Sidestrand, Church 1938

Crown and Anchor, Trimingham

My nan, Florence Watts, owned the hotel before I was born. I remember playing in the garden with my great gran, Emma Smith.

Jetty Street

My ancestors lived in Jetty Street around 1890 and at one time had a chocolate shop at No 8. Next door at No 6 was a shoemakers, I believe (now called Jacob's Rest). The family name of my great grandmother (Emily nee Newman) and great grandfather (William Harry) was Gower. My great great grandfather, John Newman was involved in the building of Cromer Pier and he was married to Jane Jacob in 1848. My great grandmother moved from Jetty Street to 17 Vicarage Road, Cromer but her son Rupert moved back to Jetty Street and it was he and probably his sisters who ran the chocolate shop.

Flecher Convalsecent Home

I worked at the convalescent home for 6 months, (my name was Lansdale then) as so-called 'nursing aide' - more like 'maid of everything' - cleaning baths, polishing old brass taps and scouring equally old claw-footed baths, while waiting to start nursing training in Norwich.
It was a lovely building in a lovely area (although with the war still on, barbed wire barricades were on beaches for fear of invasion). Matron was an old Tartar! - but it was a good introduction to nursing life as in those days the junior on the ward did the cleaning - and the ward sister made sure it was done properly before Matron did her round!

An account of my time at Cromer is included in my book "The Patchwork Years".

Lighthouse keeper

My great grandfatherwas lighthouse keeper at Cromer - Mr Hopkins

Summer Holiday 1958

This is a front view of the Elmhurst Hotel, which stood - or stands? - in Cabbell Road, where my family and I stayed for two weeks in August 1958. I wonder if the building is still a hotel? I took a similar photo, which is in my album for that year. I also have two group photos of all the folk who were staying in the hotel at the same time as my family and I.