At this point I would like to thank my friends of nearly 60 years Harry and Val Court for jogging my memory on a lot of things that I had forgotten.
I have now come to the end of my memories of Canvey in the Fifties as a single man, my last ten years on the Island was spent working hard and establishing a home for my wife and kids so my errant roving days were over and at the age of 26 I became a responsible adult.
I thank all of those that had the patience and fortitude to read all of them, and I hope you had as much of a good time reading them and remembering some of the things that I have mentioned because I have had a wonderful time writing them.
Some people reading them might deduce that the youngsters of the fifties were a bunch of hooligans but nothing could be further from the truth, we may have upset some of the older residents with our outlandish behavior and dress sense and our flamboyant attitude but in all of us there was no malice, vindictiveness or vandalism.
Our only aim was to have a good time and enjoy ourselves, there were very few fights with any of the mainland and London boys that came to Canvey for a holiday because we all had the same goal, duck hunting, getting your leg over a good pissup and a good feed.
I myself cannot recall any of the Canvey girls being nasty or anti-social they were all nice and they looked forward to the summer months as much as us boys for the many new lads that would come down to Canvey on holiday.
If anywhere in these memories you find an inaccuracy I would be glad if you let me know, as ones memory is not infallible
P.S. I might add a few articles of my time at Regent and about driving trucks in the 50s we will see how it goes
Some people say that you cannot live on memories but you can have a bloody good time recalling them.
Eddie
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- Wednesday, 14. Jan, 2009 @ 11:50:15 pm

Thanks Eddie
My mum and dad moved from Forest Gate to Canvey just two weeks before the start of WWII and, like you, some of the best memories are of growing up on the 'Wonderful Island'. I was three years old at the start of the war and left in 1958, when I was twenty-two, to get married. Mum and dad lived there for another thirty plus years.
Your 'Life on Canvey from 1948 to 1970' has allowed me to relive so many happy happy times.
Thanks again and best wishes.
Peter Etherington