At a recent slide presentation I showed this picture of Walton Pier on fire at both ends, and not knowing too much about the circumstances I asked the audience for help.

My good friend Eric Brett was present and soon came up with more than the answer. He wrote an eyewitness account which I am delighted to reproduce below.

I am always so pleased to receive messages from folk living all over the world who have an interest in Walton-on-the-Naze.

Recently I heard from a gentleman named Dick Salmon, whose grand parents were one of the first couples to buy land and build a bungalow in Woodberry Way. Dick also kindly sent me a picture of the property which I reproduce here.

In 1921 his grandmother, Ada Stait, bought two plots of land in Woodberry Way, or Seaville Crescent as it was then known, and his grandfather, Edward Stait, built this bungalow where they lived until 1928 when they moved to Victoria Avenue, Kirby-le-Soken.

The photo is particularly interesting as it shows the railway line in its original position immediately behind the bungalow. The line was later relocated more inland when cliff erosion of the cliffs threatened disaster further up the line.

This picture from The Old Walton Archive shows just how close the line was to the cliff edge before it was moved.

 Grandpa and Grandma Stait

Back in August I posted  to this blog a picture of a number of gentlemen at a reunion party at the Portobello Hotel. I did not recognise any of the faces and asked for your help in identifying them. (See below for original blog entry)

I received no feedback to the request. But, at the recent presentation which I gave for members of the Town Hard Association, I showed the picture again in the hope that some of the ‘locals’ who perhaps do not have access to the blog would help me. And sure enough my old friend, Eric Brett, who is the fount of all Old Walton knowledge came to the rescue.

Not only did he know all of the men pictured, but he was actually one of the group.

So with his help I can now tell you that this picture was taken at a reunion of the Walton Bachelors Association on the 23rd October 1947. The Bachelors Association was for unmarried men and did not encourage association with the fairer sex. A fine of of one penny was made if a member was spotted talking to a girl and a hefty six pence fine was imposed if he was caught taking her to the cinema.

To my knowledge all of these fellows ended up married.

From left to right they are: John O’Halloran, Ken Herbert, Ken Grover, Paul Bloomfield, Eric Brett, Albert Harris, Dennis Herbert and Derek Harris.