75 High Street

(Bridge)

Above three photos by Paul Skelton, 22 Aug 2008.

From the Dover Express, 16 December 1951. Standing in a line across the main road outside the Red Lion, where studs marking a pedestrian crossing have been removed, parents hold up traffic while children, on their way home from school at mid-day on Wednesday, cross in safety.   HUMAN BARRIER ACROSS MAIN ROAD AT RED LION, BRIDGE. Protesting Parents Stop Traffic. NOT content with mere verbal protests against the removal of the two pedestrian crossings from their village, residents of Bridge have decided on positive action. Their chief complaint is that the crossings were largely used by children attending the village school. So, on Friday morning - following a parish meeting the previous night - residents turned out to form a human barrier across the main road where the crossings used to be. Despite pouring rain, parents and others stood in the road holding up all traffic while the school children crossed in safety on their way to school. This manoeuvre was twice repeated at lunch time and again in the afternoon after school. Volunteers have formed a rota and intend to keep up their traffic-stopping activities until the authorities take notice and restore the crossings. Application has also been made to the Kent Education Committee for the services of a paid traffic warden to see the children across the road. After their half-term holiday the children returned to school on Wednesday, and, in the morning and afternoon were seen safely across the road by more than a dozen parents. "We shall carry this out until they give us back our crossings," declared Mrs. Bishop. "While the crossings were there we felt that our children were reasonably safe when they left school. Now, none of us would know a moment's peace of mind unless we were there to see them across safely." At their meeting on Thursday evening the villagers expressed in strong terms their indignation at the removal of the crossings. The Vicar (the Rev. W. H. Gregory), declared the crossing had been removed by the Ministry of Transport without consulting Parliament, and said that the fact that they could do that was the first step towards dictatorship.

One notable character who must be mentioned was 1950s licensee Lt Col (Retd) Walter Percy Gardener. Not that he is the subject to the following claim to fame, but it's that of his daughter, Toni Gardiner, who eventually married King Hussein on May 25, 1961. Apparently Walter Gardiner met the King of Jordan while working as a secretarial assistant on the film set of Lawrence of Arabia. The King had allowed troops to work as extras on this film and would occasionally visit to see how things were progressing and the King evidentially met his daughter there. After marrying the King of Jordan, she converted to Islam and was renamed Muna al-Hussein and after the birth of her first son on 30 January 1952 was given the title Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein. They had 4 children between them but divorced on 21 December 1971. She still keeps title Princess of Jordan and continues to work and live there being involved in the development of nursing in the country founding the Princess Muna Scholarship fund for nursing.

The Red Lion has recently (2008) been restored after a fire engulfed the building, parts of which date from the 1580's and is a Grade II listed building. Working closely with conservation staff at Canterbury Council, the pub has been rebuilt and now includes an extended dining area.

During the work a Tudor dovecote was uncovered, which has been preserved and incorporated into the new building. The pub also includes later Victorian additions and a striking Georgian façade which makes this a real ‘landmark’ pub in the area.

2006 the pub was seriously damaged in a fire but has recently been renovated to its former glory.

Web site:- http://www.redlionbridge.co.uk/

LICENSEE LIST

HAWKINS Thomas 1832-40+

EYRES Joseph 1847-74+ (also licensed to let  horses and carriage)

FINN George 1881-82+ (81 census)

DOMMETT Samuel 1899+

CLAYSON E 1902

FRIEND John 1913-18+

GOLDER Joseph C 1922+

ANCELL R S 1930+

BURTON George 1938+

GARDINER Lt Col (Retd) Walter Percy 1950s

HARRINGTON Mike Aug/2007+

From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34

From the Pigot's Directory 1839

From the Pigot's Directory 1840

From Bagshaw Directory 1847

From Melville's Directory 1858

From the Post Office Directory 1874

From the Post Office Directory 1882

From the Kelly's Directory 1899

From the Post Office Directory 1913

From the Post Office Directory 1918

From the Post Office Directory 1922

From the Post Office Directory 1930

From the Post Office Directory 1938