The Big Day Out

So glad it didn't rain on the Big Day. Nice atmosphere down on the prom.

A lovely day in the rain

Torrential down pour in Gravesend today for the start of the Big Seven festival at the Fort Garden's bandstand. The impressively stoic dance school pupils went through their routines in the lashing rain to celebrate the coronation of the Summer Queen, who braved the elements and still kept smiling.

I went to meet Keith Wyncoll who was incredibly helpful and positive. He has lots of experience in producing books that capture local history stories and I learnt about everything from balancing written content and imagery, to the best locations of daguerreotype collections, so that I can study the masters of the medium. He then whisked me up to the Gurdwara and introduced me to lots of friendly and welcoming people, including the new Mayor. We then popped round to meet Satinder Pujji, who is the son of the late Squadron Leader Mahinder Singh Pujji the renowned WW2 RAF fighter pilot and I am looking forward to reading the biography of his life.


Gravesend really is such an impressive place. Even in the pouring rain.


Lucy 

Gravesend celebration

I met up with Jay Edwins for a coffee in Gravesend this morning and straight off he told me a cool Town Hall fact that I didn’t know. One of the telephone boxes appeared on the album cover to The Jam’s 1980 LP ‘Sound Affects’.

Jay’s take on Gravesend is all round positive. He has lived here all his life and still goes to Sunday night pub quizzes with five mates he knew at primary school. “People stay here because they want to”, he says, “some people just don’t get it, but it’s a great place to be from.”


The town has Beacon Status for race relations, meaning that it is recognised nationally “as a safe place for new comers.” Jay explains, “it always has been, it must have originally been something to do with being on the river. It’s an accepting place to be.”


I asked him what he thought the theme of my project should be and without any hesitation he replied “celebration - it is what connects everyone together, the regattas, carnivals and parades.” Jay can even count a regatta champion among his ancestors, with a greasy-pole competition winning Great Grandfather.


Back in the 70’s the Sikh community joined in the Northfleet Parade with their own float and he remembers it as the start of something good. He has loaned me a video of the 2002 TV documentary ‘Sikh Street’, which features footage from the parade. Jay thinks it would be great if in the future the newer Polish, Slovak and Romanian communities could take leading roles in the town’s celebrations too.


The Big Seven Festival started today and Jay recommends the Big Day gig that happens on the promenade next Saturday. Our conversation reminds me of the enthusiastic gathering at St. Thomas’ Almshouses last weekend. Lots of laughter about dancing to the Gravesend Band playing on the Fort Gardens bandstand, hanging out along the prom, going to the Shrimper’s Regatta and playing as children down by the water’s edge, in some cases 80 or more years ago. I went down to the Library, trawled through the archives and found so many evocative images of Gravesend's vibrant culture of celebration along the river’s edge.


Lucy

It’s been a busy week for local schools working on the Old Town Hall Project

On Wednesday 6 July, a group of pupils from Riverview Junior School, met with the Heritage Interpretation Managers to start an independent research project about the Old Town Hall. They were introduced to the project with a PowerPoint presentation and given a booklet outlining how to approach research. The session started in the school and continued at Riverview Library. They were given help and support by the HIMs , their own Head Teacher, James Elford from the Gravesend Historical Society and Ann Thomas from the Kent Library Service.


They were very excited about becoming researchers for the project, and showed great enthusiasm both during the presentation at the school and when working in the library.


Painters Ash Primary School Art Project


On Thursday 7 July the pupils at Painters Ash School were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Gravesend to see the work that they had created using the Old Town Hall as a stimulus.


Their work included;-


A musical entertainment,recognising how the OTH had been a place for concerts and dances


A PowerPoint presentation about the building. One of several researched and designed by Year 5 pupils


Wire sculptures of statues made by Year 5 pupils that could replace the 'lost' statues from the buildings' pediment.


Shields designed by Year 4 pupils following a session finding out about the Gravesend Coat of Arms, which can be found in many parts of the Old Town Hall.


The Mayor was also asked a number of really quite searching questions prepared by the students. The event was attended by members of the steering group, John Bennett (chair) and Christoph Bull. And photographers from two local newspapers also attended.

Warm welcome at St Thomas's Almshouses

It was lovely to visit Joan Enfield and her friends at the Almhouses in Gravesend yesterday. Lots of stories and lots of laughter. They have generously offered to contribute to the project and have already given me lots of new leads and ideas. I am looking forward to seeing them again soon. Thank you Joan for arranging such a nice afternoon. Lucy

Dennis Llewellyn's archive

It has been a great pleasure and privilege to meet Dennis. He started on the river as a boy before the war and across decades witnessed the huge changes that happen to life and industry on the Thames. A skillful storyteller, artist and photographer, he has captured this history in a unique archive, which he has very kindly allowed me to see. I will be including extracts in the artwork for the Old Town Hall. Thank you Dennis.