20 Beverley Avenue and 6 Montague Place

20 Beverley Avenue

Here’s how Freda and Wallace came to live on Canvey Island.

In 1949/50 Freda’s family were living in Edmonton when her Mum became ill and came to Canvey to recover. Freda and her dad visited and at the end of an Easter weekend break somehow it had been decided the family would move to Canvey by exchanging houses with the lady with whom they’d be staying. This new home was a chalet style bungalow at 20 Beverley Avenue, pictured left and in the first 2 photos below, where they lived until 1953. Their home wasn’t too badly affected by the flood with just a foot of water inside, probably not more because the dyke at the end of the garden took some of the surplus water. At the time of the flood Freda’s family had to go out their back garden into Mayland Avenue where the water wasn’t so deep. They took a bus to the station and Freda’s mum, dad and her brother Cliff went to stay with an aunt while Freda and her sister Violet stayed with a sister in Edmonton for 2 weeks.

At the end of 1953 they moved to Margate because her dad had been offered a job there. He worked for Klingers in Edmonton as a stocking knitter. He was in charge of the overseeing and maintenance of 10 -12 knitting machines. Freda and her sister Violet also worked there. Violet was a stocking linker, which meant she sewed the toe seams and Freda was a stocking examiner to check for faults. The factory wanted to expand and that’s how Freda’s dad was offered a job in Margate with a lovely brand new council house for them to live in.

In the meantime Freda had met Wallace. They married in Margate and moved back to Canvey in 1956. They lived at the Furtherwick Park guesthouse for 6-8 months and then moved to a tiny bungalow in Marcos Road for two years. In 1959 they moved back in with Wallace’s parents because Freda was ill. While they were there Wallace managed to get a mortgage  to build their own bungalow in Montague Place off Deepwater Road where they spent 10 years. Two other couples also did the same, they were Eileen and John and Joan and Derek. As can be seen form the photos their plots have fine views across the fields towards the river. In the distance can be seen the storage tanks at Hole Haven.

Following that they moved to ‘Outspann’ off Hellendorn Road where Freda still lives. They originally bought the bungalow in 1970 and Wallace spent time altering it to suit themselves and bring it up to date before they moved in in 1971. He put plumbing and heating in and made new window frames, 2 of which are still in place. Freda remembers  they also had 2 carpets from the Canadian flood relief fund.

20 Beverley Avenue. Freda with Tiny the Pomeranian.

Freda Feber

20 Beverley Avenue. Freda is wearing the spotted dress.

Freda Feber

Plot off Deepwater Road.

Freda Feber

X marks the spot. Freda's bungalow seen from Eileen's garden.

Freda Feber

Eileen and John with Russell, Avril and Julia.

Freda Feber