The Snow Goose

This post is slightly off-topic, but I believe that the proximity of the subject is close enough to Walton-on-the-Naze to make it acceptable here. I hope you agree.

The movie “The Snow Goose” starring Richard Harris and Jenny Agutter was filmed at the end of Island Lane in Kirby-le-Soken in the late 1960s or early 70s. The film was released in 1971.

I remember a rickety structure being built on top of the wartime pill-box at the end of the lane.  For the film makers, this was the abandoned lighthouse home of Philip Rhayader played by Richard Harris.

If you’ve not seen the film you can view it in several parts on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PXmbcbpKM but I do suggest that if you are as emotional as me you have a box of tissues handy. Look out for the scenes showing views of the lane and river

I would also suggest that before viewing the film you read the short book by Paul Gallico on which the film is based. It can be read as a pdf at http://vidyaonline.net/dl/snowgoose.pdf

Wreck of the ‘Martha’

As a child I remember playing on the wreck of the hull of a barge which was embedded in the sand opposite the Bath House Hotel.

It wasn’t until an old school friend, Andrew Evans, showed me these photographs of the wreck taken by his father in the 1950s that it came back to mind. Andrew had also done some research and told me that it was the remains of the ‘Martha’ which had been driven ashore in January 1941.

          

There is a descriptive account of the rescue of three bargemen by the Walton lifeboat on page 156 of “Walton & Frinton Lifeboat – A Station History” by John Steer.

The rescue resulted in both the Lifeboat Coxswain, Thomas ‘Puggy’ Bloom, and the Mechanic, Claude Brooke, being awarded bronze medals by the RNLI.

This photograph of the lifeboat crew was taken shortly after the rescue. Note the wartime barbed wire and the sandbags at the right hand side of the photo

Defence of the Realm

I was recently asked to restore this WWII poster which had been found in an attic in Walton and the owner kindly agreed that I could share it here.

Fortunately the invasion did not happen, but the instructions make very interesting reading

Do you know these twins?

I have been sent an interesting photo from Spain.

Yvonne Krajewska, formerly a well-known Walton lass when she was Yvonne Wilson, sent two photos taken by Putmans at her parents’ wedding.

John Wilson and Jill Perry were married at All Saints Church on 3rd May 1952.

 

 

 

 

The groom was better known in Walton as Jack or Tug Wilson and the picture below is how most of you will remember him.

 

 

 

The question which Yvonne poses is

‘Who are the pageboy twins?’

Columbine Statue

Michael Turner and his wife Jean are spearheading a fund to commission a statue of Walton’s only recipient of the Victoria Cross.

As a 24-year-old Private serving with the 9th Squadron Machine Gun Corps during the 1914-18 war, Herbert Columbine was in action at Hervilly Wood in France as the Germans made their last-ditch offensives in the Spring of 1918. On 22nd March, Columbine took over the command of a gun and held back the enemy by firing from 9.00a.m. until 1.00p.m. The gun was in an isolated position with no wire in front to hamper the enemy’s advance but wave after wave of German soldiers failed to reach him. Eventually with the help of a low flying aircraft the enemy managed to close in on him. At this point Columbine told his two remaining colleagues to get away to safety. He continued to fire his gun regardless of being bombed on either side of his position.

Eventually a direct hit by a bomb dropped from an aeroplane obliterated him and his gun

It is proposed to erect the statue in the Marine Gardens where the original bronze bust of Columbine used to stand. It was his mother’s request that the bust should look out to sea.

This is my impression of what it may look like. This is a photo montage using a photograph of the actual maquette (a small version of the finished item) which the sculptor has already produced.

 

 

 

If you would like to know more about this project or can offer any funding please contact Michael Turner on 01255 677088 or at columbinefund@hotmail.co.uk

 

All Saints Church Tower

For several months now the tower of All Saints Church has been festooned with scaffolding while builders are repointing the brickwork.

Today’s health and safety regulations are rather different from when the tower was built in 1895/6. Compare the two photographs.

Scaffolding in the days of yore comprised wooden poles tied together with rope and all accessed by wooden ladders. To my knowledge no accidents were reported during the erection of the tower.

Christmas Card from Walton Hall

  This card was hand-made and hand-drawn by Barton Wright who it appears was living at Walton Hall some time before WWII

Being an aerial view, does it suggest that Barton had flown over the Naze or did he just have a good imagination?

I know nothing about the Wright family and would be interested to hear from anyone who can add to this story.