“Links Edge”,

6; if ?, 2 I 347, Victoria drive,
I5‘ /t {C/V:yt9¢/V ';,€_,{ éastbourne,
/ hast Sussex. BNEO SXR.

Dear Mr, Cornfield,
Bridge & District History Society's Millennium Project.
Hy wife and I are members of the above Sgcietv I left grid-e
V 3 A 5
at the 339 3f 13 Years ifi 7935. I have received the form remuestinv Vouse/site
‘ -‘ K1‘) .‘..L
*nfarnation and that I am not able to help in this specific connection.
“owever I do have some recollections which mi ht be of some value “indful of
"’ ~.— A ‘ ‘ O A‘.
at age on leaving the village and the time distance between then and now you
‘igfit feel obliged to check some of the details.
I remember some of the horse drawn vehicles around at the time.

The ~11” delivery from Mr. Jones farm (I believe it was called Brickfield Farm)
was by horse and float. The milk would be bailed out from the churn in a
measuring scoop straight into the jugs which would be brought out by the
custoners. I seem to recall that we paid him weekly. The coalman (a Hr. Hollands
who lived I think in Union Road) had a flat truck and he would deliver coal to
the houses. we lived in one of the small terraced cottages opposite the Union.

I seem to remember the coal being kept in the cupboard under the stairs. Another
hase drawn vehicle, which as boys we called the soup cart was a barrel shaped
container on wheels into which the toilet buckets were emptied. Incidently our
toilets were located at the far end of the communal back yard in a terrace of
loos. Also in the yard was the pump, fed from a well, from which all the cottages 9
drew their water. Another horse drawn vehicle was the ambulance in which I was

spxrted to the fever hospital in Bekesbourne when I had scarlet fever. The

tren
a-Balance was 'garaged‘ within the union grounds located between the main
buiifiings and the gardens which extended to the end of Union Road. I think

1- '..
L

e gardens were tended by some of the 'perwanent' male residents.

At the top of Union Road on the left (leaving the village) was a
WlT4 hill (which I can never remember working) with some out buildings one of
wh*ch was a stable. Somewhere in the village there was a riding stable and there

was a forge near the white Horse Inn.
Between the Wars the village had a ébanch of the hritish Legion

(ore Royal) which had a number of local members. My father was one of these

age he was also a nether of the Canterbury Branch of the Old C0ntemPtib135

Assuciation. The badge of this Association is on my father's 8TaV¢5t°n° 1“

drifge chnrchyar‘.

I attended The Bridve and Patrixbourne Schooland of interest to
us lads was the large brewery lorrj which was steam driven t0PPinS UP its
water supply from the River Nailbourne right opposite the school.

In retrospect I realise just how close we were to nature 1n


2.

those days. I am horrified to think that after school we would
sénrtimes ‘call in‘ to one of the two slaughter houses (which in those days
were gart of the butchers shops) just to see what was going on. The thought
of doing that today would ‘turn me up‘ but it éws in many ways a fairly
basic life. Many of the men in the village would go 'rabbiting'- it was a
cheap meal and my mother with some of her friends would go 'wo:ding' in the
wvrds to collect 'chi§s' (small pieces of wood that were left behind when
trers were chopped down).

"y father was gassed in the First world war and was frequently
'on the panel‘. He was a baker by trade and when he was able he would work
in Mr. Castle’: bakehouse (opposite the Red Lion) but at other times he would
seek casual jobs. I remember him working as a night watchman on road works,
doing stone breaking for road construction and work as a beater during the
sh:=ting season. At home in our small kitchen and on a parégin stove he
wwuld wake doughnuts and on his bicycle would take them to sell in the hop

gardens.
The Easter and Matron of the Union were Mr. and Mrs. Honey. I would

iflagine them to have had a supportive staff but they also employed a number of
lrcal ladies who would have jobs in various departments of the establishment.
Vy wither, Betty O'Connell was one such lady. She was in chargs of what she
called the needle room in which some of the female 'permanent'residents would
repair linen and clothing. I recall another lady, Ada Wilson who worked in
thr laundry. I would imagine there were others who worked in other departments

when I have read of the harsh regime o‘ The ponr Law I have been
r.;{gJ¢a ;f the p1Qr 'traflps' (as they were referred to) making their way to
Tlfi y.i3n t3 secure 3 had far the ni ht. As young people we were a bit afraid
»f t‘ese wen and gener lly kept out of their way.

Tue final memvry Ihave is of excitment and adventure created
whnfi el"ctric Ii ht came to the village. This was about 1975/5 - I C&n‘f
,e,.a;,r qnyrfip tglving oi power_» it was electric liaht that was important
-p aa nqw some h uses had gas lighting and others were dependant on oil lamps.
That reminds me, we had an oil man, I think he came from Canterbury and I
think he may have had a house and cart as well.

This has been a ‘memory josing ' experience for me. I'm sorry
ab ut the standard of typing but I think it mi3ht be m°re legible than my
writing might have been.

I hope this letter might be of some value- fly thanks and 303d
wishes ta you and all concerned in this project-
Yours sincerely, //
1/ "
Va ét'L'7"‘
3

Vic O'Connell.