Hello, I am hoping to find more info on a boat called "Willdora" which was sold by Williams Shipping,. Southampton to Paynes Marine Transport in the 1960's. When the Payne family emigrated to Australia, the boat was sold to Denis Hopker originally hailing from Sheppey as well but was a Councillor in Dartmouth. He and the boat would assist with the early productions of "The Onedin Line" from 1970-72, as well as filming the launch of "The Golden Hinde" from Appledore to the Isle of Wight. The boat is now in Sunderland and was built 1934 in MacDuff, Scotland. I have reason to believe she was requisitioned by the Navy during WWII.
Guest
04-Nov-2016 09:16
I am trying to locate a photo of the barge 'Surprise' which was skippered by my maternal ancestor Captain James Wallis..he collapsed and died on his barge in Maldon in May 1912....In the 1930's it became derelict/ababonded and in Queenborough Creek..can anybody avise where I could locate a painting or photo. Email ollie.david@btinternet.com David Moulder
Mike Payne
22-Jul-2016 19:54
I left Queenborough in 1960 after coming out of the MN. Returned in 2012 and the first surprise was the loss of all the industry in Rushenden. No Lodders, Bottleworks , Sheet Glass, Chemos,Tile works gone as well and the creek looked clean! In 1912 Rushenden was termed the first Industry park even before Trafford Park. Met the younger Mahoney brother from chalk Road when I stopped for a coffee in the Junior School - shades of Gaffer Rooke as headmaster. My mother and her father came down from Tutbury in 1912 - there was a train load of families and there are still some in contact with relatives back in Staffordshire. Thought the cinema was the Ace - remember returning POWs being feted there on their return. lots of memories Mike Payne
Guest
29-Feb-2016 20:32
hi my maiden name was janet underdown i had 2 sisters marian and debra 2 brothers jeff and alan we lived at swale ave my mum dads name was vi and roy x
keith bronger
06-Dec-2015 16:13
to Pam Griffiths(Cackett),i remember your family,i belive you lived around number 6 Swale Avenue,and went to school in my year at Queenborough Primary,not sure which senior school you were at,but probarly then spent at least one year at Sheppey Comp.We lived at 46 Swale Avenue ,on the corner of Hillside Avenue,My friends were people like Eddie Underdown,Trevor Fox,Dennie Donavon and my counsin Steve Adams.Does this remind you of those days. Keith.
Sheila Endersby
29-Nov-2015 20:37
Hi, I am hoping to find some old friends of my parents Fred & Ivy Holdaway who rented a house in Dumergue Ave, Queenborough between 1940 - 1943.
They socialised in the area with a group of friends consisting of Ron & Dorris Anderson, and Ron & Ruby Bodiam amongst others. They often frequented the Ship Inn and many of the local pubs and danced at the Queenborough Hall.
I would love to hear from anyone who remembers this group of people, or can recall the stories from their families of these times, specifically a Naval Petty Officer Called Jack who had bright red hair and served at HMS Wildfire, possibly on the Minesweepers.
Great if you have any photos you would be able to show, or memories of the times or people you would be willing to share.
Regards
Sheila Endersby
Pam griffiths
21-Jul-2015 20:33
I have found these photos and comments very interesting. My maiden name was Pam cackett, I was born at 39 manor rd in 1955, then moved to Swale ave. I married in 1974. I remember most of the people on here. Pauline Watkins, ( cockell) my son is married to your neice, (Ernie's daughter).
keith bronger
09-Feb-2014 15:17
Hi Chris Fagg(Bronger), just noticed this site for Queenborough,and my eyes were alighted to your message,i am Keith Bronger,born in 1955 in Swale Avenus Rushenden to Rita and Geoff Bronger,interested in any contact from those days especially any Brongers,i do still come home to Minster ,my mums is still there,from my home in Gloucestershire.I remember some of the Fagg family from Halfway,Mick was at school with me at sheerness secondary and comprehensive the first year at minster.Is this the same family you married into.
Keith.(Kaybee.)
Guest
14-Sep-2013 18:39
Hello Chris that's funny seeing you on here after our messages, great site isn't it with fantastic photos I do miss the Island sometimes. Keep well xx
Chris Fagg
30-Aug-2013 23:07
Hi Janette
This is Chris Fagg. Was looking through this site and saw Pauline & your messages. I was looking for you when we had the last reunion Pauline mentioned. We are having another one hopefully at the end of October if you are interested in attending.
I will keep an eye out on this site for now for a message from you, if you want to attend I will give you contact details, would be nice to see you after all these years!
Regards Chris Fagg (Bronger)
Guest
27-Aug-2013 19:14
Hello Janette
Nice to hear from you and to know all is well with you. I have just got home from visiting Sheppey I have 2 daughters that live there I also have 2 stepsons from my second marriage one lives in Salisbury and one in Australia and between them we have 4 beautiful grandchildren.
I married my husband Chris (Watkins) 25 years ago next month. We have a cattery over here in France which I love except it is a huge tie if you want to go anywhere.
I knew they had rebuilt a new school where our old one used to be, it had got so dilapidated.
Robert Hughes was a good friend of my brothers but sadly he was killed I believe on a motor bike I cant remember exactly how old he was but it must have been around our 20's. I lived in Eastern Avenue which is next to Park Avenue, my parents moved there when the houses were first built and lived there until they died 14 years ago.
I went to a school reunion 5 years ago which was arranged by Chris Bronger (now Chris Fagg) it was very interesting.
I can always remember going to a birthday party at your house, you had indoor fireworks which looking back weren't very good but at the time I thought they were amazing, certainly stuck in my brain!!!!!
Best Wishes
Pauline
Sue Miller (Allsopp)
25-Aug-2013 21:50
I remember many of the Queenborough shopkeepers of the 1940s and 50s, because they were all so welcoming when I came home to Queenborough in the school holidays. Mr and Mrs Coveney the grocers, Mr Larkin who made lovely fish and chips, and Mr Chatterton the chemist. Mrs Weekes was the Mayoress, and Dr Madwar was our doctor. My Queenborough grandparents were Eddy and Ethel Chambers, and my Halfway grandparents were John and Eva Allsopp. John's first wife, Hetty Beer, my dad's mum, died in about 1926. She used to work on aircraft for the Short brothers out at Mussel Manor before WW1 and I would like to know more about what she did there. Do I have any Beer relatives left on the Island? Incidentally, my father left me a lengthy handwritten account of his childhood on the Island in the 1920s, which might be of interest to the archivist at Sheerness Library. Do let me know if they would like a copy.
Guest
24-Jul-2013 21:52
Hi Pauline
I remember you very well. Looking at your comments you were a year ahead of me in moving off the Island, I left in 1980 and moved to Wiltshire. I married in 1985 and my name is now Meaton. We don't have children, but my husband has a girl and boy from a previous marriage (they are 41 and 42). Did you know Sheerness Girls School was closing and being converted into flats I think? My husband and I were on Sheppey last week finishing sorting out Dad's house. I met up with my friend Maureen Swarbrick (nee Seager, from Park Avenue) and her husband Les. Don't know if you remember her (Park Avenue was a street of council houses near the Borough Hall. Robert Hughes and Marie Wallace, both of whom we were at school with lived in the same row). Maureen and I have been friends ever since we met at the bus stop in Main Road waiting for the bus to Sheerness School. I was one of her bridesmaids and went to both her sons weddings and then their sons Christenings.
What do you do in France? Are you working still or are you retired? My husband and I retired near the end of 2011 and seem to be so busy at the moment we can't believe how we ever found the time to go to work. Mind you I'm not the sort of person who'd be happy slumped in an armchair in front of the tele all day.
Nice to hear from you. Hope you are well and enjoying life in France.
Best wishes. Janette
Pauline
08-Jul-2013 18:10
Hello Janette, you are going to think this is odd but I was actually thinking about you last week then a couple of days ago my sister and brother in law came to stay for a holiday and I brought up this site to show them and there you were! My name is Pauline Watkins (my maiden name was Cockell) I lived in Eastern Avenue, Queenborough. I went to Queenborough Secondary School with you then when it closed we went on to Sheerness Girls School. I moved off the Island in 1979 and 11 years ago moved over here to France.
Janette
31-May-2013 22:06
I was born in Queenborough in 1952, I remember some Rayfields and Sheldricks. I think I might have gone to Queenborough secondary school with some of them. My maiden name was Chew (my parents were Charlie and Joan and we lived at 30 Dumergue Avenue. My parents were married by the Rev Daws at Queenborough Church in 1950. My maternal grandmother Lilian Butcher lived at 12 North Road. I moved to Wiltshire in 1980 but still have relatives on Sheppey. My Mum's stepbrother Peter Butcher and his family lived in Manor Road. They had 5 children, one still lives in Manor Road, one in Sheerness, one in Minster and 2 emigrated to Canada. Mum's stepsister Jill and her husband emigrated to Australia when they were in their late 60s and their daughter, her husband and 4 children also went to the same area. My parents are both dead now, Mum in 2006 and Dad in January this year. I well remember the ghastly chemos smell which seemed to get everywhere, they used to say if you could smell it over our side of the railway bridge it was going to rain, and it seemed to be an accurate way of forecasting the weather.
I'm trying to find pictures of Dumergue Avenue in the 1920s and 30s when the terrace my parents lived in was built, the higher numbers were built by the Curd family in the later 1920s (they had a shop in Main Road that was later owned by the Allsworths. This site only shows the lower numbers.
michael rankin
14-Oct-2012 11:53
im mick rankin i lived at second ave for 21 years great to see all these old pictures i worked on barges for a few years with the hawsworths im trying to locate the sirdar london and rochester trading companys racing barge spent a bit of time with her
michael rankin
14-Oct-2012 11:53
im mick rankin i lived at second ave for 21 years great to see all these old pictures i worked on barges for a few years with the hawsworths im trying to locate the sirdar london and rochester trading companys racing barge spent a bit of time with her
Graham
26-Jul-2012 19:47
Further to this, Len and my dad were brothers. They could not have been more different. Len was a fantastic outgoing person. He always had a smile on his face, and was always laughing and joking. He was a carpenter and lived along the road between Halfway and Queenboro. My dad, I think, was just ground down by years of hard work on the buses and ill health. He was a heavy smoker, and this took a great toll on his health. He finally succumed to lung cancer around 1970.
I have a vague memory of being round your great grandparents house and meeting your mother. Here my memory gets a bit vague, as I also think there was a girl there around the same age as me that I played with. Maybe it was you, maybe my memory is faulty. Anyway, great to have heard from you.
Graham
25-Jul-2012 21:12
Hi Hotspur,
Yes, I remember your Nan Linda Bentley. I went round to your great grandparents house a few times as a little boy. I remember your great grandfather very well, first world war veteran, so I was told. I also remember more vaguely your great gramdmother. She was blind, and I was a little scared of her.
It is fantastic to realise that I do have some family left, as all of the family that I knew on my mother's side passed away. Good to hear there is still an Australian contingent. Sadly, my father, your Nan's sister was not as adventurous as some of the other members of the family. I remember my mother being very excited one day and telling me that we were likely to emigrate to Australia. My dad did not want to go, however. All he wanted to do was to say in Sheerness and drive his bus!
Feel free to contact me at grahambentley35@gmail.com
Les Weller
25-Jul-2012 12:42
I was born at 87 The High Street 1953 my Gran lived at 111. The pictures have returned so many memories, fantastic amount of freedom to roam and wind the old boys up in the shelter down at the front. I remember Bill Gifford taking me out to Dead Man's Island one day and telling the terrible tales of the Napoleonic prisoners of war who are buried there. My Parents celebrate a Diamond anniversary this week having been marries at Holy Trinty Church by the Rev Dawes 60 years ago. Hence the research.
Guest
20-Jun-2012 07:57
My father's birth was registered in Minster on 21st December 1900. Name William Edward Newby born 17th May 1899, therefore registered 7 months later. From there trace of family virtually stops, other than other William /Edward Newbys turning up in Birmingham area and N.East round Darlington. All females seem to have bee named Eliza. I have two beautiful water colours of what I imagine are Thames barges on The Creek. painter not known.
For Graham Bentley - My Great Grandfather on my Mother's side was a Bentley. My Nan was Linda Bentley and she was married to Stanley Rayfield. Great Grandfather Bentley worked for Kemps the Undertakers and they had a place in the High Street - Great Grandfather (with Great Grandmother) Bentley lived in the House with the Kemps place being at the rear of the House adjacent to the Creek. I remember going to my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother's place when I was very young with my Mum and other Brothers (at the time) in the early 1960s.
My Mum is the eldest child of Linda and Stanley Rayfield and I am the eldest in my Mum's Family. Mum married my Dad George Sheldrick. Nan (Linda) and Grand Dad (Stanley) Rayfield initially lived at 35 Stanley Avenue and then moved to 48 Main Road. We initially lived at Rushenden in Manor Road and then moved to 35 Stanley Avenue (we bought Nan and Grand Dads house) in 1959.
I remember Great Grandfather Bentley being at 48 Main Road after Great Grandmother Bentley died in the late 1960s (I think) and he died around 1971 while living at Main Road.
So, my Nan - Linda Bentley, may well be your Dad's Sister..................I do recollect my Mum talking about a Len Bentley but not a Ted Bentley.
Our Family (the Sheldricks) emigrated to Australia in January 1971 - I was working in Derby with Rolls Royce at the time and eventually migrated to Australia in 1976. My Mum is the eldest of the Rayfields and we still have two of her Bothers (my Uncles) living in Queenborough (Stan and Alan Rayfield) with Peter living at Halfway.
Anyway, hope that tou get to read this and that it helps.
Carol Jaffray Woodriff
10-Mar-2012 00:46
These photos brought Queenborough to life for me. Genealogy brought me to your town and area because some of my ancestors seem to have been deeply embedded there. Can anyone share anything about the Air Raid Wardens of Rushenden and Queenborough during WWII? I'm also interested in the years between the Wars even going back to the late 1890's. Any suggestions for learning more from afar in Houston TX would be appreciated. Thanks for the great pictures.
trevor moore
19-Dec-2011 20:40
i lived oppsite the nissen type houses in 1940 on
Mel Ralph
13-Nov-2011 19:53
Has anyone got any information as to where Somerset Terrace North Road was or is
Please reply to melralph1@yahoo.com
ray adie
03-Sep-2011 09:56
any one remember the nissen houses in edward road
J Day
26-Aug-2011 14:05
Thank you for sharing these. My great-grandparents lived in Pier Cottages. Their name was Fowle. I wonder if I'm related to A Fowle, joiner and carpenter?
John Colbert
24-Jun-2011 22:33
My father Jim Colbert was the landlord of The Hope Inn from 1959-1962, and I have very fond memories of our time there. It is really good to see photo's of the pub before it was changed to how I remember it.
Has anyone information about the building of the bottle works around 1911 when a firm and its workers came down from Tutbury in Staffs?
Mike Payne
karen watts
04-Jan-2011 20:15
Great photos, I wonder if anyone has any photos of the people who worked at the potteries, my grandfather Bert Watts worked there in the 1940's - 1970's and my father Cyril Watts worked there 1960 - 1980 Thanks
Gerald Cornish
08-Dec-2009 02:46
Really enjoyed these photos, I was born in Queenborough, 1936 at 5 Rushenden Road. Would appreciate some photos of the house or the road if anyone has one. Also, Bobbing School pre 1997 extension if possible. I was there 1941-1943.
Guest
11-Aug-2009 13:29
hi its my partners bday end of this month i wanna take him either sea fishing or site seeing on a lil boat frm queenbourough what the best advise u can give !!!
Graham Bentley
31-Jan-2009 00:04
Anyone remember the Bentley family from Queenborough? My paternal Grandparents lived there until the sixties. Some of the Bentleys emigrated to Australia. My father was Ted Bentley, and his brother was Len. I believe my grandfather was a part time undertaker.
Derek Marsh
09-Jan-2009 17:58
my name is derek Marsh and I was born in Queenborough ( South Street ) and I would like to see some old Photo's up untill 1956 of South Street hass any one got any !!! it's so good to look at the old Island this way Many thanks for your efforts
Bob Mawson
26-Sep-2008 09:37
My father served on HMS Queenborough from 1943 to 1945 leaving the ship in Sydney before it was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. He returned to the UK late 1945 on HMS Norman. My mum, dad, brother and myself migrated back to Australia in 1949 and during those years growing up in Sydney and travelling on the harbour ferries saw the Queenborough many times but this time as an anti submarine frigate and then finally as the fleet training ship. The last time I saw Queenborough was early 1975 tied up at Athol Bight, just across the harbour from the Garden Island Naval Base looking very forelorn and sad whilst waiting to be sold and that final trip to the breakers yard. In Queensboroughs case her final trip was May 1975 to Hong Kong to be broken up.
HMS Queenborough had a special place in our lives, firstly because it brought my dad to Australia and secondly for all those old sea stories he would tell us as we sailed past Queenborough on our ferry trips. A very, very special ship.
Looking at the photos of Queenborough Town brought back all those memories of the ship and my early family years here in Australia. My wife and I will be visiting the UK next year, my 60th anniversary and hope to get to Qyeenborough.
mike payne
16-Dec-2007 21:45
A minor point but the Town Hall is called the Guildhall
Lots of memories in these photos
Richard Sheldrick
29-Sep-2007 05:37
These photos a very good.I was born in Queenborough 1953 and I also remember the steam trains, the potteries and the horrible chemos smell.My family imigrated to Australia in 1971, I have not been able to get back as yet but some of my brothers and sisters have.It was a great place to roam during the early 60's.Anyone remember the Sheldrick family from Stanly Ave.Have you any more up to date photos.
stella creus
21-Apr-2007 14:37
I really enjoyed these photos.I was born in Queenborough and can remember the old steam trains passing through the station, the potteries,glue and chemos etc.The cinema with old mother Riley or Laural and Hardy on a saturday morning.Aglass of Vimto before the session from the off license next door.Thank you for bringing back some old memories.I now live in Spain but visit every year.
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