Vintage Gravesend | Kent | A Town Called...| 1975

[@sarahHarris-yt9mc]

I was born in Gravesend in 1968 and left when I was 21. It was a fab place to grow up, in the 70's and 80's, no where better I felt. I loved the river and the prom and all the pubs with their live music when I was a teenager. Close enough to London to visit often and close enough to the Kent coast to get away easily for a seaside break. Surrounded by bueatiful kent countryside and small villages, best of everything. It has my heart.

[@annonymous3948]

Where did you move to in '88/89?.

[@annonymous3948]

You left in 1989? Which part of Gravesend were you from? Where did you move to, where do you live now?

[@rebeccamoore5536]

It’s really not a great place to live anymore 😢

[@GarethSavin]

@@rebeccamoore5536 it’s getting like that everywhere now. I spent my childhood in Bexleyheath and it was the best,went back aged 54 and it’s totally changed. Just walking around the broadway you get bad vibes.

[@Celt-in-Kent]

Kent Coast,... from Gravesend (or Meopham),... how about a Rail Saver card that got you FREE entry into Bembom Brothers theme park at Margate, oh those were the days,... ps same age,...

[@rexharvey8420]

The town I grew up in and remember when I lived at the Tollgate 1951 - 1978. I went back in the Millennium with a friend and so much had changed, some call it progress, but for me and my friend we really could not agree!

[@revol148]

everything seemed so much more alive back in the 1970's....

[@jusb1066]

the thames was busy, london docks still operating, gravesend and northfleet also had docks, all pre-containerisation. there was coal to deliver to thurrock power station and northfleet power station. i cant believe how busy the bottom of the high street is. its been deserted for years now, river traffic is nothing,and so is anything like real trade other than coffee shops and supermarkets. theres no henley's factory for jobs...it IS sad

[@Cultwatch123]

Jusb1066 unfortunately people voted on a woman as prime minister who made her intentions clear

[@revol148]

@@Cultwatch123 .....because of course the country was so well run with people like Wilson,Callaghan,Healey,Foot and Benn in high office !

[@BossySwan]

@@revol148 lol

[@MrRw59]

I was at the sea school back in September 75 for 10 weeks Gravesend seemed a nice place back then

[@jimcarmichael1641]

Mr rw this is a Beautiful place I to was at The national sea training college Gravesend catering the flying Angel Club was good Captain Hunters was an Awesome Brilliant Captain if possible ide go back tomorrow but impossible as its now a Police Training college for officers my time there Ile always have the fantastic memories 😊🙏🙏🙏👍 ⛵🚣‍♂️⚓

[@kierenboimufc5940]

Lot more pubs there then than there is now . RIP Battle of Britain

[@pablomagee2999]

Northfleet

[@kierenboimufc5940]

@Fenyk the Troc in town that window must cost a lot it’s curved

[@anonymouspontypridd6174]

I was 1 in 1975 and lived in nearby Istead Rise. This brings back good memories of visiting Gravesend in the late 70s/early 80s.

[@mufc7476]

Used to thrash Istead Rise on the football pitch haha.

[@mikekaraoke]

No way, I live in Istead Rise as we speak lol But moving back to the other side of Kent between Dartford/Bexleyheath in late Spring. Where you living now??

[@anonymouspontypridd6174]

​@@mikekaraoke I live in Wales now. Used to live on Lyndhurst Way, and later in Rosegarth when I lived in Istead Rise.

[@mikekaraoke]

@@anonymouspontypridd6174 Very small world, I live not far from that road! What made you move to Wales, would you ever move back to Kent in the future?? And you you still have any family still living in Kent?

[@geordiejones2]

I remember Istead rise well, my mam worked at he tollgate hotel, and we lived in Norfleet on Lady fields.

[@alyciamarrison2916]

Wonderful film clip of old Gravesend.

[@markfiges999]

Very good and a big thank you, it brought back a lot of memories.

[@1220b]

great bit of social history. thank you for up loading.

[@chalkhillblue6369]

Thanks, really enjoyed watching this. I was 14 at the time, and Gravesend was the premier town in the area, a step up from Gravesend or any of the Medway towns (excepting perhaps Rochester). It's really sad to have watched the town die over the last 50 years. It's a complete cr*p hole now; I wish I could leave.

[@mikekaraoke]

It ain' that bad lol I was only there the other day and went to Riverside Leisure Area! Apart from the town though, Gravesend Borough got lovely parts like Istead Rise, Painters Ash, Singlewell, Shorne! I live in Istead Rise, but moving back to other part of Kent between Dartford/Bexleyheath!

[@jeffoliver2298]

A lot of privately owned family businesses, that was very common in towns then. Nowadays it is mostly chain shops.

[@Wolvesfan-oz6yh]

It’s difficult to get hold of chain these days.

[@seanmoran6510]

And we did it ........

[@naruto21048]

Now it’s losing and starting to lack chains

[@juliewilliams9441]

I remember for some reason we went to gravesend on a school trip in the early 70's.

[@neilturner6865]

Yer Gravesend was cool in the 70s dangerous at night now I remember the Circus marching through town and the May Day Parade and the out door swimming pool all but distant memories now so sad how the town has changed

[@sarahbarnes1041]

Yes fond memories of the open air swimming pool and all the great shops all gone now just a dead end town

[@Monkey80llx]

Why is it sad??!! Every town changes. It’s called progress. Most of the shops looked derelict back then, just imagine the state of the place now if it hadn’t changed.

[@neilturner6865]

Gravesend was a great town plenty of pubs and fun to be had I went to the sea school in 78 so I was a peanut. You can imagine my mates and the banter I got. I am still going to sea and retire I. The next year or 2 May go for 45 years at sea. I used to walk round town with my Donkey Jacket on 🤣🤣🤣

[@tvnostalgia7477]

The whole country has changed. For the worse in my opinion.

[@jimbocrispy6908]

@@Monkey80llx Progress that makes things worse isn’t progress...

[@jimcarmichael1641]

Beautiful lovely place Gravesend was at the sea training college Gravesend in 1984 end September till December trained as a deckhand then came back to train as a steward loved every moment Gravesend is a Beautiful Beautiful place & will always have a place in my heart 😊❤🙏👍

[@Natasha6090]

I live in gravesend, born in 1991 seeing this is wow not much changed when I grew up well apart from the shops

[@mikekaraoke]

And the amount of immigrants/refugees!

[@richardday487]

Wow the year of my birth. And yes I can still remember some of these growing up

[@Ben-xe8ps]

I was 15 years old in 1975 and it is now 'Vintage'.

[@freddieparrydrums]

I’m 14 but it must feel weird knowing that

[@no-one2961]

This was filmed before the battle of the chavs Before the dark times

[@richwindsor500]

Born there in 67. Stayed until I was 21 then left to join RAF. Both brothers are still there. Lots of memories in this video.

[@sarahmitchell7182]

what an amazing video. Gravesend actually looked good back then in the 70s. It definitely needs some money injected in to it as it has nothing going for it and is quite droll and dirty. Overpopulated and all the buildings filthy like they need knocking down which is ashame given the history

[@ronwhite8503]

Still better than Dartford.

[@DrOORU]

Actually, Gravesend is a superb town. The town centre is ok, even today. We have a great promenade, the Thames, great schools, wonderful parks, countryside and marshlands, cyclopark, diversity and cultural harmony, sports centres and transport links, plus brilliant placement for access to the continent and the rest of the UK. You could argue that Gravesend is actually one of the best places to live in the UK. Imagine how great it'll be once the lower Thames crossing is complete, the theme park at Ebbsfleet, Sawyer's Lake leisure complex, the new Promenade from Ebbsfleet to Gravesend, the expanded Canal Basin area, the new surrounding schools in the garden villages, etc, etc...

[@ishluvsurmum]

@@DrOORU gravesend is definitely not one of the best, the amount of crackheads in town centre that run up at you is insane, it's dirty, dingy. promenade is okay but honestly it kind of sucks in gravesend.

[@paulbarrett423]

It even has delboys van in it

[@neilbain8736]

One of the Tilbury - Gravesend ferries, the MV Rose I think, was sold to the Caledonian Steam Packet Co, to become the MV Keppel. There were 3 or 4. One other was called the Edith I think. The Keppel replaced the DEPV ( Deisel Electric Paddle Vessel ) Talisman on the Largs - Millport Town ( Isle of Cumbrae ) foot passenger only run from about 1968 till the service ceased in the 1980's or even 90's. There was a car ferry to the island at Cumbrae slip anyway and this was continued. As the Keppel, she was only good for 8 knots and was not much use for anything else but she did short distance cruises too. The Talisman, of 1935, was unique because she had an electric motor with a paddle wheel at each end. There was no gear box and the clearance between the massive windings and stator was tiny- only about 1/8" or so. The torque was phenomenal as the motor got up from rest to over 40 rpm driving her at over 16 knots. She could stop within two ship lengths too. A vessel before her time.

[@FrankMarker-pk1lw]

My grandfather was the engineer on the Edith.

[@joannietrotter2344]

I remember it as a kid, the indoor market was my favourite part and the chippy restaurant by the market was always where we’d go on a Saturday, if my dad was flush. I’ve not been back to Gravesend in 20 years.

[@mikekaraoke]

Really, no parts of Gravesend at all or just the town? Where you live now?

[@johnhoffmanpaintings8512]

and papas ice cream behind the market where us cool rockabillies hung out lol ....

[@motherlover449]

Just how I remember it.x

[@mrr2880]

Went down there on a Saturday adventure from Bexleyheath about this time, I was 12.. me and my mate found a place with pinball machines in it along that thin road / hill facing the river.. Interesting place, lot of history... then later in life visited the Red Lion Pub which was music venue tucked well out of the way on an industrial road close to the river..

[@ianrobert6239]

Pinball machines was probably the Three Crowns near the ferry. The Red Lion is still there.

[@eamondonoghue293]

Lived there in the 70 my local pumas the chase pub all irish

[@lewisculverwellvlogs9789]

This is the same time and same era when the song Dancing Queen was released and was played on the radio and was in the charts

[@piggypiggypig1746]

2:10 Back then you could ask some passing stranger to stand guard over your baby while you went into the shop.

[@josephinebennington7247]

Not in 1975! Kids were being stolen even then. My whole life until my 60s was spread along the Thames from Woolwich to Grain.

[@annother3350]

@@josephinebennington7247 some People would leave their babies in prams outside alone up until the 80s -- foolish maybe!

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

I think you would actually be safe doing that nowadays, but we're just far more aware of bad things happening. Maybe a good thing, maybe not...

[@jeffoliver2298]

You are sadly wrong, in the 1960's we had the evil deeds of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley - the huge coverage that got made parents reluctant to let their young kids out on their own or to play in the street. In the following decade, the 1970's, people were equally as cautious.

[@043ash]

.. . The traffic running through what is the high street... Looks almost surreal lol

[@mrorangepeel659]

I was born there in 1977 and only live a few miles away from it now. I was involved in the demolition of the Cinema 18 years ago following a fire.

[@shakeenjatt4824]

no sound

[@DrOORU]

Actually, Gravesend is a superb town. The town centre is ok, even today. We have a great promenade, the Thames, great schools, wonderful parks, countryside and marshlands, cyclopark, diversity and cultural harmony, sports centres and transport links, plus brilliant placement for access to the continent and the rest of the UK. You could argue that Gravesend is actually one of the best places to live in the UK.

[@DrOORU]

@Tommy Studd Interesting debate. I gave a few good reasons why Gravesend is excellent and then you made an opposing statement but provided no reasons for it.

[@user-ip9ev1ct5c]

@@DrOORU Hello Lee, This question is a bit off topic but have you ever heard of a man named Patrick Mackay who lived on Frobisher Way, Gravesend in the 60s and 70s? What happens is that I am doing an investigation.

[@DrOORU]

@@user-ip9ev1ct5c Sorry, never heard of him.

[@kentcyclist]

I completely agree

[@Napoleonwilson1973]

Agree Gravesend is a great place

[@VWT5Alive]

Now known locally as Gravesindia 🤔

[@edmorris631]

It's interesting to see the shut down Tattoo parlour; I bet there's a few popped up in recent times! Also it was the time of transition from the traditional traffic lights with the striped pole to the Mellor type with the white border, both types being on display in this film.

[@CMP369]

0:29 Think somebody needs to check on that person bottom left! Too much sherry in the 3 Daws?!

[@carsonjackson9851]

Omg that’s my best mates Nan and grandads Indian sweet shop woah

[@mrSam3ooo]

how old's ur mate i might know her

[@carsonjackson9851]

Sam Wh shes the same age as me

[@mrSam3ooo]

About 18?

[@angusgilfillan3615]

75 to 78 always got samosas there. Best out side India

[@taraeldred8814]

Poor Gravesend now needs a big lift 😔

[@rosshilton]

A different England.....

[@attackdog6824]

Reminds me of heart of darkness.

[@buddha1736]

Not a single mother in sight pushing 3 Chavy kids down to the job centre.

[@davidlewis1787]

Men make single mothers

[@buddha1736]

@@davidlewis1787 Yes and most single mothers have slung them out, because they are financially better of being single mothers.

[@davidlewis1787]

@@buddha1736 loser

[@buddha1736]

@@davidlewis1787 🤫 Numbnuts.

[@cbee8405]

Couldn't find enough of interest in Gravesend so they had to include a clip from Northfleet

[@kentcyclist]

Northfleet is gravesend

[@sarahsmyth5383]

@@kentcyclist no it isnt in that case so is swanscombe.

[@yeetaway4841]

@@kentcyclist Northleet still comes under Gravesend.

[@Glenn7719]

Northfleet comes under Gravesham, along with places like Higham, Meopham, Southfleet. Swanscombe comes under Dartford, along with places like Greenhithe, Stone, Wilmington etc.

[@johnhoffmanpaintings8512]

only the cement works though bit of artistic license especially as those particular bits are now gone

[@colinfdoust6144]

I was born in 1947 on gravesend and left in 1969 so glad I made the move.

[@gmeredith8834]

Sally?

[@annother3350]

not so great now but theres a lovely little italian in the high street!

[@spgranorthiam123]

I had a tattoo done in that semi derelict shop in 1962.

[@TheRocklee45]

Sanchez de tovar sends hi to all gravesend!

[@tvnostalgia7477]

Oh, what times they were when you were able to take your dead wife for a day at the park 0:26

[@kentcyclist]

Lol

[@annonymous3948]

Sad thing is, is that she probably is dead now - both of them probably are.

[@bertiewooster3326]

Actually she was killed in the park by her husband just before filming apparently they had a row he whacked her and she never recovered he was not convicted.

[@michaelcrowe3278]

Remember the football team managed by Tony Sitford who enjoyed a good time before relegation.

[@geordiejones2]

OMG, I remember all this, and Shears Green school in Northfleet, this was when all the Pak----s started to infest the place, they placed Stickers on bus stops saying, 'We Want Your Jobs We Want Your Homes We Want Your Country'

[@FrankMarker-pk1lw]

Sorry to disappoint you Mr Geordie but it was supporters of the National Front who put those stickers on the bus stops. Coincidentally this week I came across a little leaflet someone gave me at that time when I was at school. It simply reads Join the National Party. I remember the fliers you refer to. They were printed on black paper with poorly drawn 'asian' faces on them. I guess it shows that some people fall for this kind of propaganda.

[@geordiejones2]

@@FrankMarker-pk1lw Thanks for that my friend, sounds like i did fall for there propaganda, but in my defence i was 9 at the time. How spooky you remember all that too, Northfleet was a lovely place and i greatly miss it, thanks for enlightening me on this all these years later. Chris.

[@FrankMarker-pk1lw]

It's an easy path to tread. The fliers were handed out in school by a 'mate' and it would have been easy for me to be influenced too. Perhaps my two Asian mates had something to do with my not getting involved! 😅 I was about thirteen I reckon.

[@PringlesOriginal445]

Aw it looked so beautiful back then. Now its downtrodden, filthy, no decent shops and suffers from a sheer lack of community spirit.

[@sarahbarnes1041]

Have to agree

[@melissahercon302]

Agreed.. it's so dead and has low saturation .

[@stoptheworldiwannagetoff4780]

You can't have a community spirit if there's several different communities.

[@mrl6863]

So even in 1975 alot of Pakistanis what was the attraction to gravesend?

[@micksingh8826]

They were Sikhs.get your facts right before judging others.

[@mrl6863]

@@micksingh8826 don't be so defensive you little bitch I simply stated that alot of Pakistanis seem to have always lived in gravesend

[@annonymous3948]

They are Indian, not Pakistani.

[@annonymous3948]

We all came to see you 💋

[@billbixbey2241]

Gravesend today is a total toilet and that's being kind. Looked not bad back then though.

[@Kevinspringall155]

Omg

[@DrOORU]

Allow traffic to pass through Gravesend town again, with limited drop off and pick up plus strictly controlled speed limits, then you'll see this town come back to life.

[@tcooperpersonalgains528]

This was before cultural enrichment so I see, good times.

[@davidheaney9249]

Oh to be like this again our england .. be full of dinghy passengers now..

[@miasteam1828]

You can see where it all started going wrong at 3:15

[@miasteam1828]

@Fenyk I didn't even mention the Eastern Europeans..!

[@reubenroo]

Yawn🙄

[@derin111]

Please don’t blame poverty, social deprivation and crime on immigration. Blame it on governmental neglect, personal greed and the corruption which keeps ordinary poor in this country. The people who have immigrated into Britain are just like you or me….all they want is a better life for themselves and their families. They didn’t come here to add to urban decay, crime and poverty. Don’t blame those who can’t make a difference; blames those who could and should be making a difference. Blame the corrupt government who keeps the majority of the people of this country in little better than modern day serfdom. By believing in their racist and xenophobic lies that immigrants are the cause of this country’s woes you fall exactly into the trap they want you to. For, whilst you are busy ‘watching and blaming the immigrants’ , you aren’t ‘watching or blaming them’.

[@lennylaa1686]

WE DON'T NEED THEM! More than a million unemployed. We don't need more,...also adding pressure to health and housing.

[@carolwilkins7286]

I've had the misfortune to visit this place once, and it's not called Gravesend for nothing

[@the.internet]

Go back to your gated community, Karen.

[@PringlesOriginal445]

LOL 😂

[@pigeonlove]

@@the.internet that is so old and unoriginal, you should go back to mummy and grow a pair of balls, might help you deal with the opinions of others

[@the.internet]

@@pigeonlove go choke on your pronouns, commie.

[@vxrbandit2527]

When Britain was our own country 😒😒😒 ( Only stating a true fact )

[@joannewootton8328]

True 👍

[@Glenn7719]

Cant knock the Sikhs, they've been part of the community for years, integrated and worked side by side with us. Not like other cultures who have turned up in recent years, make the place look like more of a shit hole, made areas become no goes after dark, put fuck all into the community and generally just take the piss. (facts)!

[@ravbindra917]

@@Glenn7719 Agree with you. I am punjabi born in the UK, gravesend is a dive now.

[@annonymous3948]

can I hear the theme of 'God save our Queen' in the background??

[@lennylaa1686]

Enoch was right.

[@noprizesforme4196]

Gravesend used to be an awesome place, but it's a terrible place now. Most of the south east is a toilet now.

[@mikekaraoke]

Most, I disagree some yes and some no!

[@dommidavros2211]

Sort out the bloody sound!!

[@keithrose6931]

Why ?

[@chrisgrayhorse8578]

No walking black bags

[@lennylaa1686]

oh no,.another multi-racial town,..but we did not vote for it, did we,..shocker..

[@memeagain4106]

fuck of fella!

[@freebornjohn6876]

I would definitely vote to get rid of all the racist pricks!

[@heathstjohn6775]

Indeed , yes. Post-Brexit , Britain's aspirations , I hope , are higher. Thank you.

[@berniehelsby3302]

Sister Kevin& her bosom bullies verse the Edwin street gang! Remember it well!!

[@mikekaraoke]

It was very controlled then, unlike now!

[@jseven9868]

Theyre all white

[@nihilistcentraluk442]

Sherlock

[@markwhite308]

Sorry, but did you watch the video?

[@heathstjohn6775]

Mostly ; back then , it was really British. Post-Brexit , it has retrospective aspirations .

[@SirBorisHayter]

You obviously didn't watch the video did you?

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

What, even the non-white people?? Wow!🙄

[@johnrawlins6147]

Load a shit now

[@neilyoung5029]

Never met anyone nice from there

[@mikekaraoke]

Really not one?? You went on the wrong day/time then!

[@johnhoffmanpaintings8512]

thats probably down to you.

[@neilyoung5029]

@@johnhoffmanpaintings8512 nope….it’s a racist shit hole and pretty much everyone I’ve ever met in Gravesend was a twunt….I’m sure you’re a top notch human being so well done you.

[@neilyoung5029]

@@mikekaraoke I’ve spent a great deal of wasted time there