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Monday 29 May 2017

I have been to ... Rochester, Kent

Yesterday Sue and I went to Rochester, Kent, for a short visit. It is only thirty minute drive from where we live, and there is usually something of interest going on that makes the visit worthwhile.

After parking in the Blue Boar car park, we took a leisurely walk up and down the High Street ...



... most of which still looks much as it would have looked in Dicken's time. (Most of the buildings remain the same, but I doubt that there were quite as many restaurants, coffee shops, tea rooms, and antique shops back then!)

Set back on one side of the High Street is the Cathedral ...


... which was looking most impressive. Had a service not been taking place as we reached the cathedral, we would have paid it a visit.

It was lunchtime by the time we had finished our perambulation, and Sue and I decided to see if we could eat in one of our favourite Italian restaurants, 'Mamma Mia'.


It is located at the end of the High Street near the Rochester Bridge, but as we approached it we saw that part of the area had been taped off by the police.


We were able to reach the restaurant without any difficulty, but it was very apparent that there had been some sort of incident nearby. The staff told us that it had occurred before they had arrived that morning, and that the police had been to question them about what they might have seen.

The police were still at the scene when we left to go home ...


... and we later discovered that there had been a serious road rage incident that had resulted in someone suffering serious head injuries which required them to be taken to hospital by helicopter ambulance.

According to several of the online news sources, the incident occurred when a man on a bicycle jumped a red light and a motorcyclist stopped him, and after a heated argument, began hitting him. According to an unnamed witness quoted by several sources, the cyclist is then reported to have had some sort of seizure as the motorcyclist (and their pillion passenger) rode away from the scene.

12 comments:

  1. Nice town. Has a very good model shop as well - if it's still there.

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    Replies
    1. Rob Young,

      The model shop is still there and seems to be thriving.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  2. Lovely place Rochester and so many associations with Charles Dickens as you allude to. Do they still have the writing chalet from Gadds Hill there? We must make another trip.

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    Replies
    1. Lee,

      The Dickens Festival is on in a few weeks time, and that might be a good time to pay Rochester a visit.

      The writing chalet is still there, and looked as if it was undergoing some renovation.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  3. Bob,
    I have a feeling that we visited Rochester in May of 2015- we were on a fourteen day coach tour with 'Trafalgar'Tours- it was a splendid journey through England, Wales and Scotland. I appreciate your photos of Rochester as all my photos from our 2015 Journey have been lost when my old computer malfunctioned. Cheers. KEV.

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    Replies
    1. Kev Robertson,

      Rochestèr seems to be visited by a lot of tourists - both British and overseas - during the year. It has many historical places of interest for people to visit... but most of the tourism seems to be Dickens-orientated and generally ignores the importance of the cathedral and castle.

      Śorry to hear that you lost your photographs. We have ours backed up on three separate devices ... just in case.

      All the best,

      Bob

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  4. We went to Tonbridge from Rochester yesterday and saw the police tape round the pub from the train as we were leaving. The Crown was used as a location in the film 'Last Orders'.

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    Replies
    1. Nigel Drury,

      I cannot find out the condition of the injured man or if the police have traced the motorcyclist as yet.

      I don't recall the film you mention. I'll have to look it up, just to satisfy my curiosity!

      All the best,

      Bob

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    2. Quite a few Dickens films/TV programs have naturally been done here but the front of what's now an opticians near the George Vaults in one of your pictures was transformed into the entrance of the theatre/club that featured in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

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    3. From BBC "The male cyclist, who police said was in his sixties, was taken by air ambulance to a London hospital." Last year my next door neighbour took a similar journey after a motorbike accident. Note that the Rochester model shop raises money for this cause from its secondhand magazine sales.

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    4. Nigel Drury,

      I seem to remember great chunks of Rochester High Street being used for a film of 'Great Expectations' some years ago. Mind you, when it comes to being used for film and TV work, very few places can match the Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

      All the best,

      Bob

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    5. Nigel Drury,

      That's the latest news that I could find online.

      I support the London Air Ambulance, along with the other London Freemasons. We gave £2,000,000 to help to pay for London's second one, and continue to support it with further funds. I understand that Kent Masons have done something similar for Kent's Air Ambulance.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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