Past and present liridge newsagents of the ‘I-Iawkins family (left to

x-_..x .4

right), Bridget, Harry and Eric.

Kept up with the
  news for 75 years

A BRIDGE family of newsagents is
celebrating 75 years of selling the
Kentish Gazette — which has been
delivered in neighbouring villages
by tl*"*~ generations.

’  nily’s long association
w awspaper started in 1907.
WA r .dfather Mr George Haw-
kins -..1ght the village draper’s

~ shop at 82 Highastreet.

A distribution service for maga-
zines and the local papers then
operated on Saturdays, the day the
Gazette was then published.

“As far as I can make out, my
grandfather bought the news-
papers at face value and sold them
for face value," said the current
newsagent, Mr Eric Hawkins, aged
33 .

The distribution service lconti-’

nued until 1937, when Mr George
Hawkins’ son, Harry, opened the
present newsagent’s at 80 High
Street. He and his wife, Priscilla,
ran the draper's shop until the
early 1970s, when it closed, and
staff ran the newsagent’s.

Mr Eric Hawkins has been get-
ting to know the Gazette since his
days as an 11-year-old newspaper
delivery boy. He now employs 10
boys and has been running the
business with his wife, Bridget,
since 1976.

They live next door in the former
draper’s while Mr Harry Hawkins
stilllives in the village at 20 Wind-
mill Close.

The business delivers Gazettes to
Bridge, Patrixbourne, Bekes~
bourne and the surrounding areas.