Back in Time

Back in Time


 Sylvia McKean

 “As I’m writing this I think of the phrase “I’ll do that in just a minute” – well now I have that minute, and many more.”

My background is Local History; researching and writing stories about past people, places and events has been my passion for many years. For over fifteen years I have focused on Herne and Broomfield - the area of my family roots. 
I therefore plan to spend some of my time in isolation writing creatively; completing projects and researching and writing new ones.

Back in Time: Herne Street 1920's/1930's? Not a Car in Sight

In 2017 my work on the military and family history on the sixty-six men on Herne’s First World War Memorial - *Herne’s Heroes, was published.  During the ten years it took me to research it I collected much information about the area in this period which I did not include in the book.  I am consequently using this material plus quite a few more items for a new book with the title, Herne’s Homefront in the First World War. Although the First World War is well out of living memory, there are still stories to be written. The current article I‘m writing for this new book is about the post war demise of one of Herne’s public houses and its publican, an ex-soldier discharged as wounded from the Army in 1918, whose future – along with his Pub was in jeopardy.  With just a name, no age or personal information other than he had experience in bar-work, to go on, I have managed to uncover some interesting details about his family background,  although the final part of this story is proving more problematic – a work in progress!

My New Project

2020 is the 80th anniversary of The Battle of Britain - some of which took place over the skies of Herne Bay.  I have the name of an RAF Pilot Officer who in 1940 crash landed his Hurricane aircraft in a farmer’s field near the Share and Coulter.  Born in Scotland, he came from a distinguished family and I am discovering his story of how his plane was wrecked but miraculously he walked away with just a few bruises.
Finally, still with a focus on creative writing, I have decided to keep a diary of my time in isolation – I’m one of the shielded ones so don’t expect to be liberated for some time, keeping a diary I imagine will be therapeutic.  Although I have always used a diary for meetings, birthdays and the like, I have never kept a written daily account before. I plan to illustrate it with appropriate pictures and cuttings.  I’ll have the freedom to write in an unhindered way with no-one to edit the too many commas, semi-colons and exclamation marks I’m very fond of using!

As well as giving me a reason to be creative (although I don’t really need a reason), it will be a personal record of my day-to-day life, my thoughts and observations in these previously unimaginable days we are living through.  I hope one day my diary will become part of our family history archive.  I say me, however as I write I am reminded of Mrs Dale’s Diary one of my mother’s favourite radio programmes of the 1960’s.   It was a radio ‘soap’ about a middle class London family’s daily activities in which Mrs Dale often referred to her husband Jim who was a doctor – I find myself doing the same as my husband is also Jim, although he is not a doctor.


What have I already written about?   Spending time looking out of my kitchen window at the birds I feed every day; the robin who greets me every morning from the garden table; the numerous sparrows and starlings;  the pair of collared doves resting on the fence;  in fact quite a few pairs visit my garden at the moment including blackbirds and wood pigeons with their offspring.  It is like a veritable Noah’s Ark, especially one day about four weeks ago when it rained solidly for a whole day and night (thankfully not forty) and the garden became a pond.  (And yes, before you ask, I do talk to them!)
Then there is the weather, another of my favourite topics; from the front  windows of my house I can see the beautiful sunsets across to the Isle of Sheppey and beyond.   I search for words to translate them into pictures.

I’ve remembered that great performer whom we recently lost, Sir Roy Hudd who died on the March 15th aged 83.  I always admired him for his  knowledge and passion for the old Music Hall days.  I quote part of Rory Bremner’s tribute; 
“The lovely Roy Hudd embodied a whole strand of the DNA of British comedy ……A living museum, full of joy, humour and enthusiasm. A great life and a great loss”.

I also remember Bill Withers, the American singer and songwriter  known for his smooth baritone vocals, who died on March 30th aged 81.  Described as a ‘soul legend’ he wrote some of the best-remembered 1970s arrangements including, Just The Two of us and Lovely Day.  His family described him as; “a "solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world".
His song Lean On Me has recently become associated with the Coronavirus pandemic, with many people posting their own versions to support Health Workers, which brings me sharply back into focus as to why I am writing this blog.

Keep Safe.
My diary entries are already looking very busy – I just hope I’ll have enough time in each day to keep writing! 
Sylvia McKean
April 4th 2020
 *  Herne’s Heroes Remembering the Fallen on Herne’s First World War Memorial is still available from the author.