A nostalgic version of google maps pinpointing community history in Thanet is being created by a resident as a final project for her Public History Masters degree.
Bethan Crowe, from Ramsgate, is studying at Royal Holloway University of London but says this project is prompted by her love for the isle and her family’s Thanet roots.
People are being invited to upload photos and memories to the interactive map for her This Was Our Thanet project which will then be pinned for others to click on and read.
Bethan, 23, said: “The idea is that I’m inviting as many people as possible to submit photos or memories of themselves, places, jobs, long-vanished buildings or people they’ve met etc, from the 1800s to today, so that they can all then be pinned onto a map. It’ll be like a nostalgic version of Google Maps, so people can then look at the pins themselves to see what other people remember of areas or people they may have been to or met themselves! “I’d love to see how people’s experiences and stories overlap, and hopefully the people of Thanet will find it fun and beneficial, too.
“No picture or story is too old, too new, too silly or pointless – I’m aiming to help people remember their version of Thanet, not just a ‘history-book’ version.”
The aim of the map is to create a picture of Thanet as told by the people that actually experienced it but also to give others a chance to access those memories and pictures.
Bethan said: “My hope is to provide residents with an hour or so looking through old photos and memories, and provide a momentary respite from the confusion and fear Covid-19 is bringing so many.
“I’ve spent hours looking through the family tins of photos, and scrolling through memoir pages of others online, and truly enjoy the escapism it brings.”
Find the map on the website at : https://thiswasourthanet.wixsite.com/website/map
To contact Bethan or send details and photos email: thiswasourthanet@outlook.com
Find This Was Our Thanet on facebook here
Or direct message Bethan Crowe on facebook
Great project (and as an aside, I miss the days when men had a shave and put on a clean white shirt to go to the pub!).
Cool shirt and shades Peter