My life on Canvey 1948 to 1970 by Eddie Terry
CANVEY AS I REMEMBER IT - EPISODE Five

"Essex Way also brings back memories as many a time I used to park my black Ford V8 Pilot at night at the top lay-by near the water tower (just to admire the twinkling lights across Canvey you understand) with my girl friend until our dreams were disturbed by a knock on the steamed up window and a melodious policeman's voice saying 'Hello Hello Hello? what have we here then', which meant winding down the window one inch and explain to the very nice gentleman that you were just passing the time and listening to Radio Luxembourg, needless to say a grin used to spread across his face and he would depart, this was before the era of random breath tests because I am sure many a time I would have had to blow into the bag."

Essex Way & the Water Tower - Photo thanks to Roberta Donnan

"Whilst on the subject of trains I think belated thanks is due to the old L.M.S. Railway on the design of the carriages and the very advantageous positioning of the railway stations, this I will explain. The carriages were divided into separate compartments of 12 with a door handle that could be held shut from the inside by putting your shoe against the handle thus denying access to everyone, and a light bulb that could easily be removed with a twist. With regards the stations it was a couple of minutes travel between Southend and Westcliffe and the same between the stations up to Leigh but between Leigh and Benfleet was a superb 8 to 10 minutes or so it seemed and by restricting passengers to the compartment by pushing your foot hard onto the inner handle and removing the bulb as the train pulled out of Leigh you had all this time to do your own thing, hopefully with the female of the species (i.e. read the Evening Standard, play dominoes, snakes and ladders, discuss the state of the economy or PARTAKE IN BIOLOGY LESSONS) and by raising your head you knew that when you saw the lights of Canvey Bridge and the Bus Terminal and Cafe you had one more minute to straighten your tie???? And get ready to disembark, Of course now with the modern trains all one compartment, brilliant lighting and very fast, this type of pleasure is denied to the new younger generation so progress does have it's drawbacks."

Wintergardens Path with a train travelling from Southend

"My family and I emigrated to Australia in 1970 and we have been back a couple of times since but the old Canvey has gone, most of the landmarks have disappeared and there seems to be no individuals that would hold a candle to the characters that dominated Canvey during the late forties and fifties.
When I last came back for a holiday I was saddened by the number of landmarks that had been pulled down or altered in the name of progress. Lakeside Path which, in my early days, used to meander through fields and unmade roads is there now in name only being dissected by new housing estates and bypass roads. It was quite a lonely walk at one o’clock in the morning after missing the last bus home and a great relief to emerge at Lakeside Corner into civilization. This concrete strip just wide enough for two people to walk side by side was used by countless people to walk to the station or just meander along to Benfleet Downs with not a care in the world. Landmarks such as this should have been preserved as it is part of Canvey’s history but greed and money to be made by developers overrides history"