How I Remember Benfleet

Recollections of Julian Ashbourn

Memories of South Benfleet

I grew up in South Benfleet, my family living at first in South View Road, just past the junction with Cumberland Avenue, moving after some years to Karen Close, not far from the railway station and eventually moving to a new house in Hill Road which, off from the top of Thundersley Park Road, was very far from the station.

I went to school at Bowers Gifford primary school which necessitated quite a walk or two disconnected short bus journeys. Sometimes, I would take one of the bus journeys, which I think branched off at Tarpots Corner, and walk the rest of the way although, when we moved to Karen Close, that was a little too far, and from then on I would take the bus. However, on the return journey, I would often walk from Bowers Gifford school to Pound Lane, off the London Road, where my grandparents lived, and spend an hour or two with them, before continuing the journey. My grandmother always had wonderful tales to tell, over tea and a slice or two of home made cake, of the old days and their life in London. My grandfather, bless him, would always walk back to the bus stop with me and see me safely on the bus. People used to walk much more in those days.

Although I remember the buses quite well, there was a number 2 and number 3 which, if I recall correctly were green ‘Eastern National’ buses and a number 1 which I think turned right at Tarpots Corner and went on towards Southend. This was a blue bus which, if my memory serves, I believe was run by ‘Southend Corporation’. There was a sizeable bus garage in Southend at that time. Of course, all the buses had uniformed conductors, with their mechanical ticket machines and the bus fare was never more than a few pence (before decimalisation).

I remember the lovely variety of shops in the town, from which you could source just about everything needed for day to day living. There were greengrocers, butchers, general stores, and the more unusual such as Vic and Yvonne Barnes shop which I remember very well.

As a very small child, I would sometimes run errands to a little shop which was just around the corner from the bottom of South View Road. I don’t remember the name, but I would often be sent there to get a bag of sugar or, more usually, a packet of Senior Service cigarettes for my father. There was no concern about children buying cigarettes in those days as it would never have occurred to anyone that they might smoke them.

When we moved to Karen Close, I would often pick things up from Sugg’s general store. The Post Office was then in the same building as the Anchor pub and, further along in the High Road, there were more shops. From Karen Close, it was a short walk up School Lane to the top where Station Road branched off to the right and, straight ahead, was a large metal gate which opened onto Benfleet Downs. As a young lad, I would spend many happy hours on the ‘downs’. It was my home from home. From the hill, you could look down upon the railway track and the coal yard. Occasionally, there would be some piece of rolling stock or another in the siding, often a guards van, with an oil lamp hanging from the rear.

I remember the steam trains on that line and how, on arrival at Fenchurch Street, they would make the most extraordinary noises as they hissed and let off steam. The sound, smell and sight of what, to a small child seemed like foreboding black monsters, remain firmly embedded in my memory. They seemed like breathing, living beings to me and I was fascinated by them.

Benfleet station had those lovely slatted wooden fences and uniformed ticket collectors so indicative of the times. In those days, there was also a ‘coal round’ whereby a lorry with sacks of coal on board would call around the local streets, enabling householders to buy what they needed directly from the coal merchant. Indeed, much was delivered to the door, including milk, newspapers and the occasional ‘tally man’ selling odds and ends from a suitcase.

In South View Road, we were also blessed with a ‘fresh eggs’ man who would come around selling eggs from his own chickens. I remember him as quite a character.

At the bottom of Station Road, where it joined the High Street, was another little store, run by a lady whose name temporarily escapes me and, a little further along, opposite the station itself was the Station Garage, run by Ron and Rose Dowding, a couple I came to know very well as I went to school with their son. The garage sold Cleveland petrol, a brand long since forgotten and, in those days, it was customary to have a ‘shot of Red X’ administered from something akin to an oversized oil can, which was a petrol additive supposed to improve combustion and overall performance. Ron Dowding also ran an efficient service operation and people could leave their cars for service while they went off on the train and pick them up on return. Rose Dowding would often help with the business, as well as bringing up their two sons. They were a lovely couple who I will always remember. They lived up in St. Mary’s Road.

The station also sported an open bicycle shed and many would cycle to the station, often in their suits and hats, leaving their bicycle clips on the handlebars. I don’t remember any bicycles being chained up, they were just left in a neat row in the open sided shed.

From the corner where St. Mary’s church met the Anchor Inn, Essex Way wound its way up towards the water tower at the top of the hill. From the top, there was an alternate route into Benfleet via Vicarage Hill, a long and winding road that exited into the High Road a little way from the church. There were some interesting houses along there in those days. The church itself was of course a centre, not only for Sunday worship, but for weddings, christenings and of course funerals. Although not superstitious, I always found the churchyard a little spooky, especially after dark. It was something to do with the tombstones, some of the older ones seeming to me like the dead watching over the living. Perhaps most children felt this way, although I never discussed it with anyone. There were one or two ‘pirates graves’ as we used to call them which, I understand, are still there. So called because of the ‘skull and crossbones’ emblem carved into them. For a brief period, as a child, I sung in the church choir, although I never particularly enjoyed doing so. It all seemed a bit strange to me at the time, perhaps because no-one ever really explained it to me.

From the edge of the church yard, on the High Road side, a little alley cut through to Hall Farm Close and Hall Farm Road which, in turn, lead to a grid-work of roads which included Benfleet Park Road, from which Jotmans Lane branched off. I seem to remember that there was a stone horse trough on that corner, or was it further up on the High Road? In any event, as children, we would often walk down Jotmans Lane and, at the end, there was I think a little bridge where the railway ran across, a cattle grid and, beyond that, open land. Somewhere around there was a delightful pond where one could find all manner of newts and other interesting creatures.

There was a great deal to occupy young minds without resorting to television which, in any case, we didn’t have in our household at that time. We did have a radio and I used to like listening to the Ted Ray show which included a character named Sid Mincing which I warmed to and, as a consequence, picked up the nickname of ‘Sid’.

There was also of course Benfleet creek which plays a large part in my childhood memories. I remember the original bridge and fairly narrow road across and over to Canvey Island. We would sometimes walk along the eastward side of the creek where there were a number of houseboats of various designs. There used to be a converted  ‘torpedo’ boat which always impressed me and quite a few people lived on houseboats at that time. One of them was caught up in a nasty blaze and I remember walking past the burnt out shell. Actually, it made a big impression upon me and I felt a keen sense of personal tragedy, although I had no idea who the previous occupants were. There was something very sad about the charred wreckage of what had no doubt once been somebody’s dream.

Walking in the other direction from the bridge, the creek wound its way along with mudflats and tussocky grass at the boundaries between the water and land. There was a sort of no-mans land, with the railway running off towards London and a band of what was effectively marshland caught between it and the residential area. I liked that place. Perhaps it helped to instil in me a love of moors and wild spaces which remains with me to this day.

The tidal range was quite distinct and, when the tide was in, many people enjoyed boating on the creek. There was the little yacht club and a Sea Scouts hut which were both quite active. The Dowdings had a sailing boat and I was lucky enough to go out with them once or twice. Of course, the tides also presented a few problems, especially for those living on Canvey Island. Apart from the big flood in the early fifties, there always seemed to be a concern around the possibility of flooding. Later on, when I was at secondary school in Westcliff, I had a friend who lived on Canvey Island and I would occasionally cycle over there. It’s curious that, to me at that time, it seemed like a distinctly different locale, albeit separated by nothing but a small creek. Now, with our modern globalisation, such distinctions seem trivial.

The people that I remember in Benfleet were very different……. Neighbours all seemed to know each other…….

It all seems like yesterday, but England was a very different place then. The people that I remember in Benfleet were very different from those that I now rub shoulders with. Neighbours all seemed to know each other and, even as children, they knew our names and who we were. There was a tangible sense of community which is perhaps rarer now. Everything seemed to work, from rubbish collection (the old corrugated metal bins with lids and those lovely dustcarts with the curved, sliding openings on the side – were they made by Dennis?) to the local buses, milk deliveries (from electric milk carts) and so on.

Every car and lorry on the road was made in England and we had a huge choice. On the streets of South Benfleet, one would have found Rileys, Wolseleys, Austins, Morrises, Rovers, Jaguars, Armstrong Siddeleys, Triumphs, Humbers, Hillmans, Daimlers and more besides.

I also remember working traction engines which would often be involved with road works of various kinds, hence the term ‘steam rollers’. They clanked and puffed their way along, rolling the roads to a beautiful flat finish that seems elusive today.

The distinctive Essex Carriers lorries will stay in my memory as will the green and blue buses.

At Bowers Gifford school, for some obscure reason, I particularly remember the radiators and the rooms where we used to hang our coats, upon rows of hooks, in the winter, as well as the long driveway to the school entrance, up and down which I must have walked a thousand times or more. I remember Tarpots Corner and ‘Bread and Cheese’ hill as it then was and, of course, that little corner of the world around the Anchor and St. Mary’s church which acted as a reference point.

A town among many thousands of English towns that further developed in the post war period. But South Benfleet always seemed to have its own character, distinct from Hadleigh, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell,  Westcliff-on-Sea and the much larger Southend.

That little stretch along the side of the Thames Estuary was quite interesting in the 50s and 60s, as it slowly changed and developed. I clearly remember the fishing boats at Leigh, Chalkwell Park as it was and the London Road winding its way through to Southend. No doubt it is all very different now, but the South Benfleet of those times will endure in my memory, as no doubt it will for many others.

There was a time and place
That framed our early days
Though years rush by in haste
Changing many ways

South Benfleet was its name
Down beside the creek
And over time it came
A place for those who seek

A different way of life
With friends from all around
Away from city strife
In the haven there they found

And friendships were what gave
The town its special feel
And that which served to pave
A future true and real

And now the autumn haze
Is gathering around
But we shan’t forget the days
In dear old Benfleet town

19th September 2015


In March 2024 Julian sent the following update describing how much his life has changed since he wrote the preceding article with his memories of Benfleet.

In May 2016 ex Benfleet man Julian Ashbourn was rushed into Charing Cross Hospital in London under flashing blue light after an MRI scan discovered a tumour on his spine. Even after extensive radiation, which caused further problems, the diagnosis was that he might have a month or so to live if he was lucky. He returned home, was then hospitalised again where, in addition to Cancer, Steatosis and Arachnoiditis, they gave him pneumonia and septicaemia. But the laws of chance and probability are inscrutable. Julian, after a brief period at home, was admitted to the Hospice of St Francis. In fact, he was admitted three times to the Hospice. Finally, in 2017 with everyone quite sure that he only had weeks to live, he was admitted to a local care home where he has been ever since. No-one can understand how or why Julian is still alive. But he is and, since being admitted to the care home, he has started composing musical works, so far 73 full length symphonic works which may be found here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/achachak/discography
He has also written several new books, some academic works such as Audio Technology, Music and Media and some more philosophical / social history works such as Masud and The Desert which has recently been praised by an important Ambassador in London. He also records (for free) Jazz bands who come and perform at the well known Berkhamsted Jazz club, making high quality recordings in true stereo sound that they would not obtain anywhere else. Occasionally, he makes an accompanying video.

And so, how has he survived? He still has Cancer, Steatosis, Arachnoiditis, a Hiatus Hernia, Angina, Neuropathy and a few other things, but continues anyway. The answer, of course, lies in having the right psychological attitude and remaining interested in all things. When one becomes seriously ill, friends all walk away and disappear and you are left with a small number of loyal supporters, usually the ones that you would never have expected. So, there is a lesson to be learned here for those who are told, as I was, that they have a few weeks to live. I remain here, 8 years later and will do so for longer. Maybe Benfleetians are a hardy breed. I still have more to write and more people to help, if I can.

 


The two photos below are from the author’s collection of slides taken by his father. Julian is not sure, but thinks they may have been taken on Canvey Island at the time of the 1953 floods.

If anybody can supply information about the photos please let us know by adding a comment at the bottom of this page.

Julian Ashbourn
Julian Ashbourn
Bedford Articulated Unit - Essex Carriers
Bob Barber
The stone horse trough at the junction of Jotmans Lane and the High Road, formerly known as London Road.
Church Corner in the 1950s. Click on the photo to enlarge the image and you will be able to see the Post Office which was within the premises of the Anchor Pub at this time.
Jill Burkett

Comments about this page

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  • The name ‘Hewitson’ certainly rings a bell although I cannot place anyone specifically. Perhaps it was a large family?
    I suspect that many things have changed since that time, but the roads and the majority of the houses are probably still the same.

    By Julian Ashbourn (25/09/2021)
  • Hi, my name is Chris Taylor. My maiden name was Hewitson and I lived in Benfleet Park Road between 1957 and1972.
    I am looking to come back to visit for a few days to look at my old haunts.
    I have loads of questions and would love to find out if anyone remembers me.
    Also I want to enquire about some buildings and if they are still there.
    Thanks

    By Chris Taylor (03/09/2021)
  • Thank you all for your kind comments about my recollections of Benfleet, I am sorry it has taken so long to respond, this has been due to illness. Neil, I would love to hear from you and understand what you and your brother have been doing. You (and others) may contact me via my little website at https://julianashbourn.wordpress.com
    I remember Rushbottom Lane and was probably familiar with the builders yard, but I don’t recall it clearly. I do remember Mr Sweet at the school. I think most of the staff there were quite caring at the time. The name Mr Phillips rings a bell and yes, that shop was tiny, but it had what was needed. And everyone remembers Essex Carriers…
    Its curious how much things have changed, especially attitudes. It seems like a different country now, but we can still share our memories. I wish you all well.

    By Julian Ashbourn (30/08/2021)
  • Hello Julian – Just read about your memories of Benfleet. I am wondering if you remember at all a Builders Yard on Rushbottom Lane in 1947, 1948. We had a huge gate at the bottom of the Yard. I am asking this question because my family lived there. My father was a builder, Walter Rimell, and built the houses that surrounded the area. I remember Clifts Garage. My brother was born in 1948. I went to Pitsea Primary School. If you do remember anything I would love to know what happened with the land we had at “The Yard”, there was a “green area” next to the Yard where there were horses. Thank you for your memories.

    By Joan Rous (30/03/2021)
  • Hi, does anybody remember Benfleet school of motoring or cat disco.
    Regards Hans

    By Hans (07/02/2021)
  • Hi Julian – I’ve just read your memoirs of Benfleet and it stoked a lot of memories for me especially the reference to Karen Close. This is your old neighbour from No 29 – Neil Baker. I remember you albeit 55 + years ago , your sister Maureen and brothers Frank and Justin and of course Aunt Doris and Uncle Doug.

    By Neil Baker (02/01/2021)
  • Hi
    I worked in Tarpots Service Station, my first job after leaving school in 1971, was a petrol pump attendant. The garage owner was Arthur Clift and his son Ronald Clift. Does anyone know any more about the garage which sold Shell petrol and was a Ford retail dealer. It stood at the end of a parade of shops opposite the Tarpots pub. It was demolished many years ago to make way for a new petrol stn which I think may have gone also.
    My friend and I used to call up the telephone box next to the pub when someone was walking by it and rattle off something that was relative to them, we used to have a laugh, not much work done!

    By Dennis Payne (20/04/2020)
  • Hi I grew up in Benfleet born 1950. I lived opposite the little shop around the corner from Southview Road. The chap that had it when I used to be sent to get shopping for my Mum was called Mr. Phillips and as I recall it was tiny inside but sold a variety of goods. Also the Southend Corporation bus used to turn right from Southend at Kenneth Road.

    By Polly Yorke (07/01/2020)
  • I enjoyed reading this very much with interest as I, as a baby, lived on one of those houseboats in Church Creek with my parents and elder brothers John, Ken and Brian Cripps. Then moved to Tarpots when I was about a year old, the burnt out boat that you spoke of was a tragic thing to have happened, I heard there were babies that died on it.
    I also went to Bowers Gifford school in 1961 to ’64. I remember Mr Sweet, the Head, he was very good to me, as was his daughter, I think her name was Margaret, when my mother died in 1964. At that time we had a cafe next to the Esso garage, Mac’s Cafe opposite Max Motors.

    By Dulecia king (17/11/2019)
  • I enjoyed reading Julian’s memories of the Benfleet area. Having been a long time resident of Thundersley (Borrowdale Road) until November last year, I can relate to much of what he says. I also worked at Atlas Express, Rushbottom Lane, that had previously been the Essex Carriers he mentions. One thing that as a youngster always puzzled me was the location at Tarpots of Max Marine, who as the name suggests sold boats. In the days of my youth, transport being what it was and roads the way they were, different towns/villages seemed so much further away than they do today. For this reason I could not understand why anyone living so far away from the sea would want to buy a boat. Childhood logic ? I was originally raised in Laindon and moved to Thundersley when Laindon was destroyed to facilitate the construction of Basildon as I wanted to live somewhere “nice”. So I upped sticks and moved to another “far distant”, semi rural area to retain the type of community spirit that I had grown up with. Unfortunately, as with all things related to “progress” this comfortable way of life has now been eradicated and so, at the end of last year, I moved again, this time to North Essex. I know I will miss Benfleet as I spent many enjoyable years there. 

    By Don Joy (30/10/2015)
  • Going by the tv aerials and firemens uniform I would have a guessed the heavy rainfall floods of late summer of 1968, May be Pound lane area ?

    By Pete Robbins (22/09/2015)

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