insideKENT Magazine Issue 87 - June 2019 | Page 152

NEWS
KENT LAW SOCIETY CELEBRATES AT ITS 201st ANNUAL DINNER
A magnificent evening was had by all those who
attended the 201st Annual Dinner of the Kent Law
Society at The Mercure Great Danes this May.
280+ guests were treated to a candlelit dinner, and
were entertained with speeches from both Emma
Palmer, Kent Law Society incoming President, and
Christina Blacklaws, President of the Law Society
of England and Wales.
Emma Palmer, who is also an Associate Director of
Whitehead Monckton, introduced her themes for
the year, firstly being promoting access to justice in
light of the devastating cuts to the legal aid budget
and, secondly, promoting women in law, particularly
in being promoted to senior management roles. She
also highlighted her charity for the year, Young
Epilepsy, and later was pleased to announce that
£1,425 was raised that night.
Toastmaster, David DiCara, managed the evening
with his usual efficiency which concluded with awards
being presented to John Sheath of Brachers for
Outstanding Achievement and Louise Duckett of
Stilwell & Singleton Solicitors for Fundraiser of the
Year. The evening was sponsored by MHA
MacInytre Hudson and Tarvos Wealth.
THE PIG AT BRIDGE PLACE
NOW OPEN
The Pig at Bridge Place has now opened – the hotly anticipated sixth Pig in the
hotel collection’s portfolio. Formerly Bridge Place Country Club, The Pig at Bridge
Place is a 17th-century manor house just outside the historic village of Bridge in the
Nailbourne valley, three miles south of Canterbury. Never ones to be considered
predictable, this gem succeeds in delivering surprises that are sure to delight guests
and Pig aficionados alike.
With its welcoming red brick façade and ornate Jacobean interior, Bridge Place
is an intriguing old building with a rock-n-roll vibe. Over the past four decades, t
his musical honeypot has been home to some renowned parties and gigs playing
host in the ‘70s to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. It houses a wealth of period
features, including large fireplaces, secret stairways, panelled rooms and endless
nooks and crannies. In the refurb, all of these structural nuances have been
respected and enhanced to create seven bedrooms along with numerous cosy bars
and sitting areas.
Attached to the main building a new, carefully detailed Coach House contains a
restaurant with open kitchen. Within The Coach House are 12 further bedrooms;
four on the ground floor and eight on the first floor. Over the brook via a handcrafted
wooden bridge are seven fitting Hop Pickers’ Huts created from reclaimed materials,
all dotted along a meandering wooden walkway. Each hut houses a double bedroom
with cosy bathroom and wood-burning stove. Next to the kitchen garden is The
Barn; a large upstairs/downstairs room with mezzanine bathroom and views across
the garden. With a newly restored gate lodge offering two further dwellings, The
Pig at Bridge Place has a total of 31 rooms.
CEO of Home Grown Hotels, Robin Hutson, says: “We’ve had a great couple
of years, with customers seeming to love what we do. Occupancy
is in the mid-90%s in our rural locations and we know from our guests and their
invaluable feedback that they want more Pigs. After searching far and wide for truly
unique properties, we really are over the moon about our new hotel in Kent.”
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