Wells-next-the-Sea in the 1970s

[@paulcowell7588]

70s without any doubt the greatest decade known to humanity. If your teenage years were spent in the 70s you were immensely lucky...and mine were

[@kevinparker461]

Judging by the cars this could of been very late 60s. Trying to see what registration year was on the Mk 2 Cortina at the end but no luck!

[@brianmorley7165]

Sixties takes a lot of beating though

[@MrWrightey]

After our first visit to wells we fell in love with the place. That was 10 years ago. Last week we got married on our sons 10th birthday. The most beautiful place in the country. With the most wonderful people. Simon,Steph and William..Halifax

[@willh5061]

Absolutely love this. Just as I remember it as a child. Thanks.

[@demosthenes1296]

My grandmother came from Wells. So many fond childhood memories including nearly being cut off by the incoming tide having visited the East Hills on more than one occasion. It's a shame the West End Bakery is no longer there. Their cakes were out of this World.

[@29jug11]

One of my all time favourite places in England!

[@royedwardthompson8594]

My mum and dad found wells next the sea in the 1960's by sticking a pin in the map .. and i have been back every year since.. we have had many good camping holidays on pinewoods camping site ... 53 years on and its still a smashing place can't wait till 2014 bring on the summer ...

[@andyainsworth1802]

How absolutely gorgeous, brought a tear to my eye. I've been going to wells on holiday since I was born (43 years ago) and have the most wonderful childhood memories of the town. Your film took me back to being a child again. Thank you so much.

[@mikaelabowen5781]

This is glorious! Some super shots of vehicles - takes me straight back to that time. Gorgeous old Commer TS3 fire engine.

[@Headwind-1]

how lovely to travel back to those days .. .

[@anneoverend2690]

Brilliant video, It brings back sooooo many memories, I have been going to Wells for 47 years and still love it. We go every year. Thanks

[@chrisyardley6948]

Thanks for putting this on here - I was in Wells today and whilst there is a resemblance to the world we see in this film, the character and atmosphere of the whole of North Norfolk is so different from the way it was when i was a kid living in a village not far from Wells. It was so much more interesting, the shipping, the shops, the historical continuity of the feel and grain of the buildings and the sense of being in a really out of the way / isolated part fo the Country - you couldnt say that now sadly. Also the lack of gentrification and the fact that the Town 'worked' and had a working purpose - all quite self contained - are so evident in the film

[@andygrieve5888]

brought back many happy memories of a simpler time. thank you

[@craigsimons817]

Holidayed there in the 70s and early 80s. Visited there a few years ago and the place had hardly changed but what had done so was for the better. I was sad to hear the beach road railway had closed however.

[@trinitycottage3836]

My family were the Coxes of Wells - fishermen and lifeboatmen. Came from Sheringham to Wells in late 1800s. My Mum married Dad in 1949 so she settled in Wells but her family were West Country/Wales - coal miners and carpenters! My family history runs a bit like Poldark.

[@1965Ady]

Wow what a trip down memory lane! My parents had a caravan at Kelling Heath from the mid 60's to the early 80's and we holidayed there several times a year, every year. We always went to Wells and Blakeney. I was looking at the video hoping to spot ourselves on it! I've been back twice this year and have booked to return in June next year. I can't wait, my spiritual home. Thanks for a great video. 👍

[@JohnTheRails]

My mother came from Wells so I've known it all my life, although I've always lived in Brighton. In my 60s now! People have been catching crabs with lines (it's known as 'gillying' locally) for as long as I can remember. During the carnival, gillying competitions are held for the children. The cargo boats stopped coming to Wells when the harbour became silted and the channel more shallow. Biggest regret is the closure of the railway in 1964.

[@nickhall5959]

Spent many a day fishing with a lump of bacon off the quay side at Wells for crabs

[@richardharvey1732]

Hi John, I first went to Wells about nineteen sixty seven, we camped in among the dunes and bought fish at the quayside. The harbour was semi-derelict already by that time, I suspect that the combination of the railway closure, the shift to road transport and reduction in coastal freight was the cause of the neglect and siltation not the product, had the shipping remained viable, as it now is again, the dredging would have been continued. Much more recently I have had the great pleasure of being able to stay in the flat at the top of the old warehouse over the car park and have spent many happy hours watching the 'gillying', I am sure the sales of bacon for bait are a major factor in the success of the local shops!. The whole place is now so much more vibrant and alive than it was back then. Cheers, Richard.

[@pauljordan3227]

I used to stay in bishop ingle house in the 80s

[@Mrbuggle]

I'm wondering if this is two films put together. The first part, looking at the cars and fashions would seem to be late 1960s possibly very early 1970s. Then a clue at 07:38 is a sign showing train fares at 30p. Decimalization came in February 1971 so it must be very shortly after that. There then seems to be a strange inconsistency....towards the end of the film at 08:50 I'm sure that's a MkV Cortina driving by and a late 70s style Elddis caravan that would date that part much later...around 1980?!

[@kevinparker461]

Thinking exactly the same by the cars, don't think the estate car as they were turning the train was a Cortina. But most of the vehicles at the start of the film point to late 60s, a good view of the number plate would be a better clue. but a fantastic record of those times.

[@michaelward2082]

The narrow guage railway opened July 1976..

[@adamsfamily4060]

A time when Wells was said to have more council housing per head of population than anywhere in England. Today it is almost Impossible for locals to buy or even rent a home in Wells. The social cleansing of Norfolk's small towns and villages is shameful.

[@moleman1961]

My dad taught me to swim in the channel next to the lifeboat house! Brilliant vid! Lots of memories! Thanks for posting this!

[@popstars4444]

yes brilliant.. brought back loads of memories.. thankyou

[@charzi]

West End Bakery that is no more, Oh my word look at that bus - no coast hoppers there! lol Been crabbing at Wells for years, didn't do it last year, but I will when I go in a weeks time!! Can't quite believe the difference in the campsite now, and good old Weasel (or Diesel as I called him - Edmund was Thomas (I was only small then!!)). Used to sit with Betty the guard when Mike & Betty want used to run the trains. Some great memories, and they'll be many more :D

[@recruitmain7817]

I am moving to Norfolk soon, in a place called binham which is next to this place, I love it there. This was exiting for me

[@ac2litre]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing this.

[@iangillan123]

Brilliant. Thanks for the posting

[@4martinbrown]

Brings a tear to my eye super memories,but wait a minute were back there on the 23 Aug Love it to Bits

[@inkjet42]

brilliant video i've always loved wells keep saying i'll move there when i retire, my boys love it too we always have days out there in the summer, i would love to know when people started catching crabs off the harbour with the deadlines i remember buying 1 from a shop there and doing it in 1975 when the ships used to dock there

[@ellielotsoflove6249]

What a great video my nan and granddad have a cottage there that was there in those days :)

[@BoatsnBushcraft]

cool i lived in wells for 16 years and ive nevr seen video of it when it was this old. I think my grandad keith is one of the firemen

[@peterstudley1804]

August 1972. Apart from the wells harbour railway it looks as if that portion of the film was shot mid 1980s .

[@garysimpson3900]

Still a beautiful place today.

[@moleman1961]

I love that shop! Used to go in there as a kid to get the fudge!

[@colinhazell6259]

Lovely!

[@rammsteinred1889]

We lived in Wells for about three months, when I was a kid. Can't remember the name of the street, but it was near the cinema

[@willh5061]

The old cinema used to be on Clubbs Lane

[@austerace]

This is a fantastic piece of historic film, brilliant! Thank you for posting. I would guess at it being very, very early 70's, but looking at the cars and the reg numbers I can see, I would say it's more likely to be late 60's.....

[@digitallifeline162]

Right at the end there is a mark 5 Cortina. These did not come out until 1979.

[@richardcoles6841]

Its a mk2 I think. I agree with Alan. Late 60s.

[@VanlifewithAlan]

Fascinating private film - I wish I had had a camera then - although of course at my age I would probably have broken it in a very short time!

[@ChrisRichmond]

What a wonderful bit of archive film. Wonder if my old Granddad was driving the bus at 01:40. He used to drive the route sometimes during his two stints at Eastern Counties. Regarding the fire station scenes- is it just a coincidence that the backing music plays a "nee nor" theme during this part?! :-D Do you know where abouts the old air raid siren was located? What is interesting is that it does not appear to be mounted on the steel tower. If it is, it certainly isn't visible during the film.

[@JohnTheRails]

As far as I remember, the air raid siren was at the top of a wooden tower in Newgate Lane at the back of Staithe Street. The music is Beethoven's 6th Symphony and the "nee nor" playing at that moment is pure coincidence.

[@train672]

Amazing to see how people lived in the olden days. Thanks for the interesting video :-)

[@DianHalliddy21]

I have just had my Mams family tree on her mams side and found all her family is from wells next the sea and Bingham and possible surrounding villages x surname "Kendal" x

[@paulwilton735]

Grew up in East runton.

[@charzi]

I'm staying up on the primary school at the caravan and camping club rally. I used to go to pinewoods, but it is extortionate for tents and terrible pitches!

[@dazlee2639]

such a shame they are stopping the railway to the beach.

[@yeriaf]

Great music.

[@chrisp2653]

This video I assume was made between 1970 - 1973 as from 1973 it was compulsory to wear crash helmets. Around the 2min45sec mark there was a motorcyclist not wearing a crash helmet

[@adamsfamily4060]

A time when it was said Wells had more council housing per head of population than anywhere else in England. Today it is almost impossible for locals to buy even rent a home in Wells. The social cleansing of Norfolk's small towns and villages is shameful.

[@DonnieDarko_831]

Sadly, the Harbour Railway is no longer there.

[@bassfingers]

I never visit Norfolk without a slow stroll down Staithe St.

[@Aanakssao]

Dam I miss going to wells school

[@RobinStubbs-o9n]

Yes I used to love wells , but not anymore

[@0boy00]

for me too. many a crab liberated from the key :-). we should go back one day.

[@nickhall5959]

Boy has it changed now, you would be shocked

[@dbranch9]

The fire brigade was really in Burnt Street? Sounds like they were too late. Great film though.

[@tomstravelingadventures]

Wow Is this your own footage?

[@JohnTheRails]

It is indeed. I still have the original 8mm film.

[@davidinger961]

Pure nostalgia! Cars s then had proper names not like today's cactuses, and leafs lol

[@paulcowell7588]

I recon that is 1972

[@moleman1961]

@moleman1961

[@robnewman6101]

Law & Order. Police Station.

[@arnieramsbottom704]

I don't know why this place is so expensive to live- it's a shabby dump in 2016!

[@MrBarrsy68]

Arnie Ramsbottom Hopefully you wont be able to afford to come back again

[@marknestbox]

Er... lovely film, lovely place but er, its loaded out with tourists and old salts and alike and er, well, er... where are all the Inns and pubs?!!!

[@nickhall5959]

Dad used to take us to the Bowling green pub as it had a small childrens play area out back - happy memories.