December 30 - 1924 All Blacks take tea at Margate
The 1924 All Blacks, with just one game to play in England, visited Margate, a seaside resort and were shown over the port at Richborough, developed in World War I to move supplies across the English Channel.
From “With the All Blacks in Great Britain, France, Canada and Australia 1924-25” by Read Masters. Pub. 1928 by Christchurch Press Co. Ltd p.107-108.
On Monday evening, December 29th, the Mayor of Deal (Councillor Montgomery) gave a complimentary dance at the Winter Gardens; there was no lack of dancing partners, and a pleasant time was spent. The following afternoon we were motored to Margate, a popular seaside resort, where, at the St. George ‘s Hotel we had tea with the Mayors of Deal, Ramsgate, and Margate. The latter proposed our health, and wished us a limited amount of success against England on Saturday! En route to Margate we passed through the quaint little town of Sandwich. with its narrow, winding streets and picturesque old thatched roofed dwellings, and broke our journey at Richborough, where we were introduced to Major Wade, who showed us over “the mystery port,” from which hundreds of tons of munitions were shipped to France during the Great War without a single mishap.
