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AFTER the juggernauts . . . Pamela Driscoll takes I1c1‘%th1'ee~year—olcl son Peter across a deserted Bridge High Street.

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THEY’RE taking down the
pelican crossing in the Kent
village of Bridge.

The Women's Institute has had a

new lease of life, the youth club has i

started ‘buzzing with activity and
| an the gardens are flowering
..__,«.tln. -,.

’ Yet‘ if you walk along Bridge
Hf’  Street, you'll fi<nld a scene of
ul.,_.stuarbed calm. ’

High Street is a misnomer. This
tarmac ribbon trailing to nearby
Canterbury is only about seven
yards wide in places. Yet until June
29 last year it split Bridge in two as
if it were a yawning chasm.

For that was the day they took the
uggernaut lorries away from Bridge
n-d the villa e came back to life again.

Now only t e occasional car disturbs
he peace and they don’t need the peli-
.an crossing any more.

A far cry from the day in 1962 when
6-year-old George Smith was ‘killed by

van. His death was the beginning of

14-year campaign for a by—pass to

   

op, I so, 

 

 

i

- TOM ROCHE on the village that stilled the 

channel the A2 traffic away from the
rustic beauty spot. '

Bridge and its battle for peace is to
be the subject of a play by a group
from Canterbury's Marlowe Theatre.
The vrl'll=a-gers are delighted. The musl-
cal, which should open in September,
will be the nigzhligiht of a memorable
year.

“Who’d h-ave thought it?” said
«butcher Peter Jordan-“ I wonder if they
can find a part for me?

TROUBLES

“I only moved here four years ago,
at the height of the by-pass campaign.
I had lived not far away in Folke-
stone and knew all about the lorry
trouibles. -

“But I never realised it was so bad.
G-iant lorries were _ thundering
through this little street every minute
of the day and night.

“Since they stopped, life has im-
proved ten thousand per cent. We

The way it was . . .

   

can sleep in our‘beds at night and
dont have to shout at each other to
make ourselves heard during the day.

:‘ Even business‘ has improved. I’m
seeing new faces in the shop all the

wt-ime, people from Canterbury and

nearby villages who would never have
dreamed of comr to Bridge before.”

Down the r a... housewife Pamela
Driscoll was guiding her three—year—old

' boy Peter across the street on a tricycle.
She said: "It's wonderful to be able to _

bring him out on the bike. I would
never had dared before. '

“We have only just bought him this
tricycle and I have noticed a lot of
other parents giving their children
bikes as presents. -

“ Last year no children rode bicycles
in Bridge.” ‘ V

And Mrs. Eileen Bevan said: “I often
used to wait more than ten minutes
trying to get the children safely across -
the road. We .were all living on our
nerves. -

“The greatest thing of all now is

is so much happier these days.”

Mr. John 1?.urc.hase a leading figure
throughout the long fight, stood in the
street outside.the‘Norn1an church and‘

being able to.’ sleep. at night. Everyone is

-said: “The qu
improved in 95

“ There we:
nervous breal
lorries were til

" It’s not sj
ted tests in 0.1
it was noislé

London. At orl
good-s vehicles’
at the rate oft

"People wei-I
neighbours. 3;
side of the ri
seemed that ti

EN-‘=1

“Now pen:
healthier. Trai
local organise
Institute. the:

have had 3. ii

“But we are

' cultural societ.

it became imp
the village. I
and have has‘
since. 

“These may
but it takes ti
back together.

E.‘

 


 

 

 

can sleep in. our hbeds at night and
don't have to shoiit at each other to
make ourselves ‘heard during the day.

"Even..business‘ has improved. I’m
seeing new faces in the shop all the

time. people from Canterbury and

nearby villages who would never have
dreamed of comr to Bridge before.”

_Down the roa... housewife Pamela
Driscoll was guiding her three-year-old

' boy Peter across the street on a tricycle.

She said: "It's wonderful to be able to

bring him out on the bike. I would '

never had dared before.

“We have only just bought him this
tricycle and I havegnoticed a lot or
other parents giving their children
bikes as presents. V. »

“Last year no children rode bicycles
in Bridge.” " A - .

And Mrs. Eileen Bevan said: “I often
used to wait morethan ten minutes
trying to get the children safely across <
the road. We were all living on our
nerves.

“The greatest thing of all now is
being able tosleep. at night. Everyone H
is so much happier these days.” ‘

Mr. John l_3.urchase a leading figure
throughout the long ‘fight, stood in the

street outside.the‘Norn1an church and: ,9
m  "_:>/

the village_i that stilled the traffic roar.

‘said: “The quality of life in Bridge has
improved in every .way.

“There were more heart attacks and
nervous breakdowns here when those
lorries. were thu-'ndering through.

"It’s not surprising. The AA con-duc-
ted tests in our High Street and found
it was noisier than the Westway in
Lonrlon. At one time we recorded heavy
goods vehicles cruising down the street
at the rate of one-‘every 46 seconds.

“People were losing touch with their ‘

neighbours. You either lived on one
side of the road or the other and it
seemed that the two would never meet.

ENTHUSIASM

“Now people are happier and
healthier. Trade is improving, all the
local organisations like the Women's
Institute. the youth club and so on
have had a new burst of enthusiasm.

“But we are most proud of our horti-

‘cultural society. They disbanded when

it became impossible to hold shows in
the village. But they have reformed
and have had. some successful shows‘
since. V . » »
“These may sound like little things
but it takes time to put all the pieces
back together again.” i .

 

r

Mr. Purchese, who run.s a priiitil
firm in Canterbury. gleefully recall
some of the tricks he an-d his part’

' Brian Lewis employed to fight the

vas-ion of Continental lorries. w ‘,

“ Weiound that the pelican crosl
wasn’t properly phased so I_ wq‘
watch the traffic the-n shout at signa
Brian to push the ‘cross’ button.’
said. 1

“The local police, who were \_
helpful, would then leap .out and s‘
iwhe juggernauts. I reckor Dum
ought to.pay us commission ‘ all 1
new tyres they’ve sold through us,

“We had leaflets in ii
languages distributed on‘ 3.Cox;
nent and even won the backing‘
the French truckers union. Nola
could sleep at. night in Bridge-
they could aways tune in to me
Brian putting our case on some 1:9
station. ‘

“I never thought it would tale.
long to get the by—pass but it list,
been worth it.”

Barman Stuart Pope in}
White ‘Horse summed it up:‘.
saw two grey geese walki
across the froad last month.
they ‘had’ tried that a year;a/
We would have been _.seft2'

them upas .p'ate'!.” 1

it