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I am very old. My
name is Tom and I have always lived in Prittlewell. I don’t go out much
these days because it is too dangerous with all the carriages rushing
about. I thought you would like to know what it was like in Prittlewell
when I was a young lad.
In those days
Southend wasn’t even built – there were a few wooden cottages down by
the sea shore where fishermen lived. And then they built a very
nice row of houses along the top of the cliffs and they say that Royalty
used to come from London to stay there so that they could bathe in the
sea. Just opposite these houses that they called Royal Terrace there
was a tavern and a few shops and later they built a garage for
motor coaches that went from there to London twice a week. I never saw
any of the Royal people, but I used to help push the bathing machines
down to the waters edge. (bathing machines were like your modern beach
huts on wheels). The gentlemen and ladies who wanted to swim could
change in the bathing machines and then step straight down into the
water. Quite often the water was very cold but my uncle Harry had
a hut on the sea shore under the cliffs (near the pier) where he had some tin
baths filled with warmed sea water. You could have a nice warm sea
water bath there for two pennies a go! I often wondered how often
he changed the bath water.
For many years there
was no direct road from Prittlewell to the sea shore. About once a week
we went to buy fish for the family. We walked along East Street and down
Sutton Road and this led to some fishermen’s sheds near where there now seems
to be a fun fair. We would buy fish and sometimes oysters from Old
Matthew who had an oyster farm there. There was a butchers shop
there too and often we used to get a pie to eat on the way home.
In later years when I
worked as an apprentice on the Manor farm they built a new road into the
new town at the south end of Prittlewell and twice a week a motor coach ( we called it
a charabanc ) used to start at the sea front at the top of the hill and
the first stop was at the tavern opposite the church, and then off to
London.
When the new road was
open lots of people came to visit the village, especially on the days
that the summer fair was on. There were about seven taverns in the
village where people could get some food and ale. But those that didn’t
like ale could get a nice cup of tea in the back parlour of the shop
that stood in the corner of the church yard. The shop isn’t there any
more, just a big old notice board.
On the days of the
fair everyone in the village helped to get things ready. My job was to
help the water man fill a big tank on a cart with water from the village
pump at the bottom of the hill near the Priory. We then had to help the
horse pull the heavy load up the hill because it was too heavy for the
poor old horse to manage by himself. We sold the water for a ha’penny a
bucket all round the village.
When I was too old to
work on the farm I moved into a cottage nearer the church and I am very
comfortable here. The only thing I didn’t like in the early days was
being suddenly wakened by the church bells ringing at 5-o-clock in the
morning. The Vicar didn’t like the bells ringing so early either and he
soon put a stop to it.
From my favourite
place on top of the church tower I can see all round the countryside and
I can see all that goes on in Prittlewell – the buildings that have
been knocked down and the new ones that have been built. But considering
all the years that have passed, the village looks very much like it did
when I was a lad. The taverns are still there opposite the church. The
bank and the bread shop on the corner have gone but there is a shop
there now that has its windows full of pictures.
In my younger days
the church yard was crowded with people when the fair was on with all
sorts of games to play and things to buy from all the colourful stalls.
Everyone enjoyed themselves. I hope you enjoyed yourself at this year's
Fete just as I used to.
_____________________________
Profits from this year's Summer Fete will be used for Church funds
and to assist
the work of the Southend Homeless Action Resource Project (HARP)
and the Church Mission Society.
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