I visited Canterbury once with Ignored one and it was awfull, the hall is dingy and the people, well you certainly dont feel welcome !
I think it was Abbadon who metioned Newton Abbott Cong, well my family live down there and I went to the hall in Newton Abbott - mmm strange bunch - I guess they kinda made me feel welcome but they were weird. Once sis she started telling her life story in her answer about this bro she fancied and then flew outta the hall crying !
My old cong Walderslade/Lordswood were loving but backstabbing and loved trouble, they just loved dissing someone because they didnt attend all the meetings, they would just refuse to hang out with them.
I attended University in Canterbury, a beautiful town in those days. Some of the Kentish congregations I found to be bulging with cliques, perhaps because they were filled with many JW old-timers and third generation 'theocraps', but generally I find most Congregations over the world much like the other. If your face fits you are happy, if it does not, life can be like rolling in razorwire. Lots of dour characters with Burton suits which they wore on beaches, could make life a true hell for the young. If I recall correctly there was even a family called Wackett in that area whose son became a CO. The name says it all.
lots of stories about the Rye cong. Know of one marriage where the wife ran of with her b-i-l. They later got married and reinstated.
Quite a few problems due to most being related (or possible inbreeding) CO had some heavy visits there. Dont know what its like now though.
As for the Brighton centre well at least it was indoors and you could buy food. We always sat in one of the TV rooms. It seemed a little more distant that way.
Haysbridge - the grass had always been 'treated' and so no walking or sitting on it!! You could of course gaze and admire form the safe distance of the paviours having either eaten in your car or sat on the floor in one of the old buffet areas. Why did we put up with it?
Quite a few elders in the east sussex area are out of the org now. They seem to be mainly the ones who where more hospitable and kind. Maybe that what is happening on a large scale leaving behind the'society men' who are too busy climbing the WTBTS ladder to care about kindness and real love.
Mmmm dont remember anyone writing the clown thing ! interesting. I remember the Wacketts dont remember one becoming a CO but it could of happened, quite a spiritual family.
Ignored, yeah I remember, we were at Bluewater and your brother brought you along and I was told that you were all not allowed to meet up with us to go to the cinema becuase you never went to the meetings, so being that your brother was my friend at the time I was the one that had to send the message - If only I had known back then, that you out of all of them would be the ONLY ONE to stand by me - I would of told them to F*ck off. Sorry I didnt do it in the first place !
There were some interesting ones in the Rochester cong where I first went to. One bloke, he was in the old Cigar adverts for Hamlet, his Daughter was the blonde girl with the squeeky voice on the Philladelphia cheese advert. I heard he went a bit loopy and left the cong to seek a life with jesus.
