An'oIbh=er' person who has many
rznem-o~ri~ers uof Bwrliedg-er is Mr. Hazrry
 I-I1aW1{ii'rr3, owner of It:h=e- La,-dlies’
3 and -men’«s= o-.ultfi+tJtens;. and the
ineweangerrnbls. I-lie ;_f-astéaerr came to
Bridge -irn 1907 and he was born
in the vii'l1L1~ge.

Over‘ the years he has seen
the :g»reaJt hotrai-ng developments
in the villa.-ge and is pantiou-lsarly
«proud of the way 10:08:; trades.-
:pe~o:pl‘e thrave sI’1i’S*en to the oc-
c-als=i=o:n to ‘meet ltihe kiemands of
the ezcp-a.-ndlirng zpo:pu=lsaJflion.

“‘T*helr;e‘ .i!sI,” xslalfid, Mr. Hawkins,
“eve»ry1t'h<ilng for the shopper.
Really tlhuetre is very 1«i~”rJt~1e reason
for sa;nylone- n'ee!d‘i'a’1«g rm go out of
the vi-l!1'a.g-e- _f-on: d:'h*e:i-"r -sh=o!pr_p:i;ng.”

 litis !sih~o~p:'s, c-her-ac-te~r' amid
f'r!ien=d'ly !aJt1'I1*0'SFp*1'1€II'ie, Birtird.ge- nib-
vliIou:s1y *plr.ov-iaders ‘a 'p'o-pu‘1ia.T lb»as.e
_ .f0~r' young fa‘m'i'1:ies rin s«'e*arc'h of
 the <oolun.t-r*y,. 91:)»-ui; _~a,=t the ea-me

_-§t1'Jm'e rnaolt Wanting to he too far
‘A -from ‘.tlhe town. Bu-it Whia.-t can
rtt1h*e‘s'e- newcomer-s, :tto:_g*ezt'hear with
-t=h_e- well-est-ablislherd. *v1?i41'1+a;g‘e-rl, ex-
pect of «the fustuzmes‘? - . -f

Like -any c'o»mmu+n:i.ty, "Bridge
has -its‘ [p-roklaiems to f’3_JCIe« 33u't it
'iIS lucky -irn h‘aJV3i|ng a «gwrleralt rnurm-.e
rber of !p-eoJ.p=l-e- :i.nft=e-ree't*ed: eano-usgfh
\ iixn '-itt.S future to" Sp-enrci _hov.ars of 
It;he?i:r- «time -s»triv<ing to make‘ the
v*=i1=1-ag‘-en more a:Cc~orm>r'nl0IdIa1ti!n.g' to

g.r0Wit11!g nee2d‘s_

Memories are pm.vided., by Tra-flie -mengce
  I 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
   
  
   
   
   
   
 
   
    
 
    
  
  
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
   
 

§“

‘ m'eanace to -the vi*1llé:ge H'igl1'*-
iS'lt=ree*t. Oars. Lsrt=ree.'m through,
Icolm-mg or. going 9&0 the Contin-
enrt, .3.-m:1.= B-ridge is u:l'ei.s[pe;r-ate1yj_
itnyai‘-n;g* to speed up p'.1!a.=n.s for 
Iby-apa.-_s;s Ibo weed! out .‘Uh|ii‘Sl traffic -;
‘(problem froxzn its >d*O'0'I‘fSt‘eIp. l4-
Receinltly the A2 Gnoup- was
cfo*z«med' ‘to xil'e'mam:d va, b3r~4p'as~s.
The cva.'m:p'aign eecrertary, 23-
yeagr-0*-Itd Mr. B-r-iia-.n Lervwirs, sa.-i;d
.  -ro ".*3..'S e*ta'vrrt'e' when
11 °pera't1°n' fglifnegmelrlgbegg of the olgflrlidge
_ _. _ -*2 ' . You-tah C1-uh Ebecaame a'>ppa'1'led at
 Fire Br}-gade e__ e_ the road; condfirbimtfs. through
_j Some of h1s fomilest I__nemor1es_ Bjfidgzgi ' -
3e ‘of th__e o-l__d,,_Bridge Volunteer A-bou1;_ 20 ’ylQluI1'g' qpteople :a']j'-
V. E3 ,BI'1g”aide, l§t§«l..I‘t!3d D37 the ranged fa. pznortesit ma-‘rch thrlougih
M‘ qujesa. of Conyngham in the gnhe-.vi-lleag,-e saunld art.'_lth.e {same time
_ 1_$9,4';l_._i$. In the early days the ’bI'i~ rb'h'e«y j;oiim.=e~d «forsces wlth: -a.-not-.he-r
 a.i.1;e':-‘Ts _;Il‘-13«nl13-1 pump Was horse- zre¢sid'enlt:, Mr. John Pu-rchieas-e,
-awn but in _1925;. when Mr. Who was scondtroliisng his orw¢n~
 j=o:ined the brIig:ade___, :_t:h-ey cra,r1n;)»aJilg’,'Il3_‘.E_T-ililh-_ lettefe rho the
a, --méottor tender which Minigsrbry of Tt;rflaJnlsg)vor:b;

J
3
9.
3
3

we also ch_ai1-man of the man-
 ‘-rs of -Bri-dgel and Pat_rix-
‘u-_rn;3' Church of England Con-
 led Prime-ry School.

-.:r—'.' Pnice 'ih~a~.s- ‘a.-11m'crs.rt Ia. _l.'ife-.
me of recollections of the V11-
Iage. He remembers the days
when the High Street was un-.
 nttereti by cars and when the
Ei1f1flam' Valley Railway line was

-

  
    
   
  

ci N . _
Ixbfiry -to - help iinifih city __fi1:e_s_, __
L£l;ter' “a ~RwQ11S’3- 

 
 
  
 
 
 
  

929 I he brigade got -_i»t_S .
.‘otctr3 :pnr'np.- In  the :R:o.1I_s

 yo-g3'Was_'_‘rep1aced by. ‘a Bec1-

 
 

"ed to be extremely" 
Was. so:a;1-llezd‘ 5:t1lti3‘?'-- a:n- -

. , T  €fi’&5§T53_i$;-
Was... 'oo11V6¥‘$_ed-:.for- "use" and. III‘

_  :’r,l1-e: Y-ontzh O‘i*;1'Fb  '
teamtinxgf up  M-ri. 1Puroé11ese,
.~IfBemomsJt'na*t:i~on:s were at‘-
*7z*»l'<'&»*1i:g‘*;<.§=+fi‘=;r-oe I-9.=imi*¥..1i<g ‘art ‘a iEl'1i<‘.m. for an
it ehslilon: D: the    '»
fey Cot-fi1eurl_-Ito. Dower. ‘T . 

Be:oa.use- of Ibhreiiir =11‘e:aJr-rzn=i}I.i-tam;
 an.c1- piesfcering of 1 '
.th:ov;-':'L*£1i~;$ 7 

 

 
      
      
  

   
  

 


     
   
    
  
   
    
  
    
     

i‘Kentish ’ repfiif

FTEN villages arc shown as chisters of "houses ahd shop ‘ H: '
merely providing a slumberland for commuters and retlrcd
3u,siII€"ssrr1en. This illusion of rural stagnaftion ig iqirxaédlately ,
iestroyed when visiting villages such as Bridge, Whose Vlélaiilff,
:=are—_,-sonyietunes almost pass1onata1y—-about the future_‘0 I 1

go-ahead community. ‘
Bridge, with its T151113“ P°P‘~1‘ # _ ‘ V
mien, has found itself coming Ofthe changes on  _ .
;o grips with tbs  Of new  Price «solid: “Yeams ago he
31006.. Modern housas and bun-   VlIa\r’I'UVV'GI"§1B3,T fa (fa
zalows have appeared _on 302: R3 avg? wiéfiwe had: ~e 9t 0t
was or ‘the vii-1age's,ma>1_n 5 Te 7 me = Tees 9 . . . V
and now its population 15 h6'?=d3‘_ ‘ now -‘the Rea Lfm E-Wiblé‘
Lng for about 2,090. _. 1 C*l.1cS'e’S 132.1‘ 3194?}? W35‘ 9t‘ab*e5
Only about’ t_;hree miles fmm and «the White Horses oar 
’:a,nterbury,B'1-idge houses many was a_1-awn. We Used  ° "'
peoiple who come to tho city to 0¢p?'n~ayZ’ «c_1ances‘rt1he1*e. , ‘ t » I
work but prefer tho village to ~1_jhe Vnllxage Hall belofingedbx I ,
provide their hom_e hfe._Busmess ‘yhe Marquess of Conwjflg‘ ‘an?! ‘-1
houses and factorles Budge may In 1952 he let i-the vrflagf; & _-
not have; shops to cater for its it on a. 50-year ‘lease at 6d_'
needs it certainly has. year, to be «rented by &VC01§11'f1_7'.
Apart from a,wet fish shop tee egasteid by mhcv 8«XdI'S
find a Tbank‘ Bridge has eveijy Couinc/‘1 Am api‘e‘s‘en’£"\1»{f§3 flefer ‘
«type at shop needed «to make; at: en‘er_W than grog are loo mg" 0 -‘
sciflcontairied for thc'housewi—fe. .,e.mta:b1~o Site‘. Em __u _
‘ some Vmagers are pgessmg ‘Lovomng  oti -6 V1 gig‘,
hard to get a. bank _and,, if they -olivaraxzterrs he has ci'7\LA<3;7V‘1'%=,ric®.
are as successful with tins pro— eijal names came; “00 —* *2 ‘I F1
' t as they have been with past mind. He said he cwou%1 _VC (3: -
demands, Bridge should have re-member Mr, J‘E?t]i{1 R1:§nL{0
One in the not too distant future. fo}:;1nei~‘D$§:iS‘Fl§§‘il.itk§>.ef  9 gs King-
‘ Proud of the past_ ‘gegrggg Vf Comma  Cembm-
Yet that is 1oo‘k‘1‘ng’,ahea.d‘and mans. He MSG had. vivid mem.
‘gmiiisze is proud of its p4?LSL. It nrmg Di 3 fmmef V age baker’
bakes its ‘name from What 1'5‘ ‘POW l\air_.»Ci1’ua~r1es» W~il1s, and Mn Chas
the 18th Century bI‘1C_k‘ bridge White‘ WW, was mhe‘ChYair|m1an of
strafldlinsz the River Nailbnurne ‘the Pamsh Oaumil for many
in the High Street. , . yeiam
For many Of ‘*1? °“‘‘‘’ res“ During his “re'c‘o11eotix‘3.m‘s Mr.
dflnts an evemng. ‘S .°ft‘m ‘V911 Pr-ice never‘ fails to remevmrbel‘ I
"s11cnt recalling life 111 the v11- the day Bridge was packed with
lage at the turn of the century. pwple. I“: was at the _fD_ne,.al in
An one Wishing to know _of '_ihe 1910 of Fi-relman J. Femn, who
Bridge of decades 830 “3. ml" was kii‘1‘e‘dWhi1-efiring 'amva.roorn.
mediately directed_ to the home L£Bridge has never been as gun
o&,M1j. Herbert Prlcc at Lynton as it was on the day of Fire-
Cottage. , , imam F m1’:s funeral me stx-"ee>t‘5J
Formerly the vnlges epI‘€- - ' — ~ a '

 

     
     
     
    
    
   
   
      

  

    
    
 
    
    
  
  
 
   
 
 

  
 

   
    
 
 
  

 
 

  
  
  

  

  
   
 
  
   
 

  

   
   
  

 
    
   
   
  
    
   

   
 
  
    

    

   

   
    
  
  

wt 0 « 1* \ d «to
play rtwheir‘ respects ‘to th.s_P0Zl‘1-
Liar fivx-eman,” said Mr. Pm"»‘e-

, e rqirezi b

   
  
  
   
 
 
    
 
 
 
    
 

Housing devczloom exits

Another pevsoarx who has man
memories of Eurlidg-e~ is Mr. 1-I-army
Haw]-aims, owner of the 1a:d'ies’
land -me-n’s ouibfirtterrs and the
>I1'e’W‘S8.ge|l‘11t1S. His faxflhcr came to
Br«i‘dg~e in 1907 and he was born
in the vi;‘1i<J.ge.

Over the years he has seen
the gwreait howszmg developments
in mhe vi]'1a.g‘e and is sparticu-]sa1~I=y
proud of xthe way Inca-1 tnadesr
apemple shave zrisaen to the at.»
cansiron 1:0 Ineet rbhe dmnands of
the ex-p-andémg pmpuizmion.

“ ‘heme is,” »sIaJi:d. M11". Hawkins,
“every$t‘h‘ing for the shopper.
Really tJh:e're is very t-1
for ramyeovne -nee‘dJizn»g
the vilél-age fosr mheiiwr shcepfpimg."
Wiih ‘it's ‘shops, character and

   
  
 

  
  
  
 

     
 
 

   
  
      
 
     
 
 
 
 
     
 

 
 

mi
the ‘country, but at the same
,time not Wanting to ‘he too far
fvriowm the town, But what can
rmh'es‘e mewcom-ers, ‘tugentherr with
flh.c Wei-1—establis*he'd 'V’i"llIage1-, ex.
tpect of «the furtume?
Like any community, Bridge
has it-s rpvrob-iems ‘to f-avxcue. But it
is lucky‘ in h-aiming en «gcrerat num-
ber of people zinteriesyted‘ enough
wirn tilts future to spend hours of
xtheim mime striviing to make the
vfilrlage more »sccom~mvodming to
, , growing‘ nee;4:is_
Memories are provided by T135716 meniwe
W. / wk,’  r~:Ep;_cg€~A‘V' afi
meunacc
:S"t1'ee't. Cars
coming or going to the Contin-
ent, .-a~n'd Bridge is desperately
rtxwing «to speed up p*1‘a.ns tow: a
rby-p-ass ma Weed out mhriaa tra.fi"1c
problem from its doorsmp.
Recently the A2 Group was
formed ‘to d‘e'mand 9. by—Ip‘asvs.
The campaign sccremary, 23-
y"e8JY‘-‘0:I5d.‘ Mr. Brian Lewis said
itahe group was sgtazzwto V when
somermembevs of the o1d.Br“idge

  

 
 
     
   
   
    
 
 
  
   
   

 
  
     
  
 
   
 
   

He is also chairman of the man-
ztgérs of Bridge and Patrix-
bougrne Church of England Con-
grclled ‘Primeiry School.

MT. P1-ice Ihras 'a.l*n1o1st xa life-
ime of recollections of the vil-
age He remembers the days
when the High Street Was un-
cluttered by cars and when the
Elham Valiey Railway line was
in operation.

  
   
    
  

  
     
     
    
 
     
  
 
 

‘The Fire Brigade _ Youth Club beoafue aJp'pa»iIed a.t,
_ _ _ __ _ road‘ condutnvo=11'_s through
Some of his fondest memories Budge’ .

areof the old, Bridge Volunteer About 20 young gpveqpxe .3_,~.
Fire Brigade, ,st,a,rt.ed by the ranged. apmotest march through
;Marquess of Conjsrngham. in the ,'t,,he—v1-1—1;age am an; rghe same time
.'1’.s. In the early days the bri— lflhecy gamed {games  another
,gade’s manual pump Was h0rse- «resident, Mr. John Purchcse,
drawn but in 1925, when Mr. who wags conduchimg bis own
;:Pm~isce, joined the brigade. Uihey campaign with l~et'te*_rs' Ibo ache
311625. a motor tender which M cry of Tarwnspmt.
{proved to be extremely eflicient Wnh the Youth O'L‘u'b meanber
 was ‘nfitign called 5.-n4ti:v“‘C°a:n— team rig up with Mr.  ‘ ,
= tet-bury to heip with city fires, 'px=¢3at‘e$1; odemomsltwamiones were at-
Later a Rolls R0 ca cha.ss's mg i » mg for an

1 ___.... A'\V\r4 : nu-.-4“,

 

_____ .....L..fl