President’s Column
Welcome to my first President's Column. The Society's AGM was held at the University of Kent on 20th May 2017, and unfortunately, the Kent History Federation held their AGM on the same day in Sandwich. As members could only attend one event, this resulted in just 51 members in attendance. Nevertheless, I great deal of business was carried out.
My introductory remarks included a description of the 13 sites visited throughout the year. I talked about the investigations at the Iron Age site at East Wear Bay (Folkestone), the medieval sites at Newnham near Faversham and Scadbury in the London Borough of Bromley, the recently discovered Roman Villa at Bishopsbourne near Canterbury, on the lees Court Estate and St Peter's Church, Sandwich.
After agreeing last year's minutes and an explanatory item on the Ian Coulson Bursary, the AGM moved to the important issue facing the society this year; the Society's incorporation. An update on this issue is discussed in an interview with our Hon General Secretary, Clive Drew on pages 24 and 25 of this issue.
All officers were re-elected unopposed. Elizabeth Edwards, Jonathan Fryer and Pat Reid resigned from Council, and Paula Jardine-Rose decided not to seek reelection. There were three members standing for Council, and all three were duly elected. They are Peter Burton, Peter Titley and Steve Willis.
In February this year, Nesta Caiger, a long-standing member passed away. Both Nesta and her husband John (who passed away many years ago) undertook much archaeological work, and an obituary will appear in the next issue of Archaeologia Cantiana.
Once the formal business was concluded Steve Willis gave an update on the Lees Court project and Andy Bates on the latest interpretations of the Iron Age Forts at Bigbury near Canterbury and Oldbury near lghtham. At the close of the meeting, Steve Willis was thanked for organising the event at Eliot College.
Gerald Cramp