Tag Archives: Jean Levey

Carnivals after WWII 1940s

Peace Celebrations were held in 1946, with harbour sports.

Carnival sports, 1946 programme

Carnival sports, 1946 programme

1948 seems to have been the first full carnival after the end of WWII and demob.

Yarmouth Common Carnival time

Yarmouth Common Carnival time. Fancy Hat Competition led by Ted Lawry

Billy Doe crowns Carnival Queen
Billy Doe crowns Carnival Queen : photo Sue Russell

Raich Doe front left, Bob Cook, and contributors Serena Hunt, Susan Hayles in Brownie uniform, Effie Pitman behind Sue, Derek Pomroy with cub Peter Stallard

In 1949 a Carnival Queen was chosen by votes at the ‘Con Club’ from a bevy of local beauties .

Carnival line-up 1949, at 'Con Club' to choose Carnival Queen

Carnival line-up 1949, at ‘Con Club’ to choose Carnival Queen : photo Pat Burt

From left: Jean Levey, Ella Jackman, Pam Henderson (chosen to be Queen), Mrs Eames, Barbara Holloway, Annette Holloway, Pat Adams, (chosen as attendant) Jessie Attrill, with Newt Kelsey judging or looking on.

Pam Henderson is crowned carnival Queen in 1949, at first carnival after WWII

Pam Henderson is crowned carnival Queen in 1949, at first full  carnival after WWII

At the crowning ceremony are: from left, Robert May, Heather Harris (married Raich Doe), Pat Adams (married Mick Burt), Pam Henderson, Carnival Queen, Miss New Zealand, and Mr J. Flanders who officiated.

The boy peeping between is John Orchard, staying with his Uncle who had a taxi.

Miss New Zealand was persuaded by Mrs Hans Hamilton to put in an appearance, and seemed to enjoy the parade.

Yarmouth Carnival 1948 Miss New Zealand

Yarmouth Carnival 1949 Miss New Zealand joins the parade

 

Jean Maitland, Joy Lawry: WWII 1940s

Coastguard cottages 2013

Pump outside Coastguard Cottages 2013

George Warder was bending down filling his kettle from the pump in Coastguard Cottages pathway at 7 a.m. one morning when a German plane went over and shot him in his backside, much to the amusement of his friends. Luckily he wasn’t badly hurt.  It wasn’t so funny when planes went down off the pier. Jean Maitland nee Levey b1928

Most nights were disturbed by bombers on their way to bomb the cities, though we had some stray bombs around here, the Convoys being the attraction.  Our local milkman, survived a machine gun bullet from a passing German plane. The night Cowes was heavily bombed, a house at Bouldnor was hit and an elderly lady killed. Joy Lawry

Jean Maitland: Harbour breakwater construction, 1930s

Piling crew who rebuilt the pier and harbour

Piling crew who rebuilt the pier and harbour in 1930s: photo Jean Maitland

Bob Cook’s grandfather, Bob Buckett, and Jack Payne, Fred Wadham and my Dad, Bill Levey, they put in all the piles for the harbour breakwater by hand. You wouldn’t have had a pier or breakwater if it wasn’t for them. You can see their piling rig in the photo, the crab winch in the background was part of it. See the length of pipe in his hand?
They would push it on the winch brake handle so you could hold the brake on – the handles on them were never long enough. Winching that weight up time and time again, to knock the piles in, that was hard work wasn’t it eh? The times they went in the tide under the pier when they were rebuilding it! Look at the clothes they wore in those days, didn’t have overalls and if it rained they got wet. My Dad fell in, sea boots and all. Good job he was a good swimmer.

I can always remember how the old men used to get down the Spit and Lean on the Quay,  spinning yarns.  You know how these old boys like to yarn.
Jean Maitland nee Levey

Jean Maitland, Phil Kelsey: Allotments 1930s

When we were living down the Square my Dad had an allotment up “Pigs Alley”
OOH I mustn’t say “Pigs Alley” because people these days get cross. “Pigs Alley” is the lane behind Victoria Road, that people now call Garage Alley. Yes, its proper name always was “Pigs Alley” because pigs were kept up there, but that was before my time. Jean Maitland nee Levey b 1928

Of course all that was allotments right through there.  Before the war they were all well cultivated too.  I remember like on a Good Friday there would be everybody up there if the weather was right, digging away. When they built the council houses there was a bit left where the flats are now. Dad had that until I took it over after him until they built the council houses.  Phil Kelsey b 1920