!

Wednesday 10th July will be a fun and busy day! We’ll be starting at noon with the grand opening by the Sheriff of Canterbury (Herne Bay’s own Cllr Ann Taylor).

We’ve commissioned replicas of the original commemorative medallions that were distributed when the Hall opened. We have got enough for all the town’s school children, but as we can’t fit all 3,000 of them in the Hall, we’ll just be presenting a few dozen of them on the day.

From 1pm, there will be a marvellous lunch, prepared and served by students from East Kent College, and the menu will be based on the original “luncheon” menu, but somewhat trimmed down from the original fifteen courses!

The good news is that we have some free tickets to give away - simply email HBHRS.org@gmail.com with your name and address (CT6 residents only, please) and you'll be added to the lucky draw.