LIONEL BRUCE BLAXLAND — Priest We record with regret the passing of the Reverend Lionel Blaxland on April 29th at Temple Ewell. The Funeral was held on May 5th, and a special Service of Memorial took place at St. Peter’s Church, Bridge on Sunday May 23rd - attended by many who wished to acknowledge a man of great talent, compassion and love. ' LIONEL BLAXLAND was born on March 24th 1898, the son of the Vicar of Abbey Church, Shrewsbury. He was educated at Shrewsbury School from l9l1—19l6, and then entered the Royal Flying Corps serving as a Fighter Pilot in the first World War with the rank of Captain. Following the Great War he studied at Oriel College, Oxford, from 1919-1921. Here he was a Soccer Blue — showing an interest in sport that was to stay with him for many years. 'ing graduated he took up the appointment as a Master at Repton, where the Head Master of the day was Geoffrey Fisher, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He remained on the staff of Repton from 1922 until 1960, becoming Housemaster of The Hall from 1935 for a decade, and then Housemaster of The Cross House for the remaining fift- een years. During this time he was in charge of Cricket, Soccer and the Air Training Corps at the school. A keen sportsman he had not only been a Soccer Blue at Oxford, but also played for the Corinthians and the Old Salopians under the captaincy of Arthur Dunn, ach- ieving International Trial status. In the 1930's and 40's he played cricket in the summer months for Derbyshire Cricket Club. Leaving Repton in 1960 Lionel Blaxland was ordained priest, and his first curacy was at Tansley in Derbyshire from 1961-3. Later the Vicar of Doveridge in the same county for eight years; he retired to Bridge where he lived happily for the remaining five years of his life. Lionel Blaxland was a man who could be loved, because he ever looked for good in people, which he invariably found. His simple preaching and obvious sincerity won him friends in every congregation. Although moving about cost him much pain he never commented on his handicap and attended services with a regularity that few match. The funeral service held_ at St. Peter's, Temple Ewell, was notable for the sturdy Christian optimism of the hymns and prayers; and the sunshine, the sounds of the primary school children nearby in their playground, and the bird song that surrounded Peter's were suitable accompaniment to a farewell that the Reverend Lionel Blaxland would have much appreciated. Resquiescat in pace. BRIDGE VILLAGE HISTORY XIII — The Bridge School Registers 1872-1910 90$-lit-9iHi<--3|! -JlHK~%l%-)|(--*--1i<-9|!‘-II6->06->k~liH|(~~Jié->96-tit-99¢-9|HK-It%k-~#--)l<--ii!--1069!!--lit-~3iP9k--fiifi-Ifiik-éiéékikfléfifiiléiiéihiéélfiiéikik--fiéitéhélfié-IE916-3|!-iii--Iitvilt--31¢-éifill-90¢--tit-lie The Registers afford a good description of the life and educational methods during the nineteenth century in Bridge School. As the School is of Church of England foundation there were daily bible classes and in the 1880's the Catechism, the Ten Commandments and several psalms had to be learned by heart. Miss Fanny Wye, who took charge of the School in 1876 was obviously worried when she started, as she states: ’there is not one child that can make a straight line correctly; there is no order whatever and the children think they come to school to run about the room’. 8 There was daily drill before the lessons, and the subjects were taught on what was then a systematic method — each lesson being devoted to an object such as the Sea, Rivers and Flowers. There are frequent comments on the ability of the class to assimilate the particular object lesson of the day. However, there was obviously plenty of fun and amusement, being a fairly selfcontained community. Here are recorded holidays for Medal Day on the Golf Course (near Highland Court) when medals were presented to the local regiments — the Relief of Mafeking and Ladysmith on May 21st 1900, Edward VII’s Coronation 1902. Also listed were Mr. and Mrs. Bell's Golden Wedding Anniversary at Bourne Park, and Lady Blanche Conyngham’s annual birthday party at Bifrons; several annual treats were held by the Gay family at Higham (now Highland Court), the Chapel (that was a Wesleyan Chapel in Dering Road)‘ and the Band of Hope meetings in Canterbury. Absenteeism was always a problem; scarlet fever, chicken pox and ringworm took their annual toll, and sometimes a child would have to stay at home minding the babies while its mother was ‘in the hop fields. On the sad occasion of the funeral of a young child, the wreath would be made up of wild flowers collected by the children and made up by the teachers. Occasionally there would be an admittance from the workhouse, now known as The Close, in Union Road. Songs must have formed quite an integral part of the teaching and these also had to be learned by heart; some were patriotic like ’The Flag of England’ and ’Hurrah! for England's Glory’; some sentimental, as ’What Do The Beautiful Roses Say ?’ — and old favourites like ‘Three Blind Mice’ and ’Little Cock Sparrow’. The senior classes were obviously quite advanced, and there were lectures on the leading figures of the century like Lord Palmerston and Lord Beaconsfield; and-history lessons on the Chartists and the Indian Mutiny, and on the days of intercession for Foreign Missions talks on countries such as China and Turkey. The fees for attendance were classified according to your occupational status, Tradesmen and Farmers 6d for the first child, 3d for the rest; Labourers and Artis- ans 2d for each child to the number of 4. The age for leaving the School was 14, and an entry for July 1877 states: 'several of the older children have left for work having qualified by age or the dunces’ certificate’. J..l. Williamson Bridge & Pcitrixbourne |||||||||||||||||||||llllll|||l||||||l|l||ll|||||l|||||||||||||||||||l||||||l||||l||lllllllllllllllll|||||||l|l||l||ll||||||||||||l||lllllllllllCI-I U Bridge C of E Primary School Sat 12th June CHILDREN'S FANCY DRESS COMPETITION (Theme: Nursery Rhymes) Commencing at 2.30. Two classes — up to six of Canterbury years, six to eleven years. SHEEP DOG wonkme DEMONSTRATION * Band GRAND DRAW * TEAS * CAKES * STALLS AND SIDE snows * GRAND ATTRACTIONS during the afternoon 9 Blllllllllll |lllV- ll|Il 3l't| 1.45 — 2.30pm MORRIS DANCING by the Wantsum Morris Men FOLK DANCING by the Ramsgate Folk Dance Club ;“;f1e'Sp;:)"g'rYaJf,r$]'; — look out for 2.20 BAND and PARADE PROCESS DOWN HIGH STREET'“'t"e' “e‘a"5 nearer the day! 2.15 CHURCH BELLS PEAL 2.30 approx. OPENING of BONANZA by DAVID CROUCH, MP. MamerofcemmonwszMALCOLMIMTCHELL 3.00 TEA PARTY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS in Vicarage Grounds TEA PARTY FOR CHILDREN in Green Court 3.15 DECORATED PRAM RACE 3.30 MARCHING DISPLAY by the Band 5th Battalion, Queen's Regiment 4.00 MAYPOLE DANCING in Green Court /' ‘*0 MAJORETTE DISPLAY by the Caroussels ASS BQ -a*‘°Bllllllli “vA~zA Your entries are invited I I Prizes will be awarded in the following sections:— * The Best Decorated House * Fancy Dress Parade — and Decorated Pram Children and Adults //A/I ' Theme ‘Bridge through the Ages‘ Procession assembles: 2p.m. Judging: 2.15p.rn. * The “Bridge in History" Exhibition Competition All entries will be exhibited in the Village Hall throughout the event. Section 1. ART Competition Subject: ‘The Bridge Scene’ Class A up to 11yrs. Class B tzyrs. to tsyrs. Class C Adults Section 2. PHOTOGRAPHIC Competition Subject: ‘The Bridge Scene‘ Class D up to 18yrs. Class E Adults Judging: 8.30p.m. July 2nd. Closing date: July 15!. Please deliver entries to The Headmistress Bridge Primary School. with clear label attached ‘AIM ll“ llth l2th l3th l4th l5th 20th 24th 26th 27th 29th July Friday. St. Barnabas the Apostle. Holy Communion at 7.30am at Bridge Church. Saturday. Bridge and Patrixbourne Church Summer Fete at Bridge School grounds, from 2.15pm. Trinity Sunday. Monday. M.U. Branch meeting at 2.45pm at 37 Union Road, Bridge. Tuesday. W.I. meeting. 7pm at Bridge Village Hall. lst Sunday after Trinity. Preacher at llam Matins at Bekesbourne Church, Dr. Anne Plumtre. Thursday. St. John the Baptist's Day. Holy Communion at 9.30am at Bridge Church. Saturday. The Close Annual Summer Fete, 2.30pm at The Close. 2nd Sunday after Trinity. ( , St. Peter's Day. Holy Communion at 7.30am and 9.30am at Bridge Church. Opening of the by—pass. 4th Service of Thanksgiving, 6.30pm at Bridge Church. Preacher: the Right Reverend Anthony Tremlett, Bishop of Dover. With City Dignitaries and special music. FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS Holy Baptism St. Peter's Church, Bridge 2nd May 1976 Edward John Weatherall 16th May l976 William Anthony Fuggle Holy Matrimony St. Mary's Church, Patrixbourne 22nd May 1976 Hamdy Taha and Fiona Anne Lapage St. Peter's Church, Bridge , ( 22nd May l976 David Anthony Phillips and Nicola Mary Berry May They Rest in Peace St. Peter's Church, Bekesbourne 5th May 1976 Emily Hammond Barham Crematorium llth May 1976 John Henry Fussell St. Peter's Church, Bridge, 28th May 1976 Ethel Edith Pott 7