Preface

During the last few years many people have urged me to write a Borough Green history, none more so than the village librarians. A certain gentleman from a neighbouring village once ventured that Borough Green had no history. I have never forgotten that remark. I hope that these few pages will disprove it. It is not my intention to include everything and I hope that the reader will excuse any omissions. Village societies are the backbone of rural life and most have their minutes and scrapbooks. I have endeavoured to keep the book on a local level without overly many facts and figures. As the title “Past and Present” implies, we wander through the years till today. Today’s happenings will in turn be history in the next century. It might well then be written that HM Queen Elizabeth II repeated the Virgin Queen’s journey, passing through the village in 1989. Perhaps too that Channel tunnel traffic started speeding through the the area, Europe bound. I am very much indebted to my two sons, Brian and Ian, for typing and editing my jottings and notes. So dear reader, to the matter in hand …

VIVAT BOROUGH GREEN!

Frank G. Bangay

Dedicated to the memory of Edna whose help and interest started this local history trail.