St. Margaret's Bank's Rochester.

[Peterc]

This is my first post on this wonderfully interesting ForumI am particularly interested in the Banks as I lived there with my parents in the 50's and I am trying to match the House numbers of the High Street to the former Building Nos as St Margaret's Banks. Especially the Pubs as from Ancestry both my wife and I seem to have relatives who ran the same pubs! 
Regarding the pic in this link. The doors are access for the cellars of the two properties (originally One Pub) above with a tunnel under the pavement.Thanks to KeithG for lots of info.nu

Memory fascinates me, how quirky it can be.  On the old forum a few years ago in "Guess the place", a member posted a photo of the double wooden doors, as seen in the brick wall.  We emigrated to Australia from Rochester in 1980 and had not seen those doors since then, as a 24 years old.  So after some 35 years they were instantly recognisable to me, just a set of wooden doors in a brick wall!  I am sure that I would not recognise any other door from that time, for example even my own front door.  I also seem to recall that some members posted about what was behind those doors.
Good to see that they are still there
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3839428,0.5119508,3a,68.4y,219.25h,89.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so8gBI6eHvHTkC9LK2rjBPw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Lyn L]

I had completely forgotten Hugh Wyllies shop but oh those lovely fish and chips . Can't remember the last time I had any.

[Smiffy]

Where once was Henrie's there is now a yawning abyss:

[pete.mason]

 I don't recall ever going to pub site meetings for redevelopment and there being an issue over the design changing,  only the name. As long as it wasn't offensive anything went. Some different on each side like the Chatham Chest and the Billet Sittingbourne. Sign writing is a dying skill , and old signs were often copper sheets with the design punched in so repainting was basically painting by numbers. Modern materials and printing means almost anyone can produce a durable sign to any design. Whitbread had a sign painting shop at Pheonix Brewery Wateringbury, not sure when it closed but was't there in 1970s

[KeithG]

Just a question?...In 1895 the sign at the Nags Head was a Horses head which i understand as an old horse no good for work anymore.
In 1962 i have a picture of the Nags Head with no sign just a Courage & Barclay sign but now in 1990 a sign of a nagging woman?


Are signs allowed to be changed, does anyone know?

[KeithG]

Along from the Nags Head before Le Core we have these two shops.
No 268 Maie Johnson Milliner and No 266 Mrs Woodcock Confectioner

[shoot999]

I think I put a link to the basic history of Chatham Intra somewhere in GTP.  If I can find it I'll copy it to a Chatham Intra thread. And I'm sure there are a few non copyrighted pics of the area to start off the thread. Bringing it up to date The Featherstone building has been turned into an artisan centre with central government money promised (pre-Covid) to help develop the area further.

[KeithG]

Lyn...
It is probably lost to those that matter! 

[Lyn L]

The Chatham Intra thread on the old forum was really interesting , such a lot of info was on there, hope it wasn't all lost.

[KeithG]

Great idea a Chatham Intra thread... But somehow I think maybe more difficult... still that is what makes it interesting.

I have been noticing about Strood older writings calling it Strood Intra?

[Smiffy]

Nice one Keith, I'll remember that!

I think this is what the forum should be all about though - personal memories combined with factual research. Chatham Intra as a whole is an interesting place - technically in Rochester, but in reality it seems to be in neither...

Methinks some time a Chatham Intra thread might be in order 

[KeithG]

Interesting as I found a Jolly in Brompton a Beer Retailer.

But thanks to you Smiffy I found in 1895 Charles Vickrey a Beer Retailer at 296 High Street... So it was still a Beer Retailer 8yrs before Jolley.
So that one solved ... I owe you a pint

[Smiffy]

Beer houses often had names in times gone by, they weren't marked on OS maps though, only licensed pubs had that honour. There is a Jolley listed as running the Three Cups in the Brook in the 1880's/90s, possibly a relative.

[KeithG]

Thanks for helping.... It is the posh lights getting at me.

[pete.mason]

Not normal for ale houses to have names , just known as Herberts etc. Ot but in my brewery days I had 1 ale house in my area, The Drum in Lavender Hill Tonbridge. Basically a 2 up 2 down knocked into one long room , tiny homemade counter in the corner and bitter stored out the back in what must have been the kitchen/scullery. They decided to go up market & I installed a Best Mild & Heineken under the bar. KeitG had a look on OS of that period 25"-mile, only shows NAGS head and another pub at the Rochester end just before the bank starts