Newcomers

A Memory of Eastry.

In 1960 the world's population was probably a mere 5 billion, now it is over 7 billion people. It was a bit of a shock to realise that people actually wanted to come and live in Eastry and presumably prices were slightly less than the big city. Now home owners had to live next to council house estates and this was a test of their pride or humility. A pathway was constructed between the new council house area and the village centre, but it took those people through Peak Drive. Someone must have objected to this and the pathway was blocked. However, people still managed to find a way through over people's fences and so when we moved to Orchard Road the pathway was 'forced' back open. In the local pubs, the only entertainment, gossip soon showed the division between the newcomers and the common-as-usual villagers. But, actually, most of us were hardly aware we supposed to resent newcomers and they were all the same to us, especially for those of us who played sport. When we put on the sportsgear who knows where anyone comes from? As ever, this is the news in village life.... er ... nothing much happened again today. By 1970 it was pretty clear to see that Sandwich and Eastry and Woodnesborough would all be joined up one day; unthinkable but beginning to happen.