MY LIFE CONNECTED WITH THE UNION/THE CLOSE, UNION ROAD. BRIDGE - MISS GLADYS M. LEMAR In 1933, when we (the Lemar family) came to live in Old Mill House, Union Road, Bridge, we had relations working at The Union, Union Road. My Aunt and Uncle (Mr. and Mrs. Len Lemar) held the posts of Porter and Porteress, and their living accommodation was on the left-hand side of the main entrance (now made into two flats). They had two daughters (our cousins), so as children we were often in The Union. This gave us an insight into life that we would not otherwise have known about. We spent many hours in the laundry, the chapel, the kitchen, and on the wards, doing little jobs when we could. The women lived on the left-hand side and the men on the right-hand side of the building. We talked frequently to the men and women who had to live there; we knew them all by name. In those days, some who lived in the Union, or the Institution, as it was often referred to, were only in their twenties and thirties. In addition there were the elderly, infirm and mentally retarded. Some women had their babies with them. I can remember vagrants being brought to The Union, being cleaned and bathed by my Uncle, and given food. After a night’s rest, some “went on their way”. The vagrants always arrived at, or were brought to, a special building which was situated opposite Old Mill House. The building was demolished in 1976, and later, houses were built on the site, now Mount Charles Walk. The Union gardens were eventually sold and Churchill House and Churchill Close are built where the gardens once were. During the early years, The Master and Matron of The Union were Mr. and Mrs. P. Honney and their living accommodation was on the right-hand side of the main entrance and above the archway. Among the many and varied duties my Aunt and Uncle did, is one that I always remember vividly. In the main entrance, next to his desk, my Uncle had a bell-pull. He had to toll the bell many times during the day; for examp1e:- time to get up, time for breakfast, lunch and tea (even between the courses), also, to signify that the Doctor had arrived, and finally, of course, time for bed. The Board of Governors held a meeting every month on the premises. During those years I never thought that one day I would work at The Union. After working for The Bishop of Dover (Bishop Rose) and his wife, at St. Martin's Priory, St. Martins Hill, Canterbury, as I-Iouse Maid and then Parlour Maid, for five and a half years, I came to work at The Union in I947, as The Matron’s Maid. The Matron then was Miss Eborn and I worked for her for ten years, until she retired and returned to live in her home town of Dover. During my time at The Union (later to be named The Close), I worked for seven Matrons. Sometimes my work took on a different role as some of the Matrons had families, and then I had the children to look after as well. During the time that Mrs. D. Upton (later to become Mrs. Holway) was Matron there was talk of The Union /T he Close being closed. Matron became an active campaigner to keep the home in Bridge. None of the staff or the residents, or in fact the people of Bridge, wanted the home to move into Canterbury. The campaign and everyone’s efforts to prevent the move were successful. The Close was converted into houses/flats and The New Close was built in Conyngham Lane, Bridge. We all moved to The New Close in I982 and here, men and women were able to live side by side and were not segregated as in the old days. I retired from The New Close in Iune I985, having worked for The Kent County Council, at The Union/T he Close/T he new Close, for thirty eight and a half years. I remained a Committee Member for The New Close Amenity Fund until the middle of 1997. 10th January, 1999. THE VINTEN FAMILY AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH BRIDGE AND SURROUNDING AREA“ Charles Henry Vinten, his wife, Caroline Jane, and their family moved to Bridge in 1901 where they rented a small terraced ' cottage at 6 Brewhouse Lane (now 11 Brewery Lane), Charles (born in Poplar, East London but brought up by hi u in Sittingbourne when the arrival of a new baby threatene‘ h parents with eviction from their rooms above a shipping o fl had been working at Chilham as Head Groomsman. nxl U] (T! "MCI (DU) u i 3 \ when his employer decided to abandon horse—drawn carriages in favour of motorised vehicles, he was given the chance of learning about motor cars and staying on as driver. He turned this down because he "loved working with the horses and didn't want anything to do with those new—fangled things". His wife, Caroline, came from Temple Ewell and her brother. Richard Friend, lived at Brookside Lodge in School Lane {now Patrixbourne Road) in Bridge. He had a coal depot at the back of the Methodist Church and supplied the local gasworks as well as domestic customers, delivering the coal by horse—drawn cart. Charles Vinten took on the job of delivery man. At the time of their arrival in Bridge, Charles and Caroline had three children — Edie, Eva and Charles. In 1902, Alf was born followed by Jessie in 1905 (the baby in the family photo} and Flor*ie two years later. All the children attended the old Bridte School until they reached the then school leaving age of la. At that time, as far as I can gather, the school consisted of two rooms separated by a partition. There were as many as four classes, known as "Standards" at that time in one room so it was possible to ”eavesdrop" on other lessons. Generally, most pupils had learnt all they could by the time they were twelve so the more able ones were asked to help with the lower forms :or the remainder of their time at school. Jessie (my mother) always resented the decision of the headmaster not to enter her for the equivalent at that time of the ll—Plus because he said "her parents could not afford to send her to a Grammar School". Jessie conceded in later life that he was probably right because her parents were not well off but the fac that she was denied even the satisfaction of sitting the exam and finding out whether she would have been good enough t0 E0 C0 3 Grammar School remained a sore point for the rest of her life. As recreation the children Dlaved around the village. in the fialdn and piggy, often coming home soaked and covered in duck _.:a . —« *"’ ‘ " . ‘ used: They also used to be sent off with a picnic for the G3? 10 whztahill woods something which no parent would dare consider — 7 V .. ._ these days_ HQp_p1cking and haymaking were annual events with the long school holidavs fitting around this time and Q .. . , ' 1 -ve . Joining in. Jessie was allergic to hops so Spgnt thi_ry?ne helping on her uncle's farm at Alkham near Dgver 3 time * 9 v ‘ . For the children, Sunday was a dull day. Having been "hr ‘b clean on Saturday evening in the tin bath. in front O;Vt§: %d a in winter, they were all dressed up in their "Sunday Bosri iinae attend church THREE TIMES, once for Morning Service” ?o;iowa‘ - the afternoon by Sunday School and finally‘Evensong: in batfifaln times they had to play quiet games or read. _ ‘ Hvn Upon leaving school, three of the girls became domestic Sfirvantn with positions at times locally at Bridge Place and Bowrn; p 1‘a’ _ _ _v v .«.'._I .. _, a‘§(_ as well as further afield. At one time Edie, Eva and Florrip all work d ‘ , V” . . . ” e f°r Joseph honradr the aUth0T; at Oowalds. Bisnopsoourne. Charles (junior) enlisted for the Army at the outbreak of world War 1, much to the disapproval of his mother, particularly as he was under age and had lied about his date of birth to get accepted. He served abroad and was one of the luckv ones to coma back unscathed. A H Unlike his father, Charles Jnr. loved messing about with motor cars and soon came to the attention of Count Zobrowski {of Chitty Bang Bang fame) who was at that time living at Highams (now highland Court) at the top of Bridge Hill. Count Zobrowski was so impressed with Charles‘ interest in cars that he went to see his parents to ask permission to take Charles on as his apprentice at a modest sum of half a crown {;2.3 pence} a week. They agreed and Charles learnt all he knew of motor mechanics from the famous car builder and racing driver. Later, he worked as Joseph Conrad's chauffeur at Oswalds where his wife, Audrey, was nurse/companion to Mrs Conrad. At this time Jessie was working at West's, the butchers {now Wakeham's} and as part of her job had to deliver meat to various customers. one of whom was the Conrads. One day, as Jessie approached the house, Joseph Conrad happened to be lookin out of the drawin room window and remarked to his g g . . . wife, “What a lovely pair of legs tnat girl has!". when Audrey explained that she was Charles‘ sister, he insisted that she P355 on his praise to her sister-in—law. It was a story which Jessie’ relished telling all her life! Alf was a volunteer fireman in Bridge at the time his cousin. Jack Friend, dg€§§Lowe~ep—eyfa/ftre~roeket. He can be seen in the photo of the funeral procession, on the right of the Cofiifly second from front. In the Twenties. there was very little organised entertainment and the family made their own fun, going for walks ahc Dike rides, sometimes on a summer evening going all the waV 10 N‘ Sand”iCh BaY, Playing football and cricket and jOining V - societies. Local village dances and those held in tha#baa1l?Ea . Canterbury were well supported. H rrabka In Jessie was in the Bridge Netball team (naa iat ~ ~ v v — -- - ure :~. - 1920), also the Girls’ Friendly Societyawhifhionnasiégglibwft . amateur dramatics in the village hall. At one ppyformancgy atagefl clambered up on to the stage and opened her mouth rgafiv {S izggg . .,_p_, - --.ls_-. her lines, Jessie s skirt promptly dropped down around her ankles! Jessie was mortified but the audience naturallv tngu b it was hilarious; Jessie was able to see the funny side later gAt During the Thirties, the children were busy with their own lives and families. By then Jessie and Florpie had moved up to Lopdon Charles had settled in the Faversham area, Edie had mgvnfi bafik ;fl Bridge into one of the newly built Council houses in Bourne View and Alf had moved into one in Mill Terrace. Eva, who never married, lived at home with her parents and in 1937, they moved to Filmer Road. ' LU £11 In the war years, Jessie moved away from London to Woborn in Bedfordshire where she was later joined by her sister F and her children. They returned to London at the end of th The rest of the family remained in Kent. Eva had a lucky esca during the war when the air raid on the City began just as sh arrived back in Bridge after shopping for some sewing materia in Canterbury. {'1 O 1” N (I! H J1 *“ W 0) d F a P e l ‘e 5 During the Fifties, Florrie moved back to Kent to live in her husband's family home in Kingston and in 1975 Jessie, widowed since 1961, moved back to Bridge upon her retirement. In their later years, the whole family were great lovers of whist drives and the small local village bingo sessions. Eva and Jessie were founder members of the Fish Scheme and were full of praise for the movement which helped them both to remain in their own homes and maintain their independence despite their disabilities in later life. Charles Henry and Caroline Jane are buried in St. Peter's Churchyard and their grave also contains the ashes of their daughter, Eva. Their eldest daughter, Edie, is also buried with her husband, Harold, in the Churchyard. Jessie is buried with her husband in a London cemetery and Charles, Alf and Florrie were cremated at Barham. Eva was the last person bearing the family name of Vinten to Live in Bridge, although there are still descendents of the zamily living in the village, in Canterbury and surrounding villages. JESSIE MULLAN September 199A ,.\ Analysis of Bridge Maps Site Allotments Bifrons Bourne House Bourne Lodge Brewery/Mill Lane Brick Field Brick Kiln Bridge Bridge Hill Bridge Hill Lodge Bridge Place Lodge Bridge Place 1764 1801 Befrons Palace marked Bifrons stops at ford as now Bridge Hill marked Bridge Place Bridge Place Bridge Station Church Flint Cottages . Foot Bridge Ford / FB Forge Gasometer Gasworks ham Hmgham Lodge Laundry Laundry Lane Lodge, Bridge Hill Methodist Chapel(Primitive) marked Higham marked Methodist Chapel(Wesleyan) Middle Pett) Farm Mill Millers House. Nailbourne ?wrong route Pett Farm Plough & Harrow lnn ?wrong route shown wrongly? Pet Post Office Pump (P.) :e Course Red Lion lnn Renville Saxon Cemetary (Bridge Hill) Renwell Old School Side Hill Wood Songbury Lane Summer House ‘ The Butts Union Union Chapel to Pett House 8.) Bottom Union Road “OT Clea’ Village Hall Well (W.) White Horse Inn 04/12/98 1838/41 Bifrons Bourn Park as HOW Brick Kiln marked Bridge Hill Bridge Place marked a field Higham Park marked marked marked marked Little Stour (present route) Pett Farm Grandstand marked a field ' marked Songbury Lane Union Chapel as HOW 1872/73 Bifrons Park Bournepark as now Brick Field Kiln Bridgehill House Bridge Place(large) not covered St Peter's Church Foot Br x3 Smithy Gasometer Gasworks Higham marked marked marked Methodistchapel (Primitive) Windmill Little Stour Pett l’-"arm Plough & Harrow I n n Post Office( Dentists?) Grandstand (resited). Red Lion lnn Saxon Cemetary National School Bovs and Girls marked Summer House( SH) Rifle Range Union Workhouse Chapel SS HOW White Horse Inn map analysis.xls 1896198 Allotment‘ Gardens Bifrons * Park Bourne Park marked 85 HOW Brickworks Kiln F.B. Bridge Hill House Lodge Lodge Bndge Place( large) Bridge Station St Peter's Church marked Foot Br X2 Ford, FB. Sm marked Gasworks Higham Lodge marked marked marked Methodist Chapel (Prim) Methodist Chapel (We-s.) Middle Pett Farm Windmill marked Little Stour P.H. P.O.(Dentists?) many Golf Course Red Lion Inn Renville 1907 Allotment gardens Bifrons Park Bourne Park marked 1977 85 now Brickworks Kiln F.B. Bridgehill House Lodge Lodge Bridge» Place not covered St Peter's Church marked Foot Br, X2 Ford, F. B. Sm marked Gasworks Higham Lodge marked marked not marked Meth. Chap. (Wes) not covered Windmill (corn) marked Nail Bourne not covered P. H. present site not marked not marked Red Lion lnn not covered Saxon Cemetary Saxon Cemetary School marked marked marked Bridge Union Workhouse Chapel as now Reading Room >4 x School marked marked marked not covered Bridge Union Workhouse Chapel as HOW Reading Room not marked P. H. Page 1 ‘P. iU\l?.l>rf~/