Rogers Garage

Rogers Garage

Built in 1929 on the site of a house called "Farringdon" which used to be a coal and wood yard
and which belonged to G Cowell (John Bishop’s grandfather). There were stables at the back.
The workshops of the present garage used to be an oil store at Canterbury South Station
(which was on the Elham Valley line) and was transported to its present location on the back of
a lorry and re-assembled, in 1931 by Mr Rogers, Norman Grey (2 Bellevue Terrace) and Edgar
Swann. There used to be a shop taking up half of the present forecourt, which sold and
repaired pianos (Carstairs), which was demolished in 1961/62 by Mr Rogers who had bought it
to extend the forecourt and office area.

(Notes supplied by John Bishop following a conversation with Clive Spaull, April 1999)

Gas Works

James Wonfer ran Bridge Gas Works single handed until 1928. He was employed making gas
and installing it into houses in the village. A by-product of this operation was coke which was
sold for 1/2d a bag.

\ He worked 7 days a week and in addition to his duties at the gas works, he also lit the street
lights in the village at dusk and extinguished them soon after dawn.

(Notes supplied by John Bishop from information obtained from Mr Wonfer of Old Wives
Lees, in March 1999, concerning his grandfather)

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