I loved your photos and as I am researching my family tree I wondered if you knew the Girling family, who lived in Chamberlain Avenue in the 1950's he was my Dad's uncle. Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

Hello Margaret. The name's not familiar to me but I will ask my mum and aunt who are more likely to have known their neighbours in Chamberlain Avenue as they were there in the fifties and during the flood when everyone in the bungalows in the road had to haul themselves up into their lofts.

Hi In reply to Margaret Speller's inquiry re the Girling family, I remember Mr Girling who lived in a bungalow on the corner of Rainbow Rd and Chamberlain Ave. He was a prominent Conservative councillor on the old Canvey Island Urban District Council( a contemporary but not fellow party member of George Pickett, above). Also on the Archive site there is mention of a P.C Girling in the story of the mysterious death of a gent called Yetton at the Union Jack Caravan(search box will find it.) When this post appeared I commented if there was any connection with the C.I.U.D.C councillor or was it even the same person, he had the bearing of an ex-copper. ,

Thanks to Annette and Graham for your comments which I found very interesting, I never met Uncle Sam but did meet his brother, Uncle George who was a policeman in Epping and when he retired became a baliff my Gran who lived in Surrey used to visit them nearly every year, they all came originally from Norfolk. I seem to remember that Sam had a daughter, so looking for Girling was a blank. I had read about Yetton on this site, but shall delve a bit more on the councillor road. Thank you. Margaret Speller, 8/3/2012

I'm looking for any information on a couple who lived at 8 Chamberlain Avenue called Bialkowski. He was Polish and was called Kascek(pronounced Cashek) or may have adopted an English name. She was Maureen and was English. I'm not sure when they moved in but I know Kascek died in 1984 and was living there at that time. ANY information would be gratefully received. Also Maureen died about 10 years later in Yarmouth and it appears someone living at 10 Chamberlain Avenue owned a guest house there. Big coincidence but again ANY information please. Many thanks!!