Newspaper Stories 1950-1959 - Hartley-Kent: The Website for Hartley

"….. Arrived at by Dartford Rural District Council on Tuesday, the matter is to go to the County Council for adjudication.

The minutes of the General Purposes Committee before the Rural Council contained a report on a meeting at Ash between representatives of the two parish councils and it was stated taht the report had been submitted to the two village authorities for their observations.

The report stated that Councillor F Tanner, who presided, told the Ash meeting that the Rural Council had suggested that some 17 properties with a total rateable value of £286, in an area south of the Black Lion, Hartley, should be transferred from Ash to Hartley.

The representatives of both parish councils then debated the proposals and counter proposals and stressed the need for community of interest to be maintained.

Ash members stated that if the original proposal of the rural council was put into effect it would cause unecessary hardship to them in the loss of properties and rateable value.

It would appear from the evidence that was offered, Councillor Tanner reported, that both councils had investigated the proposals with commendable thoroughness adn each presented an equally good case.

Having regard to the relevant factors - which included community of interest, rateable value, enabling a parish boundary which could be easily recognised and defined, welding a parish into a homogeneous unit and the known wishes of the population - it appeared that the most satisfactory solution would be for the district council:

1.  To adopt their original proposal with regard to the area south of the Black Lion and that this should be transferred from Ash to Hartley.

2.  To transfer New House Farm and   2 cottages and other houses from Hartley to Ash.  In order to avoid unnecessary administrative difficulties it was suggested that the boundary line should run behind the properties on the north west side of Church Road.

Letters from both parish councils were read to the rural council on Tuesday.  Ash agreed to the recommendation contained in the report.

Hartley expressed surprise and it was stated that their members considered them illogical and not a correct representation of the facts as they existed.

In addition, the Hartley letter enclosed a petition signed by 30 residents objecting to the proposals.  Any [.......] any justification they stated and the rural council was asked not to proceed with the transfer to Ash parish.

Councillor A E Edward said the people of Hartley were genuinely concerned about the transfer and it was a matter which required very careful consideration before they went to the county and recommended that part of Hartley should be transferred to Ash.

After a considerable discussion, a motion for the reference back of the matter was defeated and it was agreed that the County Council should be asked to adjudicate in the matter."

"What more beautiful site for their annual fete could the Hartley Roman Catholics have found than the daisy covered meadows and the spreading orchards of the Carmelite Friary, Church Road?

But unfortunately the sun did not shine.  There were several heavy showers and the grass soon became wet and slippery.

Mr Eamoonn Andrews, the well known radio and television star, who opened the fete humorously refered to the weather and said 'The Carmelites have control of a lot of things, but they have not yet got control of the heavens!'

After telling a number of stories in his familiar Irish brogoe, he said how he envied the local people their Kentish beauty spot.

His advice to everyone present was to 'put their hands deep in their pockets, but not to keep them there!'

Father O'Neill, who had formerly introduced the popular star, called him back to receive a presentation which in the excitement had been forgotten.  [NAME] (aged 11) of St Joseph's Convent had the thrill of presenting him with a picture..... " (details of organisers' names, stalls and events).

"Many residents of Hartley will this autumn miss the golden glory of the beech trees on Hoselands Hill for the trees, long noteworthy, possibly even dangerous, with their gnarled roots protruding from the chalky sub-soil of the banks, have been felled to make room for further road widening on the bend.

And now these roots, like giant teeth, are being extracted.

Yet, the felling of the trees is not without compensation, for it opens up a wide and beautiful vista, loking toward the river across the Longfield valley.

These old and lovely beeches did not alway project so closely on the road, for the hill was previously widened in the 1920s, before which it was a pleasant country lane.

A well known historian of the village wrote in 1927 ' Hoselands Hill in the past, if steep to climb was pleasing to the eye, but road improvement has shorn it of nearly all its picturesqueness.'

But he conceded that road widening and cutting down trees were necessary to meet the requirements of 'modern' traffic.

It seems, therefore, that earlier than 1927 there wre traffic problems on the hill.  It is clear that even then there was much heartburning over the need for spoliation of the country lanes, for the annual parish meeting in March 1954 is reported to have forwarded to the Dartford Rural District Council a resolution strongly opposing the construction of a main road through the village of Hartley.

Apparently in 1924 the approach to Hartley must again be widened.  What will happen in another 30 years?"

"The Rev B D Williams who was assistant curate of St Paul's Church, Rusthall, for 3 years, died in a road accident at Hawkinge, near Folkestone, on Thursday, last week.  He was 53.  Mr Williams, who became priest in charge at Rusthall in November, accepted the living of Hartley, near Dartford, at the beginning of this year and was instituted as rector of the parish on April 19.  Mrs Helen Elsie Irene Bryant, 45, of Hartley Rectory, Dartford, was also fatally injured in the crash.  An inquest was opened on Monday by the Folkestone coroner, Mr N W Franks.  After hearing medical evidence he adjourned the inquiry until July 10.  He said a further postponement might be necessary if injured witnesses were not fit to give evidence.  Mr Williams's Austin van, travelling twoards Folkestone, was in collistion with an estate car on the main Folkestone-Canterbury road.  [NAME], aged 17, a passenger in the rector's van was detained suffering from shock in Folkestone hospital.  The driver of the estate car, which was travelling in the opposite direction, was [NAME], aged 21, of the Spinning Wheel, Barham, near Canterbury.  He received a fractured wrist and suffered from shock.  Evidence of identification was given by [NAME] of 10 Eversley Way, Folkestone.  Dr Pamela Jean Callagahan, casualty officer at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, said Mr Williams and Mrs Bryant were brought to the casualty department on thursday afternoon.  Mrs Bryant who was unconscious, died almost immediately.  She was suffering from multiple injuries.  Mr Williams was deeply unconscious and died an hour later.  Dr B M King, pathologist the the hospital, said Mrs Bryant died as a result of breaking her ribs.  Mr Williams died from shock due to internal haemorrhage and multiple injuries."

"Proudest but saddest mother in Britain on Sunday  October 19th, will be 72 years old Mrs Mary Florence Grace Appleton, of Holly  Cottage, Hartley.  On that day Mrs  Appleton, the retired headmistress of the former Fairby High School at  Hartley, will be representing all the mothers of this country who lost a son  in the war.  She has been selected by  the Air Council to attend a special service of reconsecration of the restored  church of St Clement Danes in London.  It was blitzed during the war.  The service will be attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.  Mrs Appleton and her husband, Mr Charles  Appleton, lost two of their three sons in the conflict, and only a miracle  saved the third.  All 3 served in the  RAF.  The youngest son, Pilot Officer  Llewellyn Lister Appleton, aged 24, was a fighter pilot based at the famous  Biggin Hill.  On May 12th 1940, he went  out on patrol over Belgium.  He did not  return.  The eldest son, Karl, aged 30,  was an officer in the Fleet Air Arm, having transferred from the RAF.  In March 1943 he led his formation over the  Mediterranean.  He did not return.  The second son, [NAME], was a test pilot  in India during the war.  When the Japs  struck at Singapore he took his plane to the air to fight them.  The plane crashed into a hillside and he  was the only one to survive.  Before he  collapsed unconsious and badly burned, he pulled one of the crew clear from  the wreckage.  It was some time before  he was found and taken to hospital.  Because he was so badly injured, it was considered too dangerous to  move him to a hospital ship.  The Jap  invaders were creeping nearer.  He was  left behind.  The hospital ship was  bombed.  The hospital was captured by  the Japs and Mr Appleton had to survive British bombs before he went into  captivity for over 3 years.  Today he  is the air attache in Bucharest.  Mr  and Mrs Appleton have 3 daughters.  The  eldest Miss Dorothy Appleton, served in the Red Cross during the war.  The other two were too young to take  part.  Now both are married and living  in Canada."