SUSAN KING takes a look at memories of old Witham in a new book by two local authors

Train rides to Maldon on the Crab and Winkle Line, courting days at the Nicky Nocks and swimming in the 'Pea Hole' pool - Witham memories of life more than 50 years ago were recalled this week in a new book, Witham Voices.

Packed with memories and memorabilia from the first half of the century, the book recalls a time when land was farmed just yards from Newland Street, when the town centre was lit by gas lamps and The Avenue was a quiet grove packed with lime trees.

The book is the work of two local writers, Mary Flynn and Diane Watson, who have spent the past year interviewing Witham people - many in their 80s and 90s - about their memories.

Both women are deeply interested in social history and enjoyed the opportunity to listen to and record the voices of the past.

For Diane, especially, it was a journey back to her roots. Her grandfather George Smith was a prolific Non-conformist preacher during the first half of the last century and a leading member of the Peculiar People's chapel in Guithavon Valley.

Her parents, Ub and Beatrice Smith, who married in the town, are featured in the book.

For Mary too, the book was a chance to tap into her past experiences. As a former Essex Chronicle correspondent in the town, who also worked as secretary to the town clerk for a time, she was able to use her many contacts to begin setting up interviews.

Diane describes the year-long project: "All we had was a dictaphone and plenty of notebooks. We got through a lot of shoe leather and drank a lot of tea and coffee."

Contacts came through word of mouth, she said.

"We gradually got led from one person to another and made some real discoveries, talking to people who'd never shared their memories before."

Among them were Albert Poulter, now in his 90s. He remembered an act of genteel "kindness" from the start of the century:

"I remember Miss Hunt: every Easter she would open her doors to the local children. She had a very big table on which were spread all the greetings cards she had received in the past.

"MissHunt would allow us to choose one of her old cards as her Easter gift to us."

Percy Adams, in his late 80s, recalled: "The six weeks of the schools summer holidays - well, that was for pea picking and potato picking. I set off with my mother at the break of dawn; we probably had to go to four or five farms before we could get any work."

The earliest memories in the book go back to well before the Great War, although people's memories of their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents gives a picture of life in Witham in the days of Victoria.

Dennis Johnson, born in Church Street in 1921, remembered: "My father was one of 22 children ... the house wasn't big enough for everybody and some of the children had to be boarded out to local families. My father went to the family who ran the cricketers at Goldhanger and they unofficially raised him."

Mary said that many topics were raised again and again. "Everyone wanted to talk about school days. Crittalls too, as the largest employer in the town, was mentioned a lot.

"The cattle market, where the labour Party hall now stands, came up a lot, as did the railway station and the gasworks.

"These are things that have gone forever, but they live on in people's memories."

Places like the Nicky Nocks - no-one seems to know how it got its name, although many courted there - the Whitehall Cinema and the Cockies meadows, between Bridge Street and Maldon Road, remain strong in popular memory.

Shops too are remembered with affection: Housego's in Guithavon Road, Sammy page's second hand shop and Mr Mottashed the herbalist.

Mary said: "It was fascinating collecting all the memories, we really were conscious of listening to the voice of the past. These are times, places and people, that live now only in people's memories."

Mary Flynn and Diane Watson will be signing copies of their book at the Highway Bookshop, Witham, on April 8 from 11am.

Witham Voices by Mary Flynn and Diane Watson is published by Tempus priced £9.99 and is available in local bookshops.

Local authors: Mary Flynn and Diane Watson have talked to many elderly Witham people to get their memories of the town in the early part of the century.

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