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Village recollections

Often villages are shown as clusters of houses and shops merely providing a slumberland for
commuters and retired businessmen. This illusion of rural stagnation is immediately
destroyed when visiting villages such as Bridge, whose villagers care - sometimes
passionately - about the future oftheir go-ahead community.

Bridge. with its rising population. has found itselfcoming to grips with the influx of new
blood. Modern houses and bungalows have appeared on both sides ofthe village's main street
and now its population is heading for about 2000.

Only about three miles from Canterbury. Bridge houses many people who come to the city to
work but prefer the village to provide their home life. Business houses and factories Bridge
may not have; shops to cater for its needs it certainly has.

Apart from a wet fish shop and a bank. Bridge has every type of shop needed to make it self-
contained for the housewife.

Some villagers are pressing hard to get a bank and, ifthey are as successful with this project
as they have been with past demands. Bridge should have one in the not too distant future.
Yet that is looking ahead and Bridge is proud of its past. It takes its name from what is now
the 18”‘ Century brick bridge straddling the River Nailbourne in the High Street.

For many ofthe older residents an evening is often well spent recalling life in the village at
the turn ofthe Century. Anyone wishing to know ofthe Bridge of decades ago is immediately
directed to the home of Mr Herbert Price at Lynton Cottage.

Formerly the village's representative on the Bridge Blean Rural District Council he retired
because of ill-health but is still an active member ofthe Parish Council, which hejoined in
1930. He is also Chairman of the managers of Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England
Controlled Primary School.

Mr Price has almost a lifetime ofrecollections of the village. He remembers the days when
the High Street was uncluttered b_v cars and when the Elham Valley Railway line was in
operation. .

Some of his fondest memories are ofthe old Bridge Volunteer Fire Brigade, started by the
Marquess of Conyngham in the 1890's. ln the early days the brigade's manual pump was
horse~drawn. but in 1925. when t\/Ir Price joined the brigade. they had a motor tender which
proved to be extremely efficient and w as often called into Canterbury to help with city fires.
Later a Rolls Royce chassis was converted for Lise and in 1929 the brigade got its own motor
pump. ln 1938 the Rolls Ro_vce was replaced by a Bedford.

Ofthe changes in the village. Mr Price said: "Years ago the road was narrower near the bridge
and we had a fine set of lime trees down the street. What is now the Red Lion public house's
car park was stables. and the White Horse's car park was a lawn. We used to hold open-air
dances there.

"The Village Hall belonged to the Marquess of Conyngham but in 1952 he let the village have
it on a 50-year lease at 6d a year. to be rented by a committee delegated by the Parish
Council. At present we need a new hall and are looking for a suitable site."

Looking back at the village characters he has known, several names came to Mr Price's mind.
He said he could clearl_v remember Mr Jack Friend, a former landlord of the Red Lion, who
organised the village's King George VI Coronation celebrations. He also had vivid memories
ofa former village baker Mr Charles Wills. and Mr Chas. White. who was the chairman of
the Parish Council for many years.

During his recollections .Vlr Price never fails to remember the day Bridge was packed with
people. It was at the funeral in 1910 of l-‘ireman J. Fenn, who was killed while firing a
maroon.

"Bridge has never been as full as it was on the day of Fireman Fenn's funeral. The Streets
were lined with masses of people who came from miles around to pay their respects to this
popular tireman." said Mr Price.

Another person w ho has many memories of Bridge is Mr Harry Hawkins, owner of the ladies’
and men's outfitters and the new sagents. His father came to Bridge in 1907 and he was born
in the village.


Over the years he has seen the great housing developments in the village and is particularly
proud of the way local tradesmen have risen to the occasion to meet the demands of the
expanding population.

"There is." said Mr Hawkins. "everything for the shopper. Really there is very little reason for
anyone needing to go out ofthe village tor their shopping." With its shops, character and
friendly atmosphere, Bridge obviously provides a popular base for young families in search of
the country. but at the same time not \\ anting to be too far from the town. But what can these
newcomers. together with the well-established villager, expect of the future?

Like any community. Bridge has its problems to face. But it is lucky in having a great number
of people interested enough in its future to spend hours of their time striving to make the
village more accommodating to growing needs.

Traffic is an almost constant menace to the village High Street. Cars stream through, coming
or going to the continent. and Bridge is desperately trying to speed up plans for a by-pass to
weed out this traffic problem from its doorstep.

Recently the A2 group was formed to demand a by-pass. The campaign secretary, 23-year-old
Mr Brian Lewis. said the group was started when some members of the old Bridge youth Club
became appalled at the road conditions through Bridge.

About 20 young people arranged a protest march through the village and at the same time
they joined forces with another resident. .\'lr John Purchese, who was conducting his own
campaign with letters to the :\linistry otilransport.

With the Youth Club members teaming up wqith Mr Purchese, protest demonstrations were
arranged, aiming at a plan for an extension of the M2 from Brenley Corner to Dover. Because
of their near-militant protests and pestering of local authorities and the Ministry . . . . ..
(incomplete: Kentish Gazette. no date. Williamson 215)