Through the Lens

Over the last year, in preparation for our digital archive, we have been trawling through the scans and we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at some highlights from our photographic competition since its inception in 2004. We also hope that this post serves as a reminder for you to enter your photographs for this year’s competition by the 30th of October! See details on how to enter here.

The competition started life as ‘Putting High Brooms and Southborough in the Picture’ and was later reinvented in 2009 as ‘Through the Lens’ as it now continues to be known.

The category of ‘Places’ has consistently received the highest number of entries in the competition and has recorded many recognisable/iconic views which clearly say ‘Southborough’. But the more changeable aspects of our town such as its people, the high street and its events tell us more about how our town has been transforming over time.

Below is a small selection of the entries from our archive, we hope you enjoy reminiscing!

The beauty of St Peter’s in snow, by Albert Dungate in 2009.

2019 student category winner, Freddie Knight, ‘St Peter’s Church Tower’.

The everyday, vernacular photography can tell us more about that point in time than images of well recognised buildings and beauty spots of Southborough. Shops that had been stalwarts of the high street have been photographed in their final days, as you can see from Howes, the Q8 Garage, Wisdoms, and the butchers. A particular highlight in Southborough was the passing of the Tour de France in 2007 which resulted in many entries documenting the peloton as it raced through our High Street.

The End of an Era: Howes of Southborough, 1953-2007 by Rita Scales.

Q8 Creations, London Road, 2007, by Bob Holly.

The Upholsterer: Michael Wisdom, 2006 by Peter Dillon.

Kevin Major: The Final Chop, 2008 by Fred Scales. Major & Sons was a family butcher, previously located on the corner of Western Road and Norton Road, now residential property.

‘A Bold Gendarme’, 2007, by Michael Tayler.

Blurred Colours of the Peloton: Tour de France, 8th July 2007, by Abu Subhan.

The Leaders Speeding Through: The Tour de France, 8th July, 2007 by Olywn Kinghorn.

Now gone: Horse Trough on Sceptre Hill, Southborough, 2013, by Rhys Kinghorn.

The people of Southborough and High Brooms have been sharing loads of fantastic photographs on Facebook, particularly throughout the lockdown period, so get your entries in now! Good luck!

The Old Fire Station

The last remaining building on 137 London Road was a small Victorian High Brooms brick shed with green double doors. Many people may not know it was originally the home of Southborough’s Fire Brigade and recently it was demolished to make way for the Hub development. It had been the last to go as the groundsmen have needed the space to continue their duties around the town.

Fire station with adjoining two storey outbuilding which was demolished, believed around the 1970’s. This had housed the workshops for Southborough U.D.C’s tradesmen.

It had sat next to the former Southborough Town Council building since the site (formerly known as Merton Lodge) was purchased by the Local Board in 1889. Before this acquisition, the Southborough Fire Brigade was without an official home and had at one stage been located on Holden Road (where the Old Fire Station house is now) and soon after housed in an outbuilding at the Hand and Sceptre. This was clearly not ideal for such a vital service to be without a dedicated station, particularly as the population of Southborough was rapidly increasing at the time.

The image below taken from the Courier in 1888 shows the application for funds for the Southborough Local Government Board to enable them to acquire the London Road site which included a designated Fire Brigade Station, perfectly situated in the centre of the Town.

Excerpt from Peter Barrett’s ‘The History of Southborough Fire Brigade’.

The very first Fire Brigade in Southborough formed in 1885 was made up of volunteers at the helm of a local businessman, Mr William Loat who lived at Violet Bank on Park Road. There were no shortage of volunteers as ‘fire brigades had become extremely fashionable…This phenomenon was due in part to the tremendous interest shown by Kind Edward the VII’ and by the displays, fire drills and tournaments that were considered great social occasions’.

There was a real struggle for funds throughout the early decades; there are countless examples of fundraising events (mostly held at the Parochial Hall on Western Road) and public drills (held on the Common) that demonstrate the pride and dedication the early Fire Brigade had. In the opening pages of local historian and ex-fireman, Peter Barrett’s book ‘The History of Southborough Fire Brigade’ it displays the town’s coat of arms and a rousing quote from Captain Eyre Massey Shaw detailing what a crucial job the fireman had:

‘A fireman, to be successful, must enter buildings, he must get below, above, on every side, from opposite houses, over back walls, over side walls, through panels of doors, through loopholes, through skylights, through holes cut by himself in the gates, the walls, the roof, he must know how to reach the attic from the basement by ladders placed on half burnt stairs and the basement from the attic by a rope made fast on a chimney.

His whole success depends on getting in and remaining there, and he must always carry his appliances with him as without them he is of no use. Judged by this standard, the business will be seen to be dependent almost entirely on the man and not the gear and all the best experience has abundantly proved that, however good the machinery and the appliances may be, they cannot work themselves, and with active, energetic, intelligent and fearless men, are virtually useless.’

In December of 1885, prior to moving to 137 London Road, the Brigade had been equipped with a two wheeled hose cart and several lengths of canvas hose. Several wet drills had been undertaken by the Brigade to test their efficacy at Bounds Park and Bentham Hill; the firemen and the property owners both concluded they were in need of a more powerful engine. Then, some six years after (and with plenty of fundraising) and now with the expanded district to include High Brooms, they were finally able to purchase a brand new manual fire engine and a christening ceremony of the immaculate engine took place on Southborough Common, on the 10th of June, 1891. Under blue skies, almost all of Southborough had turned out for the spectacle, which also included the Tunbridge Wells Fire Brigades with their steamer and fire engines.

Mrs Blackburn-Maze, of Bounds Park had the honour of christening the new engine and it was reported; ‘the shattered fragments were soon lost in sight in a shower of foam as the “Heidsiek” effervesced in glistening spray downwards’. A card attached to a ribbon was placed on the new engine bearing the inscription “Hector”.

A whistle cut through the applause immediately after the name reveal and the signal was given for the water to be turned on from the hydrant and in moments two veteran Volunteers Messers. Hemsley and Willcombe sent a powerful jet of water one hundred feet in to the sky before breaking up in to spray. One can’t help but think what a sight this must have all been and lament our current pre-occupation with Health and Safety!

Above and below some local early twentieth century photographs of the impressive public fire drill events.

Southborough Fire Brigade charity day, circa 1910, from the collection of the Southborough Society.

A year later the Firemen were presented with a complete uniform ‘including brass helmets, and jackboots, with a separate outfit for Supernumaries and Messengers, and silver helmets and epaulettes for the officers’.

Portrait of Southborough Fire Brigade Messenger Boy, John Edward Budgen, taken at Park Studio in Southborough. Late 19th/early 20th century. Budgen joined the Southborough Fire Brigade in the early 1890’s and lived and worked at the Hayseden Water Works.

In January 1893 the Commanding Officer, John Carrick died after a short illness. Carrick’s funeral was held on the 1st of February, 1893 and ‘must have been one of the most imposing that had been witnessed in Southborough. The coffin was conveyed to St Peter’s Church on the fire engine that was drawn by two grey horses with black bells, led by two fire brigade messengers. On each side and behind the engine came the members of the Southborough Brigade. The whole of London Road was lined with spectators and, and a large crowd had gathered on the Common and outside St Peter’s church.’

John Carrick who had led the Southborough Fire Brigade since its formation in 1885, died in 1893 at age 42.

The loss of their Commanding Officer coupled with financial issues brought on by the ambiguity of the Fire Brigade’s funding (it was funded partly by rate payers and from voluntary contributions) meant a meeting was held in March, 1893 to discuss the reconstitution of the Brigade under the Local Board. In fact at this time, Sir David Salomons had written to the Local Board in disbelief that Southborough Fire Brigade was not officially part of and funded by the Local Board. It was at this meeting that it was confirmed that they became the Local Board Fire Brigade and new uniforms were to be issued.

Later, in January, 1895, the first meeting of the new Southborough Urban District Council and under this new regime, the fire brigade were dealt with under the Highways, Drainage, Waterworks and Lighting Committee.

The fire brigade lost many members to serve in The Great War; although the conflict ended in November 1918, they were still undermanned when Southborough’s most catastrophic fire took place at St Andrew’s boys preparatory school (now where St Andrew’s care home is situated, opposite the medical centre. Its Victorian brick wall is still intact).

The fire had been burning at the site for an hour the evening of 11pm on Friday, 8th of February before it was reported to the Fire Brigade. Later the then Captain Stringer stated that it would have been impossible by that late stage to have saved the building from disaster. The house (and school) was completely burned out. By this stage, the manual fire engine was becoming dated and showing signs of wear. Mr Bull, the school principal, wrote a strongly worded letter expressing his lack of confidence with the current appliances ‘The apparatus available to deal with the situation was so grossly inadequate that I am writing to urge you to send down an Inspector at the earliest possible date to hold a searching public enquiry…the engine is only a manual of an antiquated type and inefficient’. There was quite a long and bitter public battle over the fire with Mr Bull and the Council publishing many letters to the Courier disputing each other’s facts.

The Council made the decision to augment their old Southborough manual with a steamer from Tunbridge Wells at a reasonable cost. The Southborough Firemen were not happy having ‘gone through the humiliating experience at St Andrew’s, they were now condemned to struggle on with using clapped out manual.

In April, 1927 the need for Southborough to have a new engine was bought to the council, Cllr Draper agreed and said there was no doubt that the present engine was almost useless at now 37 years old. By December, Cllr Poile who had diligently inspected several fire engines over several months had recommended to the Council a second-hand Renault, costing £600.

Southborough Fire Brigade, 1927, pictured to the side of the Royal Victoria Hall with their Renault Fire Engine.

Progress towards modernising the town’s fire service continued at a slow pace up until the outbreak of war in 1939. The Southborough Auxiliary Fire Service was formed and based at the Old Hall Fire Station (formerly Pinewood Court, now McCarthy and Stone’s retirement properties). In addition to dealing with local bombing incidents they were also called to action in London, Portsmouth and Southampton. Immediate action was needed to strengthen the fire defences and in 1941 all independent fire authorities were subsumed to create the National Fire Service.

Peter Barrett names the local men who served in the Fire Service during the war as: Section Leader Bridger, Leading Fireman Wickham, Hartridge, Burtonshaw, Molyneux, Pearson, Argyle Skinner, West and Simmons, and Fireman Puttock, Wheatly, Sargent, Morley, Vidler, Waters, Moore, Seal, Raistrick, Jack Foster, Harold Wallis, Len Smith, Len Smith, Ron King, Fred Humphrey, and Arthur Thorpe.

After the war, the fire service was reorganised and they then became the responsibility of the counties and county boroughs. In April 1948, the Southborough Fire Brigade officially became a unit of the Kent Fire Brigade ‘C’ Division.

It was some time later when Kent County Council embarked on a programme of building new fire stations and the new Southborough Fire Station was officially opened on the 23rd of October, 1968. The build cost was approximately £11,000 and it was designed by County Architect, E.T. Ashley-Smith.

And with that, the little Victorian building on 137 London Road, became the old fire station. The first indication that the building was set to be demolished was in February this year, at that point the Town Clerk kindly arranged access to the building to document it for posterity.

Inside it is much smaller than you would imagine, comprising of a small office at the rear, bathroom, workshop and then the longer section which would have housed the fire engine leading out to the double doors.

The brick walls are still painted in cream with black and green stripes and some evidence of its former use still remain such as the two hand painted nameplates attached to a shelf above where their uniforms had been stored.

The only two remaining hand painted name labels that were screwed on the shelf above coat hooks on the wall. Fred Humphrey and Sam Farrington are pictured above in the g1950’s group photograph in front of the building. Farrington had been a Royal Marine and had also worked at the High Brooms Brickworks.

A valuable source of information about the formation of the brigade is detailed in the book by Peter Barrett, a sole copy is held in the Southborough Library in their back room. We would like to thank him for his extensive research and much of this article is taken from his book and his wonderful collection of photographs.

We would love to hear from anyone who has a historical connection with the Southborough Fire Brigade. If there is any old photographs, objects or artefacts you would like to share with us we will happily scan/photograph these to enable us to share these fascinating items with a wider audience. You can get in touch here.

Salomons Estate through the Years

A special thank you to Emily Gordon, from Salomons Estate who created the 190 Years of Salomons Estate event on Friday, 30th of August, which members of the Southborough Society Committee, along with other special guests were invited.

Guests were treated to a fascinating talk and tour from the museum’s curator, Chris Jones (who incidentally will be presenting our next talk in November).

If anyone has not been to visit the Salomons Museum, you must! The entry is free and you can see a wide range of objects and artefacts tracing the history of the Salomons family within its stunning original Victorian interior (and while you are there you can explore the picturesque grounds).

Emily has kindly written the article below about the evening and history of Salomons Estate.

Salomons Estate Through The Years

By Emily Gordon

Garden and grounds. Photo credit: Craig Matthews

Salomons Estate is known for little more than being a conference centre on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells. After 190 years of fascinating history at the Victorian country house, it is about time we explored the untold tales of this hidden gem in our very own town.

Last month, 50 very special guests gathered to share their unique stories and experiences of Salomons Estate through the ages. Here we piece together the jigsaw puzzle that they collectively helped to shape.

James Beeny and Gina Georgio, who wrote the West End musical ‘The Dreamers’. Photo credit: Craig Matthews

Mayor and Mayoress of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr James Scholes and his wife, Jane Scholes. Photo credit: Craig Matthews

Photo credit: Craig Matthews

The story starts in 1829 when Sir David Salomons bought a ‘very elegant small villa’ on the edge of Tunbridge Wells before tearing it down and commissioning the renowned British architect, Decimus Burton, to design the substantial country house that exists today. Sir David Salomons was one of the founding members of what is now known as Natwest Bank and was the first ever-Jewish Lord Mayor of London. The politician campaigned tirelessly for the equal rights of Jews and laid himself open to considerable penalties, speaking for his cause in the Houses of Parliament.

Sir David Salomons, (22 November 1797 – 18 July 1873).

Salomons Estate is now part of the Jewish Country House Project, which celebrates Jewish life in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the world of the Anglo-Jewish aristocracy. Representing the Jewish Country House Project at the 190th celebrations was Thomas Stammer who is currently working on a book featuring Salomons Estate.

Sir David Salomons left the estate to his nephew Sir David Lionel Salomons who was a keen scientist and engineer, making history on several occasions. Sir David Lionel Salomons built laboratories, and workshops in the grounds and a unique science theatre to demonstrate his experiments, which is still enjoyed by visitors today. Among many of his outstanding achievements, Sir David Lionel Salomons was the first person in the UK to hold a motor show. He also had the law changed so that cars could travel more than 4mph, invented an electric exposing camera in 1895 and was granted a patent for his invention of the automatic railway signaling system.

Photo credit: Salomons Museum

Photo credit: Salomons Museum

The third notable member of the Salomons family to live on the estate was First World War hero, Captain Reginald Salomons. Visiting Salomons on the 190th anniversary were James Beeny and Gina Georgio, who wrote the West End musical ‘The Dreamers’ which tells the moving tale of Captain Reggie Salomons and his team of 128 men, mainly from Southborough and High Broom, who lost their lives on the HMS Hythe, which sunk off the coast of Gallipoli in 1915. Last December, James and Gina’s top West End cast performed The Dreamers in the renowned Abbey Road Studios.

Captain Reginald Salomons. Photo credit: Salomons Museum

In 1937 Reggie’s sister, Vera Bryce Salomons, gave the estate to Kent County Council for use as a convalescent home – in memory of her brother, father and great-uncle. In the 1970s it was transformed into a training centre for regional health authorities, during which time residential facilities where build.

Returning to the estate for the 190th celebrations was Liz Scholey, manager of the NHS center in the 1980s. Liz and her husband John were also celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary last month, which was made extra special by visiting the venue where they got married.

In the 1990s Salomons was handed over to Canterbury Christ Church University who continued to use it for educational purposes. To accommodate their needs, the University converted the stables into offices and lecture rooms and the residential facilities into accommodation.

Today Salomons is operated by Markerstudy Group, which celebrates all aspects of the estate’s history. The group encourages local residents to simply explore the grounds, visit the museum and learn more about the extraordinary family it was once home to. They are working on an ongoing refurbishment programme, which aims to restore the Victorian charm of the country house and retain the unique features that make it so intriguing. They also continue to facilitate education, training and conferences on site and welcome weddings and special occasions that bring the charming house to life.

Chris Jones, Curator, Salomons Museum. Photo Credit: Craig Matthews

Photo Credit: Craig Matthews

Photo Credit: Craig Matthews

Southborough's Coat of Arms Explained...

Southborough’s coat of arms taken from the colour book plate from ‘Patchwork’ magazine.

Southborough’s rich history and the trades on which it was founded are contained within its coat of arms. Until recently, a rather faded coat of arms had resided above the entrance to the Council Offices. Now, as we await the construction of the Town’s community Hub, the centre of Southborough no longer displays its official emblem representing our town.

In the Southborough Society archives, there is an excellent explanation of our Town Coat of Arms which is perhaps not widely known. It appears in the Patchwork magazine, published in 1988, compiled by local people to raise funds for Age Concern. The article was written by J.M. Kirkness, Chairman of The Southborough Society.

“To mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, the Southborough Urban District Council commissioned a coat of arms from the Portcullis (The Master of Sinclair) at the College of Arms, and this was granted in 1953. In 1962, the motto ‘Propria tuemur’ was adopted, which is freely translated as ‘We look after what is ours’.”

The writer explains the significance of the imagery on the shield in proper heraldic terminology, but we have decided to abandon that and describe the design in plainer language. If you would like to see the original text a copy of Patchwork can be found in Southborough Library.

The shield, as shown in the illustration, is largely coloured red and gold. The Oak tree, in fine leaf at the bottom point of the shield, represents the former Bounds Oak, mentioned in the Domesday Book, growing on the Great Bounds estate. This was the site of the well-known Elizabethan mansion, demolished in the 1950s. The two sprigs of Broom, flanking the Oak, are a reference to High Brooms, once an open grassy area, known for the Broom bushes which grew there.

The ‘Torteau’ is the heraldic term for the small red circular shape featured towards the top of the shield. Sometimes it represents a loaf of bread, but here it is clearly refers to the cricket-ball making industry, important to Southborough, for more than a century.

To right and left of the circle are placed two rectangles, (Billets), in acknowledgement of the brick-making industry which, together with the gasworks, led to the growth of High Brooms. By 1885 there were two hundred employees working in the brickworks.

The black Ram’s Head, sitting on top of the helmet, suggests the reputed association of Southborough with weaving, although apparently there is no documentary evidence to support this. However, The Weavers restaurant, situated in a Tudor farm house (c.1570) was said to have been occupied by French Huguenots who were weavers. Since weaving was once a well-established industry throughout the Weald it may not be too fanciful to imagine a Huguenot family finding Southborough a congenial place to settle.

The shield with hand painted coat of arms given to all Council members and employees on the 31st of March, 1974 to mark the close of business of the Southborough Urban District Council.