nn van:-fnrc purl '\flA ‘I ' 9’ C31 BRIDGE & DISTRI(.‘T HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the 2nd Meeting of the Society held in the Hunter Room at . 7.30pm on Tuesday 27th June I995 Jimmy Tamsitt, Hon. Chairman, Bill Dawson, Hon. Secretary Present 32 persons- Mr. Fred Atkins, Mrs. Margery Atkins, Mr. Beinder, Mrs. Beinder, Mr. John Bishop, Mrs. Janet Bishop, Mrs. Jean Buckwell, Mrs. Vera Carpenter, Mrs. Ethel Cartwright, Prof. Joe Connor, Nrs. Merrel Connor, Mrs. Dorothy Decent, Mr. Bill Dawson, Mr. Laurence Dunderdale, M:~'s. Margaret Eaton, Mrs. Pamela Elgar, Mrs. Jean Foster, Mrs. Olive Gonham. Mr. Mervyn Gulvin, Mrs. Joyce Hopkins, Mrs. Margaret Jones, Miss G Lemar, Mr. David Millyard, Mrs. Jessie Mullan, Mrs. Ruby Osmer, Mrs. Pauline Pritchard, Mr. P. Si.;litoe, Mr. Jimmy Tamsitt, Mrs. Win Tamsitt, Mr. Walter Turner, Mr. John Williamson, Km’. David Wilding. Apologies for absence received from Mrs. Margaret Church and Mrs. Joan Monk, Mrs. Jenny Vye. FOR MAE, MATTERS Minutes of the last meeting - Proposed for adoption by Mrs. Ethel Cartwright. Matters arising from the minutes - None raised. Chairman's Report Jimmy Tamsitt welcomed everyone and said how delighted he was at the interest shown in the new Society by the numbers attending. He thanked the Secretary for his support. Secretary's Report Bill Dawson said that he had set up a mailing list on his word processor file for the use of the Society, and trusted that most persons would feel happy about including their names on it and asked everyone to fill in the registration form. He had made a mental note to erasure the times of future meetings appeared and seconded by In/s>’§\'1 -.su:v. n ' 7 ... ~apelogised for the om?~=""“ this fzizne. — — — .— — — . . — Treasurer's Report As acting Treasurer Bill Dawson said the Society was in deficit and asked those present to contribute £1 per head to cover the cost of the room hire and interval refreshments. Any surplus would be used to expand the Society's activities. SPEAKER The Chairman welcomed and introduced the Guest Speaker Mr. David Cousins, Heritage Services Officer of the Local Studies Collection at Canterbury Library, and Committee Member of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust whom he represented at the Kent History Federation. Mr. Cousins said he was delighted that the Society had been set up, that it intended to cover other villages close by, and expressed his hope that the Society would soon be in a position to join and participate in the Kent History Federation. He proved a knowledgeable guide to local history information, starting by outlining national sources, and after handing out printed guides to the Canterbury Library's Local Studies Collection went on to detail the wide variety of local sources available to researchers. (It is planned to publish edited extracts from the talk in Bulletin form available later in the year free to subscribing member.) OPEN DISCUSSION Constitution of the Society The suggestion from Bill Johnson was adopted that a sample constitution should be sought from the Kent History Federation and/or the British Association for Local History and to liaise with them before finalising a constitution for the Society. Membership It was agreed that the following be adopted for the year September 1995 — August 1996: Annual Subscriptions Single £5.00 Concession £3.50 Double £7.50 Concession £5.00 Meeting Entrance Charge inclusive interval refreshments Members £1.00 Non-members £2.50 Concessions to be available on request for senior citizens, students in full time education, under 18's and unwaged persons. Any Other Business Informal Coffee Mornings/Home Visits It was agreed that Margaret Eaton's suggestion be adopted for informal Coffee Mornings in the Village Hall be organised with the elderly in mind who might not wish or otherwise be unable to attend the regular meetings in the evenings. Alternatively, housebound residents might be visited in their own homes. It was felt that informal approaches to individuals would be preferable. On the Nail/Kentish Gazette The Secretary will forward a summary of this and future meetings to the local correspondents for inclusion in these publications. Register of Members Interests David Millyard suggested listing interests which could be used to form research groups. interests mentioned included the development of the village, shops, schools, photographs, families, soldiers, and the fire brigade. Publishing Permission had been obtained from the owner by the Chairman to publish an essay on Highland (Higham) Court. Jessie Mullan and Pamela Elgar both said they might be able to get professional assistance if the Society wanted to go ahead in time. It was suggested that advice might be sought from Oaten Hill Society which regularly publishes booklets. Pattern of Meetings The Secretary said it was envisaged that this form of meeting with a guest speaker would continue for the foreseeable future, and met with general approval. Refreshments Thanks was expressed to Mrs. Win Tamsitt for providing interval refreshments. Her costs are to be reimbursed from Society funds. Date of Next Meeting it was agreed that this would be on Thursday 23 September at 7.30pm in the Hunter Room. Thereafter in November, January, March and June, date to be decided. Bill Dawson July 1995 BRIDGE & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the Committee Meeting held at 7.30pm on Monday 30 October 1995 at 19 The Close, Union road, Bridge Present Mr. Jimmy Tamsitt, Chairman; Mr. Bill Dawson, Secretary; Dr. Maurice Raraty, Treasurer; Mrs. Emily Shirley; Mr. John Bishop; Mrs. Janet Bishop. 1. Apologies for Absence Mrs. Jenny Vye 2. Correspondence The Secretary had written to Mrs. Vickie Harris who had agreed to be the speaker on English Windmills, with photographs, at the November public meeting. Also with Dr. John Whyman of the University who had agreed to speak at the January public meeting on The Kent & Canterbury Hospital 17901913, with slides. Also to Mrs. Joan Kent to ask her to speak at the May public meeting on A Country Girl. 3. Treasurers Report The Secretary had handed over funds to Dr. Raraty following his appointment as Treasurer. There was a credit balance of about £100. ls. Format of Public Meetings It was agreed that this should be changed; members did not appear to want Agendas and Minutes of public meetings, and these should be confined in future to Committee meetings. 5. Venue of Public Meetings Following the increase in interest and consequently numbers attending public meetings, it was agreed that the Society had outgrown the Hunter Room. The Secretary would look at the Methodist Chapel, and if, in his opinion, that should prove unsuitable, then the Village Hall would be used. Catering facilities were an important factor in the choice, as the interval refreshments seemed an important part of the public meetings. 6, Future Guest Speakers See 2. above. Also Jimmy Tamsitt offered to organise a presentation of historic photos of the area from his collection of postcards, followed by a photo-quiz, for the March public meeting, and this was accepted. 7. Any Other Business John Bishop offered to organise an outing to the Elham Valley Railway Museum in February, which might interest members. Emily Shirley offered to organise a walk around Bridge in June in association with John Williamson. Both these suggestions were accepted. 8. Date and Venue of the Next Meeting The Secretary, in consultation with other Comiittee members, would organise this as and when it was thought necessary. Bill Dawson, Secretary 1; November 1995 cc Janet Bishop John Bishop Maurice Raraty/ Emily Shirley Jimmy Tamsitt Jenny Vye CC BRIDGE & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the Committee Meeting held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 February 1996 at 41 Bridge Down, Bridge. Present Dr. Maurice Raraty, Treasurer (Deputising as Chairman); Mr. Bill Dawson, Secretary; Mr. John Bishop; Mrs. Janet Bishop: Mrs. Jenny Vye. I. Apologies for Absence Jimmy Tamsitt, Chairman; Mrs. Emily Shirley, 2. Minutes of the last Meeting The Secretary apologised for not having them available, and it was agreed to defer their approval to the next Committee meeting. 3. Matters Arising from the Minutes See 2, above. 14. Correspondence The Secretary had received details from Federation of the Agenda for their next meeting on I Conference at Tonbridge in May. . the Kent History March, and of a One Day 5. Treasurers Report A printed Statement was provided by the treasurer showing a current balance of £29l+.OS. The Elham Valley Railway Museum outing had made a profit of £66.00. Public meetings needed to attract about 30 persons to show a profit when an outside paid speaker was involved. 6. Report on the Outing to the Elham Valley Railway Museum The event had attracted 23 persons: 15 members— 2 others had paid but unable to go, and 8 non—members, incl. 2 children. George Wright, the museum's creator, made us welcome and teas and biscuits etc. were freely available. All were impressed with the exhibits, layout and smartness of the museum. in particular, the working scaie model of the line, the BocheBuster gun video presentation and the signal box with its working levers, bells and telephone proved great attractions. John Bishop was thanked for organising the event, and the Secretary was asked to send a letter of thanks to Mr. Wright. The event's success proved a morale booster for the Committee in planning for the future. 7. Programme for the 1996-97 Season it was agreed that the Society's public meetings should all be on the same day. The Secretary said he would check with other village societies‘ days/dates to ensure that as far as possible our meetings would not clash with any others. Tuesday seemed a good day. Public Meetings would be held in September, and November 1996, and January, March and May 1997, with outings between them. Speakers It was agreed that the following approaches be made for speakers: Jenny Vye re. Mrs. Shirley in September, and Mrs. Meriel O'Connor in May; Bill Dawson re. Mr. Fagg (Restoration of Cottages) in November, and speaker on the KHF panel (Kent Railways) in March; Naurice Raraty re. Stephen Band (Bargrave, a 17th century Cannon oi the Cathedral and resident of Bridge Place) in January. Re. autumn 1997, Bill Dawson would approach i'\’ir. Ogley on the KHF panel to try and book him for his talk about on the Great Storm of 1987, as it would by then be the 10th anniversary, for September or November (97. Outings John Bishop had a reply to a letter that member Mavis Parsons had written to the owner of Bourne Park, whom she knew, to say that Lady Juliet de Chair would permit "up to to no more than 30 persons at a time“ to visit the house. The Page 1 of 2 Secretary would liaise with Mrs. Parsons to finalise details for a visit in either October '96 or April (97. It was felt that the prospect of a visit was a coup for the Society, and likely to attract much interest. Jenny Vye would discuss with member Meriel O'Connor the possibility of a special guided tour in June '97 of some of the more unusual places in Canterbury. John Bishop said he would look into an outing to the East Kent Steam Railway next February. 8. Any Other Business It was agreed with John Bishop that the Summer Walk on 9 June should finish at the Village Hall where light refreshments would be available at no extra charge. The Secretary would book the Hall from i2.00i.30pm. The Secretary expressed concern that the second half of public meetings tended not to be as well organised as the first, and suggested that it should be used for promoting interest in local historical matters. It was agreed he would find out the cost of a very large scale map of the High Street from Ordnance Survey which could be hung on the Village Hall wall at meetings to get people to discuss the history of houses and their previous inhabitants. Thank was expressed to Dr. and Mrs. Raraty for their hospitality. 9. Date and Venue of the Next Meeting Wednesday 24 April at ‘The Dacha‘, Patrixbourne Road, Bridge. (Jenny Vye, Tel. 830 983) Bill Dawson, Secretary 29 February 1996 cc Janet Bishop John Bishop Maurice Raraty Emily Shirley Jimmy Tarnsitt Jenny Vye Page 2 of 2 BRIDGE dt DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the Committee Meeting held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21+ April at ‘The Dacha‘, Patrixbourne Road, Bridge. Present Maurice Raraty (Treasurer) Deputising as Chairman Bill Dawson (Secretary) Janet Bishop Jenny Vye. 1 Apologies for Absence Jimmy Tamsett (Chairman) 2 Minutes of the Previous Meeting The minutes of the previous meeting held on 28 February 1996, had been circulated beforehand. Due to an oversight they would be signed as a true record at the next meeting. 3 Matters Arising from the Minutes There were no matters arising from the minutes. 4 Correspondence - 4.} Re. the 1996-7 season, the secretary had received confirmation from two guest speakers for November 1996 and March 1997, and, re. the l997—8 season, similarly from a guest speaker for the opening September 1997 meeting. 4.2 A circular had been received from the Faversham Society detailing their Open House scheme on the first three Saturdays in July. 5 Treasurers Report 5.! The annual subscription to the Kent History Federation had been renewed/ 5.2 The balance sheet prepared for the meeting showed a credit of £275.42. 6 Report on the March Meeting 6.] A record attendance of about 45 persons was at the presentation by the chairman Jimmy Talmsett of his specially prepared video of still photographs from his own and others’ collections of Bridge. The evening proved a great success and finished half an hour later then usual at about 10.00pm. Two television sets were set up to make viewing easier and this arrangmenet had proved worthwhile. 6.2 Membership subscriptions had increased at the above meeting by 7, and now stood at 72. ‘ 7 Programme for the 1996-97 Season ‘ 7.1 The secretary produced a printed outline of the arrangements made so far for discussion at the meeting. An amended version is included with these minutes showing the changes approved at the meeting, with the organiser shown in brackets. 7.2 It was decidedithat the first meeting should begin with the AGM to be followed by a speaker. Jenny Vye would ask John Williamson to speak at one, giving him the first choice, and Bill Dawson would ask member Fred Atkins to give his slide presentation at the other. I . BRIDGE & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the Committee Meeting held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26 June 1996 at ‘The Dacha‘, Patrixbourne Road, Bridge. Present Jenny Vye, Deputising as Chair Bill Dawson (Secretary) Maurice Raraty (Treasurer Janet Bishop John Bishop) 1 Apologies for Absence 1.1 With regret we have to record the death of our founder Chairman Jimmy Tammsit. Aged 611-, he passed away soon after the last committee meeting which he was too ill to attend (see Treasuers’ Report below). 1.2 Apology was received from John Cortield (see AOB 8.1 below) 2 Minutes of the Previous Meetings The Minutes of the previous meetings held on 28 February and 214 April, having been circulated beforehand, were approved by the committee and signed by Jenny Vye, as being true records. 3 Matter Arising from the Minutes It was pointed out that the date of this meeting had been wrongly given as the 25 June. 4 Correspondence 4.! In response to the Secretary's letter of thanks to Joan Kent for her appearance as guest speaker at the May public meeting, she wrote to say how much she had enjoyed the evening, and expressed a wish to visit the Society again in the future. 4.2 A letter had been received from Prof. Stephen Bann accepting our invitation as guest speaker at the public meeting on 14 January 1997 and setting his fees at £50 incluisve all expenses. Maurice Raraty, who had originally contacted him, had subsequently mutually agreed the fees at £25 inclusive expenses. 5 Treasurer's Rpeort After the last two meetings and a donation to the Cancer Relief Mcmillan Fund in memory of Jimmy Tammsit, the balance stood at £294.19. 6 Annual General Meeting No member had yet been known to express any dissatisfaction about the work of the Committee, It was agreed that to hold an AGM could not be seen to be worthwhile in the next season. A reappraisal whether or not to hold an AGM in the 1997-98 season would be deferred until next year when the programme for it is arranged. 7 Programme for the 1996-97 Season 7.1 3 September Jenny Vye said that John Williamson had agreed to be guest speaker on Social Village Life of Bridge in the 19th Century. 7.2 111 December Johnh Bishop brought along a sample Christmas Buffet lunch menu from the Red Lion, and it was agreed that they would be asked to reduce the scope of the menu and accordingly its price, with an upper 1 limit of £6.50 per head. The ticket price will inlcude a free glass of wine paid for by the Society. Plans for the photo—quiz were in hand. 7.3 22 February John Bishop had made tentative arrangements for a special opening of the St. Margaret's Bay Museum, along the lines of his successful visit to Peane in February this year. 7.4 10 May Bill Dawson would finalise arrangements with member Fred Atkins for his slide presentation of Bishopsbourne. 7.5 '2? June It was agreed that those wishing to walk from Bridge should meet in Bridge at 10.00am, and that the Summer Walk proper should start at 10.45am in Bishopsbourne, with a view to finishing in the Mermaid Inn. Martin Vye, the organiser, is to advise a date to suit him. 7.6 The Secretary's proposal to spread the new Programme over both sides of an A4 size card with photos, and punched with a hole so that members could hang it up like a calendar was agreed. 8 Any Other Business 8.1 Following an approach by the Secretary, member John Corfield had agreed to join the committee. 8.2 It was agreed to look into the possibility of a memorial to Jimmsy Tammsit, founder Chairman, and that this subject would be raised at the public meetings for discussion 8.3 It was agreed that as a token of the Society's appreciation of John Williamson's work as guest speaker in Septembers 1995 and 1996, and his organising the Summer Walk in June this year, it would be appropriate to present him with a £20 Book Token at the 3 September public meeting. 8.1+ John Bishop suggested a Millennium Project be undertaken by the Society as a way of its marking the event. In principle it was agreed that the history of individual homes and their owners might form the subject. 9 Date of the Next Meeting No date was set, as it was felt that one was not necessary before the Autumn. But it was agreed that the Secretary should call available committee members together prior to the September meeting to ensure its smooth running. The Secretary thanked Jenny Vye for her kind hospitality, and the meeting was closed at 9.00pm. Qhair——-— --Date cc Janet Bishop John Bishop John Corfield Bill Dawson Maurice Raraty Emily Shirley Jenny Vye BRIDGE & DISTRICT HISTORY SOCIETY Minutes of the Committee Meeting held at 7.30pm on Monday 12th August 1996 in the Hunter Room, Union Road, Bridge Present John Bishop (Deputising as Chair) Maurice Raraty (Treasurer) John Corfield Bill Dawson (Secretary) Janet Bishop 1 Apologies for Absence Emily Shirley and Jenny Vye were both on holiday and therefore unavailable. 2 Minutes of the Previous Meeting The Minutes of the meeting held on 26th June, having been circulated beforehand, were approved by the committee and signed by John Bishop as being a true record. 3 Matters Arising from the Minutes 7.2 Re. Christmas Buffet Lunch at the Red Lion, John Bishop said arrangements were in hand, and the final sample menu was to follow. 7/3Re. the Visit to St. Margaret's Bay Museum, John Bishop said that all arrangements had been made and light refreshments are to be included. He would tell them to expect about 20 persons. anc should have read 5.0 The balance should have read £274.19, not £294.19. 4 Correspondence None had been received. 5 Treasurer's Report There had been no change since the last meeting, and the balance stood at £271+.l9. 6 Appointment of New Chairman It was agreed that a new chairman be elected at the start of the public meeting on 3rd September. 7 Annual General Meeting 7.] It was agreed that despite previous thoughts (see Minutes 26th June, 6.0), that half the committee, including at least one officer, should be elected annually at a public meeting, and that the first election would be on the 6th May meeting. 7.2It was agreed that the committee should comprise a minimum of six persons. 8 Programme for the E996-97 Season The Secretary had previously circulated copies of the texts for it, and the committee went through them in detail before giving its approval prior to printing. 9 Roles of Committee Members at the Public Meeting on 3rd September 9.1 John Bishop agreed to make the announcements. I 9.2 John Corfield and Janet Bishop agreed to take membership subscriptions and meeting entrance charges. (Maurice Raraty (Treasurer) would be unable to attend) 9.3 Win Tammsit should be asked if she would like to continue to assist with the interval catering. 10 Any Other Business 10.0] It was agreed that Win Tammsit should be given honorary life membership in recognition of the work Jimmy Tammsit had done in the matter of local history in Bridge for both the Village, and for the Society. 10.02 John Bishop mentioned the possibility of a raffle at public meetings as a way of increasing funds. No decision was made. 1.03 John Bishop revived the idea of memorial plaque in the Village Hall to Jimmy Tammsit , and would consider announcing it to seek out members‘ opinions and possibly donations at the 3rd September meeting. 10.04 The Secretary said he would buy the £20 book token for presentation to John Williamson in thanks for the 2 talks and the walk he has undertaken for the Society. 11 Date of the Next Meeting The date was fixed for Monday 7th October, the venue to be announcredlg Chair Date CC Janet Bishop John Bishop John Corfield Bill Dawson éaurice Raraty Emily Shirley Jenny Vye 4, o= J5 ta’ '§»m...«~s,«~.,, , £L1.»*J,. “"53/""‘flj“’K \’yD““”"”