After a lovely Easter Saturday at home
We headed out to the town of my birth
Chatham
To a place of local historical interest
And family historical interest
Chatham Dockyard
Most of my family
Worked at the dockyard in their time
Before it closed in 1984
The closure of the dockyard
Led to a real twist in the fate of the Medway towns
It is not the same now as when I lived there
We left in 1982
Returned for 18 months in 1986
Before leaving again for Germany
But my parents spent most of their lives in Gillingham
It is where we had our family home
And it will always hold a special place in my heart
My extended family are still in Medway
But my immediate family
Including me
Have all moved away
I always find it very emotional going back
And I am immensely proud that the dockyard is once again
The pulse of the towns
Providing a fantastic family attraction
And employing lots of local people
The regeneration of the Medway towns is happening
But for me it is always a step back in time when I visit
And perfect then that our visit on Easter Sunday
Was to The Chatham Dockyard Festival of Steam and Transport
As we entered the site we could see the vintage cars lined up
We could hear the sounds of the fifties and sixties
Coming from the old fashioned Chair O Plane
The place was packed with things to do and things to see
But it was not overly busy
The dockyard had a nice feel to it
In spite of the unfriendly weather
It had a definite family feel
The music reminded me of my childhood
So sharing the day with my sister was wonderful
My parents being there would have made it perfect
After a look along the lines of cars
We boarded a war ship for an explore
Esther and William called it a pirate ship
And were busy acting out all kinds of awesome adventures
After the ship we spent a lovely long time
Riding the Helter Skelter
And the steam carousel
Esther, William and I also braved the Ferris Wheel
On a very windy day!
We all loved the funfair
I was telling tales of the helter skelter
That used to be at The Strand
Do you remember that?
I was remembering my own childhood
While my children were making the most of theirs
They had a fabulous time
When the rain stopped outdoor play
We headed in to the soft play frame
Before coming back out with the sun
To the adventure park
One of the highlights of the day
Were the shows
The juggler and the giant balloon
Both picked out Uncle Hugh
As a willing volunteer
Esther and William loved the shows
And stood entranced throughout
Both performers were very engaging
We loved our day
Esther and William loved exploring the battle ship
HMS Cavalier
And they are already asking when we can go back
I think they fancy a picnic lunch in the mess!
This was our second visit to Chatham Historical Dockyard
And we will definitely be going back again
There is still so much more to explore!