The ‘Friends of Lydd’ group was formed in 1972 to oppose the building of a Community Hall on The Rype. Residents were adamant that no building should be built on the village green, so they contested the application and formed an Association called ‘Friends of The Rype’. After some time, the objections were successful and the application to build on The Rype was turned down. Following this success, the group decided to change their name to ‘Friends of Lydd’. A couple of years later Lydd Council held an exhibition of artefacts of the area and asked the group if they could loan any suitable articles for the event. This proved to be very successful and many of the people who had loaned items did not want them back, so they were stored temporarily in the Guild Hall. Two years later the group acquired the Old Fire Station in Queen’s Road. This was a very run down property which needed a lot of work carried out to enable it to be used as a museum. Members of the group helped to renovate the building which was completed in about six months. The official opening was held in 1978 and the museum was open a couple of days through the summer. Over the years, the number of items on display increased and the museum’s opening hours were increased. Meetings also started to be held once a month in the nearby Hardy Hall.
It was in July 1977 that the Golden Jubilee Limited pulled out of Hythe RH&DR station, 50 years to the day after the railway opened, with 200 passengers on a non-stop run to Dungeness. ‘Green Goddess’ was the locomotive (see photo) hauling the train with Operating Manager George Barlow driving. Colin Wolfe, chairman of the RH&DR Association said, “The capacity of the railway has increased since its first official run 50 years ago. Then it needed two locos to pull 150 guests and now we have one engine pulling 200 guests.” He added that the railway was particularly grateful to two men, Captain John Howey and Henry Greenly. Henry Greenly was the designer and engineer for the line and Captain Howey was its founder and financier. The railway was prospering today despite economic setbacks a few years ago and a group of enthusiasts support the railway under the leadership of Mr. Bill McAlpine. Driver George Barlow, who had been driving with the railway for 30 years, then took the Jubilee limited to Dungeness and back to New Romney non-stop. The Lord Lieutenant of Kent and his wife, Lord and Lady Astor, joined the train at the New Romney headquarters. At New Romney, they had tea with John Snell, the railway’s managing director. “It was a very successful day,” Peter Hawkins the railway general manager said later and the following day, the railway was featured in the Radio 4 programme, ‘Down Your Way’.
Two former long-serving members of New Romney Town Council were presented with silver condiment sets in recognition of their work for the town. They were Elam Ellis, who served the council for 40 years and Mrs. Kath Barton, a member for 25 years. The presentations were made by the Mayor of New Romney, Councillor Norman Grubb.
The once ailing Romney Revels got a new lease of life when more than 2,500 people packed the sports field and helped raise £800 for charities. This year it was organised by the Romney Marsh Round Table and Chairman Rod Muldoon said, “Last Saturday’s Revels were the best for a long time.” The day was packed with attractions including a carnival procession and a tug of war competition and the Mayor Mrs. Betty Wells, helped judge the floats. 16-year-old Diane Ralph was crowned Miss New Romney, and her attendants were Kay Penny and Sue Lidgett.
During the heat wave of 1976, there were numerous grass fires on the Marsh and one of the largest was at Lydd Army Camp. 40 acres of gorse and vegetation caught alight, and it took over 40 firemen from surrounding areas two hours to contain the fire. It smouldered for several days, and a couple of firemen suffered from burns. Dungeness Power Station had to close down its reactors during the height of the fire.
It was August 1976 when a robbery took place at the National Westminster Bank in New Romney High Street. During the raid, an estimated £20,000 was taken and a security guard was shot in the leg. Five men had burst into the bank just after it opened at 9.30 a.m. and threatened customers who were in the bank at the time. They carried pistols and a sawn-off shotgun, wore balaclava helmets and shots were fired as they ran from the bank. They leapt into a get-away van that was later found abandoned in Rolfe Lane, less than a mile from the robbery. The bank was closed whilst police investigated and customers were told to use the Lloyds Bank that was nearby.