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Read More »THE BEATLES
THE BEATLES are generally recognised as comprising John Lennon (1940 – 1980), Paul McCartney (1942 – ), George Harrison (1943 – 2001) and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey, 1940 – ). The rock band was formed in 1960, although the individuals started playing skiffle in the late fifties. The original line-up did not include Starr, who joined in 1962. The Beatles continued as one of the foremost rock bands in the world until their break up which started in 1970. During their existence they published 12 albums in the UK and the Magical Mystery Tour in America. In 1970 their song Let it be won an Oscar for the best original song score. Amongst their many other awards were 15 Ivor Novello awards. As well as being an album, the Magical Mystery Tour was also released as a 52 minute film. It was first shown on BBC1 on 26 December 1967 and was largely filmed at West Malling airfield, at the time a de-commissioned RAF airfield and now Kings Hill. Shortly after the beginning of the film, Ringo Starr went into a newsagent and bought tickets for the Magical Mystery Tour for himself and his “Aunt Jessie” from John Lennon. That newsagent was the Town Newsagency, then at 90 High Street, West Malling. For more information, click here....
Read More »FREDA BARTON
Ellen Esther HILL was born in 1867 and married Fred BARTON in 1891. Living with his widowed mother in West Malling, Freda and her husband moved to Hadlow in 1893 and became interested in professional photography. In 1903 she became a firm friend of the notable London photographer, Henry Snowden WARD. An early member of the Royal Photographic Society, he was her mentor and instrumental in the improvement of her photography. Between 1898-1905, Freda took many photographs of her family and friends, and in the Hadlow area. Being in demand and needing a larger property to work from, she moved, with her husband and three sons, to this house in 1905 which they rented. She set herself up as a commercial photographer under the name of Mrs Fred BARTON until her husband died in 1927, then as Freda BARTON Photographer until her death in 1940. Her photographs include local gentry, their houses and a wide variety of subjects of exceptional quality in and around West Malling. The Freda Barton Collection is one of the very best portfolios of commercial photographs between the late 1890’s and late 1930’s providing a record of the social history of West MaIling for future generations. For more information,...
Read More »ARETAS AKERS
ARETAS AKERS, born in October 1851, spent his early childhood at St Mary’s Abbey, West Malling, his grandmother’s home. His father was the local parson. He was Home Secretary between 1905 and 1908, and was a Conservative MP for East Kent constituencies from 1880 until 1911. He was the Chief Whip in Conservative governments between 1885 to 1892, an era of party splits and high political tension over Irish Home Rule. In 1911 he was created 1st Viscount Chilston, taking the name from his country seat, Chilston Park, which he had inherited in 1875, along with the additional surname of Douglas. Akers-Douglas was a significant figure in his party for over thirty years, an able administrator who is credited with improving party discipline from the 1880s onwards. He was a friend of Lord Randolph Churchill, and corresponded with Lord Salisbury and Queen Victoria, as well as writing the nightly parliamentary letter to Edward VII during Balfour’s premiership. After 1911 he retired almost entirely from public life, and he died in London in 1926. More...
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