Town Profile
but it was not until 1930 that the Kent Electric Power company, of Rochester, brought electricity to the village. Hughes the bakers had the first supply. By now the village
was a strong commercial hub, with all the services and shops you would expect in an expanding community. The prosperity of the High Street was typified by
WELCOME to Wrotham (above left), the picturesque neighbour of Borough Green, which can be seen in the distance from the top of St George's Church tower (below). Inset is the beautiful stained glass promoting the former billiards room at The Bull, which this summer won an AA rosette for its "culinary excellence". Even more impressive is the church's stained glass window, seen (above right) alongside the ropes for its eight bells. Meanwhile, in its less refined days, The Bull was the HQ of a smugglers' gang led by one Lt Col Shadwell. He met an untimely end in 1799 - shot by army deserters - and a memorial can be seen near the inn (above centre).
Jesse Callow and his family. He bought the recently built shop at No. 60 in 1907 for £610 (having previously rented for £40 per year). Mr Callow was sub-postmaster and carried out his watch-making and jewellery trades along with sales of stationery goods, sheet music and camera equipment. He also had charge of the area's first telephone exchange, which the family ran till 1929, when a purpose-built exchange was opened in Western Road. Mr Callow snr retired in 1922 when his son Frank took
over, adding a newsagent's to the flourishing business. The sorting office was at the rear and four postmen were employed. How times have
changed...it cost the princely sum of two old pence (less than 1p) for a telegram to be delivered locally by cycle on Christmas Day! Frank gave up the post office in 1936 when the
Cloke Brothers took it over. His wife and daughter carried on the shop, though, with Miss Edie Callow finally retiring in 1989.
Brigade used to Roll up to fires! ONE of the village's most fascinating stories
relates to the Borough Green Fire Brigade. In 1934 the Chamber of Trade expressed concern about the fire cover for the area. At the suggestion of Robert Cloke, a fire brigade committee was formed to raise funds by way of collections, dances and whist drives. In the event of a fire, a maroon was fired in Mr
Cloke’s yard and equipment was loaded into one of his grocery vans - a well meant, but not ideal way of preparing to tackle a blaze. What followed is the stuff of local legend. An advert for a 1921 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was seen under a box number in a national newspaper. Mr Cloke rang the editor and was able to obtain the address of
sideways along the vehicle hanging on to straps, with feet braced against the side. The appliance did valiant work throughout World War II, especially countering the effects of bombs dropped on West Malling Airfield and aiding stricken planes during the Battle of Britain. In 1945 the Silver Ghost was withdrawn from service. Although officially taken over by the National Fire Service, the men still tended to think of it as theirs. It was hidden for some time in a barn, though it was brought out, cleaned and polished as a bridal car for Mr and Mrs Leslie Dryland at Wrotham Church. On the formation of the Kent Fire Brigade in 1948 the
authority insisted that the engine be produced for disposal. But it simply vanished. Many efforts were made to trace it, all in vain. Lesney Bros Ltd, the model car manufacturers, heard of the story and produced a scaled replica with the aid of drawings and photos. Although the original may have disappeared, this miniature (left) may be seen in many locations across the globe.
14 Mid Kent Living
Lord Kemsley, who had placed the ad. Robert and his brother, Richard Cloke, and two other men set off for Slough. After some bargaining with Lord Kemsley, a price of £26 was reached. The group had only £25. A dig in their pockets for half-crowns and shillings made up the price. There was just enough petrol in the tank for the journey home! Weighing 2 tons 17 cwt, it had brakes on
the rear two wheels only. A local coach builder did the conversion work and the engine went into service on November 5, 1938. The crew sat
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