My Life

A Memory of Thorpe-le-Soken.

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 RAF during the Second World War, and served in South Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and Italy. In 1947 I married Miss Jean Grimsey from Little Clacton, and we had one son, Colin, born in 1948. During my life I had four jobs, working with my father who was the local carrier, conductor and driver on the local buses, business agent {selling shops} and finishing up as a roster clerk on the railway. During my life I have lived at Thorpe le Soken, Little Clacton, Colchester, and Clacton on sea. When I was a boy Thorpe was a small village, now it's like a small town. I have had a very happy life, and I consider myself to be a very fortunate man.
Alec Day. Year 2010.

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