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Victorian Kent, First World War and after
How the Armistice was reported in 1918

How the Armistice was reported in 1918

The KM's archives reveal how news of peace breaking out was greeted in Kent as the First World War ended.

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How the extraordinary Houdini baffled Kent

How the extraordinary Houdini baffled Kent

He is one of the most famous performers of all-time - but did you know Houdini brought his remarkable public stunts and shows to the county?

Beacons shine light on trench defences

Beacons shine light on trench defences

Take a look at how Kent planned to defend itself if the Germans invaded during the First World War.

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The day 16,000 refugees arrived in Kent

The day 16,000 refugees arrived in Kent

More than a century ago the county welcomed thousands of people in a single day, as they fled from their war-torn country.

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Hundreds killed in ship explosion

Hundreds killed in ship explosion

We remember the 352 people who lost their lives in a ship explosion off the Kent coast.

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Is this the most remarkable PoW escape story ever?

Is this the most remarkable PoW escape story ever?

From China to the US and then Kent, we look back at one airman's remarkable effort to return home during the First World War.

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The first 'great train robbery' which was carried out in Kent

The first 'great train robbery' which was carried out in Kent

A 1963 robbery of a mail train may be the most famous railway heist of all - but one gang pulled off a similar raid more than a century earlier.

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Hundreds join Danny Boyle's Pages of the Sea tribute

Hundreds join Danny Boyle's Pages of the Sea tribute

Hundreds of people gathered on Folkestone beach to see director Danny Boyle's Pages of the Sea Armistice centenary commemoration.

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Revealed: What the census tells us about Kent in 1921

Revealed: What the census tells us about Kent in 1921

The 1921 census has revealed some fascinating insights into life in Kent 100 years ago

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The woman who risked life on 5,000-mile trip to become man's third wife

The woman who risked life on 5,000-mile trip to become man's third wife

In 1856 a woman set off alone from a Kent village on a perilous journey to be with her fiancé in America - even though he already had two wives.

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Forgotten chapters in life (and death) of Dickens

Forgotten chapters in life (and death) of Dickens

We take a look back at some remarkable, often forgotten, tales in the life and death of the author Charles Dickens.

The forgotten war tragedy which left 200 Kent families in despair

The forgotten war tragedy which left 200 Kent families in despair

It was a heartbreaking tragedy in which 1,500 mariners died - and were then wrongly blamed by Winston Churchill for their own fate.

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The cheeky statue banished from outside Cathedral

The cheeky statue banished from outside Cathedral

A controversial half-naked statue was moved to a park more than 100 years ago, after its original location was deemed somewhat scandalous.

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Tragic mission of doomed Kent sailors

Tragic mission of doomed Kent sailors

A photo of a man who had died 140 years before featured in newspapers around the world when taken in 1986. This is the story of how it came about.

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'As we rowed away the shrieks of the dying could be heard’

'As we rowed away the shrieks of the dying could be heard’

The sinking of Titanic was a tragedy which shocked the world, now local passengers' letters shed new light on a night of horror.

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First World War trench system discovered in Kent

First World War trench system discovered in Kent

Miles of forgotten First World War trenches and defences were discovered snaking across Kent.

The soldier whose exploits earned him celebrity status

The soldier whose exploits earned him celebrity status

We explore the life of the army general who earned the nickname Chinese Gordon but whose actions closer to home gave him immortal status.

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Remarkable history of Kent's workhouses

Remarkable history of Kent's workhouses

Chances are you drive by a former workhouse every day - we take a look back at the grim reality for generations of the county's poorest people.

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Did Christmas football match really happen?

Did Christmas football match really happen?

It's a symbol of humanity in a relentlessly brutal war - but did the Christmas football match really happen that frosty morning in 1914?

The terrifying tale of the brides in the bath killer

The terrifying tale of the brides in the bath killer

In 1915 George Smith hanged at Maidstone Prison after being convicted of three of England's most notorious murders - this is his story.

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Forgotten story of town's black troops

Forgotten story of town's black troops

A photo in a postcard history book cast new light on the story of African American soldiers forgotten for 100 years.

Village corrects mistake from 100 years ago

Village corrects mistake from 100 years ago

Eighteen names left off a village war memorial in error were added in a dignified ceremony a century later.

Winning the peace?

Winning the peace?

After opposing the First World War, Labour's first candidate in a Kent town faced a tough battle for his beliefs.

Survivor's remarkable memories of Titanic disaster

Survivor's remarkable memories of Titanic disaster

A nine-year-old boy found his life forever changed after his family and friends boarded the fateful maiden voyage of the doomed ocean liner.

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The extraordinary discovery inside a sunken WWI destroyer

The extraordinary discovery inside a sunken WWI destroyer

A group of divers searching the wreck of a First World War destroyer off the Kent coast stumbled across a fascinating find.

Hidden history of wartime Kent

Hidden history of wartime Kent

There are plenty of fascinating relics of wartime Britain which can still be found in Kent - we take a look at their history.

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Lifeboat crew who died at sea during storm

Lifeboat crew who died at sea during storm

Three RNLI volunteers lost their lives at sea during a huge storm off the Kent coast more than 100 years ago.

100 years of Dreamland

100 years of Dreamland

It's been a real rollercoaster for the seaside amusement park but Dreamland has managed to make it to its 100th birthday.

Transforming dirty town by creating promenade

Transforming dirty town by creating promenade

When a writer called the town of Deal 'villainous', 'filthy' and 'upon the perish' something had to be done to make the most of its best asset: the seafront.

The reality of first post-war Christmas 100 years ago

The reality of first post-war Christmas 100 years ago

Three weeks after the euphoria of the Armistice, many families mourned losses as they approached their first Christmas after the First World War.

'She had her hands cut off and a rope around her neck'

'She had her hands cut off and a rope around her neck'

The murder of an eccentric Kent woman - only discovered after her foot was found buried under a pile of coal - remains unsolved to this day.

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Kent's shortest-lived tram service where four stops cost a penny

Kent's shortest-lived tram service where four stops cost a penny

Tram workers recall their time on a two-and-a-half-mile service which was axed after just 14 years.

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The man who plunged 200ft down a well – and was left there

The man who plunged 200ft down a well – and was left there

The shocking death of a father-of-two turned into a national scandal when no-one would pay to have his body recovered.

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Fifteen people killed in horrific fete fire

Fifteen people killed in horrific fete fire

A tragedy at a park fete left 15 people dead, including nine children.

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Film stars, floods and grisly goings on at forgotten pub

Film stars, floods and grisly goings on at forgotten pub

A remote pub demolished to make way for a major Kent bridge had a macabre reputation.

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The story of the rioters hanged in Kent

The story of the rioters hanged in Kent

Three men were sentenced to death for setting fire to a barn during The Swing Riots in 1830.

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The story of Kent's silkworms that produced royal robes

The story of Kent's silkworms that produced royal robes

Did you know Kent had the UK's first silk farm? Here's the tale of the mulberry-munching silkworms who made silk for several queens' gowns:

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When shops were shops

When shops were shops

Memories of bacon slicers, cheese cut with a wire, butter patted into shape with wooden paddles and sugar weighed into blue paper bags.

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