Secret
6 total works
The seaside town of Margate in Kent has based its livelihood on the sea since its beginnings. It was one of the first places to be developed as a seaside resort in the Georgian era. Margate’s sandy beaches became popular with Londoners first with the advent of steam packets in 1815 and even more so after the railways arrived later in the nineteenth century. The changing pattern of holidaying in the UK led to a decline in the fortunes of Margate in the latter years of the twentieth century, but in recent times the town has seen an upsurge including new developments such as the Turner Contemporary Gallery.
In this book author Andy Bull reveals the hidden history of Margate, from the foundation of the world’s first sea-bathing hospital and the playground of Regency royalty, to the creation of Dreamland. This town has been the haunt of artists, writers and actors, and boasts the most haunted theatre in the country and the first modern bungalow. Secret Margate explores the lesser-known episodes and characters of the town through the centuries, and will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Kent.
In this book author Andy Bull reveals the hidden history of Margate, from the foundation of the world’s first sea-bathing hospital and the playground of Regency royalty, to the creation of Dreamland. This town has been the haunt of artists, writers and actors, and boasts the most haunted theatre in the country and the first modern bungalow. Secret Margate explores the lesser-known episodes and characters of the town through the centuries, and will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Kent.
The seaside town of Ramsgate in Kent developed as an important port in medieval England, associated with the Cinque Port of Sandwich. Close to the Continent, its harbour was a major embarkation point for the Napoleonic Wars and during the Dunkirk evacuation in the Second World War. In the nineteenth century Ramsgate became popular as a seaside resort, and was the home of architect A. W. Pugin, who built several buildings in the town, and later Vincent van Gogh lived and worked as a teacher in Ramsgate. Today Ramsgate is the major fishing port on the Kent coast and also attracts visitors to its large marina and beaches.
In this book author Andy Bull reveals the hidden history of Ramsgate, from the landing of Roman invasion forces, St Augustine's mission to bring Christianity to this country, the famous writers who lived in or regularly visited the town such as Wilkie Collins, Jane Austen, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and how the future Queen Victoria almost died here and the crucial role of a Ramsgate doctor in saving her life, to the country's only royal harbour, the secret harbour built at Richborough to transport munitions during the First World War and the vast network of tunnels built to shelter 60,000 people during the Second World War. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and buildings lost or hidden, and fully illustrated throughout, Secret Ramsgate will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this Kentish town.
In this book author Andy Bull reveals the hidden history of Ramsgate, from the landing of Roman invasion forces, St Augustine's mission to bring Christianity to this country, the famous writers who lived in or regularly visited the town such as Wilkie Collins, Jane Austen, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels and how the future Queen Victoria almost died here and the crucial role of a Ramsgate doctor in saving her life, to the country's only royal harbour, the secret harbour built at Richborough to transport munitions during the First World War and the vast network of tunnels built to shelter 60,000 people during the Second World War. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and buildings lost or hidden, and fully illustrated throughout, Secret Ramsgate will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this Kentish town.
The town of Richmond grew around the Tudor royal palace by the River Thames. Much of the land was used by the royals for hunting, first in the Old Deer Park and then in Richmond Park, but in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the area became a fashionable place of residence close to London, particularly around Richmond Hill. The Hill has also been home to rock and roll royalty including Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend. The town expanded into a municipal borough in 1890 and is now part of London, a thriving shopping and cultural centre for the area. This book explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Richmond through the years, from its royal beginnings, the establishment of a tapestry works at Mortlake, the connection with the River Thames through boatbuilding and the ferry before Richmond Bridge was built, home of the artistic and other famous people including three leading explorers, to the secret nineteenth-century plot to destroy Kew Gardens and the story behind the establishment of the Poppy Factory in 1922.
With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Richmond upon Thames will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner of south-west London.
With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Richmond upon Thames will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner of south-west London.
For centuries, Twickenham, Teddington, Whitton and the Hamptons were bucolic places, a string of villages alongside the great highway of the Thames. Hampton Court is most famous for its connections with Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and its royal palace, but it was the river that offered a livelihood to many, through fishing and boatbuilding and access to London, and also for its many fruit, vegetable and flower gardens. Twickenham particularly became a fashionable retreat for Londoners with pleasure gardens and grand houses, many of which survive today, but the area later became a hotbed of British R&B in the 1960s on Eel Pie Island. Twickenham film studios produced many classics of British cinema including The Italian Job, and Teddington Studios was the home of Thames TV. Twickenham is also the home of English rugby and one of the many fascinating stories revealed in this book is the controversy around how the stadium nicknamed ‘the cabbage patch’ came to be built here.
Secret Twickenham Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Twickenham and the surrounding towns of Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons through the years. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner of South West London.
Secret Twickenham Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons explores the lesser-known episodes and characters in the history of Twickenham and the surrounding towns of Whitton, Teddington and the Hamptons through the years. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this corner of South West London.
The seaside town of Broadstairs lies on the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. Situated on the cliffs above the bay, the town gained its name from the stairs that were cut into the chalk cliffs down to the shore. Fishing and smuggling were the mainstays of Broadstairs until much-improved transport connections to London in the nineteenth century led to the development of Broadstairs as a modern seaside resort, though still retaining its historical character. In this book author Andy Bull delves into the fascinating history of Broadstairs, including characters associated with the town such as the scandalous eighteenth-century politician Charles Fox, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Oscar Wilde, as well as the creators of Billy Bunter and The Clangers. The tales of the town include the country's oldest lighthouse, the smuggler presented to Queen Victoria and the preserved German shell hole in the house of the proprietor of the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, which was intended for Lord Northcliffe himself, and many more remarkable stories.
Secret Broadstairs explores the lesser-known episodes in the history of the town through the years. With tales of remarkable people, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this seaside town in Kent.
Secret Broadstairs explores the lesser-known episodes in the history of the town through the years. With tales of remarkable people, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, it will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this seaside town in Kent.
The Isle of Wight, lying off the south coast of England, has been a popular tourist destination for 200 years but has played an important role in the history of Britain for centuries. It was settled by Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and following the Norman Conquest it became a kingdom in its own right for two centuries. After the Reformation the Worsley family became governors of the island, transforming Appuldurcombe Priory into the family home, but misfortune was to haunt them and the house over ensuing centuries. The island was transformed by royal patronage, George IV supporting the Royal Yacht Club and Victoria making Osborne her favoured retreat, and the island was home to many famous names in the Victorian world including Tennyson. The island has also been at the forefront of technology and defence with the world’s first radio station, established by Marconi, and the development of Britain’s Black Knight ballistic missile and Black Arrow space rocket. As well as all this, the island’s story includes the remarkable tale of how Bob Dylan was persuaded to play the Isle of Wight Festival instead of Woodstock and much more.
With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or vanished historical buildings and locations, Secret Isle of Wight will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this unique island across the Solent.
With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or vanished historical buildings and locations, Secret Isle of Wight will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this unique island across the Solent.