Cathedral event worth the wait

Address: Greycoats Place, Cranbrook Price: From £699,000 Agent: Savills

I am writing in connection with a story you published regarding the disappointment of Canterbury Christ Church graduates at the prospect of having their graduations online this year [‘Students’ reaction forces u-turn on virtual graduation’, February 4].

I am one of those students. I very much enjoyed my time in Canterbury and am very proud of the university and the degree I was awarded. As you reported, the university are now reviewing their plans and are considering student preferences as to virtual or actual ceremonies. Unfortunately and very sadly, the traditional convention to host their conferral ceremonies in Canterbury Cathedral, seems to be in doubt. I understand there is a considerable backlog of events and the availability of the Cathedral is limited. Regrettably, those students waiting to graduate have no guarantee of the unique and very special privilege of having their achievement recognised in this world famous Cathedral.

I believe I speak for others when I say I would rather wait indefinitely to graduate in the Cathedral rather than a virtual graduation online, or in person at some lesser venue, other than the Cathedral from which the university takes its name. Personally, I would be prepared to wait years for the Cathedral. Such an event, is the aspiration and dream of many students.

Ian Whitfield Bsc (Hons) Hertford Close, Wokingham

‘Regrettably, those students waiting to graduate have no guarantee of the unique and very special privilege of having their achievement recognised in this world famous Cathedral...’

One minute you’re minding your own business - sort of - fighting petty battles over parish council procedures, as you’ve been doing for years. The next thing, you’ve accidentally become an internet sensation. And not in a good way.

That footage of you behaving badly on a Zoom meeting - called to sort out, er, bad behaviour at public meetings - was never likely to go much further than a dozen people, after all.

Unless some smart alec unhelpfully decides to share a video of the many highlights on Youtube and your uppity display suddenly gets millions of views.

The extraordinary meeting of Handforth Parish Council in

Cheshire was nothing if not well-attended, albeit after the event.

These virtual meetings are clearly helping people engage with local government.

You’d never fit that many people into a draughty village hall on a Monday night without contravening health and safety laws.

If you’re Jackie

Weaver, the woman undertaking the thankless task of reining in the rampant egos of frustrated parish councillors, you came out of the whole thing looking good. Your patience and stoicism made you briefly famous, in a positive way.

If you were one of the councillors fighting your trivial turf war with such baffling intensity, the viral nature of the meeting would be a less comfortable experience. The legitimacy of the parish council’s planning and environment committee meeting was clearly a cause for which these online pantomime villains were willing to stake their reputation, which has now taken a bit of a battering.

The ferocity of this power struggle shows that some people at least have something else to worry about in the age of Covid-19.

I just hope Handforth Parish Council has enough chairs - and a decent security firm for the first ‘real life’ meeting after lockdown.

‘You’d never fit that many people into a draughty village hall on a Monday night without contravening health and safety laws...’

You’ll have the best of both worlds if you snap up one of the last two remaining properties at a bijou new development in Cranbrook. Greycoats Place is within walking distance of the town centre while also backing onto open countryside.

So whether you want the bustle of a sought-after market town, or the peace that comes with rural living, the development of seven three, four and five-bedroom homes has it.

The first residents have moved in and if you want to join them, there is the four-bedroom Bathurst House on Plot 1 with its large garden, modern appliances and under floor heating still available. The five-bedroom Stringer House at Plot 7, which is also still on the market, has an open plan kitchen/ diner as well as a separate study – ideal for working from home or home schooling.

Both properties come with a utility room and either garages or double parking bays as well as fully landscaped front and back gardens with patio areas.

The homes have been built by family builders the Jarvis family, who can trace their building heritage back to 1649, making them one of the oldest known house-building families in the country.

David Sercombe of Savills said:

“Greycoats Place has been finished to an exceptional standard with high level specifications that include Krieder bespoke luxury kitchens with painted solid wood doors, quartz worktops and Siemens appliances.”

The homes have been built using the traditional block and brick construction along with traditional features including open eaves, tile hung or timber clad facades, Sussex fencing, and, in some cases, wood burners and are in the catchment area for Cranbrook School.

● Savills is operating virtual viewings at Greycoats Place. To book one, contact Savills Cranbrook on 01580 721005.