Ernie BENSLEY

My Memories of the Sea Flood at Horsey on Feb. 12th, 1938

 At the time, our family lived at No. 9, Horsey Corner.

it was about 9pm in the evening of that Saturday, when our neighbour Mr Harry Meale came and said did we know that the sea had broken through the Hills.
At first we didn't think there was much to worry about, but my father and myself went up the road from Horsey Corner to the main road.
In some fields was some Winter Wheat, and we could see the water coming really fast over the fields.
We ran back home and put some furniture on top of larger things and a few we took upstairs. But it did not help much, as later during the night there was about three feet of water inside the house.
While we were doing this Mr King from Hall Farm drove a Thorneycroft lorry he had then, through the footpaths to the Corner, to take the women and children to Sea Palling.
When this was known, Mrs Meale said what shall I do with the baby - this was Gladys. Mr King said I think perhaps you had better bring her as well.
Also in Horsey Corner at the time was Mr Jack King who farmed at Delphs Farm, and his father-in-law Mr F. Pointer.
Mr Pointer, having been at sea quite a lot, said I don't think any more water will come through now the wind has gone forward; to which Mr King replied "What do you know about the wind. how do you know it won't go back?"
After our family had been taken out, some went to our grandparents at Ingham, and some to relations at Hickling.
I stayed there for about two weeks, and then came back to stay with Uncle Charlie and Aunt May at Hall Cottage.
Just after this, Rev. Hart held a service in the Church one weeknight for the people who had stayed in the area around the Hall.
In that part of the village that night was an E.D.P. reporter and in the Press next day was a report which said that the people who went to the Service had to wade through the water to reach the Church door. Whereas the water was at least two hundred yards away!
When I was staying at Uncle Charlies I, with a large number of people, had a horse and tumbril carting sand from the Warren near the place where the sea came through, to fill the gap that had been made.
We had been doing this for some time, when the next High Tide washed the whole lot away again. So we had to start again, this time with sandbags filled with cement.
During this time our family lived in a bungalow at Sea Palling for several weeks, while the sea water was drained off the land, and the house dried out a bit. But when we came back the house was found to be still too damp, and so we were moved into No 1, in the other row of houses which were not so badly affected by water.

These are some of my memories of the Flood Time.