General Chat

Hello Margie and welcome. I live in Gloucestershire, nowhere near Dartford but I am happy to chat to you any time. I am 73 with two children and five grandchildren and one little great grandson of 6 months. :-)

Hello Margie. Welcome to GR I hope you settle and will enjoy it. :-D

Thank you GR, nice one:-D

Back already, Lynda. Well done, GR.

It's as well to warn people that not all "friendly" people you meet on the internet are as nice as they pretend to be.

well I've just copied mine Lynda lol, as it is a general post for safety on the internet to a newbie to the site, I can't see why anyone would report it though :-D

Well said Rose, wonder how long either our posts will stay :-D

Also missed it... :-S

I think it safe to say that there are many genuine posters on here who are exactly what they seem to be, but it is always well to err on the side of caution on the internet, especially if you take it off the open board so to speak ...for example I once joined an internet pen-pal site and was 'surprised' that so many people suddenly acquired my email addy ( not my usual one) and wished to share their millions with me if only I could give them my bank details in order to pay it in :-)

and of course there is always the danger of the serial philanderer ( they come in both genders) and are all too plausible ( trust me I know!).

Advice to Margie and anyone else is look closely at the type of posts someone makes , and the interactions between members, and you 'usually' get an idea of who is likely to be a straightforward and genuine friend.
:-D

How funny someone is obviuosly worried Ive sussed them :-D :-D :-D :-D

lol well someone's quick fingered today, I didn't see it either time !

What did Lynda say?! I can't imagine for a moment it would have been unwelcoming!

Hello Margie :-D I hope you find many friends on here, but do please be careful of giving out too much information about yourself straight away, as unfortunatly there are some who befriend people for the wrong reasons, that said I have made lifelong friends from here :-D I do hope I haven't put you off, but felt I had to say to be cautious. By the way I'm not far from Dartford, and it has changed dramaticaly over the years.

Welcome to the boards Margie, do come and chat to us on the Aussies thread, we are from all over the world despite the thread title

Margie, welcome and I hope you find friends here as I have.

xx

and a big welcome from me in Wales!!! :-D :-D :-D <3 <3 <3

A very big welcome to the boards Margie :-) :-) :-)

Take a little look around , and if you feel like joining in why not :-) <3

Hello Margie,

I'm a Scot and would like to welcome you to the boards.

Like Rose I am a member of the Writers Group and love to
read the poems etc the members send me, have a look at
the thread.

Sorry know nothing about Dartford but am sure someone on here
will help you out.

Good luck.

Emma :-)

Margie - just jump onto any of the threads when there is something of interest to you. Read the boards and you'll probably find someone who you like enough to chat to by PM.

Use Google Maps to 'walk' down the main shopping area of Dartford to see how it has changed. As you haven't said when you left the area, its difficult to say what differences there are to when you lived there.

Much of Spital Street is pedestrianised which locals think was a big mistake. The Three Bells (think that is what it was called ) is demolished but the Bull and Vic is still there. The Cinema is now a Bingo Hall. Between it and the Bull and Vic is a shopping centre. The weekly market (was it Wed or Thurs) had been relocated to the car park at the rear, but is now on a Saturday in the pedestrianised area.It's nothing like it used to be

Before the Olympics, much of Lowfield Street was compulsorily purchased by some development company with the intention that the land should be used as a coach park (with a road dissecting the Central Park) and a Tesco development. We think there was some skulduggery going on with some council members, and the proposed development was fought and eventually rejected up to Government level. Many of the shops still stand empty at least 8 years later.

There is another shopping centre called The Orchard, and a theatre with the same name off Spital Street. Woolworth closed years ago when they went bust, and M&S have also closed.

To be honest, there are many empty shops in both shopping centre and Spital Street. Many of those which are open are 'Pound' (cheap) shops or Charity ones.

A large shopping centre called Bluewater was built between Dartford and Gravesend in some disused chalk pits about 10/12 years ago, allegedly the largest in Europe at the time. It was the death-knell for Dartford retailing.

There is an old building near to the Church, previously the Two Brewers. When I was young it was a restaurant/cafe but is boarded up now. In all likelihood, it is 'listed' and can't be demolished.

The council office was built sometime ago and is called Home Gardens next to the Station.

West Hill hospital is demolished and houses built on the site. Joyce Green is also closed. A replacement hospital, Darenth Valley has been built on the outskirts of the town towards Gravesend on Princes Rd.

Largest employer, which you might remember as Boroughs and Welcome, closed about 5 years ago. There is a lot of unemployment in the area, not just the young, but the middle aged who don't wish to travel.

Dartford West Boys closed a while ago - perhaps 10 years? and the land built on. It was something to do with the male/female demographics plus the cost of replacing an ageing building. The other schools, Dartford Girls, and the Boys and Girls Grammar schools are still going strong. Dartford Girls Secondary school has been rebuilt and goes by another name.

Those of us who rarely visit for shopping but live in the Borough call it Chav Central - low income shoppers, push chair, fag and glued to a mobile phone.

The population is still mainly white, but with a smattering of 3rd plus generations Indian subcontinent descendent. They are fully integrated. Also seen around the shops are a noticeable (because they are 'unusual') v small minority of immigrants from Africa - ie not Afro Caribbean, many who have been in the UK since the 1950s and are fully accepted.

The youngsters (say up to 27) love the night life, if you enjoy watching drunken brawls etc. There is a (some I'm told) a large Police presence on a Friday and Saturday night. That having been said, there are some quieter wine bars tucked away. Yes, they still get sloshed, but are better behaved.

To be honest, if you were to visit for old times sake, you would probably be shocked by the changes, most of them detrimental.

When it comes to the History of Dartford, there are a number of sites who might satisfy your curiosity - googling Dartford in the past throws up several results.

If you want help tracing your Dartford Ancestors, post on Find Ancestors. Rather than add the links here, there are a number of resources available on the internet

Hello Margie, you might find this interesting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/kent/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9137000/9137047.stm

It's around 20 odd years since I lived near Dartford so it has probably changed quite a lot since then so I hope that someone who lives there now will reply.

If you enjoy writing poetry I know you would be very welcome to join the writers group on here the thread is on the 'Hobbies and crafts' board,
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/hobbies_crafts/thread/1325691

Welcome to GR, there are lots of lovely people here :-)

Rose

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF INTERNET FRIENDS BECAUSE I AM LONELY AND MY FATHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DARTFORD ENGLAND.IT WAS MY DREAM TO VISIT ENGLAND BEFORE I DIE BUT THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN DUE TO POOR HEALTH.

I AM 63 YRS OLD ,MARRIED FEMALE,HAVE THREE ADULT CHILDREN AND FOUR GRAND KIDS (TEENS)).MY BEST FRIEND IS MY DOG(SADIE). SHE LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY.

I LIKE TO READ, WRITE POEMS AND WOULD LOVE TO EAR WHAT DARTFORD ENGLAND IS LIKE TODAY AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE 1900S.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND HAVE A GREAT DAY. MARGIE