At 5:50 I was able to witness my nan and grandads sweet shop on the corner of St. Paul's street just next to the red road works sign. The shop closed down shortly after I was born (due to the unfortunate passing of my nan) and I have always wondered what it looked like. I lived in that house for 15 years of my life and to see how it was before and to see what it has become has bought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much.
Hi Charlie. Was your nan and grandads shop called 'Dots Shop'? I lived in Staple Close until 1991 and my mum would often take my sister and I to the corner shop to buy sweets and rice pudding! I remember a lovely lady called 'Dot' there. I have very happy memories of going to the shop when I was a young child :-)
Would be great for someone to take a modern video of this exact route today so that in the future we can see the different stages of development (seeing as it's all about to change again)
Chris Adams I lived in Colchester years ago and there are videos taken in the mid Eighties of the town with updated videos shot in about 2012... As you say, someone should do the same with this video.
Thank you for this of course. Although I live near Dartford now as I did then, we would sometimes go down to the area along the A2 road on the way to the sea, rather than taking the M2 motorway. Having been through the Medway area, you would then come to here before going onto Faversham of course. Well done though too!
Loved this video, i was born there in 1964 We immigrated to Adelaide Sth Australia in 1971 I came back home in 1983 /84 . This has brought back some terrific memories Thank you, Jaine
I really enjoyed this. Thanks for uploading. I think it was probably shot on a Sunday. You can really tell how Sunday trading laws changed the face of Britain. Before Sunday trading most people stayed at home with their families on a Sunday.
Fabulous. I enjoyed watching this. I grew up in Sheerness. We used to drive over to Sittingbourne a lot to see my aunt and uncle. I would have been 12 when this was shot. Lots has changed, but lots is also just the same.
I found this by accident and love it! I was born in Chatham in 1973 and lived in Medway for most of my childhood. I used to go shopping in Sittingbourne back in the early '80's and this really brought back memories. Love the cars!
Wow, loved the old style cars, the street looks so clean and less cars on the roads, i moved back in 98 and from one end to the other side of Sittingbounre, Was born in Rainham then moved here.The high street looks way better then now.
My old home town, which I left in 1972. It was a good place to grow up in and go to school (Borden GS) and it still had a country coaching town character, now long gone. The town suffered from some of the cheapest and nastiest modern developments from the 60s onwards (is their anything more repulsive than the Co-op building on the corner of Station Street, for instance). Great piece of history and thank you for going past our house in Park Road.
this is amazing, found it by accident. I was born in Sittingbourne but left in the early 90's. I lived in Milton and saw my parents house at 6.49 on the video. At the time of the video I was living in that house. A friend lived in Park Rd and I'm sure I saw his car too. This has brought back many memories. Now I get back to Sittingbourne once a year and it certainly has changed over the years !!
Right at the start is real close to my house, and have been going all around those roads for years, so really interesting to see everything 37 years ago, and not just my block but the high street and everything. Thanks!
Wow Caroline, what a shock to hear the voice of my 1st ever boss! Lol David had employed me the previous year at Southern Litho and tormented me on a daily basis with that wicked sense of humour of his, of course I was a lot younger and naive then but I still think of those days with a big smile! Thank you for making me smile and making me feel old!
Just like a previous post " You have made my day" I moved to the area in 2000 and you featured my house in your footage fair and square 15 years prior to me buying it - Amazing, thank you very much !
What a fantastic upload! You've made my other's day (being a local all her life) and was getting the commentary of what things/places are now. Personally I'm amazed how Park Road has no wing mirrors on the floor (where the cars were thinner) and you could pass with ease! 30 years ago, that camera must have been a small fortune, but to film bits like this and keep them, I can't imagine what personal gems you have and the pleasure watching your tapes.
I'm guessing this is your Dad driving. A lovely memory for you with the mention your nursery. Thanks for uploading. I really enjoyed seeing the town as I did when I was a child.
That was awesome seeing Sittingbourne back in the good old days. I remember so many places i used to go as a child. This would be for kids of South Avenue schools, shame no visit to "the puggy", i don't know if it's there any more? HAPPY DAYS, will come back one day for a look around to see what's not there any more!
Holy!! I grew up in Sittingbourne through the 80's but haven't been there in almost 10 years... I remember most of this though; my dad worked at the paper mill and I went to Fulston Manor. No mention of that though ; )
What a wonderful video! (I don’t know the area at all). Very prescient to video it for memories! Just interesting to see days gone by that are really still oddly familiar! How empty the roads and pavements are, is this a Sunday? I was 12 and I’m sure there were more cars then!
Surprised at how little has changed - traffic lights in Bell Lane, a few new buildings but pretty much the same - so many parked cars these days though. Yes, Sittingbourne is a dump, but it's my home town, and I have a soft spot for it (no idea why).
Intriguing video. High tech for an amateur at the time. Purpose of film is not clear. It looks as though it was filmed to be uploaded to the internet, but that obviously can't be the case. Even the voiceover gives that impression. Bit strange really. I suppose it was made to be show to friends and family.
I traced that route on Street View. I found out that today, it is impossible to make that left turn into the High Street at 3:04 (or, for that matter, even drive west on the High Street at all). The evidence: www.google.com/maps/@51.3392018,0.7406009,3a,75y,289.53h,73.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQVwRaIrV3ZZz79AZEr1ZMw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1 (note "no entry" signs)
Thanks for sharing Caroline, great to see how things were in Sittingbourne. We've just posted a video showing the latest phase of the Spirit of Sittingbourne work on the road layout by Sittingbourne station - view the video here :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1vvHZ8YPs0Q.html
Sittingbourne born and bread. This is a fake town nowadays ain't it. I believe I'm the only one left. That everyone's dead and im the only one. Help me 90s
