2008 Reunion, Thanet, Kent, England

Plans for this year's Sackett Family Gathering to be held in Kent, England, have been announced.

When is it?

Core dates for the reunion are Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 September 2008. The program will include:

  • Wednesday, 17 September — Welcome at the Royal Harbour Hotel. Mayor's Reception (afternoon).
  • Thursday, 18 September — St Peter's Village Tour. Tour of St Peter's Church & Cemetery. Lunch at Red Lion. Visit to Sackett's Hill, including Jill Attwell's 1633 cottage.
  • Friday, 19 September — Association meeting. Speaker from the Kent Family History Society. Afternoon tour, tbd / Research at KFHS.
  • Saturday, 20 September — Guided walking tour of Canterbury. Reunion dinner at a local restaurant (Ramsgate).
  • Sunday, 21 September — Church if desired. Tour of local historic places, tbd, Sandwich or Broadstairs. Farewell luncheon.

Members wishing to participate in all events and have some time for their own sightseeing or other visits will wish to arrive before and/or leave later than the core dates. If you are considering joining this gathering then do please contact reunion coordinator Arabella Sackett so that your wishes can be taken into account in the planning, or write to the TSFA Discussion List with comments or queries of general interest.

Where is it?

Accommodation arrangements have been made with The Royal Harbour Hotel, Ramsgate. A reduced rate of £35 per person, per night, has been agreed. The hotel has meeting room facilities and a full English Breakfast is included. There are single, double, and family rooms available. Rooms have WiFi broadband internet connections, and there is off-street car parking.

Ramsgate is on the east coast of Thanet, about 2½ miles south of Broadstairs and 4 miles south of Margate, the two other main towns. It is 3 miles south of St Peter's Village. An article about Ramsgate on Wikipedia is very informative.

Making reservations

Hotel contact details are

  • The Royal Harbour Hotel, Nelson Crescent, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9JF, United Kingdom
    Phone (from UK) 01843 591514
    Phone (from USA) 011 44 1843 591514
    Fax (from UK) 01843 570443
    Fax (from USA) 011 44 1843 570443
    Email info@royalharbourhotel.co.uk
    Website www.royalharbourhotel.co.uk

Reservations should be made by telephone, fax, or email, quoting "The Sackett Family Reunion". A credit card and 10% deposit will be required to register.

The most convenient airport for Thanet is London Gatwick.

Who is going?

Members may also like to know who else is planning to attend. Please advise reunion coordinator Arabella Sackett or webmaster Chris Sackett of your plans so that your name, dates, and other information can be included here.

The list so far is (bold = confirmed):

  • Jill Attwell (Kent)
  • Deb & Steve Barbee (New York State) (16–22 Sep)
  • Jean Carpenter (Virginia) & brother Mike Trickey
  • Patty Sackett Chrisman (New Jersey) & father Roger W Sackett (Washington)
  • Angela Robertson (19–21 Sep)
  • Chris Sackett (Guernsey) (15–22 Sep, by car)
  • Darlene Sackett & Jon Tabor (Oregon),
  • David Sackett (England) & daughters Emma & Amber
  • George & Arabella Sackett (London)
  • Marion Sackett (Berkshire)
  • Michael J & Mary Sackett (Canada) (17–21 Sep, by car)
  • Molly Sackett (20–21 Sep)
  • Paul & Victoria Sackett (England) + two children
  • Ralph & Elizabeth Sackett (Staffordshire) (17–21 Sep, by car)
  • Robert Sackett (England) & partner
  • Dan & Louise Sackett Simmons (England) & Louise's sons Daniel & Paul and daughter Georgia
  • Tom & Toni Smith & grandson Christopher (Connecticut) (17–21 Sep, by car) & Toni's cousin Martin Hampshire & his wife Angela
  • Ruth & Joe Sparks (California)
  • Susan Wood (Kent) (& sisters Janet & Desire)

More information

Don Hertzler has posted some helpful researches on the Discussion List.

  • http://www.tourism.thanet.gov.uk/ I signed up for the visitor's guide and received a packet in the mail today. You get a map of the area, several brochures, and a tourism magazine. These items describe a number of things to see in the area. There is an open top tour bus that circles Thanet five times a day. You can get off and back on any number of times during the day. This year the tours last from April to Sept 7. It might be neat if we could contract a bus tour for our group even though we would be there a week after they stop the tours. Thanet has the longest continuous stretch of chalk cliffs in Britain. There is a 2-mile pedestrian promenade between Westgate and Margate that has a beautiful view of the beach and of architecturally unique buildings.
  • http://www.milesandbarr.co.uk/ To find a map showing Sackett's Hill, click on the button that says "Miles & Barr Map Search". The map that comes up is of Kent. The "Isle" of Thanet is the peninsula in the upper right of the map. Drag it to the center and then click the "Zoom in" button three times. (You may have to drag the map of Thanet back to the center while doing this.) You will see a road cutting across Thanet named "Dane Court Road". Near the center of this road, you will see a road coming off Dane Court Road that looks like a crooked garden digging fork. Center this road in the view and click "Zoom in" twice. Now you can see that this road is called "Sackett's Hill". Zoom in another time to see the complete Sackett's Hill road.
  • http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/greeters/ This site describes a program that might be of interest to you if you stay in the area before or after the reunion. It pairs you with a local person who will be your friend for 2-4 hours to answer questions, explain the transport, advise you on restaurants and entertainment, tell you about some of the local history and interesting facts. They sometimes show you sites you might not find on your own. They don't meet with groups and aren't guides.
  • http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/viking/ The coast of Thanet can be hiked along the Viking Coastal Trail (Chris Sackett passed this info to me). In places the trail follows streets near the coast while in other places the trail is pedestrian only. It is 28 miles total in length. This web site also describes small self-guided tours by auto or walking (mini routes). One is The Path of St. Augustine (4.5 miles). Saint Augustine landed in Thanet. He brought 40 monks to convert England to Christianity in 597 AD. You retrace his route in this tour and visit several historical places. There is much to explore on this web site.
  • http://www.thanet.gov.uk/thanetcoast/ Click on "What's On" to see some of the kinds of inexpensive tours and activities that are happening along the coast. Some look very interesting. For instance, Dr. Alasdair Bruce (called the Rock Doc) conducts 2-hour walks along the chalk cliffs showing the different strata and describing how they got there. Also, he points out the local flora and fauna and how early settlers used them for food. Some were brought by the Romans.
  • http://www.mnr.manston.net/index.htm The Monkton Nature Reserve is located in a 16 acre abandoned chalk quarry. There are nature trails. The reserve is known for its orchids. Talks or slide shows can be given to groups. There is a museum.
  • http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Interested in wildlife? Explore this site. Lists a number of free tours of nature areas in Kent.
  • http://www.walkersfriend.co.uk/ This is a walking group that publishes books of strolls and walks in Thanet. Books contains detailed maps, length of hike in distance and time, and descriptions of places of interest along the walk.