New! Re-live the Holiday Camp experience with this 8mm film from a school journey in 1967!
History
The Allnatt Group, which still runs residential centres for children, have some interesting information about the early years of St Mary’s Bay Holiday Camp on their web site, reproduced below:
“The organisation was founded over 80 years ago in 1924 by Joseph Allnatt, a visionary and entrepreneur. He bought a disused aerodrome in St Mary’s Bay, Kent and converted it into a Residential Centre for Schools during the summer and ran it as a Turkey farm during the winter!
St Mary’s Bay Holiday Camp, as it was initially called, was incredibly successful right from the start. The purpose behind it was to provide a safe and enlightened venue where children from different backgrounds could be brought together to mix and make friends, and thus, break down the class structure which otherwise divided them.
The Camp was huge, accommodating over a thousand children per week engaged in a vast programme of outdoor activities, in the extensive grounds and visits into the surrounding countryside. A highlight of the week was the Campfire and Sing Song attended on occasions by the Duke of York, as pictured in the early Newsletters. Later Royalty included the Princess Royal and the Crown Prince of Norway, who with heavy bodyguard presence, managed to complete a Geography Field Trip each!
By the 1950’s the organisation had become a Limited Company, Joseph Allnatt Centres Limited, and it was time to move on and provide accommodation which was suitable all year round and not in such vast numbers in one place. The Camp was sold and over the next ten years six smaller Centres were opened around the country in accommodation ranging from Hotels to Mansion Houses to a Grammar School.” © Allnatt Group
In the 1960s and 70s, St Mary’s Bay Holiday Camp was known as the School Journey Centre, and parties of schoolchildren from around the country would stay for a week or two to explore Romney Marsh, Rye, Folkestone, Dover and the other interesting places nearby.
The camp was demolished in September 1976 [thanks to EB for the information] the early 1980s [if anyone has a more precise date and/or photos of the demolition, please, as always, let us know!] and the site was cleared. The beach shop on the corner of Jefferstone Lane was also demolished.
A housing estate now stands on the site, although when I visited in 1999, the original (and now rather uneven) railings along the Dymchurch Road had been retained, seen below in a still from a video clip – how many people would spot them for what they were as they passed by?
Below are two original key fobs for the dormitory named “Jubilee” that were rescued by my father before the camp was demolished. Note the unorthodox spelling in the smaller one – rather unfortunate for a “school” journey centre…!
Memories of the Holiday Camp
Here are some memories of the Holiday Camp sent in by kind readers. Stories such as these and photographs of the area are always welcome and gratefully received!
The following (reproduced from the website of Springwood Primary School in Liverpool) gives a fascinating contemporary account of their trip to St Mary’s Bay in 1962. The photographs show the interior of a dormitory and the dining hall at the Holiday Camp. If anyone has better interior photos, please let us know!
“Two coaches were reserved on the 9.30 a.m. relief train from Lime Street to Euston, where we were met by three buses and taken to St. Mary’s Bay.
On the journey through London we saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral. For many of the children, this was their first glimpse of London and these sights were the first of many thrills that they were to experience during the week.
On the return journey the buses came through London by a different route, so the children were able to see Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
THE WEEK’S ACTIVITIES
The week’s activities were carefully planned before we went to Camp, and included visits to Canterbury and Dover. At Canterbury the party was split into groups and shown over the Cathedral by several interesting and well-informed guides.
Just before the end of term, the campers had paid a visit to our own cathedral, so they were able to make the comparison between old and new.
At Dover Castle the children spent over an hour inspecting the armour and ancient weapons in the Keep, before being conducted on an exciting tour of the earthworks. Later the children saw the famous white cliffs and the cross-Channel termini. Journeys were made on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, the smallest of its kind in the country, and on one of these occasions the children visited Dungeness Lighthouse and saw the lifeboat.
One afternoon was spent in nearby Folkestone.
Organised bathing parties, games and walks kept the children occupied for the remainder of the time.
On Sunday morning we joined many other parties at the Camp in a church service. Following tradition, we had a farewell concert in the Camp Hall on the last night, when party games and group items made the time pass all too quickly. At the close of the concert we presented awards to the outstanding campers of the week. Throughout the week, the weather was perfect and we were able to do everything that we had planned.
ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
The children were all accommodated in the same building, which was divided into two sections, each having washrooms and toilets at one end. At the other end were quarters for the Staff, a very convenient arrangement for supervision. The children slept on camp beds. Outside the hut was a large playing field, so full use was made of the sports equipment that we had taken with us.
The food was satisfactory, but far from good. Adequate packed lunches were provided on the days that we went to Dover and Canterbury.”
Peter writes of his memories in the 1950s and sends a photo:
“I stayed at St Mary’s Bay Camp for two weeks in July 1955. My school at the time was Cooper’s Companys in Bow London E3. I along with other school kids had been paying in to go to Kirkcudbright in Scotland for two weeks. As the time to go drew nearer however, we learnt that the teacher who had been arranging the trip and collecting the money had completely disappeared along with all the money. We were offered at short notice the alternative of St Mary’s Bay and although somewhat disappointed, most accepted and had a pretty great time there, meeting up with some French children also staying there.
From what I can remember we were given a pretty free reign to do much what we wanted and were trusted to go out and about on our own. The attached photo is all that I can find with me on the left with two of my school chums within the confines of the camp.”
Both me and my brother stayed here in the summer 1962. We were leaving our jounier school St Wilfreds R.C Hulme Manchester. I remember it was early Saturday morning we left it was a warm sunny day it took all day to get there. The last stop before we arrived we had a picnic , I remember stepping from the sharrabang and looking across a field of red poppies. A memory I will never forget.
On the Sunday we decided to have a game of cricket the school supplied the sports equipment. I was playing with a stump and it had a brass point, I was throwing it into the grass the second throw missed and stuck into my big toe. My holiday was over before it began.
I would have been about ten years old (ca 1964) when my class from Holwell School (Welwyn Garden City) attended St Mary’s Bay School Camp.
I have a vague memory of the time there, other than moments like winning a sand sculpture competition. My race car won me two bob, which I thought was a million quid.
I was at st Mary’s bay back in 72.73 74.the only thing I have left to remember it is a post card.which I still have.the swimming pool was great even though it was outside.the mini railway was fabulous to ride on .the disco once a week.plus that little corner shop for the trinkets to buy and take home and of course the Corona hut where we all bought the bottles of fizz then took them back to get 10p we met groups from all walks of life the fairest being Egypt. Fell in love had fun we were from west London. We were the Czech kids every year for two weeks. My sister also went her time was the 60s.miss it loved it. Fond memories.oh and the cocoa collected every evening for every hut.
I went to St. Mary’s Bay also in the early 70’s with the Anglo-Czech club. It was such a memorable time. I do remember the disco’s as well. We may have been in the same group. So sad they knocked it down.
Robert did you have the Cz Priest Fr Jan Lang with you on any of your trips ?
I was a young teacher helping with the group….
Are you Czech ? One of the children of those heroes who joined The Allies in WW2 ?
Did you attend VELEHRAD centre in London ?
feel free to RSVP to my email mimichanova@gmail.com
Visited in 1971 with a group of 11 year olds from Carshalton High School for Girls. Remember the dorms and the dining hall and being homesick!
Visited Dungeness on the little train and had a tour of parts of the power station! Visited Hythe too. Vague memories really…must go and find old photos. We are returning to the area next month…wonder if I’ll recognise anything?
I have fond memories of my holiday at St. Mary’s campsite in 1957. It was a great experience and a big thanks to Smallwood Road School in London SW17. The adventure was led by a couple of great teachers, Mr. Holland and Miss Adams. I had fun and got to know many of the other kids a lot better outside of the classroom environment. I remember having a youthful crush on my classmates Lynn Goode and Marie Fowles. Alas, unrequited love ! !
I remember outings to the little train, the Martello towers on the coast, Dungeness lighthouse, the Honeysuckle pig farm (what a stink).
Visited St. Mary’s camp in either 1970 or 1971 with my primary school St. Joseph’s, Wembley, London. I was either eight or nine.
Some great memories and lessons in life learned from our head teacher Keith Bowker. He instilled the ‘Do unto others as you would do unto yourself’ ethic, which has served as excellent grounding for my life.
Our teacher Terry Williams also had a big impact on us, another great and ethical guy. Two great teachers who were genuinely good people concerned with the future of us all.
I had a snapshot camera and still have photos from this school camp. I can still remember the trips to Dungeness and Cantebury, and even my classmate, the gorgeous Susan Lyons who I had the biggest crush on.
Hi, I’m Peter and visited St. Mary’s Bay I think in 1969 while attending Alexandra Junior School, Hounslow. The teachers in charge were Mr Fairweather and Mrs. Williams. It was a good week and I still have lots of cherished memories. Thinking back after all these years it was quite an austere experience and the food certainly wasn’t gourmet. But it was all part of the rich tapestry of life.
My name is Valerie and I attended the holiday camp with my school Echleford primary school ashford middx in 1954/1955
It was my first time away from my home and I remember all the wonderful places we visited
My two most vivid memories are no sugar for porridge and the nightly eerie reading over the loud speaker of Dr Syn by Russell Thorndike I could hardly wait for the next episode
Life was so simple then ho hum
How amazing! I went to Echelford as well! I was there from 76 to 79! Do you have any photos?
Unfortunately no but when I’m in the uk I take the train to London and there is the school still standing
I’m not sure what it’s used for now
I lived in St Mary’s Bay in 1950-1952 and have many memories of it. My father worked in a bakery there and our house was literally attached to the bakery so we could smell the fresh bread every morning.
I especially remember 1952 when there was a terrible storm in the Channel and someone knocking on the door at around 3am as they needed all the able men to help to ensure the sea did not breech the sea wall.
There was a small shop and I remember going in with the ration book to get various items. When I was in the UK in 2007 I visited the town and noticed that the bakery had gone but is still remembered in the name of the street of houses.
In summer it was good living there but in winter it was isolated and cold.
Hi Angela
Just read your post dated 3 Feb 2021 my family move to a house called The Venture attached to Marshlands Bakery in1953 could this be the house you lived in. My dad worked in the bakery as a roundsman his name was Harold Rodgers
Our group was from the music and dance class at Heston School and we visited during a freezing cold half term in 1962. We were a small group of 20 so joined others in sports and won nothing. I led in the sack race but had a fall that took me off to the medical centre. We lost a fight with kids from up North. I remember cold showers weak orange squash and cocoa. Luncheon meat sandwiches on trips and no sugar at breakfast. It was too cold for a sea dip but I did enjoy the RHD railway with all its stops to visit the Dr.Syn locations, so we went on lots of different trains. The story scared me each night so I snuggled down under the army blankets with my jumper on over my pyjamas to stay warm. A very character building week a teacher would say. But we did get our own back on those northern kids they had to watch us Morris Dance in the concert hall now that was painful!!
Our school, Brampton Primary School in East Ham, visited annually. My year must have been 1972 or thereabouts. I think it was Mr Baker who took us. We all slept in a dorm like an army camp would have been set up. I remember there being a centre or small building where they had a bunch of learning materials for us to either work with on site or carry out on visits. We had to collect stuff from the beach and make posters. My first time to see a “mermaid’s purse”, since we didn’t have any beaches in East Ham. We went to Canterbury Cathedral of course, plus Dover Castle. Rye was a pretty town. We went to Dungeness lighthouse near the nuclear power plant. I do remember the small railway. I also fell in love with Christine at the time….:)
I visited in 1976, one of a group of Trainee teachers from Yorkshire. We stayed in rooms for 2 with bunk beds and there was a lot of climbing in through windows as we only had one key per room and we were not necessarily doing the same activities as our room mates.
When I went home I was talking to my Dad about the places I’d been while there and much to my surprise he told me that he had stayed there as a schoolkid – I don’t recall when but it would have been in the 1920s or 30s.
Reading about the place here I have realised that our visit – early summer 1976 – must only have been a fee months before the place closed