Adisham

Read and share memories of Adisham and Kent inspired by Frith photos

Lamberts Laundry

I called on many customers in Adisham village before the popularity of the automatic washing machine affected the laundry trade. I served all the main traders: Hosking Post Office, Best Bakery, Colmans Farm, and numerous private households. The generosity of the customers in providing tea and cakes added pleasant hours to my journey and I sometimes took the Sunday service at the Baptist Chapel.
My Monday round included Aylesham, Nonington, Elvington, Ash, Wingham, Ickham and Wickanbreaux, Littlebourne and stops in between. Adisham had its own charm [apart from the refreshments mainly offered by Mrs Hoskins at Hazlewood Bungalow], and made I several frends in the village. I left the laundry trade in 1964 to join the legal profession - but have ...read more here
Contributed by Herbert Piddock

Family connections

I understand my great grandfather worked in this forge. He was born Charles Holness around 1830 and married Ann Marsh in the 1850s. My father's mother Agnes Annie Holness was one of their children. She had an older sister Alice, brothers Fred and Bert and William Henry who died of smallpox in May 1902. He worked on boats at Fordwich. My father's father was Charles Albert Tucker who was a blacksmith in Jubilee Road, Littlebourne and later had his own forge and cottages (May 1913) at East Rangdon near Dover.
A memory of Wickhambreaux contributed by Mrs MA Hargrave

Land Army memories.

The white weatherboarded house was the farmhouse of the farm where my mother, Joyce Clark, worked along with another 3 girls in the Land Army during the Second World War.  It was called Cogger's Farm.  She was there whilst the Battle of Britain was fought overhead.  They grew hops, wheat, barley, oats and enough vegetables to supply the local school.  The oast houses behind the house belonged to the farm.  The hops were picked each year by families from the east end of London who came down and made a holiday of it.  They slept in stone outhouses in the farmyard on straw pallets.  My mother was billeted with Miss Parrot (along with another Land Girl called Lot) in a house ...read more here
A memory of Lamberhurst contributed by Anne Allan

The present day hospital.

St John's Hospital is home to 35 elderly people. 24 live in the older part. There are 6 houses each holding 4 flats. House six can be seen in the photo, it stands alongside the hospital chapel. The chapel is used twice a week by the residents. Beyond the chapel and graveyard are two more modern buildings, St John's House is about 40 years old and comprises of 2 flats, one of which is occupied by the chaplain of he hospital. Alongside St John's House is St Elisabeth House. It has 8 flats and is for the more frail of our residents. It was built in 1999 and took the name of St ...read more here
A memory of Canterbury contributed by Susan Hedges