Nostalgia

OLLYgr.
I used to visit paddock Wood when my children were young in the 90s. Camping. Called the Hitbresd hop Farm. They had a Shire Horse Centre, Oast houses. A Hop Farm Experience/Museum. Pub/Restaurant. Held music festivals in a field and organised events and hosted weddings.
We used to enjoy our visits and loved walking to the nearby river seeing boats using the lock. Not sure if was the Medway.

Yes, people from London came down to Kent to pick hops - it was like a holiday for them at a time when people couldn’t afford to go away very much. Very Darling Buds Of May.

I love the history of Kent - the motto for Kent is Invicta, allegedly because Kent was the one county that remained unconquered by William, after the battle of Hastings.

I was born on the Romney Marsh but moved to Twydall - near Rainham - when I was five to start school. Huge new council estate straddling the older lanes that ran from Watling Street to the river Medway but as soon as you got away from the new houses onto the older lanes it was a child’s dream and very easy to imagine Puck and Titania meeting Oberon in the words and fields. At that time there was just one traffic light in the whole town, to control the very few cars under a railway bridge. It was controlled by a rubber strip on the road and was about 25 yards from the Scoit Hut. You can guess our game !

I must have been about 7 or age and remember all the family going "hopping". We weren't all hopping about for anyone who has never heard of the expression, but hop picking for the breweries. I believe it was pretty hard work for the adults, I remember doing a bit, but good fun and a great atmosphere on the campsite in the evenings. I come from East London at the time and I am sure it was mainly Londoners. The place in Kent was Paddock Wood, a beautiful place.

Yes the Weald is beautiful. I lived in Kent for many years. Lived in a few places jobs etc. My favourite county I’d definitely KENT.

I’m a Maid of Kent (Canterbury area) and lived there until 1979. At the risk of sounding old-fogeyish, it’s unrecognisable now and I wouldn’t want to live there again. Having said which, if you leave the well-trodden paths, there are still narrow lanes with grass growing up the middle and tiny little hamlets of houses. The Weald is as beautiful as ever it was.

You aren’t alone Bohemian as my childhood home, a hotel that my father owned, is now an old people’s home. Also my junior school, not far from the hotel, has gone. In fact the quiet Kent I grew up in has certainly gone. That is the reason I started this thread.

I was born in Ramsgate in1948, so I think I qualify? I lived there until around 1953, then returned for school summer holidays to stay in my nan's guest house through to early 1960's (nan's house has been flattened and the whole area turned into a car-park).

Ramsgate was very popular with Londoners for holidays, the lights along 'the front' and harbour were great. I still have a soft spot for the town.

Thanks BlueBelle , heading has now been changed

I though it was going to be something boring about Australia !

Woops. Heading meant to be;
‘Nostalgia, so much for these old eyes!

I did, Cath.

You might want to ask Admin to change your title I m presuming you might mean Nostalgia ??