Did you know that......In the 17th and 18th centuries, Margate was a main port of embarkation for the low countries. Several Kings, including Charles II, William III and George III, all used the port at times, for this purpose. The famous "Granville Express", which ran from Victoria to Thanet for over half a century did the journey in a little over 90 minutes in the pre 1914 period. In 1839, the great Victorian Engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, brought one of the first screw propelled steam ships, "the Archimedes" into Ramsgate Harbour. Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison came to Nethercourt Flying Ground (now a housing estate) in Ramsgate, July 1932. The Thanet Trams, a feature of the Island since the turn of the last century, made their final trips on the night of Wednesday March 27th 1937. Last cars in each direction were driven by the Mayors of the towns through which they passed, with the Town Clerks as Conductors! Westgate, in the 1870's was the first place in England to test street lighting by electricity. The Village of Sarre was once a thriving little Port and a limb of Sandwich in the Cinque Ports confederation. At Sarre was the ferry to the mainland across the Wantsum Channel. This stretch of water was said the 700 yards wide in the 8th Century and able to be bridged in the reign of Henry VII. The road from Upstreet into Sarre is built partly on an ancient wall, a causeway constructed in the 15th Century after the Wantsum Channel dried up. Birchington too, was once a member of the Cinque Ports confederation in the middle ages, being a limb of Dover. The oldest place name in the village is Brooksend, mentioned in the records 1148 A.D. Thanet's first Justice's of the peace were appointed in 1811, when an act was obtained to facilitate the execution of Justice within the Cinque Ports. Before this, all business, parochial and otherwise, was referred to Sandwich. In the reign of good Queen Bess, there were 98 inhabited houses in St Lawrence (including Ramsgate), St Peter's had 186 and Minster 53. The first "Jacob's Ladder" at Ramsgate Harbour, was erected in 1754 in order to facilitate communication with the West Pier. It was designed and constructed in wood by Jacob Steed, a carpenter, and although subsequently built in stone, still bears the name. Cecil Square in Margate, built in 1769 by several Gentleman, Sir Edward hales, Sir John Shaw and Mr Cecil, after whom it is named. Pegwell, in the mid Victorian era was advertised as "Thanet's Premier Resort". -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.5/302 - Release Date: 4/5/06