Notable People
John Romney Mather, Spitfire Pilot
On Sunday, 27th October, 1940 at 8.30 a.m., a Spitfire MkII flown by Pilot Officer John Mather, 66 Squadron Gravesend, crashed and... more ...
Brian Goodale, Dambuster
Brian Goodale was born in Hildenborough, Kent on 12 June 1919 and joined the RAF at the outbreak of war. After training as an observer....more ...
Heinrich Agel, Air Gunner
A crippled German Junkers Ju88A bomber crash-landed in a field at Tanyard Farm, Hadlow Road, Tonbridge. One of the crew baled out ....more....
John Henry Johnson, of Mountains, (1827-1900), by Caroline Sherwood
John Henry Johnson was born in Kendal on 27 July 1827. His father, James Johnson, (born 1796, also in Kendal), married Ann Yate, on 28 March 1819. James’ parents were William Johnson and Agnes Airey (both born 1760). John Henry’s father died young [i] so he and his two elder brothers had to make their way as best they could. As a young man, John Henry was... more.....
On Sunday, 27th October, 1940 at 8.30 a.m., a Spitfire MkII flown by Pilot Officer John Mather, 66 Squadron Gravesend, crashed and... more ...
Brian Goodale, Dambuster
Brian Goodale was born in Hildenborough, Kent on 12 June 1919 and joined the RAF at the outbreak of war. After training as an observer....more ...
Heinrich Agel, Air Gunner
A crippled German Junkers Ju88A bomber crash-landed in a field at Tanyard Farm, Hadlow Road, Tonbridge. One of the crew baled out ....more....
John Henry Johnson, of Mountains, (1827-1900), by Caroline Sherwood
John Henry Johnson was born in Kendal on 27 July 1827. His father, James Johnson, (born 1796, also in Kendal), married Ann Yate, on 28 March 1819. James’ parents were William Johnson and Agnes Airey (both born 1760). John Henry’s father died young [i] so he and his two elder brothers had to make their way as best they could. As a young man, John Henry was... more.....
Memories of Hildenborough
Memories of Hildenborough School by Geoff Calderhead
In September 1951 my happy life spent at home with my Mum was turned upside down when, aged four years and eleven months, I had to join my big sister Monica at Hildenborough Primary School. I don’t remember much about my first day apart from holding tightly to my mother’s hand as we walked across the (what seemed to me, huge) playground and then.... more.....
A typical day at Hildenborough School in the late 1940’s by Joy Dolling (née Burgess)
I was at Hildenborough Church of England Primary School from the age of 4 years 2 months until I was 11 years and 5 months. There were three classes, when I started, the infants taught by Miss Swallow, middle juniors taught by Mrs. Gwyther and top juniors taught by the headmaster..... more.....
Club Cottages by Toni & Nigel Simpkins
The cottages (numbers 5 – 8) began life as one house. English Heritage, when they visited to List the cottages in the late 1980’s estimated the main building as dating from the 16th Century, possibly earlier. The Victorians carried out....more...
My Memories of Hildenborough by Carol Hayward
It would seem that many of my age remember the 1947 winter as their first recollection. I was born in 1944, in Faversham, but moved to a cottage at the top of River Hill overlooking Knole Park. That winter, my father saw a rabbit try to... more ...
My Memories of Hildenborough by Roger Hayward
I was born in Cornwall in 1942 and lived there until just after the war. My mother is Cornish and my father has Cornish blood although... more ...
Hildenborough Memories by Carol Miller
I was born in 1944 and lived in the flat above the butcher’s shop on the corner of Riding Lane, Hildenborough. The shop was owned and run by my grandfather... more ...
Wartime Memories by Nancy Ashwell
The text of a short talk to Tonbridge Civic Society in 2007 by Miss Nancy Ashwell - (born in the mid-thirties, the house she lived in was number 20 Coldharbour Lane, which her mother had built. The adjacent house, number 22 "The Croft" was built as the Gardener's house). .....more.....
The Fire Girls of 1943-44 by Mrs CM Baker
In 1943 I went to Hildenborough to attend a teacher training college which had been evacuated, from Deptford, to Hollanden Park, Coldharbour Lane. As I was already trained as a "fireguard" I joined the college's fire-fighting team... more.....
In September 1951 my happy life spent at home with my Mum was turned upside down when, aged four years and eleven months, I had to join my big sister Monica at Hildenborough Primary School. I don’t remember much about my first day apart from holding tightly to my mother’s hand as we walked across the (what seemed to me, huge) playground and then.... more.....
A typical day at Hildenborough School in the late 1940’s by Joy Dolling (née Burgess)
I was at Hildenborough Church of England Primary School from the age of 4 years 2 months until I was 11 years and 5 months. There were three classes, when I started, the infants taught by Miss Swallow, middle juniors taught by Mrs. Gwyther and top juniors taught by the headmaster..... more.....
Club Cottages by Toni & Nigel Simpkins
The cottages (numbers 5 – 8) began life as one house. English Heritage, when they visited to List the cottages in the late 1980’s estimated the main building as dating from the 16th Century, possibly earlier. The Victorians carried out....more...
My Memories of Hildenborough by Carol Hayward
It would seem that many of my age remember the 1947 winter as their first recollection. I was born in 1944, in Faversham, but moved to a cottage at the top of River Hill overlooking Knole Park. That winter, my father saw a rabbit try to... more ...
My Memories of Hildenborough by Roger Hayward
I was born in Cornwall in 1942 and lived there until just after the war. My mother is Cornish and my father has Cornish blood although... more ...
Hildenborough Memories by Carol Miller
I was born in 1944 and lived in the flat above the butcher’s shop on the corner of Riding Lane, Hildenborough. The shop was owned and run by my grandfather... more ...
Wartime Memories by Nancy Ashwell
The text of a short talk to Tonbridge Civic Society in 2007 by Miss Nancy Ashwell - (born in the mid-thirties, the house she lived in was number 20 Coldharbour Lane, which her mother had built. The adjacent house, number 22 "The Croft" was built as the Gardener's house). .....more.....
The Fire Girls of 1943-44 by Mrs CM Baker
In 1943 I went to Hildenborough to attend a teacher training college which had been evacuated, from Deptford, to Hollanden Park, Coldharbour Lane. As I was already trained as a "fireguard" I joined the college's fire-fighting team... more.....
