In his weekly column, Hunstanton writer John Maiden discusses a town photographer and his 88th birthday…
Sometimes it is good to see my hometown through the lens of a camera held in the hands of a retired professional photographer.
On Wednesday, February 4, Your Local Paper featured Tony Shelley on page 8. Tony is a regular visitor to Hunstanton from his home in Leicester.
Hunstanton writer John Maiden on his 88th birthday
His black and white images of landmarks, including the cliffs, lighthouse, promenade and Princess Theatre, reminded me that Hunstanton has retained at least some of its character, which is much appreciated by residents and visitors alike.
Tony is currently undergoing cancer treatment, but is organising an exhibition at Leicester in April which will feature Hunstanton.
As soon as he has completed his twelve cycles of chemotherapy – seven remaining – he and his wife Cathy will be spending two weeks of convalescence in Hunstanton.
John Maiden paid a recent visit to the Old Town Beach Cafe
They probably know that Hunstanton has always been a second home for many Leicester folk. The owner and editor of the ‘Leicester Mercury’ retired here towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the clifftop shelter nearest to the esplanade gardens was erected in his honour.
Of even greater relevance is the fact that Phil Thomas, Treasurer of the Hunstanton Society, has become established as a reliable authority on the history of Hunstanton, since he came to live in the town which he describes as Leicester on Sea!
Needless to say, Phil is not alone when it comes to the hard-working committee members and volunteers who welcome residents and visitors to the Heritage Centre at the junction of Northgate and Greevegate.
On a personal note, I must celebrate the fact that I reached my 88th birthday on February 2. My dear sister, Patsy Burgess, passed away at the age of 85. I am now the only surviving member of my family who has the opportunity to visit the place of his birth whenever I pass the Sue Ryder shop in Westgate, opposite Sainsbury’s.
John Maiden discusses this road in his weekly column
Now I am suggesting that when my time is finally up, instead of visiting the grave down Alexandra Road, why not spend a few bob at the charity shop.
However, although Alexandra Road was unmade to the last time I looked, on a more recent visit to the Old Town Beach Cafe for a vegan snack, with my wife, younger daughter and her husband, I was delighted to find the track to the Lifeboat and the Cafe had been given a proper surface.
I am yet to find out the name of the generous benefactor.
John Maiden with his wife and daughter