Originally land belonging to the Grange Estate, including ‘Firs Cottage’ seen on the left in the background, now at the eastern-end of where Rysted Lane meets South Bank, at the bottom of Churchill School drive. The Paddock was the site of football matches for both the Saturday team and Westerham Wednesday team for many years ...
Reference: WH1069
An afternoon train photographed at Brasted station on the last day of services, October 28th 1961. Adorned with a Union Jack, someone had chalked on the boiler plate door “Farewell to the Flyer 1881 – 1961” the Westerham Valley Railway, come and gone in only eighty years…
Reference: WH0154
On October 30th 2011 the Spa Valley Railway simulated the final days of the Westerham Valley Railway to commemorate 50 years since the closure of the branch line. Here a train of four coaches recreates the final day of services, Saturday October 28th 1961 appearing to chuff its way past Chevening Halt heading for Brasted. ...
Reference: WH0153
This photo-postcard shows the site of the toll-gate leading into Westerham from the east. The charge was 4 pence per horse – so if a wagon and four horses went through the toll was one shilling and fourpence but if they returned the same day they did not have to pay on the return journey. ...
Reference: WH1052
Whit or Pentecost Monday was the day that Westerham celebrated its Gala Day, the first being held in 1935 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The day would typically start with a fancy dress parade around the town composed of anything from costumed pram-pushers through to complete themed floats built onto farm wagons ...
Reference: WH0709
1948 was the year of the first post-war Gala and spelt a milestone for Westerham, along with the rest of the country, getting back on its feet again. Rationing was far from over at this point, and would continue until 1954/5 with some foodstuffs, including sweets!
Reference: WH0707
Another photograph from that first post-war Gala shows a theme-group of young teenagers on the market field with a serious message to impart – No More War!
Reference: WH0684
For the 1955 Gala, Peter Myhill, Ray Jenner and Derek Taylor created a space travel themed float. Peter Myhill described the photograph “That’s the rocket, in another shot I can’t find, you could just about see it in flight, with a bit of smoke around it – I can’t go into detail about how we achieved ...
Reference: WH0691
From Percy Reid’s ‘Churchill Townsman of Westerham’: “…Already on his second visit, Churchill’s interest in the carnival was obvious He chatted for some minutes with the year’s carnival queen Jacqueline Musaphia, commented to those near him that entries seemed more numerous than the year before, and gained great laughs from the crowd when, referring to ...
Reference: WH0700