Everywhere Means Something to Someone

Strange Cargo’s people’s guidebooks to everyday places on Romney Marsh suggested by local residents

Email stories to: info@strangecargo.org.uk

Strange Cargo is producing Everywhere Means Something to Someone – the people’s guidebook to Romney Marsh. This will be a glossy, A6 people’s guidebook, with over 600 pages, packed full of specially commissioned colour photos of the locations local people tell us about. 

Brigitte Orasinski, Strange Cargo’s Artistic Director says: 

“The guidebook will give anyone who has a copy, insight into the small and sometimes inconsequential stories about Romney Marsh that are mostly the preserve of local people. With the guidebook in your hand Romney Marsh will become more widely enjoyed and different places of interest revealed for people to go and explore”.

 We are currently collecting stories about all sorts of Romney Marsh locations. All sorts of things have a story attached to them; you might know something that no one else knows about an old gatepost, or a muddy track, interesting old shops or buildings. Why is there a strange dip in the ground? These are the things that someone will know about them and can share insight into what they are or once were? We want to hear about recent events, unusual happenings, gossip, family histories and folklore. If you know anything, please share your stories with us. The Romney Marsh people’s guidebook is the fourth in a series that have included poetry, recipes, song lyrics and all manner of interesting information – anything that reflects the personality of the location. Nothing will be discounted if it is deemed fascinating. Local people are able to see below the surface and recall, expand, invent and interpret what has, or once had, a physical presence or significance, either to the many, or to the few. Everywhere Means Something to Someone – the People’s Guidebook to Romney Marsh will explore the towns, villages and all the space in between, revealing something of what makes these places feel important and familiar to the people who live there. Email stories to: info@strangecargo.org.uk

Example Story - The Light Railway

On my mother’s side, my grandfather helped build the Light Railway with Count Zabroski and Captain Howie in the mid 20’s. My grandfather Claude Webb was Captain Howie’s chauffeur in London and was pretty handy with cars and engineering. To get the light railway going, he serviced the engines and drove the trains. They built the New Romney to Hythe section first and got a Parliamentary order to compulsory purchase the land, as there were lots of different land ownerships. They got the order in 1925 and by 1927 it opened to Hythe. He said he wanted to continue down to Dungeness and by the early 30’s it ran to Dungeness. It was seen as developing tourism in the area. The military used it in wartime, and I remember children used to ride to school on it, I’m not sure if they still do. I think it had request stops along the line.