Surname
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Roberts
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Forename
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Bill
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Date of recording
|
November 2010
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Year of birth
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1925
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Place of Birth
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Ripon, Yorks
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Occupation
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Area engineer
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Fathers occupation
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Present Address
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Aldeburgh
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Location Interview
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Aldeburgh
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Interviewer
Summary |
Richard Marson
|
Duration
|
55 mins
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No of tracks: 6
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Track 1 (10 mins)
Interview by Richard Marson interviewing Bill Roberts at 26 Linden Close, Aldeburgh on 25th November, 2010. Mr. Roberts starts off by saying that he was born in 1925 in Ripon. He went to Grammar School and thought he would like to apply to the Police Force but instead he received a letter from the Chief Engineer of the River Hull Catchment Board in Beverley and became a Junior Engineer doing surveys and technical drawing. This was how he became involved in river work. The war came and he joined the Royal Engineers responsible for mine clearance and bomb disposal. He was demobbed in 1946 in Salonica. Mentions that Hugo Herbert Jones was also in Salonica at the same time, but they did not know this until they both became Church Wardens in Aldeburgh. He went back to his old job in Beverley but found the job boring and he had no money to spend. He applied for other jobs and attended an interview with the Chief Engineer at the East Suffolk Catchment Board in Ipswich. He was 23 years old. This Board covered two areas, South and North and he was allocated the North area which covered the river Alde to the river Waveney. He was based in Ipswich. In 1949 the Area Engineer resigned and Bill was offered the post which he gratefully accepted. He moved to Aldeburgh with his wife and rented a flat from Roy Watson, who owned a garage in Victoria Road, and paid 30/- a week. Mentions that he had met his wife whilst stationed in Warminster during the war. He was responsible for all the coast and rivers in his area, although he did mention that Aldeburgh Town Council were responsible for the building of the sea wall on Crag Path just before the 1953 floods. Before that there were a few groins and the shingle came right up to Crag Path. Track 2 (10 mins) The groins from the Brudenell south past the Martello Tower were put in about this time. His department were responsible for moving the sea defences, the large concrete blocks that were left, off the beach and onto Slaughden Road. Mentions that just before the floods a seal wall for south of the Brudenell had been planned and 100 tons of steel piles had been delivered and were stored on Moot Green, but the flood came and buried these under shingle. They had to salvage them as they were needed urgently at Kessingland. Pointed out that these had to be ordered at least six months in advance. Mentions that the Board amalgamated with the East Norfolk Catchment Board and became known as the East Suffolk and Norfolk Catchment Board, the head office being in Norwich. He still remained Area Engineer for his area. He had 80 workmen and one foreman and no assistant. Mentions that he had a car – a Au 1932 Austin 7. Describes how the day before the 1953 floods, he and his wife went to Ipswich for dinner with friends and arrived back in Aldeburgh about 10.00 at night. It was very windy and ‘blowing a gale’. He then lived in a ground floor flat opposite where the library now is and usually parked his car in garages behind where the library now is. This evening, however, he was unable to do this as there were loads of fallen branches in front of the garages. He went to bed and was awoken at 2.00 a.m. by Ted White, the sluice keeper who lived at Halfway Cottage, between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness. Ted said that there was ‘water all over place’ Track 3(10 mins) He looked north and the marshes were flooded. Describes how he went down to his office which was above Reades Garage opposite the Cross Keys and started ringing round all the formen to see what the damage was. Mentions that he virtually stayed in his office for the next two weeks, sleeping on a camp bed. A Chief Engineer was appointed in Ipswich and Bill had to order everything needed from him. He needed 20 bulldozers, which were not immediately forthcoming so he chased the Chief Engineer who promised to sort it out. Eventually 20 bulldozers arrived on low loaders and were taken down to the Slaughden end. These were needed to reinforce the shingle towards Orford Ness. Mentions that the next day 20 more bull dozers arrived and the town Sergeant, Mr. Bird, was very angry. These were eventually removed elsewhere. Then describes that flood was caused by two high tides and a surge, and the river wall was breached. Every tide the water came over the breach in the wall and unfortunately one man drowned. They eventually managed to build a minor clay wall around the lower end of the town, working all night under floodlights. This did work and after the main river wall was repaired this wall was knocked down. The flooding in the town was from the sea. The lower end of the town by the roundabout was flooded from the river. Mentions that the railway embankment helped stop the flow of water. Mentions that the army came to help. Track 4 (10 mins) Continues to say that it took about three weeks before work on the breach began. Mentions that he was also responsible for Southwold, Blythburgh and Minsmere and there was a lot of work to be done. Eventually two more engineers came to help, Tom Burn from the Mersey Catchment Board and David Hollingworth from the Severn River Board. Mentions Doris Hardy from the WVS who kept them going with tins of malted milk and biscuits. He then showed Richard a report from the Borough Surveyor which gave an insight into the workings of the Town Council. Describes how it was at least a month before the pressure eased and things got a little better. Talked about recompense for the hours he was working and received a payment which was classed as expenses so not tax was paid on it. His weekly wage was £29.50. Mentions that in the September of that year a new accountant was employed who said that the payment could not be classed as expenses and everyone then had to pay tax on their payments. Describes that W C French came to repair the Aldeburgh wall and John Laing went up to Southwold to help with their repairs. Track 5 (10 mins) Describes how things got reasonably back to normal in 3-4 weeks. Talked about the building of the sea wall by W C French. There were two walls the first being from Brudenell corner to just past the river wall. This was a sloping wall. The next wall was from there to just past the Martello Tower. This was in 1953. He then mentions that there was some reorganisation in the company and it became known as East Suffolk and Norwich River Authority and this covered fisheries and pollution. It then became Anglian Water also responsible for sewage and sea defences. The head office was in Norwich. Describes how he had an option to take early retirement and East Anglian were offering a very good package. He put in for it but was refused as East asked him to become Area Manager for Suffolk based in Ipswich. He held this post from 1978 to 1985 when he retired. He was then asked by John Hutchinson to consider becoming a church warden and Aldeburgh. He was already in the choir. In 1996 he was appointed church warden and remained one for the next 18 years, together with Henry Jenkins and later Hugo Herbert-Jones. Mentions that the church seems to be losing the younger generation, although it has good connections with the school and also with musical activities. Track 6 (5mins 39 secs) Mentions the changes in Aldeburgh and remembers there used to be 4 butchers, 2 ironmongers, 2 chemists. Describes how he used to help with the festivals in Aldeburgh and was a founder member of Aldeburgh Music. Remembers Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears and says what good friends they were. Mentions that they sometimes spent Christmas with them at the Red House. Talked about the Scallop and he thought that it should have been placed at the other end of the town. |