Short reminiscences
Anon I was born in Ham Hill Working Men's Club where my father was the manager. I moved to Covey Hall when I was 3 and I lived there until 1966 when I moved to Essex Road, Halling. At that time the New Town Social Club (also known as the Bolshie Club) was on Kent Road before it moved to its present location at the end of Essex Road, Formby Terrace. There used to be quite a few pubs in Halling: The Institute; The Plough( that is now houses where Britannia Close is), the Rose & Crown (which was turned into a printing works and is now flats), the Homeward Bound and then the Bolshie. There was the Black Boy and the Robin Hood in Upper Halling.
When I was about 13 we used to go to the Institute where there were dances and my friend’s Dad dressed up as a tramp and everybody laughed with him. He was quite a character. My ex-husband used to run the bar at the Bolshie and they used to take the mickey out of him as he used to run up and down the bar. He was also on the board of Governors at Halling School and was quite vocal about things. He was a popular local councillor.
Joy Chapman I was born in Stake lane in 1935 and left Snodland in 1936. Always visited Snodland with my family as all my mum's family lived there. Nanny Streatfield was the village midwife until 1929 serving the village for many years. Now live in Snodland since1977.
Brenda Cope I was born in 1946 and went to school in Halling in the old venue near to the vicarage then went to Snodland.
Highlight entertainment was playing records at my friend Christine Weaver who owned a record player!! There was also the Saturday cinema in Snodland.
Kaeren Daunt-Jones We moved to Upper Halling in 1982, all the way from Cuxton :-) So many houses built since then. There was no shop in Upper Halling then, had already gone, we had a boatyard though, which always struck me as odd. The Woodyard was a woodyard, making fencing and pallets.
Dereck Moon As children growing up we would play around Halling, Snodland, Wouldham when it was untouched by all the building work. We used to regularly visit Ferry road which of course back then was all over grown. The wildlife was rife and a great place to spend the day adventuring about with a spot of fishing. It's all houses now.
Ian Wilkins My wife Sheila and I bought 83 High Street in 1977, our house was immediately over the road from the pub on Manor Terrace. The pub was owned by Bill and Sue Glenn, a nice couple. On many a summers night I would cut the front grass and wander over for a jar which was on the bar waiting for me . The pub was a Courage House and occasionally had Directors on . . . . .this was still the days of Harp Lager. A pint of bitter was (wait for it) . . . . . . 20p . . . .oh happy days!
The pub was put up for sale in the early 80s and we tried to buy it as its cellar and workshop to the rear, which was rented to George Newbury, was perfect for our needs; the price if I recall was late 20s early £30k but alas the pub had been snapped up and found its new life as an office complex. I remember an elderly lady who frequented the bar who must have been married to a Scotsman at some stage as she used to jiggle round the bar in an inebriated state extolling the virtues of 'the Scot'. The other character that comes to mind was a man called Deffie, so called for the obvious reason you had to face him square on so he could lipread, which he did superbly. He also had a border collie dog which sat beside him at the bar. Halling at that time had four pubs, The Homeward Bound, The Rose and Crown , The Five Bells and The Plough . There was a fifth at the Snodland end of the village but that had gone long before our time.
The interesting thing about Halling Pubs was that they were totally parochial. Drinking men did not stray from pub to pub; they were loyal to one house. Finally I had two very good friends in Halling, Vic Clarke and Mick Crowhurst. We were all devotees of the cinema organ and went to many concerts together. Mick was TT but could have the odd shandy. Ironically he was an officer's batman in the RAF during the war to none the less an officer than Squadron Leader Reginald H Dixon. Vic used to drink in The Plough and one night the conversation came round to the war. I said where were you on VE Night? Vic replied "on that bench right behind you".