ANNUAL PAROCHIAfl;CHURCH MEETINGS (Cont'd.)

 

These are important meetings and it is hoped that as
many people as possi le will attend to elect their
Churchwardens and me ers of the Parochial Church
Council, and to hear reports of what has been done and is
being done for their Churches. The P.C.C.s really do
need all the support and encouragement they can get,
pzrticularly in the forthcoming year, so surely it is
not too much to ask you to turn out on one evening in
the year to show you support them. ‘-

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY “V”

   

Bekesbourne Church ‘May Fayre’ will be held this
year on Saturday, May lst.

SOME VILLAGE NOTE

 

II. Bridge. In l793 Zechariah Oozens wrote: "The
parish of Bridge is but small and the
soil in general is but chalky and barren producing at
several places heath and coppice wood and from the hills
surrounding the village we have a most delightful View
of the Vales which are thickset with villages and the
neighbouring heights whinh are adorned with many
Gentlemen‘s seats and other picturesque objects."

 

A few years later in l8l5 Dr. Haddy James Assistant
Surgeon to the first Life Guards and one of the first
Presidents of the British Medical Association wrote on
return from the Battle of Waterloo "It was three in the
afternoon when we quit Dover and we then faced a cold

; march of fiveteen miles to Canterbury and stopping at

,)Bridge I was much impressed by the mode of agriculture
L—and the excellence of their hospitality.” *

_ The 'Gentlemen's Seats’ must have indeed been an
%impressive sight. There was Bifrons not yet occupied
;by the Conynghams until 1820 but lived in by the Brook

Taylors, the father of the family who had been vicar of

’ (6?

-7  .:.

Patrixbourne from 1734 to 1739 and the fiormer residence
of the Bargrave family. Here was Bridge Place the
former home of Sir Arnold Braemes who had so astutely
manipulated the harbour rights at Dover in his favour
and built the largest country housesin Kent at the end
of the seventeenth century, much of it constructed in
Dutch brick, with its aviary and deer park; further
down the valley was Howletts the home of Sir Edward
Palmer, Comptroller of the Navy; another house was
Higham, now Highland Court and Renville shortly to be
bought by the Crippen family; nearer Bishopsbourne was
Warlton Park and at Littlebourne Lee Priory recently

v‘modelled on Walpole's ‘Strawberry Hill’ at Twickenham.

* Quoted from "Surgeon James Journal” edited by Joan
Vansittart. A portrait of Dr. James may be seen in
the main hall of Exeter General Hospital.

***-)6**-)(-***

BIBLE READING AND DISCUSSION GROUP

The meeting on March 4th at 8 pam. will be held
at the home of Mrs. Meigh, 37 Haywards Cotts. Union
Road and the meeting on March l8th at 8 p.m. will be
held at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Rose, Church Cottage,
high St., bridge. We are continuing our study of St.
John's Gospel and anyone interested will be most
welcome.

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

The March meeting will be on Tuesday, 16th March
at 7 p.m. in the Village Hall, Bridge. There will be
a talk by Mrs. Knowles on "Introducing Patchwork”.

The competition will be a 24 inch necklace made from
buttons.

WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FRIDAY MARCH 5th

There will be a service in St. Paul‘s Church
Canterbury on Friday, Harcfi 5th a 3 p.m.