What’s it like to
Dotted along our streets, blue plaques stand out against red brick walls and contend with creeping ivy, but what is it like to live in a house honoured with one? Kent has more than 400 of these historic markers commemorating the notable figures who lived in our homes before we did - but some of the current day occupants complain they cause people to invade their privacy.
Rossina Harris, 70, lives in a beautiful seafront terrace in Ramsgate.
While researching the history of her home she discovered a famous former resident, Edward Linley Sambourne, a Punch cartoonist and illustrator of the popular children’s book The Water Babies.
Teaming up with her fellow Prospect Terrace residents, Rossina managed to secure one of the sought-after plaques but didn’t anticipate the consequences.
She said: “People do stop to take pictures, they even come into our front garden to do it. “But I don’t mind as it gives me someone to talk to when I’m out doing the gardening.
“We were really excited about
we found that we were able to get the blue plaque. It is a very lovely thing to have.” Another Ramsgate resident who was able to uncover the story of his house, Terry Prue, found his residence had been home to a darker part of history. Mr Prue discovered that the once chief of Met Police, Major General Sir Charles Warren, had lived there between 1901 and 1914.
He was forced to resign from the role after failing to apprehend the notoriously unidentified serial killer, Jack the Ripper. The Wellington Crescent resident speculated the Major General may have settled in Ramsgate after fleeing the stresses of London after losing his position with the Met. He said: “People do ask ‘Who is he?’ but for me that’s fine because I do know who he is and I can talk about him and I rather enjoy giving some more positive information rather than just his ‘failure’ to capture Jack the Ripper.
“It’s quite fun having that connection to the past actually, and it’s quite interesting.
“We don’t know that he retired to Ramsgate deliberately to avoid the shame of being fired as the police commissioner but I think it probably was to do with that. “I was obviously quite keen because I asked if we could have a blue plaque so I clearly like the idea. I don’t think it increases the value of the house or anything but it is quite nice.” Will Hay was a comedian and actor, who at the height of his fame was the third highest-earning star in the country.
His work with Gainsborough Pictures and Ealing Studios is still cited as inspiring comic writers and is said to have influenced the writing of Dad’s Army.
Mr Hay was a passionate pilot and gave flying lessons to Amy Johnson, the aviator who disappeared near Herne Bay. Richard Poppleton, 65, now lives in the Guildford Lawn terrace where the actor once resided in Ramsgate.
He said he was aware of Will Hay before he purchased the property and fondly remembers his mother watching the comedian’s films, but said it wasn’t the main thing that he factored in when making his offer. Mr Poppleton said: “We’ve done things to try and remember him being there so it’s helped me decide how to decorate my house.
“I think it is a privilege to have the plaque. He was a very famous actor.
“People do stand on the street and take photographs, and the Will Hay association still has about 15,000 members so he’s still got a lot of fans, but it doesn’t cause a nuisance to me. “It has been said that the plaque adds value to the property but I’m not sure it does personally, unless there happened to be two Will Hay fans who were interested in buying it at the same time.”
Dad’s Army actor John Le Mesurier also has a plaque in the area which the occupants of the home are quite proud of. Elsewhere in Kent, Joan Francis, from Dartford, decided to take matters into her own hands after noticing tourists posing for photos outside her house and put up her own plaque reading: “Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones spent his teen years in this house.”
Joan decided to put a badge up declaring the Spielman Road
home’s famous resident to provide a bonus for people visiting from all corners of the globe. Mrs Francis said American and Japanese fans have travelled to Temple Hill and a French man drove in a campervan to see the home.
She added: “I decided to put a plaque up to stop people coming in the garden. There are people living here still and often you see people running from the door when a picture is taken.”
“The avid Stones fans know this is the place where he lived. In his book Life the address is shown on letters he used to write to his aunt
Patty.
“At one time I wouldn’t have anything to do with this as me and my family are private people but I do think we should embrace this success story. “I never knew him so I can’t comment on what he is like but I’m proud that Keith and Mick have come from Dartford and are doing so well.”
If this lifestyle appeals to you,
the stunning seafront property which once hosted naturalist Charles Darwin is currently up for sale in Ramsgate.
The six-bedroom Grade II-listed property is on the market and you could be part of the next chapter for £900,000.