Glorious Days in Saltfleet

Sea Lane c1955
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Following on from my cousin Mick Packwood's memories of Saltfleet in the 1970s, I would like to add mine. Life there was pretty simple as I guess most places were during that period. Fishing was the main pastime during the day with the usual catch being eels. We did used to eat them once you managed to actually hold them and skin them. Grandad used to stew them in milk, but to be honest the only way I could get them down was with plenty of salt and vinegar. Another local delicacy was cockles and I remember walking what seemed miles across the salt flats with bucket and spade in hand to get to the cockle beds. We then used to dig our toes into the sand so we could actually feel the shells. We always had a full bucket so along with the eels and samphire grass we never went hungry. Entertainment was limited so while Nan and Grandad were in the best room of the Crown, Mick and I used to walk around the village or through the caravan parks to the amusement arcade at the end of Sea Lane. Sometimes we would just walk along the sand dunes and back through the fields to the pub. The Crown did have a TV room which is great when you are 10 but a little boring when you are 16. One of the caravan sites at the end of Sea Lane did have a club which seemed a better place to meet the opposite sex. Other trips out from Saltfleet included Grimsby to buy fresh fish and we used to call at Appleby's ice creams at Conisholme on the way, even the dog Wendy had her own cornet. Also when Grandad was in the right mood we would drive to a pub called the Prussian Queen which I think was fairly local. Lakeside Lido was another local place to visit where you could fish, swim, hire boats and generally have a good time. I do remember swimming in one of the dykes and Mick had put his underwear into a plastic carrier bag. When we looked up there was a cow munching on the bag and his undies, I do not think he ever got them back. The times spent at Saltfleet were always with the grandparents with everything crammed into the little Mini or Austin 1100 for the 2 - 3 hour drive from Chesterfield. I suppose this gave my parents a break from me and gave me a little bit of freedom. Now that I live in Australia, it has been a while since I have visited Saltfleet and its surrounding areas. Hopefully on my next trip back home Mick and I can re-live our youth and go and catch an eel or two.