The Official Guides to Benfleet Urban District Council (3)

The late 1950s and the 1960s

The late 1950s

Our copy of the next Guide published without an official date but thought to be 1958, is somewhat incomplete as some pages have been removed.   However, the population of the whole District has now risen to 24,970 (mid-1957 estimate).  The Secondary School in Shipwrights Drive is now named King John County Secondary School and an advertisement shows that Glanfield’s Clothing Factory at the corner of the London Road and Kennington Avenue had become Cluett, Peabody & Co Ltd.

 The 1960s

In the Guide published in 1961/2 we see the first plans, by way of an architect’s perspective drawing, of the Benfleet Urban District Council Offices under construction in Kiln Road.

A scheme for the “twinning” of towns.

There is also mention of the scheme for the “twinning” of towns to provide closer links across the Channel.  Benfleet became linked with Romainville, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants situated to the north-east of Paris.   It was anticipated that exchange visits would take place and that closer relations would develop between the towns.   At the new millennium, some exchange visits still take place but the strong relations that were present at first have largely subsided.

The development of the area envisaged by the writers of earlier Forewords was beginning to evolve.   The 1961 Census showed a population of 32,372.

In addition to a fairly detailed “FOR YOUR INFORMATION SECTION”, which gave the principal Officers of the Council, local schools, Health Services information, the Utility Services, Sports facilities and local Societies and Associations, there was a treatise on “Fire Prevention in the Home”.   Doubtless this was an attempt to limit work of the Fire Service, now established in Hadleigh as the small, voluntary unit in South Benfleet had long since been disbanded.

Coat of Arms granted

In 1962 the Council was granted a Coat of Arms from the College of Arms. The shield is divided into three parts symbolising the three parishes which constituted the Urban District.  The blue wavy lines represent the creek and hence South Benfleet, the red division for Thundersley and the green for Hadleigh.

The Motto on Arms Societas Florebit “Fellowship will blossom” or “The association (here referring to the corporate body) will prosper”.

Schools

By 1964 there was a distinct expansion of the school buildings programme which included a new Secondary School in Croft Road in the Main Building Programme over the period 1961/2.

Official Guide - The Urban District of Benfleet - published c. 1958
John Downer
Cluett, Peabody & Co.Ltd, formerly Glanfield's Clothing Factory. Official Guide 1958
Architect's perspective - Official Guide c. 1962
Official Guide - The Urban District of Benfleet - published c. 1964. Note the Coat of Arms on the front cover.
John Downer
Coat of Arms "Fellowship will blossom"
Advertisement in Official Guide c.1964. Searson's Footwear Specialists. Today Jacob Court flats stand on this site.

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