The East Kent Centre of The Caravan Club was inaugurated on the 9th October 1965 Click here. The founding Chairman was a gentleman named Edward Bennion. As yet not much is known about the first three chairmen.
A little more is known about East Kents fourth chairman, Charles Smith. He lived in Boundary Road, Sidcup with his wife Florrie. They ran the Easter fixture in 1970, at Lingfield Racecourse.
Programme: Friday: Social and Supper at 7pm. Tickets 7/6.
Saturday: Theatre, 10/-.
Sunday: Whist and Beetle Drive for all ages – Free
The summer holiday rally that year was at Folkestone, it was Fixture No 102 and the Site was The Hillside County Secondary School for Boys, in Park Farm. The rally ran from Friday 7th – Monday 17th August and the Fixture fee was 6/- a night or £2.0.0 for the whole period! There were 22 fixtures in the 1970 handbook.
The Centre Rules are pretty much the same then as now with the exception of rule 13…
Milk bottles must be returned !!!
The AGM rally was held at Westlands School Sittingbourne, on Oct.2-4th but Saturday evening there was a Dinner/Dance at Coniston Hotel, and you returned there Sunday morning, 10am for the AGM.
The Chairman in 1973 was Geoff Dilnot, who came from Canterbury. Geoff’s wife Betty ran the Valentine Supper Dance at Wye Village hall, this was the first meeting of the season but WITHOUT vans ! By now we are talking NEW money, and the Supper (at 7pm Prompt) followed by dancing until 11.30pm was the princely sum of 50p per Adult, 25p per child.
Our thanks to Alison Palmer for starting to trace the history of the East Kent centre. We are really keen to compile the full history, stories and photos.
If you can help, please see Kevin Bailey on a rally.
Charity
Over the years, East Kent Members have raised large sums of money for both local and national charities. Listed below is a summary of amounts collected since 1998
Youth Adult
1998 £1600 £1690
1999 £2337 £0 Centre fund raising
2000 £2333 £1767
2001 £3500 £2912
2002 £1564 £2047
2003 £1970 £2366
2004 £2600 £1920
2005 £1765 £0 Centre fund raising
2006 £2204 £1160
2007 £1500 £2725
2008 £2500 £2100
2009 £2130 + £600 events £2160 St John Ambulance
Total £29003 £20847
£49850
PAST CHAIRMEN photos
1966 Edward Bennion
1967 / 68 George King
1969 Hugh Jones
1970 / 71 Charles Smith
1972 / 73 Geoff Dilnot
1974 / 75 John Sussex
1976 / 77 Harry Jorgensen
1978 / 79 Les Payne
1980 / 81 Henry Holmes
1982 / 83 Jim Wady
1984 / 85 Ken Green
1986 / 87 Ian Boughton
1988 / 89 Bill Hulbert
1990 / 91 Mike Bailey
1992 / 93 Gerry Miller
1994 / 95 John Vigor
1996 / 97 Delia Wright
1998 / 99 Terry Perkins
2000 / 01 Keith Miller
2002 / 03 Brian Taylor
2004 / 05 Bob Watt
2006 / 07 Peter Newman
2008 / 09 Darren Charnock
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