1973: Work was about to begin on building a tunnel under the Channel to link the white cliffs of Dover with Sandgatte in Pas de Calais.

The cost was £468m and the Government believed it could be completed by 1980.

1943: One of Kent’s best loved and most prolific authors, Arthur Henry Mee, died in the village of Eynsford. He was 68. The son of a railway fireman, he was best remembered for compiling an encyclopaedia for children, which sold thousands of copies.

1913: Music halls all over metropolitan Kent were throbbing with the sound of new tunes from the pens of songwriters such as Irving Berlin. Among the most popular were Alexander’s Ragtime Band, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and Hello, Hello, Who’s Your Lady Friend. In those days almost every house had a piano and a mum or dad who could play.