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Thorpe-Le-Soken
Thorpe-Le-Soken photos
Displaying the first of 11 old photos of Thorpe-Le-Soken. View all Thorpe-Le-Soken photos
Thorpe-Le-Soken maps
Historic maps of Thorpe-Le-Soken and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Thorpe-Le-Soken maps
Thorpe-Le-Soken area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Thorpe-Le-Soken and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Thorpe-Le-Soken
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memories of Thorpe-Le-Soken.
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MY LIFE
I was born in Abbey Street, Thorpe le Soken in 1924, the son of Charles and Winifred Day. I had two brothers, Basil {who was two years older} and Eric, my twin brother. I was educated at Rolph School, High Street, Thorpe, I had two headmasters, Mr Bird and Mr Corkett. Two of the highlights of my schooldays were seeing an airship go over and seeing the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VIII) go by on his way to Frinton. During the school holidays I spent many days at Landermere, crabbing, and rabbiting, which was running behind the binder when they were cutting the corn and trying to kill a rabbit with a stick. Whilst at school some of the ways I earned money were selling deadrats' tails {1 penny each}, selling a wart {halfpenny}, peapicking {sixpence for a paper sack full}, blackberring {threepence a basket}, mushrooming {sixpence a basket} and carol singing at Christmas with Alec Cross. I spent four years as a ground gunner in the... Read more
My Childhood at Thorpe
I was about 7 and we lived at Greenhedges, Colchester Road, just before First Green. My twin sister Paula and I decided to climb up to the apex of the house. We sat there without a care in the world. Mum had popped to the shops. We must have been up there for some time because locals had seen Mum and had told her where we were, what a scare for her. We decided to come down. We climbed over a glass conservatory and fell through. We made up a great story. Mum ran all the way home. It must have been a nightmare for her. Thorpe was the best place to grow up when everybody looked after each other. I got married to Gaenor at Thorpe church at age 21. I now live in Australia with my family of four, Nicola, Christopher, William and Ryan. I have paid a visit to Thorpe, September 2009, my sister has moved back to Thorpe in the little mouse cottage near the memorial.... Read more
Essex memories
My Great Uncles House
This photograph looks as though it was taken from the gate way of the house where my great uncle lived and as indeed I did, untill 1949. There were if I remember, four semi detached houses that joined up with the old Post Office going towards Clacton. The view from my uncles house gate looks down towards Pork Lane and it is there that my Great greatgrandfather lived in Plantation Cottages and where he died in 1923. Sadley all the houses and the Post Office have now been demolished not sure when but they were there about mid sixties.
Next door to great uncles house the other way towards Kirby Cross, there was a typical black Essex large shed and a smaller one. The house next to these and the owner of the sheds, I remember to this day, had a large enmal sign advertising "Colman's Mustard" covering what would have been covering no doubt, many holes in his missing tiles!
Happy... Read more
Fondest Memories Of Gt. Oakley 1938 to 1961
That was when I was born along with a bunch of other kids who grew up with me and with whom I played during the WW2 years and eventually went to C of E school together. Mr Porter was a teacher there, he was still watching for enemy aircraft after it was all over and the boys would tell him "not one of ours sir" and off we would go to the air raid shelter yet again and wait and wait but of course nothing happened. Miss Freshwater was another teacher then off we went to High School
after that. Oh yes there was a Miss Brown also who later became Mrs Van Ryswyk.
During the war my Dad served in the Army, I didn't really get to know him until I was 7. My Uncle never came back, he is buried in Italy somewhere. My Grandad Clarke was in the ARP and used to check on Mum and I every night when there were air raids. So we... Read more
Houghbridge Hall-Gt.Oakley
In January 1949, my parents moved into Houghbridge Hall - on the winding country lane mid way between Stones Green and the church at Gt. Oakley.
I remained there until called up for National Service in November 1952, and last saw it on my Christmas leave that year during which we attended Christmas Day service in the church.
Houghbridge Hall was a huge dwelling on about an acre of land, part of which was apple orchard and many outbuildings where we had about a thousand chickens, geese, turkeys and pigs on open range. We had to turn nearly all of our production of eggs over to the Egg Marketing Board. We bred all our own poultry which included Rhode Island Reds, Sussex and White Leghorns. The geese were Emdens.
We were a family of six, so the accomodation was adequate for our needs. All except mother had full time jobs in Colchester too!
My two younger brothers were also called up for National Service in 1953, and the remaining family... Read more
One of The Nicest Places in The World
In 1998 I travelled to a beautiful town in England called Frinton- on-Sea.
A very unique and special place - where everyone is very friendly, clean and helpful.
I would say Frinton is like no other town in England - some of the shops have not changed decor since the 1950's 60's or 70's --- the pawns shops are the best for gifts and notions.
Frinton- on- Sea is a jewel of a town - a little bit of ol' England.
The Start of Good Times.
My first holiday with my future wife and her family. We sat on the sands by the cafe as we didn't know how to hire a beach hut. That was the start of an association with Holland-on-Sea for me that is still going strong. I can't get down as much as I used to, but my daughter has a caravan on Valley Farm now so when my health lets me I do go down with her.
