u1§gEi‘1)1ans tdon’tte1lS kozy! Gerry Warren gwa-rren@thekmgroup.co.uk AN GLO French relations at government level may be decid- — edly frosty, but a new entente cor- diale with our Gallic neighbours is being forged in Bridge. Plans are underway for the village to twin with the town of St Andre-Lez-Lille in the N 0rd Pas De Calais which should see the union formally completed in February. ’ The pairing has been made pos- sible by Bridge parish councillor and Francophile Bill Oakey, who says it will bring social, cultural and economic benefits to both communities. He said: “Our village school has already forged a close bond with the school in St Andre and there have been several very successful exchange visits. “Last year the parish council was approached by St Andre but for a variety of reasons did not accept the invitation‘ to twin. -“Now we have a fewnew par- ish councillors with a different attitude and St Andre has a 15,000 euro EU fund it can access so it ’ won’t cost taxpayers anything. r “I also carried out a poll in the I village and 95% of those who responded were in favour of it.” He added: “Although the popu- BENEFITS: Cllr Bill Oakey has forged French links lation of the village is just 1,500 compared to the 11,000 of St Andre, I am sure the proximity of Canterbury is also an attrac- tion. “But the village has already - seen the economic benefits of the relationship when a coach- -load of 60 visitors from St Andre [came here for our village fete in -the summer.” ~ . The chairman of the new twin- ning committee is Louise Tason who also organises the village ' fete and is secretary of the dia- mond jubilee committee. She and other village repre- w‘ww.kentonline.oo.uk Canterbur sentatives are due to travel to St Andre next month to meet the mayor and sign a twinning- accord. ‘ The -French dignitaries are Q". then due to come to Bridge in February and then travel to Canterbury to sign the agree- ment at Tower House with the Lord Mayor. » A NEW LANDLORDS: Nicole and Tony Ray:~at1theerefurbtshedpub Pubreturns to the heart a of village life THE White Horse Bridge has reopened -andbeen given . - a new lease of life by itsnew-r ' d V A, . a Tony 1c'5ia= ” " Canterbury, took on the pub _ 'thth'lft"th- - p Eh Cegtigfi gujlf1SjI:)gI1;1gd e _ The White Horse Inn at Bridge returning it to the heart of - p ‘ . _ V1333 9 ]3fe- = we had more than 30 emails It had been empty for six ' - from local people expressing months, but now it has their support for what we’re -reopened three full-time jobs a trying to do here.” V_ and eight parttime positions The White Horse also includes-' have been "Created V r - -The Stables Restaurant which Tony. said: ‘p‘We absolutely loved, will serve fresh food made from the Pub f1"0II1the first time" We ‘local ingredients atlunchtimes saw it although, after being jn the evejjjjngs, - - ‘empty for six months, it wasrft . Nicola Said: uwehope the White in the best Shape‘ . _I-Iorse-will become a place ‘ “It’s no secret that a lot Of Pubs. _ where local residents can pop in have struggled over the last few for a drink and a eatehup, but years, but this One haS_8T€at also somewhere people visiting — potentlal and 1s really Important Canterbury can come to -enjoy to the people of this village. a meal jn azhisterie, rural - “In the first week, we were open" _ p settil’-1g.’f_. i . t A MAN who survived a Japanese prisoner of war camp during the Second World War and wrote an extraordinary --account of his experiences,‘ has died at the age of 98. R Bill Rose, who lived in Bridge . for the last 45years of a his life, , S spent three-and-a-half years as , ~ a POW -after he was captured by the Japanese in Java. He was one of 180 men packed into the hold of a transport ship and taken to Japan on a . . 31-day journey which saw 25 . ._ Inen die. S While in a forced labour camp, Mr Rose kept diaries byvvriting . intiny handwriting on small « pieces of paper. They are now kept at the-Imperial War Museum, London. , a Mr Rose married Joyce Khan who he met‘ while living London before the war; She died in 2002. S .. S In later life, he worked hard to foster Anglo-Japanese relations which involved visits to each __ other’s countriesand he helped . establish the annual Service of . Reconciliation at Canterbury 7 <»»w~o»r R War diaries prisoner Bill, diesa.t98 \ 2.9%: -» Billi Rose Cathedral. In March 2003, he made the Kentish Gazette’s front page when at the age of 90 he heat off a burglar wielding a- screwdriver he found in his . home in Ford -Close,_ Bridge. . He died" on December 27 and is survived by his sons Malcolm, Graham and J onathar1.' ~ A memorial service for hirnvvill be held at St Peter’s Church, . "Bridge, at 2pm on Saturday, January 29. s R '3:-2.201! ‘ wvvw.kentonli1ie.co.uk fitting send-0 for extraordinarlf man lanese Embassy and friends‘ from Toronto in Canada. by Gerry Warren gwarren@thekmgmup.co.uk M FRIENDS, family and sup- porters from across the world packed St Peter’s Church in Bridge on Saturday after- noon for a service in memory of a former Japanese prisoner _ of war. Bill Rose, who lived in the village, died last month aged 98 leaving‘ :1 legacy of friend- ship with the Japanese vil- lage ‘where he suffered horrif-‘ ically in a forced labour camp for more than three years in the 1940s - ' - l%l'is diaries penned at the I I time by tiny writing _on scraps of paper are now kept in the Imperial War Museum and he also later wrote a book Called “You Shook My Hand”, describing his return visit to ' Tenryu, the villagewhere he was held during the war. He subsequently formed an extraordinary bond of friend ship with the villagers which * FRIENDSHIP LEGACY: The Memorial Service at«St Peters Church. Bridge, for Bill Rose led to exchange visits between . B Bridge school children and their Japanese counterparts. He. also established an annual service of reconcili- ation at Canterbury Cathe- L dral. Among the people attending the memorial service was a representative from the Japa- It_ was organisediby his I three sons Graham, Malcolm and Jonathan and led by the padre to the Argyll and Suth— i erland Highlanders, the Rev Simon Rowlands. - Graham said: “It was very well supported and just a lovely service in dad’s mem- ory. “There was some beautiful . a music and singing and it had a very upbeat feel. There was nothing morose about it._ “Representatives from the Imperial War Museum also attended and brought a dis- play and I and others gave . talks about my father and his extraordinary life. Afterwards we all went to the Bridge and Patrixbourne School for after- . noon tea.” Graham also revealed that a new book about Bill’s' life called Bluebell Hill to Kanose Return was due to be pub- lished soon. To advertise: 01227 768181 FORMERJAPANES PRISONER or WAR FORGEDFRIENDSHIPSARUND THE WORLD Bill Rose ancligtop, during his first year at Mitsushima Camp Top picture’: Mike Gunniil 7