Ruth Hurkett

Do you know why you were given that name?

My mother lived with her grandparents. They worked on the land.

The squire’s daughters were named Ruth and Gertrude. In those days if anybody was ill the squire’s daughter’s would help out. My mother thought they were lovely so she named me after them. She was disappointed I tell you. I said to her one day, how did I get my name, because Ruth wasn’t a common name, and that’s when she told me about the squire’s daughter’s and I said I knew I was meant for better things.

Where were you born?

Bluetown.

Have you always lived on the island?

Yes, I was born in Bluetown.

What year were you born?

1928. My nan was born in 1924, and she’s still alive.

She wasn’t born on the island was she?

No. I was going to say I know most of them who are still alive.

Have you always lived in Bluetown?

No, I moved when I was 10 to West Minster. When I got married I moved to Sheppey.

Was the island a good place to grow up?

I thought it was I never wanted to move anywhere else. I always wanted to come back to the island.

Why was that?

Well I was evacuated

So you were evacuated from the island as well?

Yeah, and then I went to work in Tonbridge Wells when I left school, but I’ve never wanted to go off the island.

Is there a particular reason for that, something that’s drawn you back here?

Yes, because I suppose I was happy, and I had a good family, though not so well off. I had parents who cared about me, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and we never quarrelled. It’s got a lot to do with making you happy where you live doesn’t it.

What are your memories or experiences of the church?

Memories of how old it looked inside. How historic it looked. It gave you an overpowering sense, obviously you know what I mean, it had a feeling about it.

You were telling us just before the recording that you used to go to St Pauls church originally?

Yes, everybody went to St Pauls, remember when I was born times were snobbish. If somebody had a bit more power than you then they were well off, not necessarily rich. It was more of a thing that they went to the Dockyard. It’s a status thing isn’t it?

When abouts did you start going to the Dockyard Church? Do you remember when that was?

Well I never went to any church properly, I respect all churches but I never went regularly. At Bluetown, I was very tied to St Pauls, I suppose because I grew up there and was happy there.

Are there any other particular memories you think about of the Dockyard church, any times you went there?

It definitely had a feeling about, well history has if, you look into it anywhere. I get the same effect if I go to Dover castle, Dover church. You can actually see then the soldiers you know? So I suppose it’s where you are with history, whether your sort of tuned into things.

Did you attend any special events with the church?

My sister was married there.

So you went to the wedding?

Yes.

Do you remember anything about the wedding? About the day? About the marriage?

We all stood out on the green and all had our photos done and everything, and she said what a lovely church it was to be married in. It certainly had a feeling about it.

How long ago was that?

Wait a minute, 64… must have been about 60, 1960 she got married. So probably not long before the church closed in fact? I don’t know what year Bluetown church closed down, do you know that? Must have been in the 50s I think, because they built the steel mills there didn’t they.

Why did you go to the church?

Well, you went for weddings, a funeral, Sunday school, I can honestly say I didn’t go because I wasn’t devoted to the church.

Do you remember the fire at the church, and how you felt about that?

It was tragic actually, they become something of you, and they become meaningful to you. But certainly it was used for lots of things afterwards.

Do you remember anything about that?

I remember the boys went to their youth club thing.

Do you mean your boys?

I think it must have been my boys. They used to have processions in there, the boys and the bands and all that. Just growing up I suppose, like most churches, they don’t hold the same appeal for churches, they don’t do for children what they did for children years ago. Like little parties. They don’t do the same sort of thing anymore. All they want now is for you to walk in the door now and open your pocket.

So you certainly think the church was an important part of the community?

I think it was. It was because I remember writing home from Wales, where I was evacuated, and we had to get permission from my father for me to receive communion. He wrote back and said no, until I was old enough to know what I was taking on, I couldn’t do it. It struck me because he was right really, because you promise a lot and you’re never going to get it totally. I mean you can’t promise all those Ten Commandments and keep to them. Somebody does something in one of them don’t they? So it struck me as how we used to say on Sundays, when the women went to church, all dressed up, and as I used to say, they’d come round the pub afterwards and knock everybody down. You see they’re little things, they’re not important to the church. If you went to church you looked better than anybody else.

Do you remember anything about the clock?

I remember seeing it.

You don’t remember anything in particular?

No. I think they used to ring the bells from here didn’t they.

Do you know how the church burned down?

No I don’t.

But you do remember it happening.

I remember it happening. Ought to have my husband here he’d go right through that lot with you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be much help, because you know you’ve got to understand, when you’re kids a church is a church, and you expect it but you don’t hang about round it.

“It definitely had a feeling about, well history has if, you look into it anywhere. I get the same effect if I go to Dover castle, Dover church.”

If you have your own memories of the dockyard church – as a church, a social club or as it is now, we’d love to hear from you. We're also keen to build an image archive by making copies of photographs and memorabilia of the church.

If you’d like to contribute memories or images to the archive, please tell us a bit more about what you have using the form.