My memories

I was born in Rochford, my Father was Wallis Roughton

Does anyone know what happened to the clock which was originally in Market Square, West Street, Rochford and then stored in the barn with the railway?

I also remember Johnny and Mrs Cater.

He had a working model of the locomotive Evening Star which I believe was 10" gauge, which he could power up by compressed air.

One of the barns in his yard at Purdys had the original Rochford Town Clock mounted on it.

He also had a pet fox in a large pen.

He achieved his project of laying a circular track round Purdys to run Evening Star round under steam pulling passenger coaches.

Mrs Cater was a keen coin collector. They were both very kind to me as a lad back in the 1960's

I saw Mt Cater on one occasion following his move to Fambridge, he hoped to relay some track there.

I believe the locomotive may have passed into the ownershjp of Mr Bairstow, the Estate Agent, and for a time was stored under cover at the Southend Aircraft Museum

John Cater (known as Jonny) was my dad's boss at the farm, they kept all types of fowl and rabbits, most of what they grew there were market garden crops. John used to be a keen naturalist and also a model railway enthusiast. I believe he moved to North Fambridge when the farm was sold.

My Aunt and Uncle, John & Phyliss Cater lived in Purdeys farmhouse. I remember being shown an entrance to a tunnel which was accessible by a trapdoor under the floorboards and was believed to have been used by smugglers to to river Roach. Sadly it was not passable.

In 1923, my mother's sister, Rosaline Chittock, died of diphtheria in the Isolation Hospital, sited on what is now, Purdeys Industrial Estate.

Where was that hospital sited?  At that time, Purdeys was in the district of Eastwood.

I returned to Rochford in 1971 to work with The James Abbot Partnership (formerly Offin and Rumsey) as an auctioneers clerk. My brother Stephen, worked for Rankins, on their pig farm at Stambridge.