chimney. If one is then fortunate enough to attract a pair of storks to his or her house, it is believed that the occupants will be blessed with health and prosperity for the forthcoming year.

To the naturalist this is without doubt one of the most exciting times of the year; the arrival of the first Cuckoo; seeing the first Swallow back in the farm-yard barn after its long journey from South Africa; or possibly listening for the wonderful song of the nightingale at dusk. With these thoughts in mind I decided to walk around the woods of Stockbury and Queendown Warren and my first impressions were of a generally late Spring after the very unseasonable weather of April and the hard frosts of early May. The Bluebells and Early Purple Orchids were only just coming into flower; only one or two Cuckoos were heard, and a few Swallows had arrived and were preparing to make their nests. The highlight of the walk, however, was the sighting of a Greenland Wheatear at the viaduct in the Warren, a bird obviously on Spring passage, with still a very long way to go to it's breeding grounds in the iceflows of Greenland.

W.F.A.B.

A LOCAL HISTORIAN LOOKS AT HARTLIP - No. 10

Although Hartlip has been a small village it had a second place of worship, a Methodist Chapel, which in years gone by obtained support from families living beyond the parish itself. It started life in 1820 as a Bible Christian Chapel whose origins were found in Devon. Their first activity outside Devon was in Gillingham and it was from there that the worship extended and many present-day country Methodist churches owe their origin to these people. Hartlip was the first. The reason for the location of work and then a place of worship at Hartlip is interesting as well as heartening. All this occurred when the general relationships between the Church of England and the Free Churches were not cordial. William Drawbridge, born in Brompton, Gillingham, was remarkably impressed by the open air preaching of the women who had come from Devon. He lived in Hartlip opposite the church with his wife and two daughters and they were all staunch members of the established church. William Drawbridge gave the land and built their chapel for them in Hartlip. His daughters had their own pew and entrance in the, chapel and attended the morning worship regularly. Apparently there was no resident vicar at Hartlip at the time and services were held in the parish church alternate mornings and afternoons. The chapel held their services at the alternative times to the parish church and villagers went to both places of worship. This custom continued even after a vicar took up residence in Hartlip. William Drawbridge put the texts on the wall in the Chapel where they still exist. He was for one year High Constable of Gillingham.

There was a windmill in Hartlip situated at the top of Hartlip Hill and according to maps one had been located there since 1596. In the late 19th century it was called Fridays Mill from two brothers, John and William Friday, who ran it. The Friday family were a well-known family of millers as well as being members of the Bible Christian community.

R.A.B.