Whitstable

and the Line/Noon families

The North Kent town of Whitstable (UK) played an important part in the lives of the Line and Noon famillies in post-war Britain.

Frederick Noon purchased his first holiday caravan at West Beach in Whitstable around 1951. Although little more than 50 miles from south London the journey time by steam train was around two hours and by car, nearly three using the old A2 route through Swanley, Chatham, Gillingham and Faversham. The caravan was a basic structure fabricated from hardboard and aluminimum on a hand-built timber frame and chassis which provided a floor area little larger than a garden shed but managed to sleep four people.  During the winter floods of January 1953 the caravan was swept from its site and was found battered against the railway embankment nearly half-a-mile away. Despite this it was quickly put back into service for family holidays. Seen here in the summer of 1955 - (back row) Raymond Griffin and George Henry Line, (centre row) May Morgan (friend of Amelia Ann Line and by then living at Saddleton Road in Whitstable), Amelia Line and (front row) Sheila Ann Griffin (nee Line), David George Line and Sue Afford (nee Noon).

The West Beach caravan site was operated by a Miss Fitchett and her female companion and offered a clubhouse, chemical toilet block and a swimming pool which was filled at high tide by seawater. Considering the state of water quality in the Thames Estuary at that time it is remarkable few people succumbed to waterborne diseases. Seen here is David George Line with father George Henry Line during the summer of 1955.Despite appearances it was to be more than 25 years before David learned to swim.

David George Line and a unknown friend at play at West Beach probably in 1953 or 1954. At that time it was possible during periods of low spring water to see the remains of crashed WW2 aircraft some distance away across the estuary. The nearest was a virtually intact Spitfire which, sadly, almost certainly still contained the body of its pilot. That summer part of the undercarriage of a Heinkel bomber was brought in by fisherman to the port of Whitstable - the tyre still fully inflated.

The summer of 1955 on the beach at West beach with the newly constucted sea defences plainly evident. From left to right: David George Line, George Henry Line, Sussanah Afford and Amelia Ann Line.

Summer 1955 With, left to right, David George Line shortly before trapping his fingers in the collapsible deckchair, Amelia Ann Line, George Henry Line, Albert Afford and Susannah Afford

By the summer of 1964 Fred Noon had replaced his original caravan with a larger model offering sleeping accommodation for six people. Seen here, left to right, Sheila Ann Griffin (nee Line) with Sara , an ill-tempered wire-haired dachshund belonging to the Line family, Sarah Dakin, Diane Robinson who would marry David George Line eleven years later, Ada Young, George Henry Line, David George Line, Amelia Ann Line, Susannah Afford, Raymon Griffin with his boxer, Candy and Albert Afford. In the pram Andrew Griffin.