Memories of Sandgate.

I spent 25 very happy years living in Sandgate - a small coastal village in Kent.

It was Mr. Martin from the sweet shop that I met on the very narrow stairs when the library was above the Old Fire Station. We were both pretty substantial figures and he said "You know, Mrs. Bowler, they say it is bad luck to pass on the stairs - but I think we would be lucky if we could."

One of the vicar's many hobbies was making beer. He suddenly lost a lot of weight and when I asked him how he did it he replied in sepulchral tones "Mrs. Bowler, the vicarage brewery is now closed."

We met Mrs. Jago at the bus stop. She was a stalwart at the scout jumble sales. She mystified my 8 year old son by telling us she had just been to the Scout Hut and bought a lovely gazunda with roses on.

When I was running the Sunday School the youngest child was a little 4 year old girl called Susannah who came with her older brother. The children's favourite hymn was "Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings". It had a rousing chorus. Susannah was too shy to speak for the first two weeks. On the third week I thought I must get her to say something so I announced "I'm going to ask Susannah to choose a hymn. What will it be?" She said, very quietly "Sing Susannah."