Jill Partridge was born to Jeannette and Tom Champion at 18 Sandgate High Street (The Village green is now to be found in its place) on 2nd December 1945. Her parents met whilst serving in the army in the last war. Her Great Grandparents in 1875 lived in one of the Coastguard cottages with their 11 children! Her Great Grandfather James was a retired coastguard and a lifeboat man.

Jill remembers her childhood well and some of the familiar shops which were in Sandgate when she was a child – she can clearly picture Sillibourne’s a ladies Drapery Shop where she was sent to buy her mums nylons – the lady who served her was dressed in the height of fashion, Jill was amazed by this and her manicured nails and hairstyle.

N.O. Bakers the Builders was known to all as Nobby Baker’s and the Chichester Hall was where she sang “Any Umbrellas” up on the stage whilst twirling a black one above her. Jill also enjoyed the local jumble sales where her mum would often help out.

Then there was the Bakers – Ludlow’s where you could smell fresh bread and cakes and a lady called Valerie served her, Jill recalls that “nothing was too much trouble”. As a child Jill spent a lot of time in the library, even then she was an enthusiastic reader. She enjoyed visiting Miss Browns Toy Shop which was stuffed to the rafters with every toy imaginable!

Jill says that there was always something to do in Sandgate and going to the beach was one of her favourite activities, she would spend hours with her friends playing ships on pieces of castle wall which were laying on the beach. Rock pooling was also a much-loved activity and she would “go rocking at low tides, usually to the rocks down in front of the Esplanade and spend hours looking for crabs and different sea-weeds”. Whilst she was still at school, Jill did a paper round for Mr Burden at the Top Paper Shop. However, Jill has not spent all her life in Sandgate. She married and moved away to live in London, Essex and Lincolnshire but her “heart was always in Sandgate”. When they moved away, her husband made her a promise that upon retirement they would relocate to Sandgate area. Jill feels very privileged to be a member of the Sandgate Society Committee and comments she has finally returned “home”.

Written by Adel Wilson