The School that
Time Forgot?
We already have quite a substantial school's
section on our Days Gone By menu... but Jean Martin (Maidstone) really upset
the tranquillity of those scribblings when her visitors book entry
provided a heap of information about a school that we knew nothing
about.... The Tankerton College in Park Avenue.
Following, Jean's initial message, further data
arrived..... including a fascinating contribution from Peter
Robbins (Dorset). We can now start to put it all together in
an article that will eventually be added to our Schools menu.
The first draft is shown below and it summarises
what we know to date. As you will see, I have had to chop the
Visitors Book entries about a bit. I am sorry about that but it is
necessary in order to fit the various contributions together and
relate it all to the wider strory of education in Whitstable
Tankerton
College Draft
It's amazing how our Visitors Book manages to
throw up hitherto forgotten gems from the past. Just such a case
cropped up on 18 March 2008 when Jean Martin related the story
of Tankerton College.... a substantial school that served
Whitstable from the end of the 19th century until the
late 1930s. Jean was in an ideal position to provide the account
as it was her ancestors that created the establishment and
guided it through several decades.
Let's take a look....
Origins
1899-1912
As Jean recounts below, the school was the
brainchild of her great grandfather back in 1899 and it became
something of a family concern.....
| To tell the story of Tankerton College,
we need to start with my great grandfather, the Rev.William
Osborne, (Born.1843, Halstead, Essex).
He first served as a Baptist Minister at Gamlingay,
Cambridgeshire in a church founded by John Bunyan. He
went on to be appointed Minister at Eastbourne at
Ceylon Place (12yrs), then at Chatham at Clover Street
and, in June 1898, came to Whitstable. He had three
children - George Basil Osborne, Sidney
Herbert Osborne and Maud Elise Osborne
always known as Daisy.
After qualifying as a teacher, George Osbourne taught
at University School, Rochester and Bethany House
School, Goudhurst.
About 1899 -1900, Rev W Osborne purchased
the premises that would become Tankerton College. These
were in Park Avenue, Tankerton. I think, today, the
building is No.6, although it seems to be divided into
apartments now. The school also included the building to
the right of No.6.
Number 6 housed the school rooms. The other building
provided the teachers' accommodation. We always
understood that he created the school to give all three
of his children security of employment in the use of
their skills and to serve his community (which he was
passionate about) by filling a very necessary gap.
At first, Rev. Osborne was assisted by George
in the conduct of the school but he sadly passed away
soon after in 1900.
At the rear of the buildings were a playground and
playing field. In fact on of my family photograph shows
some 20 of the boys in the playground. The school was
initially for boys but, at a later date, it DID accept
girls. I stress this as I have heard that they only
catered for boys but, as my grandmother Nellie
Osborne (nee Collar) was also a teacher there, I
have no reason to doubt her word. As to how many pupils
or staff or classrooms there were, I cannot be
exact.
After the death of Rev. Osborne, George
was assisted by Sidney and sister Maud
in the management of the college, with George's
wife Nellie as teacher/matron. At this
time, the school advertised itself as a 'Boarding
/Day School for Boys and it offered preparation
for 'all examinations, civil service , College of
Preceptors and Shorthand'.
George continued to study and, in 1912,
gained his B.Sc - Licentiate of the College of
Preceptors, London and it was now that the college
changed it's description to 'A Boarding and Day
School for sons of young gentlemen' and it had a
Department for young ladies and a kindergarten. They
also appointed Miss D Nathan as Principal.
Jean Martin
|
Before we continue with Jean's account, we need
to take stock and consider some issues relating to the education
system in general and Whitstable in particular.
With the early involvement of the Rev Osbourne,
Tankerton College had a religious connection. This was not
unusual. For centuries, there had been close ties between churches
and schools. Two of our local grammar schools (Simon Langton Boys
and Girls, Canterbury) trace their histories back 800 years to the
time when Simon Langton was Archdeacon of Canterbury. Whitstable's
oldest surviving school (The Endowed) was established in the
1840s... by the Church of England. Even when state education
arrived with the construction of the present day Oxford Street
Junior school in the 1870s, churches were anxious to grab control
of the local school board. (For that particular fracas, see our
history of Whitstable Junior school by clicking
here).
Of course, Tankerton College was markedly
different in other respects. The schools mentioned above were
primarily 'day schools' that provided general education for local
people and received finance from other sources. By contrast, the
college was private, catered for both day pupils and boarders, and
targetted a catchment area way beyond the boundaries of Whitstable.
Another important difference was the clear attempt
to slot the school into a specific niche and employ some early
marketing techniques in a commercial world that was becoming ever
more competitive. Small private schools were springing up across
the country and, with the middle classes exercising their right of
choice via a comfortable income, proprietors needed to
'differentiate' their 'product' in order to survive. This can be seen from the description.... 'Preparation
for All Examinations, Civil Service , College of Preceptors and
Shorthand'. The school may have been appealing to a wider
geographical area but it was also narrowing its market to a
particular section of the social structure... possibly the upper
'middle classes'.
The school also reflected some key features of
Edwardian society. Not only did parents decide the schooling of
their offspring, they also had some say in the the career that
they would pursue after education ceased. In this case, it was the
Civil Service and 'College of Preceptors'. A 'preceptor' was a 'teacher, instructor or
tutor'. Thus, the preparation of pupils for 'entry to a
College of Preceptors' was the modern day equivalent of
encouraging some pupils towards a Teacher Training College.
Why did the school focus on pointing students at a
career in teaching? Well, small schools inevitably reflected the
personality, expertise, interests and passions of their owners.
Here, we had an entire family that was involved in and passionate
about education. So, is it any surprise that they were tempted
to produce the next generation of
teachers?
The terminology also highlights quite a contrast
between Edwardian education and modern times. The word 'precept'
is a 'rule or commandment'. Education was something that
Edwardian teachers taught whereas, nowadays, schools
place greater emphasis on learners learning.
Finally, we need to ask why the Rev. William
Osborne chose Tankerton for his school. At the moment, we don't
know the full facts.... but we can guess at some of the advantages
that Whitstable had to offer! The Victorians and
Edwardians may not have been keen to remove their togs and plunge
into the briny.... but they did recognise the merits of sea air
over the smog of Britain's increasingly industrial cities. Where
better to locate your children than one of the seaside towns
closest to London?
Apart from proximity to London, we should also
remember that the town was just 30 miles from the significant navy
base at Chatham where Royal Navy personnel, Royal Marines and
Royal Engineers were stationed. People in the services would have spent
time overseas and might well have been looking for a boarding school for their
offspring.
In 1899, Tankerton hardly existed as a residential
area and Park Avenue would have been on the outskirts of the urban
development. Property prices would have been relatively low compared with
London. Furthermore,
whilst road transport might have been poor, the area was served by
the London-Thanet (North Kent Coast) railway line which had
arrived in the 1860s. Of course, in 1899, the local railway
station would not have been the modern day effort in Railway
Avenue. In those days, pupils would have arrived at the old
Whitstable station - located above the railway bridge in Oxford
Street.
Location
Park Avenue leads from Tankerton Road (next to the old Telephone Exchange) to Marine Parade where it emerges
alongside the old Tankerton Hotel. The old school building lies on
the west side of road.
| Above: |
Park Avenue with the
brick school building on the left and Tankerton Hotel on
the right in the distance. |
| Below: |
The front of the old
school building on the left. |
Jean Martin describes the playground and school
field as being at the rear of the property. Thus, they would have
been located between Park Avenue and The Castle grounds.
The Tankerton College Site
Plotted on an Aerial Photo by Peter Dalrymple
1909: School
Life, Empire & Whitstable
Amazingly, Jean and her family have keepsakes that
give us some clues as to what school life involved in those early
days.....
| Amazingly, just this last weekend, my cousin Barry gave
me a copy of a newspaper report that his mother (Betty)
had kept, presumably from her mother, Nellie. It was dated
1909 and reported on the college prize distribution. A
quote from Councillor A.A.Kemp who was addressing the
families and friends reads as follows :-
| "The College was greatly appreciated
by the people in Whitstable, and, as far as he
could see, as the place grew, the school would be
even more successful than now.
By extending their accommodation,
Mr.Osborne would be helping both the school and
the district. It was to the boys that they were
looking forward to maintain the supremacy of the
country that they were all so proud of.
He hoped they would have a successful
year and that the boys would occupy successful
positions in life." |
Another section of the same article refers to the
importance they attatched to 'Football'. Quote:
| "Where could a boy learn endurance so
well as in a good football match? What they
desired was strength of body, strength of mind and
strength of moral character?" |
Jean Martin |
We have talked about the the school's desire to
attract boarders from other parts of the country. However, Jean's
newspaper extracts suggest that the school also played quite a
part in the education of local 'day pupils'. After all, why else
would a local councillor be involved in the prize giving and why
would he make such clear cut links with the local
community?
The newspaper extracts are also wonderful for
telling us a bit about the era. For a moment, consider that
remark... 'to maintain the supremacy of the country that
they were all so proud of'. This was the 'Era of Empire'
and 'King and Country'. It was a time when the national anthem was
sung in schools and a Union flag might be draped across a wall or
two! It was also a time when the civilian population had not
become fully acquainted with the real horrors of war. That
enlightenment would arrive a few years later at the Somme and
Ypres..... and it would be reinforced in the early 1940s when
civilians became targets.
It is also clear that Edwardians placed great
emphasis on physical fitness and competitive sport. The idea that
'the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton' was
still a popular concept... even if the quote was probably
incorrectly attributed to the Duke of Wellington! Compare that
with modern day attitudes which have led to the demise of sporting
activity and sporting competition in many schools.
Downsizing and
Going Co-Ed in 1914
By 1914, boys and football weren't the only
concerns of the school. The gentle touch had arrived at No 6 Park
Avenue....
| As I explained, the college started as a boys school and
most of the information I hold refers to the college being
for boys. Certainly, that was the case for the first 14
years. However, one of my collection of news items talks
of the school becoming 'a more modest' establishment'
in 1914 when girls were entered into the school.
Maybe the onset of WWI was the main cause of the
college changing to co-ed. However, I think it's worth
bearing in mind that co-ed schools would not have been
like those of today, and boys and girls would have been
more segregated.
Jean Martin |
Whilst girls and boys were kept at a safe distance
for much of the time, co-ed did allow for a more realistic school
drama production in 1914.....
| I had a copy of a Prize Giving List and 'Hiawatha School
Play program (dated 1914) which have girls listed.
I can supply a few names in the hope that it might jolt
a few people into asking relatives if their family had a
connection. These are:
Helen Mason, I.Choppin, P.Amos, M.Flint, O.Humphreys,
J.Down, P.R.Greenfields, G.B.Reeves, G.D.Duval, A.Goodayle,
E.Warren, P.Barber, S.Harris, H.Banwell, L.Allen.
R.Gosling, F.Suckling, Joan Etheridge, Frank Banwell.
Jean Martin |
It was certainly a vast improvement on squaws called
Bernard!
It's time to reflect again and compare the
situation with the developing state education system in Whitstable.
The Oxford Street state school had started as a combined boys,
girls and infants establishment in the 1870s - albeit with a fair
bit of segregation. However, it soon became a wholly boys
establishment. After infant level, government schools had very much
become 'single sex' organisations by 1914.
Why, then, did Tankerton College move in the
opposite direction - towards co-ed? We may never know the full
reason but we can kick around some ideas.
As a private establishment, the school's
proprietors had different problems form those of a state school.
They had to keep an eye on the balance sheets as well as the
curriculum. Maybe, they were concerned about the future with a
World War looming and a downturn in the economic situation
forecast. Were they looking to diversify in a diminishing market?
It may also be that they could see a time when male teachers were
called to arms and the school might be left with a higher
proportion of female teachers.
An Old Boys
Association?
It seems that friendships forged at the school
were maintained after schooldays had ended....
| From a newspaper report, I found the school formed an 'Old Boys' Society that met twice a year,
at Whitsun
and Christmas, and it seems they held a football match at
the reunion.
Jean Martin |
The War Years:
1914-1920
Now, let's continue with Jean's account and
consider the actual effects of World War I....
| In 1914, Sidney Osborne had had
the call to be a missionary and left the college to
attend Livingstone College in London to undertake 9
months medical training before being sent to Cholo,
Nyasaland (now Malawi). At the moment, I am transcribing
10 years worth of his diary's but that is another story
As I said, all three of Rev. Osborne's children had a
part to play in the school and 'the diary' shows a
particular concern for the welfare of their sister Maude.
Sidney lived at 'Clovelly', Tankerton,
which I think was also in Park Avenue [also at Amalfi,
Tankerton]. When he left as a missionary, Maude remained
in his house and it seems, in order to give her an
income, they arranged that some of the boarders at the
school should board with her at Clovelly. The diary also
indicates that she had duties of matron at the school.
On 5th August 1914, war broke out and an explosion at
the Faversham gun cotton factory struck fear into
Whitstable. By Aug 14th, George enroled as
a special constable, as many of the towns men did. Sidney
enroled as a special by 18th August for 2 weeks before
he left for Nyasaland. At that point, a Mr. Knapp of
the London University was appointed in his place at the
college.
In 1915, my dear Auntie Betty was born
at the College to Nellie and George.
Trenches were dug by the territorials on nearby
Tankerton slopes, air ships were sighted moving up and
down the coast and convoys of war ships were sighted in
the estuary - all within a few days of war being
declared.
This was the beginning of the end for the brothers at
Tankerton College. By 1916, George had
enlisted in the East Kent Regiment and left the school.
Sidney's diary suggests that the Osborne trio sold
the school somewhere around 1918.
Jean Martin
|
The 1920s,
1930s..... and Final Days?
The College carried on for some time after it
was sold by the Osborne family but it may have come to its
conclusion some time around 1939 or the early 1940s ..... as
Jean explains
| After World War I, the college continued with Miss
Sussanah Bentley Stanton as Principal. (The name Sussanah
Bentley crops up in our family tree more than
once).
A newspaper article says the school eventually became
'All Girls' and opereted on a much smaller scale. Although
I have no proof as yet I think it is likely that World War
II finished it off.
Jean Martin |
1928: A School
Report
I never cease to be amazed by the information that
turns up via the Simply Whitstable Visitors Book. Within days of Jean's
messages being published on the site, we received an email and a
remarkable enclosure from Peter Robins in Dorset. Take a look
at this....
Yes, it's the School Report of Peter's father,
Arthur Robbins.... dated 5th April 1928!
Such reports can tell us a fair bit about a school
and an era. This one confirms that the school continued to accept
boys until at least the late 1920s. The signature at the foot of
the document confirms that Sussanna Bentley Stanton remained in
charge and the initials 'ECK' may suggest that Mr
Knapp (who took over the duties of Sidney Osborne in 1914) taught at the school for more than a decade.
The reference to 'Next Term' is also
fascinating as it gives us some insight into the school's
logistics. Pupils were advised to catch the "3.20 train
from Victoria"! This tells us just how important the
rail link was for the school and suggests that pupils were
expected to arrive in a group. No doubt, they were met at
Whitstable railway station but it could be that a member of staff
actually supervised things at Victoria station in London.
The document also contains some wonderful wording.
For example, exams were obviously pretty tough as they were
described as 'terminal'! Meanwhile, Arthur's
conduct was described as 'careless of rules' - a somewhat ironic comment as Peter tells me that his dad
later 'joined the Ministry of Defence and spent half
his working life writing rules'!
Peter's grandfather (ie Arthur's father) had been RSM in the Royal Engineers at Chatham but had retired sometime in
the early 20's and moved to East London. Peter does not know why Whitstable
was chosen for his father's education.... unless the family discovered
the college when they lived in Kent. It could easily be that the
school impressed the Robins family during occasional day trips
to the Kent coast. However, it might have been a bit more formal than
that. For example, did the armed forces at Chatham have a list of
schools in the area? Did the College include the Chatham military
base in
its marketing aims?
The School
Badge...
Whilst we do not know much about the school
uniform, Arthur Robin's school report allows us to discuss the
school badge...
The Whitstable connection is established by the
inclusion of the anchor. The school motto is the latin phrase "Tu
ne Cede Malis".... which translates as "Yield
not to misfortunes" or "Do Not Give In To
Evil". The first of these interpretations is more in
line with a school but the second could reflect the original
religious connections with Rev. Osborne. However, we do not know
whether the badge was introduced in the reign of the Osborne
family or whether it was a later addition orchestrated by Sussanah
B Stanton.
Comparing
Notes...
Having traced the school through to the 1930s, we
are now in a position to compare it with other similar
establishments and see where it fits in.
There are quite strong similarities with another
of our 'recently discovered' schools - the Kings Leigh of
Northwood Road (click
here for our King Leigh article). Both schools
provided for board and day pupils.. and both targeted niche
markets by offering to 'prepare' pupils for particular
roles in the future. Tankerton College aimed at entrance
examinations for the Civil Service and Teacher Training Colleges. The
Kings Leigh prepared boys for Public School and/or the Royal Navy.
In both cases, it seems likely that the schools' aims reflected
the background and specific interests of their owners.
Of course, 'marketing, targeting and
differentiating' schools stemmed from competition and the fact
that the middle and upper classes had a choice. It may seem a bit
strange to those of us who came through a mid-twentieth state
education system. However, is it really that strange in the twenty
first century? Don't some state schools now employ marketing
managers and boast particular specialisms such as technology,
sport, music etc. What has brought this about? Could it be that parental choice, league
tables and competition now necessitate differentiation amidst a standard national curriculum? Increasingly,
state schools seem to be operating like the private schools of the
past. It's called progress!
There were, of course, some differences between
Tankerton College and the Kings Leigh. The Kings Leigh appears to have been a Prep School -
accepting children up to the age of 11 whereas Tankerton College
guided children through a full education. I also get the feeling
that the Kings Leigh had fewer local pupils and probably played a
less significant role in the community.
We don't see too many similarities when we
compare Tankerton College with another local private school - ie
The Whitstable and Tankerton Collegiate School (The
Tom Cat School) in Shaftesbury Road (click
here to view our WTCS article). We believe that
the WTCS operated from the 1930s and into the 1950s. However, we
have found no evidence that it accepted anything other than day
pupils and no evidence that it targetted niche markets. It seems to
have provided a general education for local children. This partly
explains why the WTCS is the best remembered of all Whitstable's
local private schools while other establishments have been lost in
the mists of time. Of course, another reason is that the WTCS is
within the living memory of quite a few Natives!
The Osbornes....
So, what happened to the Osborne family? Well,
let's take another look at the family tree....
... and let Jean Martin provide the final
comment.....
|
George and Nellie
Osborne
George was wounded in the leg at the
Battle of the Somme and, after recovery, was appointed
Educational Officer at Salisbury Hospital.
After the war, he went on to teach in
Newmarket (Cambridgeshire). Whilst there in the mid-to-late 1920's,
he and his wife, Nellie, organized school trips abroad for their
pupils, mostly to Switzerland/Germany and Austria. This always struck me as pretty fantastic for that period of
time! Around
1943/44, they returned to Whitstable and George worked as a solicitors clerk at Elliot
Allard and moved into 'Corbiere',
Thurston Park with Kate Collar and Fanny
Daniels.
Sidney Osborne
Sidney remained in Africa
where he died in 1942. However, while in Nyasaland,
he wrote regular newslettersto his 'Old Boys' from his
mission . It seems likely that these were probably sent to
members of the school 'Old Boys' society.
Maude Osborne ('Daisy')
Daisy remained in
Whitstable and, at some point in time, worked for the Misses
Daniel and Collar.
Jean Martin |
Although the Rev. William Osborne first came to
Whitstable in 1898 and died just two years later, the Osborne
family appear to have integrated quickly into the town's close
knit community. Jean's accounts identify links between the
Osbornes and well known local families including Daniels and
Collar. Mind you, running a private school for the upper middle
classes would inevitably have brought the proprietors into regular
contact with the business community and upper echelons of society
in a small town such as Whitstable.
Next Steps....
The draft Tankerton College article is now open
to comment and any further contributions. So.... it's now over
to you!
Sea Scouts
Photo Poser....
We need your help to solve a photo poser.... and
it concerns this lovely shot supplied some time ago by Jock
Harnett.....
It shows the Second Whitstable Sea Scouts at their
strange headquarters - the railway station just south of the
harbour gates on the Canterbury and District line. Most
middle-aged Natives will recall that the unit occupied the
building for much of the 1950s... but when did the scouts first
take up occupancy and when did they move to their current HQ at
Long Beach?
When we included the photo in our Sea Scout
section (click here to view), we kept an open mind on these
questions... but we were able to narrow things down a little. We
knew that the railway line ceased to carry passengers in 1930....
which meant that the station might have been available pre-war. We
also knew that the line closed to all traffic on 29 November
1952 and re-opened briefly in February 1953 to bring aid to the
town in the aftermath of the great flood.
The anti tank traps (the concrete cones in the
background) clearly showed that the photo was post-war and Jock
recalled that steam trains chugged past the Sea Scouts HQ during
his early days as a scout. Thus, we were able to state that the
scouts were station residents prior to November 1952.... but we
didn't know 'how long before'!
Recently, we included the photo in an article on
Long Beach for our Chat Column of w/c 25/2/08 (click here to
view). This time, we received responses that seemed to nail the
whole issue. Let me summarise that data.....
-
John Harman felt that it was
unlikely that the Sea Scouts occupied the station pre-war as,
during the 1930s, they used a red hut at Long Beach close to
their current day HQ.
-
John's information led me to suggest that this
older hut may have been demolished to make way for
anti-invasion defences in 1939... leaving the scouts to find a
new building in the late 1940s. It all seemed to fit!
-
Another piece of the jig saw seemingly fell
into place thanks to Doug West's Portrait of a Seaside Town
series of books. In his third volume (page 30), he featured a
photo of the railway station - dated circa 1950. Doug's
picture was clearly later than our shot as the heavy station
canopy had been removed. Thus, our photo (with the canopy)
seemed to fit into a time frame of 1945-1949.
-
Finally, Terry Phillips appeared
to have sown things up by referring to a little booklet
entitled "Whitstable Harbour Memories" by
Paul Tritton. This was published in 1997 by Robert Brett and
Sons (sponsors of the Sea Scouts) and stated that the Sea
Scouts disbanded during the war. It went on to suggest that
the unit reformed in 1947 - setting up their base at the
station before moving back to Long Beach in 1958.
Voila! All sorted! Well....not quite! I met Jock
the other day and he gave me some extra thoughts.... and problems.
Take a butchers at these points....
-
Two of the Sea Scouts' oldest 'old boys' have,
quite independently, stated that the Sea Scouts moved to the
station in.... 1951. If that is so, Doug West's 'circa 1950'
photo (minus the canopy) may be a little more 'circa' than we
originally thought. In fact, it could have been circa 1952. We
know for certain that the station canopy had been removed by
November 1952 as there are numerous photos of the 'last train'
passing through an 'uncanopied' platform! Thus, our photo
(with the canopy) may now slot into a later time frame of
1951-mid 1952.
-
Other doubts crop up with our photo. Another
scout has recognised himself in the canopied photo and, as the
unit had a minimum age limit of eleven, he could not have been
a member of the Sea Scouts in the 1940s. Furthermore, the car
in the background, (which belonged to Jock's dad), looks more
"1950s" than "1940s".
-
There are also question marks over my
suggestion that the Sea Scouts 'red hut' of the 1930s might
have been demolished as part of the anti-invasion
preparations. Jock has pointed out that the hut was a little
closer to the harbour than the modern day HQ. As a result, it
may have escaped demolition and the reason for the scouts
relocating to the station may have been very different from my
theory. Stories told to Jock in the past suggest that the red
hut had very poor facilities. There was no electricity and
meetings were held by gas light. It had no running water and
the wet stuff had to be collected from a tap near the old
lighthouse on the east quay. Thus, the move to the old station
may have been prompted by the lure of modern services.
Where does that leave us? Well, we still have a
date of 1958 for the Sea Scouts' evacuation of the old station.
However, things are not tying together regarding the start of
their station occupancy and the dating of our photo is very much
in doubt.
I hate canopies!
Fun Ltd...
With summer approaching, Whitstable Natives will
be considering ways of enjoying their beaches during 2008.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world Sue Pidford (new
Zealand), has been
wondering how to have fun and enjoy the beaches of 'rule bound'
Santa Monica....
Mind you, the strict approach may have its advantages!
Comment on Santa Monica... and Whoops!
After publishing the above item, I received a correction note
from Dave Warner in New Zealand...
| Hi Dave,
I don't know where Sue got her picture from but New
Zealand cannot lay claim to Santa Monica Beach. Close
inspection shows the American spelling of
"harbor", not our way at all.
Nevertheless it wouldn't be a bad idea if the NZ
councils adopted some of these rules.
We are supposed to be approaching the end of our summer
but the warm, sunny weather just keeps going on and on.
Several areas of the country have been officially declared
drought areas and some rain would be very welcome.
Cheers,
Dave Warner. |
Thanks, Dave. I have removed the references to New Zealand. It
was my fault! I wrongly assumed that it was a New Zealand!
Santa Monica Coincidence....
We now have a firm location for that Santa Monica sign.....
thanks to this message from Bern
| Re: Beach Sign in Santa Monica
Photo
Strange coincidence. I recognise that sign. I live in
Santa Monica and Whitstable. Santa Monica is a beach town
south of Malibu with a large British ex-pat community and
a couple of pubs.
Bern
2/4/08 |
Thanks, Bern. Whitstable Natives tend to get everywhere and
there have been quite a few 'coincidences' around the world.
Perhaps, we ought to dedicate a permanent page to these stories.
(PS I have replicated your message in the site visitors book to
see if this will conjure up some stories)
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