My father Richard (Dick), and mother Doris (Liz) French, moved into one of the cottages in 1947 or 48, with my eldest brother Tony, aged 1 or 2.

My parents both from London, worked in an aircraft factory during the war, and in 1946 moved to cornwall, where they worked in a hotel. They told us that they met a guy in Cornwall called Aubrey, who had a bungalow somewhere around Berney Arms, so this is how they came to be in such a remote place. A second son, Richard (Rik) was born in '48, followed by me in '50. Oh, the boys were called Elvin, Liz's maiden name.

I wish that I had been more interested, when my parents were alive, as I can only vaugely remember the stories we were told of life there, Dick worked at Hartmann, in Great Yarmouth, and used to cycle to work beside the railway lines. We had a well, and no electricity. Liz would take the train into Yarmouth to shop, and did our cooking and baking on a range cooker, how did she manage? Can you imagine, no hot water, or even running water, with three young kids.

During the evening of the 1953 flood, Dick couldn't get home from work, and Liz was trapped in the house not knowing what was happening, no radio or phone, and just oil lamps.

Dick was working shifts at the factory, and after the flood Liz was too frightened of living there. so we moved into Great Yarmouth in 1953.