The Horsebridge Area

I would like to muse on Whitstable and the changes it has, and is. being subjected to, the Horsebridge project being what it is, an eyesore, in my opinion, and totally out of character with that particular area of Whitstable, I think that it would do better embellishing an area perhaps more befitting its purpose, whatever that is, the likes of Councillors Wallis, Hopkins and George Woodman (My Godfather) all ardent conservationists of Whitstable, have, not only turned in their graves but probably managed somersaults, I do appreciate the fact that change is inevitable, but I suggest it is relative to the beholder depending how far through life you have progressed, My perception of Whitstable having been raised in the fishermans quarter, so called, in the 40’s, would have been significantly different from that of a child say, raised in Tankerton and similar outskirt area’s I have a friend who remembers with envy tales of the youth culture in Whitstable after the war, she was not allowed down to the town unless Chaperoned we may have been a bit high spirited but we knew how to enjoy ourselves armed only with a length of rope a bottle of BING,(red lemonade) and a knife, Oops that sounds like 200 hours community service, I wonder what the scouts do without their sheath knives, assuming they are not exempt, perhaps the Swiss Army Knife would be more acceptable, anyway, armed with rope, pop and knife the world was our oyster, Clowes Wood, the Old Line, Duncan Down, Seasalter, the Slopes. I do not remember ever being bored to the extent of vandalism or worse, which seems to be the case today, ask a youth of today how they feel about changes being made to their environment the probable reply would be “Do I look bovvered” I would add that this is not aimed at the majority for I do know some very caring young people in my area. I was involved quite heavily with the fight against the Airport at Cliffe and liased with the RSPB, I designed a website to fight very effectively this blot on our landscape it was my contribution along with it’s cost, Young people were given the right of an opinion but most were unimpressed at losing an important wildlife area.

The Horsbridge area held a lot of memories for me, catching the No 5 bus to Tyler Hill to see my Nan, the Assembly Rooms dances, a cuppa in the Cafe and a rare Sunday treat The Mystery Tour on a single decker, Perry Woods, Wickambraeux, Fordwich were regular destinations, and rummaging through the large junk shop which was housed in the old bus garage, and behind the “Pearsons Arms” was the grit plant where cockle, whelk, and oyster shells were ground up and bagged which was then given to chickens as a calcium subsidy, and then there were the Public Baths, run by Mrs Cowie, who kept a very clean establishment, which, us, by now, teenage kids used, as we were a little too old to sit in a tin bath in front of the fire in the living room and to supply even a tin bath with the amount of water necessary, the copper in the scullery had to be lit, and water transported in a large saucepan, what a palaver. However, at the baths you were never limited to how much hot water you could use so it was always filled to the brim, you could actually float.
Prior to the premises being a public baths and toilets the premises were an ice making plant and named “The Whitstable Pure Ice Works” this fact is authenticated by a postcard I have, which can be seen on my site, so, with this info, we now know the conveniences were not purpose built but were a later conversion, splashed across the side of the bus is just WHITSTABLE-CANTERBURY but doubt it would have serviced the number 5 route at that time.
Back to the ice plant, which in all probability would have supplied ice to the Oyster Company for transporting the oysters to Billingsgate but I would like to think, ice for G&T’s in the Bear and Key, and Duke of Cumberland, both thriving establishments in those days the fish and food industry would no doubt have been customers.