John Fullarton: A Mayor and His Camera
In September, 2019, the isle of Thanet received the sad news of the passing of John Fullarton. John had served an impressive 15 years as the Conservative Councillor to St Peters and Broadstairs, and another 3 as the Mayor himself. There were few residents that remained unfamiliar with his name.
One of the very first emails I received regarding this map project came from his daughter, Lisa Fullarton. Lisa explained to me that while her father was often in the media for his politics, his other passion was very much on the other side of the camera. Clearing through his personal possessions, Lisa came across a multitude of DVDs and around 6 extremely large photograph albums, each dedicated to his time as Mayor and containing tens of hundreds of images from across Thanet. I received these albums in June, and whilst I was initially struck by the volume of events and places recorded, I then discovered a problem to a grand, new scale.
Whilst Mr Fullarton was a commendable collector of his own photographs, his labeling was somewhat lacking.
There were 0 labels detailing 0 dates and 0 places or people featured.
Suddenly these incredible documents of local history became scarily redundant. This great plethora of information was (going by car registrations and calendars hanging in the back of shots) around 20 years old. If anyone in the pictures did remember any of the events, it is more than likely that their memory would be a little hazy by now.
So, now what??
Its safe to say that the devoted collections of a man so dedicated to his local community should not be simply tossed aside. With such a multitude of events and places documented, it seemed to me that the best course of action would be to try to unravel some of the mysteries kept within.
I mentioned to my neighbour, Ann Solly, (see the Social Tab of the Blog) the new challenge I was facing, along with several of the people that had already sent photographs of the St Peters area. Whilst the exact locations, events and dates of many of the images still remain unknown, a large majority were mostly figured out!
For privacy reasons, a large proportion of the photographs could not be shared onto the map, however, here are a couple of the ones that did make it, accompanied by the context that we managed to unravel between us.
The St Peters Walking Tour:
Those involved with the walking tours in St Peters and Broadstairs feature frequently in Fullarton's photographs. Clearly these pieces of Public History proved favorable as he documents the plethora of actors and locations. The lady in the last photograph here (we believe have been taken at the Nuckells Houses) features the most, including a handful of herself receiving a local award on behalf of the walking tours - 1 of the 16 to their name! The engagement the tours offer with the local community and tourists alike features greatly through the albums. Many of the pictures could not be included online due to the amount of children and private events present in each. What can be depicted, however, is the vast array of volunteers and characters present, each representing a part of the Villages' past. Many anecdotes, facts and familiar faces and brought from history books and legends alike to amuse and educate all who attend the tours. The tours themselves are also free, making them highly accessible to all those who wish to learn a little more about local history.
Fullarton even calls upon his favourite characters for numerous public events. This photo (evidently taken around 2000) captures the unveiling of a new entrance sign for St Peters (a village of which should actually go by St-Peter-In-Thanet!). The popular lady returns, too, this time dressed in blue! If anyone would be able to label and date these albums - we do believe it would be her!
Public Events:
There are little points for recognizing the lady in the first photograph here. The 2001 elections for South Thanet saw the battle between Labour's Stephen Ladyman and Conservative's Mark MacGregor. Going by the presumed dates of the albums (and the fact one of the pictures features a card demanding the banning of hunting), it is assumed that the two photographs here show the election campaign in full swing in Ramsgate town centre. A courageous Ann Widdecomb cheers the Conservatives on, whilst our determined conservative Councillor offers flyers to the opposing party.
For those curious (or for those who have forgotten), Stephen Ladyman won the vote in 2001.
And in 2005, too.
Here John has caught the moment that the two sides of the 'new' Ramsgate Approach Tunnel finally met. We can assume that these photographs were taken in early 2000 due to the Tunnel being planned for opening in March of the same year. The plan was to create a safer, easier route for trucks to and from the port itself, with the hope of bringing life and money back to the once thriving ferry port. Construction begun alongside much hope in 1998- little did they know, however, that less than 20 years later, the port would cease all major trading and be used primarily as a store for new Peugeot cars...
Local People, Local Places
An important part of being a mayor is celebrating the openings and successes of local businesses and charity adventures. An extraordinary example of this is introduced in the albums through the first photo presented here, featuring the commendable Nora Setterfield. Over 40 years ago, Nora established the Thanet Disabled Riding Centre and has donated tireless support for the cause ever since. Over the decades the charity has provided an outlet and escapism for hundreds of children and families, and thus there is little wonder why Nora herself was awarded with an MBE!
The importance of the event pictured above, (taken from a series of photographs), however, could not be unraveled.
As well as celebrating local achievements, Fullarton's photographs take a deep interest in the local area and the businesses within. The two photographs here show the Boating Pool along the Royal Esplanade in Ramsgate, and the lift along Viking Bay cliff top. To the back of the Boating Pool the old dinosaur slide can be seen. Many people of a certain generation will feel exceedingly nostalgic seeing him.
If anyone can put any identities to faces, names to places or would like to peruse the collection at all, please do not hesitate to email: thiswasourthanet@outlook.com
For more information on the topics discussed, please see:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/kind-hearted-former-town-mayor-dies-213082/
Simon Morgan, "Prevaulting Success at Ramsgate Harbour" in British Tunnelling Society, July 1999
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