A blast from the past.

[Vagabond]

Whilst doing some research on local history I came across this link.

When reviewing Angling Vagabond, Chris Plumb said that parts of it were like a social history of 1940s life. Very flattering, but this link is REAL social history, and anyone curious about the life of a village lad during and just after WW II would find this interesting.

 

http://www.lamberhurstvillage.co.uk/Page.aspx?id=History

 

The author, Robert Dancy, attended the same grammar school in Tunbridge Wells that I did. He was three years older than me, so I did not know him well, but I was in the same class as his younger brother Tony - in fact we were in the same rugby team - he as a wing-forward and me as hooker. There were two older brothers, not mentioned in Robert's account, but one of them, Keith Dancy, became famous in 1952 for jumping from his rescue tug onto the deck of the stricken merchantman Flying Enterprise. That was how the newspapers put it at the time, although Wickipaedia suggest that he was "transferred" and that his name was Kenneth (which is the more accurate version I know not), but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Flying_Enterprise

 

 

It is worth reading both "Life in Hook Green in the 1940s" and the three parts of "Wartime in Kent" . Had I expanded on what little "social history" I did include in my book, my account would have many points in common with Robert Dancy - like young lads being entrusted with guns in those days. Fishing is only mentioned briefly in Robert's account, but for those interested in what life was like when if you wanted to fish, you had to make your own tackle, it is worth a read.

[Leon Roskilly]

There were two older brothers, not mentioned in Robert's account, but one of them, Keith Dancy, became famous in 1952 for jumping from his rescue tug onto the deck of the stricken merchantman Flying Enterprise.

 

 

In 1952 I was 8 years old, and we had a new marvel, a black and white TV with a small blurry screen, in the middle of the parlour.

 

I remember being spellbound by the unfolding story of the Flying Enterprise's plight, and the bravery of the captain in staying with his abandoned ship.

 

Not until Apollo 13 was there such a nail-biting story unfolding in the news.

[poledark]

Fascinating read Dave,

 

Den

[chesters1]

your lucky in kent they have a grade A historical site ,nothing like it here in surrey.

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/

talking of the past a former childhood friend (obviously i had one back then ) has been in touch after 40 years and she has a picture of me with my horton kirby carp which was my first double figure one when i was about 17 ,hopefully she can scan it for me so i can see me when i was happy and non judgemental

Edited January 24, 2011 by chesters1

[Vagabond]

1 your lucky in kent they have a grade A historical site ,

 

http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/

 

 

2 i can see me when i was happy and non judgemental

1. Interesting site.

 

One poster, reminiscing about full cream milk, real butter, everything fried in beef dripping, and dripping spread on toast and sprinkled with salt....

"Can anyone tell me when cholesterol was invented?"

 

2. Are you trying to tell us you haven't always been a grumpy old sceptic?

[chesters1]

ok ,once i was slightly less a grumpy sceptic

thinking about it the picture must have been when i was younger than that

Edited January 24, 2011 by chesters1