Just a sojourn on the route of life

22 months on Canvey

I lived on Canvey between September 1980 and June 1982.  My first marital home and where my daughter came home to after her birth in November 1981.  We lived in a one-bedroom bungalow in Beach Road, off the High Street, when Key Market was my local supermarket.

A “Canvey Breakers Association” Sweat Shirt from the time. I remember members used to meet in the Goldmine and later in the Monico. Originaly a ‘Bust Fund’ was set up where members contributed towards new CB equipment if a member was caught

Born and raised in the Southend area, our choice of Canvey dictated by the fact it was the only place to get a nice property at a reasonable price (£11,000).  During the summer of 1981, we were CB radio operators, on the highly illegal AM wavelength and joined the Canvey Breakers Club which met in the King’s Club each Sunday evening.  I have no doubt that, like many there, I sounded far nicer than I looked!

If you knew who to go to (Sparky!) you could get your AM CB tuned to and extra channel 31 dubbed ‘The Home Office Channel’ HOC 31 where you could speak to fellow members. This sweatshirt belonged to CB operator ‘Seagull’

When my daughter was born, a one bedroom bungalow becomes very small indeed, so we moved back to the mainland.  I don’t think I ever became a true resident of Canvey, but I did lose the “mainlander’s” fear and suspicion that it would either be flooded or be blown sky high with a petro-chemical explosion!  And, at last, found out what those mysterious signs saying “Blue Route” and “Red Route” meant!

Comments about this page

  • Hi Sue
    What was your CB handle? I was on air the very same time and lived near you.

    By David Bullock (04/06/2008)
  • Hi David!
    My handle was Souffle, and my then husband was Pen-Pusher. We ran a Cobra in the car and some fearsome machine that had highs and high-highs indoors. We fitted a huge twig onto the bungalow roof, and had what seemed to be a mile of co-ax snaking through the place! I used to go to bed at 8pm and get up at 2am to catch the skip. I often heard the US but could never make contact. I think the furthest I ever got was Rochester. I was also a member of the Westcliff Breakers Club which met at the Cliffs Pavilion. Ah, the memories!

    By Sue B (05/06/2008)
  • I remember Canvey breakers around 1981/82. Used to meet in the Monico one night during the week, can’t remember which though. I used to live in Hadleigh and being higher than Canvey always used to get good contacts in to Kent. Our little group was called the Hadleigh cowboys and used to operate on channel 33, the cowboy channel. Seems like a liftime ago. If only things today could be so innocent. Regards Tony (Mad Max)

    By Tony Cussen (02/05/2010)
  • What about the Young Lords CB Club? That met on a 1 night a week at the Monico (Tuesday I think).

    By Glen (31/07/2010)
  • I went to one of their meeetings but was put off by the title?!

    By David Bullock (01/08/2010)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.