Catch up on all the latest history news from across Kent with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome back to another episode of Kent Chronicles, where we turn back time
00:24on all of Kent's history, from the Mesolithic era to the Industrial Revolution and everything
00:28in between. I'm Finn McDermid, and join me as we turn back time and discuss all things
00:34history. But first, as much history as Kent does have, there's no harm in travelling through
00:39time elsewhere. In this week's History Roundup, we celebrate the man behind one of the most
00:43iconic fictional detectives, this day in 1894, when a historic ship canal opened, and we take
00:50a look at the origins of the Chelsea Flower Show. Let's have a look.
00:53First up on this week's History Roundup. On the 22nd of May, 1859, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
01:04was born in Edinburgh. He started off his career as a surgeon, then a medical officer, but eventually
01:11he created one of the most iconic literature detectives, Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock first
01:18appeared in A Study of Scarlet in 1887. In 1893, Cohen Doyle actually killed off Holmes with
01:28the hopes to focus on more serious writing. But, after public disdain and public outcry,
01:35he resurrected the fictional detective. Next. On the 21st of May, 1894, the Manchester Ship Canal
01:45was opened by Queen Victoria. At the time of its opening, it was the largest river navigation
01:53canal in the world, and the third busiest port in Britain. And at the time, the project's
02:00cost was about £15 million, which in modern day equates to around £1.5 billion. On the 20th
02:10of May, 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show was held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital for
02:17the first time. It attracted around 200,000 visitors. That's it for this week's History Roundup.
02:27Now, an exclusive Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd recording from a Chatham gig is being put up
02:34for auction. John Altman, a former EastEnders star who's from Herne Bay, has decided to auction
02:40some exclusive items he got from famous rock stars Hendrix and Floyd, who he met back in 1967.
02:46The items, which you can see here, include a David Bowie vinyl, a signed Fleetwood Mac ticket,
02:53and other signatures altogether, valuing an estimated £17,000. The star item in John's possession
03:00is a three-minute interview that he got on his old tape recorder, which was taken during Hendrix's
03:05second UK tour, accompanied by Pink Floyd and a few other groups. Now, the smallest theatre in the county
03:14has just taken on a new owner, striving for success in the 130-year-old building.
03:21Located in Cliftonville in Margate, the theatre houses only 45 people, compared to the Marlowe Theatre
03:28in Canterbury. That houses 1,200 people, so it's staggeringly smaller. Alison Morgan-Jones
03:35is the new owner and hopes to pack the tiny theatre's seats as much as possible after some new renovations.
03:41But, even with the changes she's bringing, she's voiced her concerns, saying that running
03:46a theatre is a tough business at the best of times. She's hoping the novelty of the Victorian
03:51Playhouse-style theatre will bring some more customers through the door.
03:56Now, Ramsgate's continued to host celebration and remembrance events to mark the 85th anniversary
04:06of Dunkirk. Prince Michael of Kent has unveiled a new plaque, honouring both the military and
04:12civilian efforts behind Operation Dynamo. Now, back in May 1940, more than 800 private boats
04:18set off from Ramsgate to France, rescuing troops from advancing Nazi forces. A fleet of around 60
04:24little ships have set sail to recreate that journey. And our reporter Gabriel Morris was on board
04:30one of the support vessels following them today.
04:33Eighty-five years on, the little ships that took part in the Dunkirk evacuation are once
04:39again making that historic journey. This morning, around 1,000 people gathered to wave them off.
04:45Leave the Dunkirk fleet out to sea. Yes, they have permission to exit.
04:51A proud moment for the custodians of the vessels that once helped save more than 300,000 lives.
04:58People in this part of the country especially are more than aware of its particular part of
05:03history within the Dunkirk, within the overall Dunkirk story. And, as you can see, they've turned out
05:10en masse to pick up as many views and sights as they can.
05:15Travelling at speeds of around four knots, the little ships take around eight hours to cross the channel.
05:20But I boarded one of the support vessels to retrace the path taken in May 1940.
05:27For us, a shorter cruise, but still steeped in history.
05:31Our crossing today is much like that in 1940. Calm conditions, and that was perfect back in 1940.
05:41It allowed all those 800 little ships to cross, save so many lives.
05:46Around 60 little ships could be seen navigating the English Channel this morning, escorted by the Royal Navy and the RNLI.
05:54So what would it be like if we were on one of those little ships today, compared to this?
05:58Extremely rocky-rolly. If you've ever been on a very uncomfortable fairground ride,
06:04those little ships were designed to be used really on the Thames, where you might get a few ripples every now and then.
06:11So they are really out of their element at the moment.
06:14And I've been told that this is possibly the first time they've actually left the Thames, or the second time, since they went across to France.
06:26We're about halfway now on our crossing. We've just gone across the shipping lanes.
06:30And it's a challenge to try and avoid them, make sure we're not in their wake and going at different angles
06:35to be sure we're crossing it in the correct way. But in World War II, it would have been a completely different challenge.
06:40Those little ships would have been facing enemy fire from above and being shelled from land.
06:46So it's a bit of a reminder of what it would have been like for them back there.
06:50But today's nothing compared to what they would have faced.
06:53But on my voyage, about an hour from Dunkirk, one of the support boats ran into trouble.
06:59The engine failed and a distress signal was sent.
07:03But that famous Dunkirk spirit came alive again.
07:08Our vessel stepped in, towing the stricken boat safely to Dunkirk.
07:13And a few hours later, those historic little ships followed, just as they did 85 years ago.
07:20There might have not been an active war zone around us.
07:23But the challenges of the crossing prove the message behind today's journey is still truly alive.
07:29Gabriel Morris for KNTV in Dunkirk, France.
07:33Well, Gabriel also actually joined us live earlier today on the Kent Morning Show while he was still on those little ships.
07:42So let's have a look if he had his sea legs while he was crossing the English Channel.
07:47Prince Michael of Kent unveiled a new plaque and that was honouring both military and civilian efforts.
07:52Tell us a little bit about those people who were a big part of what happened in Operation Dynamo.
07:59Yeah, well they had to give up their boats in a lot of cases.
08:04Sometimes actually crewmen themselves with the help of the Royal Navy.
08:07They would go over to the beaches of Dunkirk and arresting those men.
08:12And once in fact, these men often were shell-shocked.
08:15They were frozen cold.
08:17They hadn't eaten a proper day of days.
08:20And I think these are rams.
08:21They probably didn't really know exactly what's going on.
08:25But these men were scared.
08:28They were tired.
08:29And they came down and I worked 24-7 to feed them.
08:36And they were very quickly actually shipped on the port into it.
08:41I got home.
08:42The French, well, many people don't know this, but the French troops, the Battle of France were still going on.
08:48So they were taken straight to port and sent on a ferry, probably a naval ship back then, to Brittany and to join the war.
08:56Or we'd after being evacuated from Dunkirk.
08:59Gabriel, it's an amazing experience that you're getting to witness, along with all the other boats as well out there.
09:08The signal's just about held up.
09:11We've got just time for one more question.
09:14If you just give us a bit of an idea.
09:16There we go.
09:17You can see maybe just about make out the French shoreline there.
09:21Just give us a bit of an idea, once you get to shore, what's going to be going on for the rest of the commemorations?
09:33Of course.
09:34Yeah, well, just before I come to that, we're actually probably about to enter quite a bit of a wait.
09:38We're going to enter the channel's shipping channel in just a second.
09:42So I'm going to hold on tight in just a moment.
09:44There's a big tanker just in front of us, which we're going to cross over in a second.
09:48Hopefully far enough behind, so it's not too bad.
09:50But once we get to Ramsgate, there's going to be some big celebrations over the weekend.
09:55There's going to be a commemorative event on Sunday before Bessel, Middleship, Pledge of Oak,
10:00will try to come back on Monday.
10:02I'll just show you the crew we're with.
10:04We've got Ben here.
10:05He's helping us out.
10:06We've got Fred on the helm.
10:07We've got Samson and Freddie as well.
10:12They've all taken a little bit of time off school today to experience this living bit of history.
10:18So fantastic, fantastic moment to learn more about what Operation Dynamo was.
10:24What better way to do it than being out on the channel.
10:27Best field trip I can imagine going on.
10:30Gabriel, thank you very much for joining us this morning.
10:34All to the best of those on board as well.
10:36All the best to everybody on board.
10:38Do hold on.
10:40Like you said earlier on, let's hope none of our kit ends up in the channel.
10:44And we'll check in with you later on, I am sure.
10:49Gabriel Morris there, talking to us from the Dunkirk evacuation commemorations in the channel.
10:56Brilliant.
10:57Well, now it's time for a very quick history question just before the break to test your knowledge that I like to call trivia through time.
11:06Now why is Leeds Castle in Maidstone known as the Queen of Castles?
11:20Why is Leeds Castle in Maidstone known as the Queen of Castles?
11:25Well, the clock has hit its halfway mark but there's still more history to be uncovered.
11:37Join us after this short break where we'll speak to Oscar Young, a philatelist, hopefully I'm saying that right, who might be able to value your old items.
11:45And we'll have a look at a parade in Maidstone running for over 70 years.
11:49All that in just a few minutes.
12:19We'll be ready.
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16:00Joan of Navarre, Catherine de Valoy, you know what, we're butchering those, and that's your answer.
16:07I was very sorry about that.
16:08And now to Maidstone, where the borough council has marked the appointment of its new mayor with a colourful civic parade.
16:14Gurkha soldiers and the engineer regiment marched through the town,
16:17and the new mayor, councillor Martin Round, made a grand entrance in a horse-drawn chariot.
16:22The tradition has been part of Maidstone for more than 70 years.
16:25Our reporter Henry Luck was there to soak up the spectacle.
16:28It's that time of year again.
16:32Time for a new mayor to represent Maidstone Borough Council.
16:36People across Maidstone, including Gurkha armed with bayonets,
16:41marched across the town centre to welcome in the new mayor as part of...
16:58The responsibility of a mayor here in Maidstone Borough Council is a part of the traditional civic parade that's taken place for over 70 years.
17:12The responsibility of a mayor here in Maidstone Borough Council is to act as an authority figure and represent the council at civic and ceremonial occasions.
17:31And they overlook meetings to make sure everything's running smoothly and regulations are met.
17:43And today's agenda meeting is one of the many that councillor Martin Round will be overlooking for the next year.
17:52Councillor Round, who's been serving the Borough Council since 2014, will soon be included right here on this long list of Maidstone's mayors who have served throughout history.
18:05I am more proud of this being the county town, I am more proud of this being part of Kent, as much as I am proud of the fact that I represent Headcorn, Sutton Valance, Holcombe, Borough Mallaby, East Sutton, and a very big rural community of many little hamlets and suburbs.
18:27The previous mayor and mayor Ness were also in attendance to give their blessings for the upcoming year.
18:34I want to thank Martin, sorry Mr Mayor now, Martin has supported me, we are our friends at any rate and colleagues, and Martin has been a wonderful deputy mayor, he really has supported me.
18:49And you probably may have noticed at council meetings, you can see my eyes as well, because I can't always see her down the line here.
18:59So Martin, Mr Mayor, thank you ever so much for your support, you've really been a marvellous supporter.
19:06Councillor Round will now serve as mayor until May next year.
19:11Henry Luck for KMTV in Maidstone.
19:16Apology for the technical error there.
19:18Now, for those of you with a penchant for collecting stamps, coins, or trading cards, you may in fact be sitting on a gold mine.
19:26The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells is the site of an upcoming valuation day, hosted by Stanley Gibbons, Baldwin's and Baldwin's Bullion.
19:33This Thursday, members of the public will be able to come along to the hotel for free and find out how much their items could be worth.
19:39Previous items dealt by the auction house include a half-penny token from Appledore, dated to 1794, selling for £624.
19:49Now, we're joined by Oscar Young, a philatelist at Stanley Gibbons, to tell us more.
19:53Thank you so much for joining us, Oscar.
19:57The invitation.
19:58Brilliant.
19:58Now, could you tell us briefly a bit about what is a philatelist's role?
20:04Well, a philatelist's role is to study stamps, really.
20:08That's my job.
20:09And I'm also part of the team here which sells stamps, which I do with clients on an everyday basis.
20:17We take in their collections and we value them.
20:19We let them know how much they're worth.
20:20And then we see about selling them to our wide client base.
20:24I see.
20:25And what got you interested in that field in the first place?
20:28Oh, long story short, in a way, I sort of started collecting properly when I was about 18
20:33and then got a bit more serious when I was at uni.
20:37Then left university and started working here.
20:40And I've been with the company now for just coming up to seven years now.
20:44I see.
20:44And tell us a bit about the valuation.
20:46What can people expect?
20:47So for a valuation day, it's a bit like waiting in a doctor's waiting room in a way.
20:54We will expect to be quite busy.
20:56And so people can bring their items to us, whether it be stamps, coins or trading cards
21:00or other bullion.
21:02And we'll have a look at those and we'll see what we can do for you, see if it's something
21:06of value or of interest to us.
21:08Either we can purchase it directly from you and make you a direct offer or it's something
21:12we can put into auction on your behalf.
21:13And again, that'd be across all three categories with stamps, coins and with the trading cards.
21:20And if anyone brings any items in that are of any general interest, we will be sure to
21:24let them know because some people could be sat in a little gold mine.
21:27You just never know until we have a look at it.
21:29Absolutely.
21:30And I'm sure a lot of people would be sort of drawing comparisons to some TV shows,
21:35Antiques Roadshow, that sort of thing.
21:36How does that differ in reality from the televised versions?
21:40What do you think people don't really expect about these kind of things?
21:43Well, of course, with Antiques Roadshow, you only see the best bits.
21:46You don't see the polite no thank yous from all the many specialists that are there.
21:51And of course, what happens is people come in and they don't know what's going to appear.
21:56And so when they do see something good, they then have to rush to the producer to get it
22:00on TV.
22:00But most of the ones that they actually see are not generally worth a huge amount or
22:05don't necessarily have the story to go along with them.
22:08And so there's probably a balance of probability of there being something good is actually quite
22:12small compared to being something that's, say, not so good.
22:16So it just, you know, come in with an open mind because you never know what you may have.
22:21And if we do disappoint you, we're not doing it to be hurtful.
22:25We're just going to tell you exactly what we feel it's worth and give you an honest appraisal.
22:29Brilliant.
22:29I'm afraid I think that's all we have time for.
22:31But thank you so much for joining us.
22:33I really appreciate your time.
22:34No, you're welcome.
22:35Thanks again.
22:37Now, to round out this episode, we thought it would be fun for one of our interns to
22:40come up with a quiz.
22:42Last week, I guessed medieval depictions of animals.
22:44And this week, I'm getting, I was quizzed, sorry, on some of the oldest businesses in the
22:49world.
22:49Isaac joined me earlier.
22:51Well, Isaac, I believe you've brought me some businesses from across the county and the
22:56country.
22:57And we're going to be doing a little quiz.
22:58Tell me a little bit about it, just so I'm ready.
23:00Yeah.
23:00Well, we'll keep it simple.
23:02I'm going to say a business.
23:03And then you're going to have to tell me if you think it was originated, established before,
23:09during or after the Tudor period.
23:11Okay.
23:12Is that it?
23:12Yeah.
23:12Sounds good.
23:13Exactly when is the sort of Tudor period around?
23:15Is that the 1600s?
23:17It is from the early 1500s to the very early 1600s.
23:22Got it.
23:221604 is when it ends.
23:23Okay.
23:24Brilliant.
23:24And that is important to keep in mind for some of these dates.
23:27As the presenter of a history show, maybe something I should know.
23:29But this is why we're here.
23:31Okay.
23:32Well, let's jump right into it.
23:34Okay.
23:34Starting off, we have the Shepherd Name Brewery from Kent itself.
23:39And it's actually the oldest brewery in England.
23:43But old enough?
23:45I do.
23:46We've done a lot of stuff with Shepherd Name.
23:48I've even, in fact, spoken to Mr. Name once before.
23:50But I'll say it's older than the Tudor period.
23:57I'm afraid not.
23:58It is a little bit after.
23:59It missed by about eight decades.
24:02Just a little bit then.
24:03Just a little bit.
24:05It was founded in 1698.
24:08Although they do claim to trace origins back to the 1500s,
24:11but it's not official.
24:12So it's a little bit.
24:13I've got a little tricky one for the first one.
24:15Okay.
24:16Next up is the Royal Mint, the company that prints our coins.
24:19How long didn't they have been doing that for?
24:21Oh, they've got to have been in business.
24:24It's not something you sort of turn up really and do, is it?
24:26No.
24:26The people who make our coins.
24:27But I think, I suppose it could have been more of an unofficial thing.
24:31I'm going to go against the grain.
24:32I'll say this isn't older than the Tudor period.
24:35Ron again, they were actually founded in 886 AD.
24:39So they've been in the business a long time.
24:41Yeah.
24:42I'm not doing very well.
24:44I'm sure you'll improve.
24:46Okay.
24:47And now is Dizerono.
24:49Oh.
24:50And don't look at the date on the bottle.
24:52That is cheating.
24:54I should have checked that.
24:55Well, I think I'm going to get one.
24:56I think they've before Tudor times.
24:59No, it's during.
25:00Well, same, same.
25:00Come on.
25:01We'll give you a point for that.
25:04So, yeah.
25:05Henry VIII could have drunk it if they had better relations with the rest of Europe at the time, really.
25:10Okay.
25:10Oh, it's Italian, isn't it?
25:11Yeah.
25:12Okay.
25:13What's next?
25:13Now is Nintendo.
25:15I think I actually know this one.
25:17Yeah, it's a bit of an obvious one.
25:19This is older.
25:20Older.
25:21Or during or.
25:22I know they're the 1800s.
25:24So they're after.
25:26Yes.
25:26Yes.
25:27They're the 1800s.
25:27They started as a card game company.
25:29They did indeed, yeah.
25:30So.
25:31Okay.
25:31I think we've got time for one more very quickly.
25:34Perfect.
25:34Next is the Cambridge University Press.
25:37Founded in the 13th century, the university itself.
25:40Oh, right.
25:40Yeah, sorry.
25:41I wasn't giving you the answer there.
25:43But how long until they had a printing press?
25:46Printing press was quite a...
25:48I will say it was after the Tudors.
25:52It was actually during.
25:54Henry VIII actually literally signed the license for the print and press.
25:58Wow.
25:58Okay.
25:59Brilliant.
25:59Well.
26:00Yeah.
26:00Oh, amazing.
26:01I think that's all we have time for.
26:02Thank you for testing and definitely improving my knowledge of businesses and their age.
26:08Well, thank you so much for joining us.
26:39You can watch throughout the week or catch up with on our website.
26:42Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you soon.
26:44Goodbye.
26:44See you soon.
27:13Bye-bye.
27:13Bye-bye.
27:13Bye-bye.
27:13Bye-bye.