This page shows some of the people who lived and worked in Melton Constable at the time of the railway from 1881 - 1964. If you know the names of some of the unamed folk shown please do email or telephone 07836 675369, so we can update the page.

In Melton Constable support for the strike was total from 4 May to the finish. The railway staff, with their wives and children, paraded through the village led by the Hindolveston silver band, largely made up of Melton railway staff all of whom were members of the Salvation Army. The staff with their families walked behind the band carrying their trade union banners to the open space outside the Hastings Arms, where they were addressed by local trade unionists. The only hint of trouble was when Lord Hastings allegedly provoked it by driving through the crowd a number of times in his horse drawn carriage until he was 'persuaded' not to.
Unlike any previous railway strike, many of the clerical and supervisory staff were out. The 65,000-strong Railway Clerks Association had never before issued a national strike call.
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The Mechanical Engineering department at Melton was put on short time (four days a week) from 21st May as the Shops were unable to obtain the necessary supplies of steel. In order to make good the arrears on repairs to the locomotive fleet the department returned to full time from 1st January 1927. The Civil Engineering Shops were also put on short time from 12th June 1926 to 1st January 1927.
In the ten months to the end of October, train mileage across the Joint decreased by 16% compared to 1925, while
traffic revenue decreased by 13%. Receipts up to the end of April - immediately before the strike - showed an increase of £16,894 compared to the year before. By the end of July, however, receipts showed a decrease of £26,728. The ongoing curtailment of both passenger and freight traffic meant that by the end of October receipts showed a decrease of £67,224.
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Above Photo
This was the last Railway Mission Sunday School outing before WWll, that took the children to Cromer by train. After that time the beaches became fortified and civilians were banned from going on the beach. During the war, the Sunday School outing went to Melton Constable park.
Mr. G. B. Clarke, secretary to the Sunday School, dark suit, second row down and just below him is John Gaskin, the Superintendant.

Above Photo l-r
Back Row: Arthur Slegg, ?, ?, Roger Massingham, Stanley Page
Front Row: George Waterson, Fred Southgate, Jack Riseborough, Hector Albrook.

Above Photos
Margaret (née Gardner) Withers was born at 24 Colville Road in September 1932.
Her father was Edward John (Jack) Gardner and her grandfather Albert (Bert)  (Beetroot) Gardner, was a telegraph clerk from 1918-c.1927 after returning from WW1.

Amelia Suzanne and husband William Adams, had five children.
Samuel Adams became an engine driver and had no children.
Harriet Adams was a spinster and ran the station refreshment room.
Sarah Adams was a spinster and ran the station refreshment room as manageress.
Amelia Adams worked for Dr. Meanley at Melton Surgery and married Bertie Rowe, who was a Railway Guard at Melton Constable. They had two children, Michael and Daphne.
Albert Adams became an apprentice at Melton Works and went on to have two children, Margot and Marilyn.

Above Photo
The Triumph motorbike standing outside the fence at the bottom of the garden of 31 Briston Road, belonged to Michael Rutland, who lived next door to Daphne Rowe, who is standing, admiring it. Just to her right can be seen the top of the water pump in the garden of no. 29. Daphne later said, 'I can remember using the pump even though we had a water supply into the house.' 

A. Q. Newman
Many called this wee man, the father of Melton, he certainly was a father to his self. Self 1st and self 2nd  and any left A.Q got that too. A conservative in every sense of the word. His sporting record, however, was good.

Charlie Barrett
I suppose he was the dead opposite to a A.Q. Charlie was a well off labourite and his second love was fishing. Put these two men together, they run the parish council, the railway institute, the allotments the politics of the village.

G. B. Clarke
I never heard anyone say a bad word about G.B.  Polite, raising his hat to everyone he met, his love of music and choir, singing, God first, God second. Anything left was Gods. He never changed running the evening classes for young folk helping  them pass their exams to join the railway.  running the running the Railway Institute and Railway Mission.

Mr. Landley
Railway official better known for the Scouts leader. His efforts for this young man's organisation was his first love.

Stan Stone
When I was a small lad, every boy and girl was scared of Stan. I found out he was a kind man. His great love was Melton, sportsmen and women. He followed the football, cricket, bowls and tennis with sometimes too loud shouts was.

Stan Barsted
This man was a. True character. He was a large chap but very clever. His brain worked so quick he could add up pounds, shilling and pence sums in a flash. He spent most of his time in George & Peter Ekes the hairdressers and I believe he worked for Norfolk County Council.

Nelly Linder & Nurse Clarke
These two ladies run the Melton Constable Post Office. It is hard to describe them. Nelly as local postmaster had a loud piercing voice. Her call of ‘Freddie telegram’ sounded over Melton Streets as she called my brother Fred to the post office. Nurse Clarke, an ex nurse, was just a sharp. They run the GPO very efficiently.

The above were as related by Ralph William Kimber.

Above Left Photo l-r
Back Row: Claude Gaze, Reg Scotney, A. Slegg, Mr. Easton
Front Row: B. Willard, S. Burrows
Claude Gaze was a signalman at Melton Constable

Reg Scotney was a supervisor at the sheet factory. When the sheet factory closed,
he worked for British Rail at Grosvenor House, Norwich.

Above Right Photo l-r
Back Row: George Empson, Billy Ellis, Herbert Drewry, Charlie King, Alfie Drewry
Centre Row: Bert Reynolds, Joe Horne, Charlie Scott
Front Row: George Dennis, Arthur Attoe, Arthur Gooch, Mr. Loynes, Lance Piggot, Walter Wright, Fred Robinson

Arthur Attoe lived on the north side of Melton Constable in one of the private houses and was often seen on his bicycle.

Above Photo l-rr
Back Row: Harold Drewry, Reginald (Aubrey) Dent, Bert Earl, Harold Frairy, R. Allison, A. Reeve, S. Dybal, Mr. Barnes, P. Jones, R. Pauly, L. Cooper
2nd Row: A. Watling, D. Barsted, F. Wicks, B. Smith, F. Pocock, M. Scarfe, G. Smith, S. Williamson
3rd Row: A. Walpole, A. Colman, W. Watts, Gil Smith, W. Fry, Mr. Clarke, R. Collins, F. Davey, Jack Plane,
Front Row: Colin Bumfrey, S. Maise, A. Bunn, G. Worship, J. Carter, F. Oliver, W. Reynolds, F. Nurse, H. Reeve

Above Photo
Lord Hastings on Home Guard duty in front of Briningham Belle Vue with an unknown Sergeant Major

Above left photo l-r
The Morgan family - Wilfred, Lily, Frederick William (father), Annie, Violet Albert and Frank.
Above right photo l-r
Frederick William Morgan, born 29th May 1865 in Norwich, was an engine driver.
Albert Morgan, born 7th August 1864 in Norwich, was an engine fitter.
George Wiggett Morgan, born in 1868 in Norwich, was also known as Johnny Root and worked as a Mess Room attendant.

Founder Of 'Ready Band' Dies At 72

Melton Constable has lost a well loved personality by the death of Miss Ellen Mizpah Armitage, who died on Monday at the age of 72. She and her sister Gladys, who is a retired teacher, had lived together for many years, and there are no other relatives in England. As a young woman Miss Armitage became a clerk at Melton Constable station, and worked there until 1936 when the works were closed and she was transferred to the goods depot at City Station. Here she worked throughout the war, and after the station was bombed. But this was only one side of her life. In 1905 an organisation called 'The Ready Band' was formed to help raise money for the Medical Missionary Association. Miss Ellen and Miss Gladys Armitage are both named in the records of those who formed the band and ever since then they had devoted themselves to raising money for Medical Missions. They had sewn, knitted, embroidered and made marmalade and had a sale of their own work every year. In addition to this they helped raise money for St. Peter's Church, Melton Constable Park, local charities as well as war charities during the war. Miss Armitage was a regular worshipper at St.Peter's Church and had sung in the choir for over 50 years. Eastern Daily Press