Issue 118 - the Pembury Village Website

PEMBURY IN THE PASTTwo Pembury boys get together in New Zealand after 60 years of friendshipROGER GORRINGE, who lived at 38 Elmhurst Avenue, and Tony Pomfrett from 14(now 2) The Grove, played together as boys and both attended Pembury School underthe then headmaster, Mr A H Fenner. On leaving school they both became apprentices atG&FPenn, in the High Street, Pembury. Roger as a plumber and Tony as acarpenter/joiner.Tony completed his apprenticeship, went offto play soldiers under National Service andthen joined the Metropolitan Police.Roger was not so fortunate and after aserious accident at work, spent a long timein hospital after which he had to retrain asan instrument maker. During this period oftime their relationship drifted apart, until byaccident Roger saw Tony on duty inCroydon, where he had been posted as a PC.The friendship has continued since that timeand also includes their wives. This hascontinued even though Tony and Pam emigrated to New Zealand in December 1964.The photograph shows Roger and Tony enjoying a ‘Wee Dram’ whilst talking over old timeswhen Roger and Margaret joined Tony and Pam in New Zealand who were celebratingtheir Golden Wedding Anniversary on January 30th 2004.PEMBURY YOUTH CLUBSINCE THE last issue of the PemburyVillage News things have movedquickly!One evening in March the Youth Club metat the Baptist Church because of a brokenlock at Woodside! The young people lovedit – the warmth and the toilets worked!They asked if they could meet therepermanently.Consequently an arrangement was madebetween the Church Leadership, KentCounty Council and the Parish Council tomake a fresh start for the Club in May. Thefirst night was a great success. Twenty fouryoung people came and two new volunteershave committed their time to be thereregularly.The KCC involvement is two paid youthworkers, Yvonne Powell who has considerableexperience as a detached youth worker andJemma Alexander who has worked with thegroup at Woodside for the past year.The aim of the club is to enable the youngpeople from the beginning ‘to own theirclub and to recognise its success is up tothem.’ The Youth Leaders will be workingto enable and equip the young people torun and to lead the club themselves.It is intended to establish ‘The Friends ofPembury Youth’, an umbrella organisationwith wide representation which will look atstrategic development for youth work inPembury.Jemma Alexander(Discussions are in hand about an alternative usefor the YMCA building on the Woodside site.)28