Walton Tales

Mid December last year I received an enquiry from a young lady who had seen the pictures in the Old Walton Photo Archive of the remains of a Halifax Bomber being recovered at the Naze in 1973.

She asked if I could give her further information as she believed her grandfather had been one of the airmen who perished when this aircraft crashed. I was able to give her some information but even better I put her in contact with Geoff Rayner who had researched the incident for his book on Wartime Walton “Seaside Front Line”.

The result of this was that on Monday of this week Nina Hoeve travelled to Walton from her home in The Hague, Holland to visit the memorial to the airmen which was erected by the RAFA in 1978 on the Memorial Gardens. She also visited the actual site of the crash on farmland at the Naze. Both Geoff and I were on hand to meet her and show her around. This is the story as sent to the local press:

30-year-old Nina Hoeve from The Hague, Holland made an emotional visit to the Memorial Gardens at Walton-on-the-Naze to see, for the first time, the memorial to her grandfather who died in World War Two.

Nina was aware that her grandfather, RAF Sgt Douglas Cooke, died when his aeroplane crashed at Walton. In December 2008 she started researching the crash on the Internet and found on Putmans Walton Web Archive  pictures of his Halifax Bomber being recovered from the crash site

Nina contacted Pete Frost of Putmans who was able to put her in touch with Geoff Rayner who had researched the incident for his book on wartime Walton, 'Seaside Front Line'.

Royal Air Force Sgt Douglas Cooke was killed when the Halifax Bomber of 432 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force in which he was flying as flight engineer crashed at the Naze as it returned from a bombing raid over Germany on the night of 5/6^th

March 1945. He was the only Englishman on board with seven Canadian members of the crew who also perished.

The remains of the aircraft were recovered in 1973 by members of 308 Squadron (Colchester & Clacton) Air Training Corps and in 1978 three of the propeller blades were erected as a memorial by the Frinton & Walton branch of the Royal Air Forces Association.

After visiting the memorial, Nina and Geoff with the help of farmer, David Eagle, visited the site where the aeroplane crashed at the Naze.

FRANCIS JOSEPH GEORGE BIRD known as Frank Bird, was the son of Henry & Louisa Bird of Walton. Frank was killed on 11th May 1942 aged just 25 when his ship HMS Kipling was sunk. He was unlucky; 221 of the 250 strong crew were rescued – Frank was one of the 29 who lost their lives. Do you know anyone who may remember Frank. It’s a long time ago now but maybe some old timer will recall the name. If so, please let me know as I have received a request from a family member for information.

I have recently been given a set of four pictures taken on the occasion of the official opening of Princes Esplanade and the naming of the E.M.E.D lifeboat on 30th July 1930.

Two of them are already in the Archive but two new ones have emerged from their long-time  hiding place  behind a cupboard in Walton Parish Church.

This wonderful picture showing a ragtag-and-bobtail collection of young lads who constituted the church choir has got me guessing. The names of all the lads is included with the picture but only in alphabetical order – thus I can only pinpoint two of them in the group.

Their names are: _ Barker, D. Carr, P. Clarke, W. Clarke, G. Close, A. Frost, C.Gardiner, F. Gardiner,
A. (Arthur, I believe) Garwood, D. Perring, M. Read, _ Sharman, R. Stacey, D. Wilson, R. Woods, and A. Wyatt

The two I can name are Alec Frost who is the short lad wearing a cap in the front row and Gordon Close who is the boy immediately behind Alec.

Another picture in the set shows the boys processing to church along the High Street. The organist and choirmaster leading the boys is none other than my old boss and founder of Putmans Photographers, Frank Putman.

If you know anyone who is able to name any of the lads, please let me know

I recently came upon a couple of old photographs taken in Walton-on-the-Naze in the early 1900s.

Can anyone out there throw any light on who they may be?

The first picture shows this interesting group of folk on the beach. Two attractive young women ostensibly reading, a sailor and I guess his wife and child and the real character of the shot, a painter decorator complete with brushes and paint kettle. The only reference on the back of the photo mentions ‘Freddie’

The second picture shows a youngster wearing a cork lifejacket similar to those worn by the lifeboat crew at that time. In the background the Albion Hotel and breakwater can be seen.

On the back of the photo it reads “ Winner of badge Lifeboat Collection”  This picture was taken in 1908.

If you have any ideas who these people may be, please let me know.

I recently received a message from one of the many Old Waltonians I have met since writing this blog.

Robina Dexter (formerly Robina Edmonds) sent me a photograph of herself and her mum when they were part of a cabaret act at a local function. Robina’s mum was well respected for her musical talents and known to the locals as Connie Balls, (her maiden name).

  Along with the picture, Robina recounted an amusing tale which read as follows: 
Did I ever tell you of the time when, at a similar dinner-do, Jess Sabin asked my Mum several times if she could play softly. Having done her best to oblige, when he asked again she said: 'Jess, I am playing as quietly as I can. If you don't like it, why do you sit so close to the piano?'

Horrified, he replied, 'But I love your playing, Connie. I just want you to play Ruby Murray's hit: "Softly*" '  (*Softly, softly, come to me....etc)

For those of you old enough to remember this song, maybe like me you will enjoy hearing it again. Click the link below and cross your fingers that the technology works. If you’ve not yet heard of the superb FREE music site ‘Spotify’ then you will need to create an account at http://www.spotify.com/en/ 

Ruby Murray – Softly Softly

A new social network for Walton-on-the-Naze has just been initiated by a young lady named Marie.

I am proud to be member number two and very pleased to say that after only one day of being live online it has already attracted six members.

If you have an interest in Walton-on-the-Naze why not give it a look and perhaps join the group. It’s FREE and more members will hopefully lead to more messages, ideas and discussions. If you have friends with a similar interest please send them an invite to join too.

I receive lots of questions about Walton past and present and am always pleased to assist when I can, but maybe a question on the network will open it up to a wider and more knowledgeable audience.

Take a look right now at http://walton-on-the-naze.ning.com/ 

Now this has to be the biggest and best ‘tale’ so far on this Walton Tales blog.

On the front page of this week’s Frinton & Walton Gazette there appeared this story and photo.

Apparently the new owners of The Singing Kettle restaurant in Walton’s High Street have been troubled by spirits (no – not by over imbibing them) and a ‘psychic photographer’ armed with a ‘specialist camera’ was called in to investigate. Within 30 seconds of having gone into a bathroom, apparently by himself. he emerged with the above image ‘captured on film’. According to the press report he immediately showed the picture to the restaurant owner saying “Look what I’ve got”.

Now, I’ve been taking photographs in this area for the past 50 years and although I’ve never owned a specialist ghost hunting camera, I think that I may have just bumped into an apparition somewhere during that time. I Googled for details of these ‘special cameras’ and only came up with this one

As the image was immediately viewable the photographer was obviously using a digital camera (not film). I guess that it would not take me too long to work out a way of replicating this effect.

The press article goes on to say that as the owners are new to the area they do not know the history of the site and would like to hear from anyone about its past. So here goes -

Early photographs show this plot of land to be just gardens. This picture from the church tower was taken c1900 

My earliest memory is when it was known as The Canada Bar run by Mr. Joe Collier. A favourite haunt for the local youth when a cup of coffee and a juke box was a good night out.

From memory, it later became part of the adjacent Belmont Garage where they attempted to sell power boats before reverting to a cafe/restaurant as an extension of the next-door Singing Kettle. To my knowledge nothing devious has ever happened here to encourage these so called ghostly goings on. Every ghost needs a good story to go with it. This picture was taken in 1967. If you can spot a ghost or three – let me know!

But I must extend my congratulations to the new owners for getting free, front page publicity. Now, a new spooky menu could create a rush of ghost hunter clients.   O.K. I accept that I am an old sceptic.

It was the 56th anniversary of the East Coast Floods last night. The flooding which devastated a large part of the East Coast happened during the night-time period of 31st January and 1st February 1953. 307 people died and around 24,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Walton-on-the-Naze was hit severely with the surge of water bursting the banks of the backwaters and encroaching into many homes. Walton School was flooded to a considerable depth and schoolchildren including myself were dispersed  to various locations around the town for lessons in the following weeks while the school building was being cleaned and dried out.

You can see many pictures taken in Walton on the day after the flood in the Walton Archive.

This humorous memory of the event was written by my brother Owen and is included in the book, “Memories of Walton-on-the-Naze 1900 – 1980 by those who lived here”, published recently to raise money for the restoration of All Saints Parish Church.

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Wow! I’ve just looked at the stats for the Walton Archive web site and am both pleased and amazed to learn that in the past 30 days it has received over 3,000 visits. I know this is a small amount compared to the big boys, but for me it is magnificent.

It gives me much pleasure to know that my efforts to share pictures and memories of Walton-on-the-Naze with other people are clearly worthwhile.

What’s more, looking at the map of recent visitors, my endeavours are reaching folk worldwide.

What an eventful day, today.

Started with an email from someone researching the family name ‘Modlen’ who had noticed the pictures of his great aunt, Louisa Modlen, and great grandfather, Robert Modlen, on the Walton Archive.

I was particularly pleased to receive this message as I was able to put him in contact with another member of the Modlen family who had contacted me some time ago and supplied several of the Modlen family photographs in the Archive. Hopefully they will be able to share their research and progress it.

I regularly receive messages regarding Walton folk but this is the first time that I’ve been able to link two together.

Hardly had the mouse click faded from my reply to this message when the ‘phone rang and a voice from my junior schooldays here in Walton asked, “Are you the Peter Frost who went to Walton School?” My reply in the affirmative led the caller to introduce himself as Andrew Evans who I had not seen since those halcyon days at Walton Junior School. Andrew was visiting Walton from his hometown of Rugby and within five minutes we met and he was showing me an album of old photos  Many of the pictures were taken by his father in the 1950s and I am pleased to say that Andrew allowed me to copy them for inclusion in the Walton Archive. Above are a couple to whet your appetite – see the rest in the Archive in a few days time.    

The weird thing about this meeting with Andrew  was that only last night I  uploaded to the Archive a photo of him taken in 1964. How uncanny!

Finally today I have been introduced to Twitter where I have set up an account and intend to announce all future updates to the Archive. You can see me at www.twitter.com/WaltonMan Give it a try and if you want to know when I add new pictures to the Archive, sign up yourself – it’s FREE – Add me to your ‘following’ list and you’ll get to know what’s going on in Walton and in the Archive. My jottings are quite random and hopefully fun.

A message received today has prompted me to recount this story about Barnard Lea, the tall house which stands on the cliff top at Southcliff close to the railway station.

Back in the late 1800s this house was owned by Miss Barron who was perhaps a little eccentric in that she kept  goats and was obviously very fond of them. Miss Barron was a wealthy lady and a regular worshipper at All Saints Church which at that time was in the process of being rebuilt and having a tower added .

Much to the church authorities pleasure, Miss Barron had promised to pay for the ring of bells which were to be installed in the tower on completion.

However, one day two of her goats made a bid for freedom and wandered down the road to find new grazing in the churchyard. Unfortunately one of the churchwardens spotted the goats and promptly ejected them from the churchyard with the aid of his boot.

Miss Barron, who was probably out looking for the two absconders, was in Martello Road and witnessed the churchwarden’s actions  . Incensed that a church official could be so cruel to dumb animals she immediately withdrew her offer to fund the new bells.
I believe the money was later given to Kirby church to pay for their bells.

Back in July of last year I wrote about George Arthur Polley, the coxswain of Walton’s first volunteer lifeboat, of whom I had received details from his great grandson living in America.

Since then I have had many more very interesting messages from Brian Polley accompanied by lots more photos.

Brian is pictured here wearing the white shirt accompanied by his cousin William (Bill) G. Polley, a retired superior court judge.

Here are some of the pictures which Brian has sent to me.

The charming picture on the right shows George Arthur’s sisters taking tea when they were photographed in Walton circa 1900

The front cover of The Golden Penny dated 18th July 1896 shows a picture of George Arthur's youngest brother, three-year-old Gladstone Aubrey Polley, dressed in one of the lifeboat’s cork lifejackets. Inside there was an article titled ‘The Youngest Lifeboat Coxswain in England’  which reads as follows:

Mr G. Arthur Polley, who has just obtained command of the volunteer lifeboat at Walton-on-the-Naze, is probably the youngest cox. in England. The Walton lifeboat is manned by the pick of the boatmen of their place and their cox. says there is no more reason why his portrait should be published than that of every other member of his crew; they are all good men and true.

The boatmen are ready at all times to run the awful hazards incidental to saving life from sea, but it should be known that the present vessel “True to the Core” though a stout craft enough, is hardly equal to weathering the tremendous storms on our Eastern coast for more than one or two winters. The crew of this volunteer lifeboat and the committee of their funds are alike alive to the fact of looking ahead, being anxious to have money to purchase a new ship when to do so shall be necessary. It may be that some among our many readers will sympathise with this wise ambition, as we do, and those whose support takes a practical form, may communicate with Mr E L Beard, Colchester, the hon. treasurer to the Volunteer Boat Fund. The boat has been out over twenty times, and saved six lives.

The portrait of the little fellow on our front page is that of the youngest brother of Cox. G. Arthur Polley, aged three years. He put on the lifeboat dress and is credited with having said, “Daddy, I’se ready for the lifeboat now.”

They certainly had a way with words back in 1896.

The photograph of the little boy is credited to Albert Azulay, one of Walton’s photographers at the time and a good friend of the Polleys.

I will add more of the pictures in a future post.

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.

I recently received a 'phone call from one of the country's leading antiques experts. John Bly, well known for his regular appearances on BBC's Antiques Roadshow, asked me to supply him with some pictures of Walton beaches over the past 100 years or so.

He required the photographs for an article he was writing for Life Magazine and I was pleased to be able to help him with several pictures from the Walton Archive.

Some days later John very kindly sent me a copy of the piece he had written and although not yet published I am hoping that he will not mind me quoting a short excerpt below.

....I took our summer holiday a couple of weeks ago, which consisted of three days and two nights in Walton-on-the-Naze. As guests of two dear friends who have a place there, Virginia and I agreed it was the most reassuring visit we had made for some time. Brenda Page of the Community Forum told me that it is called England’s Friendliest Resort and I can assure you that it is well so named. And here comes the nostalgia. We walked the length of the beach and saw families having a good time. Sandcastles, buckets, spades, rounders, beach cricket, kites, tea set on little tea tables, and as one child was heard to ask ”Is this why they are called sandwiches?” as he picked his up from the moat of his castle, proper food prepared at home and carried to the picnic. There was no rowdiness and no litter, just a lovely atmosphere of England at its best. The scene reminded me so much of my very first trip to the seaside way back in the late 1940’s to Clacton, not far away, and I said I am sure little has changed.

We who live in Walton are aware that a lot of change has taken place in the past 60 years, but it is gratifying to know that a person with such a keen awareness as John Bly can see many of the good things from the past still alive and well in Walton. Even though a lot less clothes are now de rigueur for the beach!

Today, the 6th August 2008, is the 63rd anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on the city of Hiroshima, killing 140,000 people. This was closely followed by another nuclear attack on the city of Nagasaki on August 9th. 

It was just after 10.40 a.m. on that August day in 1945 that the second atomic bomb, aptly named "Fat Man", was released from an American aircraft to cause the death of 80,000 people and subsequently many more from injuries and illness attributed to radiation exposure.

One Walton man experienced this attack and lived to tell the tale.

The late Frank Harwood, a prisoner of war in the Japanese camp at Nagasaki, was walking along a corridor in the camp when he heard a plane droning overhead. A crack like thunder and a burst of light brought death to thousands in a second. Frank threw himself down by the side of a concrete trough which he always claimed saved his life. Many other POWs ran for the air raid shelter - most of them died.

A few days later an American aircraft carrier rescued him and 15 other English servicemen.

Strangely, I was not aware of the significance of the date when I scanned a negative yesterday showing Frank remembering his lucky escape. It was only when I heard mention of the nuclear bombs on today's news broadcasts that I appreciated the coincidence.

I have been very busy today scanning negatives from the Putmans archives in preparation for a presentation I have promised to give in October to raise funds for the Walton Town Hard Association.

While doing this I came upon a single negative, catalogued simply as 'Portobello Reunion' and dated 23rd October 1947. Expecting to see some old Walton folk I scanned the negative only to discover that the faces were all new to me. Thus I am displaying the picture below in the hope that someone may be able to tell me just who these gentlemen are. I have a sneaky feeling that they may have a medical connection, but on the other hand that could be a real red herring.

I have just realised that some time ago when I wrote about the changing face of Hipkins Beach, I promised to show a picture of the new beach huts when they were completed.

Well, they've been completed and occupied by their new owners who are now enjoying the lovely sunny weather we have been experiencing over the past week or so.

I think that you will agree that the new huts on this prime location have been perfectly presented and will no doubt be a subject for many a keen cameraman in the future. I have already seen framed photographs of the huts for sale in the town.

Well done Robert Hipkin for making this an inspirational site. Now, if only the hundreds of other hut owners would follow suit and change their huts from the drab brown colour that predominates, then Walton would really be on the map.

I was delighted to read in a small magazine which drops through my letter box every so often, of a Walton man who has just raised nearly £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation.

John Hall, a former well-known Walton baker, has recently completed the gruelling London to Brighton bike ride and all this only three months away from his 70th birthday!

I have memories of John when, as a much younger man, he used to thrash me on the judo mat. I think he considered me as a sack of flour which he was clearly used to throwing around.

John is not only a keen athlete but also a toastmaster, naturalist and accomplished poet. Last year he won a local competition with the following poem which I have been given permission to print here. For those of you who know and love the Naze and its flora and fauna I am sure you will appreciate its beauty.

In Praise of the Naze

Redshank sentinels patrol the salt marsh
Early calling early warning
Golden plovers, godwits, knots, take flight
Filling the sky in wheeling, dancing, formation
Bent on escape, but without direction

High above, alert, gimlet eyed
Death selects a victim
Wings fold, body tilts forward
At bullet speed steel talons deliver instant peace

Lifeless, unconcerned now, the peregrine’s meal falls to earth

Close by at lagoon edge,
Wreathed in clerical grey, a heron stands statue still
Below the water a crab scuttles, creating a mud screen
Unaware that it has only moments to exist
The crab dies, that the heron may live.

At the wind whipped surf edge
Sanderlings play tag with the spume
Turnstones turn stones
Ringed Plovers scurry, and gulls squabble.
Each preoccupied with its own survival

Now as evening approaches
Skeins of Brent geese
Head to Horsey Island
Safe haven for the night
Their calls heralding the dark. 

Such is the Naze, as it has been for millennia
Wild and beautiful, savage and serene
Hunters and hunted, victors and victims
A battle ground, a refuge of peace.
Let us not lose it

Since my last posting regarding George Arthur Polley I have received several more very interesting emails from his great grandson, Brian Polley, in the USA.

In one of these Brian mentioned that he had been given an oil painting which was the work of George Arthur. This had hung in his den for many a year without him realising exactly what was depicted. It was only when he had seen the Walton Archive site that he realised that the painting was of the True to the Core Lifeboat on which George Arthur had been coxswain.

Compare the painting with the photograph and I think you will agree that George, who was better known by his second name 'Arthur', was indeed a talented artist especially as he was painting from memory.

George Arthur was a painter and wallpaper hanger in England and America and only took up painting pictures in his later life.

         These are two more of his paintings

This reminded me of a more recent lifeboat coxswain, Jonas Oxley, who was also a keen artist. I wrote about him some while ago

Brian also told me about his great great grandfather, George James Polley, who was the Hon. Secretary for the True to the Core lifeboat. He writes: "My great great grandfather was George James Polley.  He had a house built on the seafront parade which he named "Marine Lodge".  The Walton directory of 1881 lists George Polley of 37 The Parade - Marine Lodge as a boat carpenter.  He acquired a shop in Newgate Street (which backed onto Marine Lodge) and from here he ran a business called 'Old Curiosity Shop' selling chinaware, furniture and antiques."

This rang a loud bell with me and I was able to send to the USA a copy of a picture from the Archive showing the shop in Newgate Street.

It's a small world now thanks to the Internet.

The Internet is a truly wonderful thing. How ever else would I have made contact with the great grandson of one of Walton's first volunteer lifeboat coxswains?

A few days ago I received a message from Brian Polley in America asking if I could help him with names of some folk that appear in a picture on the Old Walton Archive. He went on to explain that his great grandfather was none other than George Arthur Polley the coxswain of the True to the Core Lifeboat and that George had six children all of whom had emigrated to America in 1911.

Unfortunately I could not help him with the names of any of the onlookers in this picture of the True to the Core on the Marine beach. Any suggestions will be passed on to Brian.  Check out a larger image on the Archive web site here.

I contacted Brian and have learned a lot about the Polley family. Brian wrote "George Arthur Polley and F.G. Horton sailed across the Channel in the "Volata" on April 25, 1893 to Calais, France.  He also sailed to Ostend, Belgium in September 1893 on the "White Swan", one of his Father's Yachts with the following crew:  A. Azulay-A photographer from Walton, F. Sparrow, his brother in law, David Polley, his Uncle and Wivvy Polley, his cousin." 

I knew a bit about the White Swan and was able to point it out on one of the archive pictures but I do not know of the Volata. Can you help?

Brian later sent me this picture of George Arthur, aged 78,  photographed with his six children at a family reunion in 1949

The True to the Core was a volunteer Lifeboat which competed with the RNLI lifeboat when there was a casualty at sea.

In Bernard Norman's book, Walton-on-the-Naze in Old Picture Postcards, he names the True to the Core crew in this picture taken around 1900, four of whom are members of the Polley family. No1 is C Polley, No2 is A Polley (Coxswain) which I assume is George Arthur, No3 is D. Polley (Nightwatchman) and No4 is H Polley. Hopefully I will learn more of these other Polleys in due course.

These guys were real heroes going to sea in all weathers with only cork life jackets and sail power. The Illustrated London News reported in December 1905 that the True to the Core had saved over 400 lives in ten years.

All of this can now be expanded upon and shared between Walton-on-the-Naze and the United States of America thanks to the Internet

Have you bought your copy of my recommended reading from the last post? No! Then here is a sample of the 'memories' in the book.
This is the only one that I can reproduce here without breaching copyright - I wrote it - but there are many better tales in the book.

In the early 1950s, before caravans had been planted on the Martello Tower site, the field in front of the tower (which I am told was known as Cartbridge Field) spawned a sea of tents for a number of weeks during the summer holiday period.

These khaki army style tents were the home of equally khaki clad lads from the London area who were feared by the local youth and known as “The Borstal Boys”.

Borstal was still a recognised punishment or corrective regime for wayward youngsters then.

My story involves a well known figure in the town at the time, Mr. Newton Sharman, known to everyone as ‘Newt’. He was one of the local ‘Snobs’ or shoe repairers with a small workshop in Mill Lane, opposite what was then the library and is now a gents hairdresser.

The Borstal Boys made their way to and from their camp site via Mill Lane and regularly cheeked and taunted Newt as they passed his workshop. He put up with this for some time until one day a lad went into the workshop, grabbed some shoes that were on the counter and threw them at Newt, before scampering off down Mill Lane.

Little did the boy realise that Newt had been an accomplished athlete in his younger days as a star player for the Walton Town Football Club. Newt leaped the counter and pursued the youngster, soon catching him at the point in the road where the Car Park is now situated. Here a small stream ran under the road and I was playing with my friends catching sticklebacks to take home in a jam jar.

Newt grabbed the lad by his collar and with a swift jerk of his arm tossed him over the edge into the muddy water. Now that was real justice. Nothing was made of the incident to my knowledge unlike today when Newt would have been charged with untold offences and probably imprisoned.

Those were the days!

There are still another 44 good stories to read in the book - get your copy soon before they are sold out and become collector's items. I've already seen one for sale at a premium on eBay !

Firstly my apologies to those loyal readers who have emailed me asking why there has been no recent activity on this blog. I've been rather preoccupied with preparing a new beach hut for the family to enjoy this summer - although with the recent terrible weather I'm beginning to wonder if my efforts have been in vain.

When I've not been working on the beach hut I've been reading a splendid new book published recently to raise money for the restoration of Walton's All Saints Parish Church.

The book is titled "Memories of Walton-on-the-Naze 1900-1980 by those who lived here" and it does exactly what it says on the tin!

Tales written by 45 Walton folk recounting their memories of the town and its inhabitants. Contributors include many well known Walton people with stories and details that are new to me. Childhood memories, The 1953 Flood, Walton Senior School, Coastguard memories, Wartime tales and Lifeboat stories are just a few of the subjects covered. Truly a must-read for anyone interested in Walton. 79 pages including many black & white photographs and beautifully presented in a softback book.

I understand that the book has proven so popular that a reprint has already been put in hand. You can obtain a copy from the church or the local newsagents. If you do not live locally then you can get your copy from Mrs. Elizabeth Cull, 3, Grants Court, Victoria Road, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex CO14 8BU. The price is only £5.00 although you will need to add extra if you require it to be posted to you. You can contact Elizabeth Cull on eliz.cull@ukgateway.net for more details and to find out how much postage to anywhere in the world will cost.

This will be one of the best five pounds you will spend this year. Not only will you enjoy the read and learn so much about Walton but you will also be doing your little bit to save the town's magnificent old church.