Inside This Issue: Stories to Surprise, Stir and Delight

The Two Lives of Gordon
Hero of Khartoum or humble benefactor? Andrew Rootes uncovers the surprising time General Charles Gordon spent in Gravesend, helping ‘gutter boys’ and teaching at a ragged school.

Hands Off King Henry’s Orchards!
Did Henry VIII’s strawberry obsession sow the seeds of Kent’s fruit-growing fame? Mike Gunnill charts the royal link to Teynham’s orchards—and the modern threat from developers.

Happy Landings
An ultra-rare Short Scion aircraft is reborn—then ‘lands’ in Rochester Cathedral. Discover the moving story of this Medway-built plane, lovingly restored by volunteers.

Milko!
Richard Terry takes us back to the heyday of Weston Brothers Dairies, when Thanet’s milkmen were local heroes and every bottle told a story.

Lord Haw-Haw’s Spy Boat
In a tale worthy of John le Carré, Mike Gunnill reveals how infamous Nazi propagandist William Joyce had a cruiser secretly refitted in Conyer—possibly to spy for Hitler.

South Foreland Soirées
Notre-Dame’s famed organist had his British debut in Kent—but not before some eccentric prep at the White Cliffs. Paul Tritton tells a tale of music, motors and mistresses.

Army v Toffs
Mud, boots and glory! Christine Rayner recalls a time when Royal Engineers from Chatham gave Eton’s finest a proper drubbing on the football field.

Go Inland
Think Thanet’s just beaches? Think again. We guide you to lesser-known inland gems waiting to be explored.

The Past Stolen, the Future Lost
Christopher de Coulon Berthoud laments the decline of one Medway town—and what it says about our attitude to heritage.

For Sale: Britain’s Oldest Bungalow?
Could this unique home be yours? A curious Kentish listing with more than a century of stories to tell.