Like so many before and after him, Charles Shanahan had decided to leave London’s congested, polluted streets behind for a day on Kent’s coast. Yet within just a few hours of arriving, he would have been killed in the most shocking manner at one of Margate’s best-loved tourist spots. He lived in Camberwell, south London, and by day was an asphalter – laying road surfaces. At just 31, he was described by friends as “strong and healthy”. Joined by workmates, they’d arrived in Margate on the morning of July 4, 1931 – having a few drinks at a bar in the High Street before enjoying lunch. Then fate…