Two former Senior Wardens of the Rochester Bridge Trust have received a token of appreciation in recognition of their voluntary service.
John Spence and Richard Thornby were presented with lapel badges made by specialist jeweller Thomas Fattorini Ltd during a recent meeting of the Court of Wardens and Assistants.
The Senior Warden is usually appointed for a two-year term, heading the 12-strong Court, or board of Trustees. The post has been held continuously since Robert Rowe was appointed in 1383, the current incumbent is Russell Cooper.
John Spence OBE DL recently stepped down after 30 years as a trustee. He held the post of Senior Warden from 1993-4 and again from 2004-5 and was a highly respected member of the Court, sharing his knowledge of agriculture and engineering.
Richard Thornby joined the Trust in 1997, serving as Senior Warden from 2005 to 2007. Originally nominated by Medway Ports, he later became one of the first appointed trustees from the community and continues to represent the Trust today.
The lapel badges are presented to serve as a permanent memento of the Senior Wardens’ service to the Trust. They have previously been presented to Dr Anne Logan, Russell Race and Rodney Chambers OBE, and will be presented to other past Senior Wardens at future events.
Sue Threader, Bridge Clerk to the Trust, said: “This is a small token of our appreciation for the efforts of the Senior Wardens. We are pleased to be able to give public recognition of their work to continue a 600-year tradition of Wardens and, more importantly, provision of the bridges at Rochester for many centuries to come.”