Swimming In Vange Creek

A Memory of Vange Creek.

In the Fifties, my brothers and I used to swim in the 'side pools' that lie just behind the sea wall. We used to go down the access road at Vange Corner across the railway line to Johnson's Wood yard, past the woodyard and onto the marshes. There were a number of pools there - all of them had at least a foot of black mud on the bottom, which were also used by the cows (for a variety of purposes). They were stagnant and probably full of cow dung, but it didn't seem to do us any harm. Nobody ever swam in the creek, it was just too muddy. At one time there was also a primitive concrete swimming pool which was filled from the creek. I dimly remember a shop that used to sell teas and ices there.